Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism
09:05

MicroRNA-based Regulation of Picornavirus Tropism

Published on: February 6, 2017

8.1K

Mutual feedback regulation between Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN) and cognate microRNAs

Athanasios Kyritsis1, Rafailia Aa Beta1, Diana Scutelnic1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.

Life Science Alliance
|March 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN) regulates microRNA (miRNA) expression by controlling poly(A) tail lengths of pri-miRNAs. This interaction impacts lung cancer cell migration, revealing a novel regulatory feedback loop.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • RNA Biology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Primary microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) are typically capped and polyadenylated.
  • Mature miRNAs trigger mRNA degradation via deadenylases that shorten poly(A) tails.
  • Poly(A)-specific ribonuclease (PARN) is a deadenylase involved in noncoding RNA maturation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of PARN in miRNA expression in lung cancer cells.
  • To elucidate the regulatory relationship between PARN and specific miRNAs (miR-29a, miR-1207).
  • To determine the impact of this interaction on lung cancer cell migration.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of PARN's association with pri-miR-29a and pri-miR-1207.
  • Assessment of miR-29a and miR-1207 binding to PARN mRNA 3' UTR.
  • Investigation of the role of Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 6 (CPSF6) in recruiting PARN.
  • Modulation of PARN, miR-29a, and miR-1207 expression to assess effects on cell migration.

Main Results:

  • PARN associates with pri-miR-29a and pri-miR-1207, regulating their poly(A) tail lengths.
  • miR-29a and miR-1207 bind to the 3' UTR of PARN mRNA, regulating its expression.
  • CPSF6 facilitates PARN recruitment to pri-miRNAs, influencing miR-29a levels.
  • Modulating PARN, miR-29a, or miR-1207 impacts lung cancer cell migration.

Conclusions:

  • A dynamic feedback loop exists between PARN and miR-29a/miR-1207 in lung cancer cells.
  • PARN and specific miRNAs regulate each other's expression and stability.
  • This regulatory axis plays a significant role in lung cancer cell migration.

More Related Videos

Describing a Transcription Factor Dependent Regulation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome07:23

Describing a Transcription Factor Dependent Regulation of the MicroRNA Transcriptome

Published on: June 15, 2016

9.0K
Biotin-based Pulldown Assay to Validate mRNA Targets of Cellular miRNAs11:00

Biotin-based Pulldown Assay to Validate mRNA Targets of Cellular miRNAs

Published on: June 12, 2018

14.7K

Related Concept Videos

MicroRNAs01:22

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...
4.2K
MicroRNAs01:22

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...
24.5K
MicroRNAs01:22

MicroRNAs

12.0K
RNA Interference01:23

RNA Interference

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in which a small non-coding RNA molecule blocks the post-transcriptional expression of a gene by binding to its messenger RNA (mRNA) and preventing the protein from being translated.
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...
28.4K
Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps01:23

Regulation of Expression at Multiple Steps

The gene expression in cells is regulated at different stages: (i) transcription, (ii) RNA processing, (iii) RNA localization, and (iv) translation. Transcriptional regulation is mediated by regulatory proteins such as transcription factors, activators, or repressors—these control gene expression by initiating or inhibiting the transcription of genes. Once a precursor or pre-mRNA is produced, it undergoes post-transcriptional modification, including 5' capping, splicing, and the...
1.5K
Riboswitches01:56

Riboswitches

Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...
10.0K