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The Biology of small RNAs
Author(s) -
Sharp Phillip A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.19.1
Subject(s) - microrna , biology , psychological repression , carcinogenesis , subcellular localization , robustness (evolution) , regulation of gene expression , cytoplasm , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , computational biology , genetics
MicroRNAs are currently thought to interact with mRNAs from half of all human genes, and each family of microRNAs is thought to target about 500 different mRNAs. Thus, these small RNAs form a complex network of cytoplasmic regulatory factors that complement the network of factors in the nucleus controlling transcription of genes. Overexpression of some microRNAs is associated with certain types of cancer while, more commonly, reduction in microRNA levels correlates with tumorigenesis. The latter is consistent with the recent finding that microRNA regulation is not essential for tumor growth. We have recently isolated several tumor cell lines that are defective for synthesis of all microRNAs but still capable of forming tumors. Recent evidence suggests that the primary role of microRNAs might be to provide robustness or stability to systems. Stability during stress is a form of robustness. We have recently found that cytoplasmic subcellular localization of mRNAs and microRNAs is dependent upon formation of poly(ADP‐ribose) and that microRNA repression is reduced under these conditions.