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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Differentiation of a Human Neural Stem Cell Line on Three Dimensional Cultures, Analysis of MicroRNA and Putative Target Genes
Published on: April 12, 2015
Differential 3' Processing of Specific Transcripts Expands Regulatory and Protein Diversity Across Neuronal Cell
Saša Jereb1, Hun-Way Hwang1, Eric Van Otterloo2
1Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, United States.
Abstract:
Alternative polyadenylation (APA) regulates mRNA translation, stability, and protein localization. However, it is unclear to what extent APA regulates these processes uniquely in specific cell types. Using a new technique, cTag-PAPERCLIP, we discovered significant differences in APA between the principal types of mouse cerebellar neurons, the Purkinje and granule cells, as well as between proliferating and differentiated granule cells. Transcripts that differed in APA in these comparisons were enriched in key neuronal functions and many differed in coding sequence in addition to 3'UTR length. We characterize Memo1, a transcript that shifted from expressing a short 3'UTR isoform to a longer one during granule cell differentiation. We show that Memo1 regulates granule cell precursor proliferation and that its long 3'UTR isoform is targeted by miR-124, contributing to its downregulation during development. Our findings provide insight into roles for APA in specific cell types and establish a platform for further functional studies.
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Transcription
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
Chromatin Structure Regulates pre-mRNA Processing
The chromatin structure, especially...
Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
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...
What is Gene Expression?
Transcription
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds of RNA Molecules
In eukaryotes,...
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

