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MicroRNAs

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns—non-coding regions of a gene—or intergenic regions—stretches of DNA present between genes. Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After...

MicroRNAs

MicroRNAs

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short, regulatory RNA transcribed from introns (non-coding regions of a gene) or intergenic regions (stretches of DNA present between genes). Several processing steps are required to form biologically active, mature miRNA. The initial transcript, called primary miRNA (pri-mRNA), base-pairs with itself, forming a stem-loop structure. Within the nucleus, an endonuclease enzyme, called Drosha, shortens the stem-loop structure into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA. After the pre-miRNA...

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs

In humans, more than 80% of the genome gets transcribed. However, only around 2% of the genome codes for proteins. The remaining part produces non-coding RNAs which includes ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, telomerase RNAs, and regulatory RNAs, among other types. A large number of regulatory non-coding RNAs have been classified into two groups depending upon their length – small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNA, which are less than 200 nucleotides in length, and long non-coding RNA...

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps

Gene expression can be regulated at almost every step from gene to protein. Transcription is the step that is most commonly regulated. This involves the binding of proteins to short regulatory sequences on the DNA. This association can either promote or inhibit the transcription of a gene associated with the respective sequence.
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Investigating the Spreading and Toxicity of Prion-like Proteins Using the Metazoan Model Organism C. elegans

Investigating the Spreading and Toxicity of Prion-like Proteins Using the Metazoan Model Organism C. elegans

Published on: January 8, 2015

Metazoan MicroRNAs.

David P Bartel¹

¹Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

|March 24, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs regulating gene expression in mammals. This review covers miRNA features, biogenesis, and their crucial roles in biological functions, confirmed by knockout studies.

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Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Investigating the Spreading and Toxicity of Prion-like Proteins Using the Metazoan Model Organism C. elegans

Investigating the Spreading and Toxicity of Prion-like Proteins Using the Metazoan Model Organism C. elegans

Published on: January 8, 2015

MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism

MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism

Published on: February 6, 2017

Describing a Transcription Factor Dependent Regulation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome

Describing a Transcription Factor Dependent Regulation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome

Published on: June 15, 2016

Area of Science:

Molecular Biology
Genetics
Developmental Biology

Background:

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression.
They function through posttranscriptional repression of messenger RNA (mRNA) targets.
These small RNAs are conserved across eukaryotic lineages, including mammals.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advances in understanding metazoan miRNAs.
To cover miRNA biogenesis, genomics, evolution, and regulation.
To explore miRNA target recognition, repression mechanisms, and biological functions.

Main Methods:

Literature review of scientific articles on miRNA research.
Compilation and analysis of knockout phenotypes for conserved mammalian miRNAs.
Synthesis of current knowledge on miRNA biology and function.

Main Results:

Detailed overview of metazoan miRNA defining features and biogenesis pathways.
Explanation of miRNA regulation, target recognition, and repression mechanisms.
Compilation of knockout data demonstrating essential biological roles for most conserved mammalian miRNAs.

Conclusions:

Metazoan miRNAs are fundamental to gene expression regulation.
Conserved miRNAs play critical roles in mammalian biology, as evidenced by knockout studies.
Further research continues to uncover the complexity and importance of miRNA pathways.