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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

A Reporter Assay to Analyze Intronic microRNA Maturation in Mammalian Cells
Published on: June 16, 2022
Form follows function - structural interplay between DCL1 and pri-miRNAs
Cecile R Scholl1, Lars Grosch2, Jana Baradei3
1Institute of Biology, Department of Genetics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Abstract:
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) guide post-transcriptional gene silencing in plants and shape developmental outcomes and environmental responses by precisely tuning gene expression. miRNAs originate from primary transcripts (pri-miRNAs) whose structural features - including internal loops, mismatches, and sequence motifs - facilitate interactions with the miRNA processing complex composed of DICER-LIKE 1 (DCL1), HYPONASTIC LEAVES 1 (HYL1), and SERRATE (SE). In vitro structural analyses of DCL1, HYL1, and SE proteins have elucidated their interactions with each other and with pri-miRNAs at unprecedented resolution. These findings highlight plant-specific processing features that are distinct from those of animals and suggest new avenues for manipulating miRNA pathways. We review recent progress in understanding the structural determinants of pri-miRNA processing, knowledge that may also be valuable for future applications in crop species through targeted genome editing.
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