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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
09:30
Genome-wide Surveillance of Transcription Errors in Eukaryotic Organisms
Published on: September 13, 2018
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A developmental timer coordinates organism-wide microRNA transcription
Peipei Wu1, Jing Wang1, Brett Pryor2
1Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, One Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|February 9, 2026
Summary
Scientists discovered a developmental timer in C. elegans involving MYRF-1 and LIN-42. This mechanism coordinates microRNA transcription, ensuring precise timing for tissue development and organismal growth.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Coordinated tissue development requires precise temporal control of cell fate transitions.
- The mechanisms driving the rhythmic transcription of heterochronic microRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans remain elusive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the source of developmental rhythms controlling microRNA transcription.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms coordinating stage-specific cell fate transitions.
Main Methods:
- Identified a developmental timer involving transcription factor MYRF-1 and repressor LIN-42.
- Investigated MYRF-1 binding to regulatory elements of microRNA genes.
- Analyzed the interaction between LIN-42 and MYRF-1.
Main Results:
- MYRF-1 drives synchronized, stage-specific transcriptional pulses of microRNAs across tissues.
- MYRF-1 activates lin-42 expression, and LIN-42 feedback limits MYRF-1 activity.
- This feedback loop generates organism-wide, phase-locked microRNA expression.
Conclusions:
- A MYRF-1/LIN-42 feedback loop acts as a developmental timer in all somatic cells.
- This timer couples tissue-specific development to organismal growth via synchronized microRNA expression.
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