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Role of the microRNA‐Processing Enzyme Drosha in Vascular Development
Author(s) -
Hata Akiko,
Jiang Xuan,
Lagna Giorgio,
Hart Daniel
Publication year - 2015
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.29.1_supplement.877.2
Subject(s) - drosha , microrna , biology , zebrafish , microbiology and biotechnology , ribonuclease iii , downregulation and upregulation , angiogenesis , rnase p , genetics , gene , rna , rna interference
microRNAs (miRNAs) interact in a complex way with many coding RNAs, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and proteins. Their expression, processing and functional activity, like that of coding genes, are tightly controlled in order to maintain homeostasis. Aberrant expression of miRNAs can contribute to various human disorders and developmental defects. The biogenesis of a miRNA is a stepwise process that includes (i) transcription, (ii) nuclear cropping, (iii) export to the cytoplasm, and (iv) cytoplasmic cropping. The RNase III enzyme Drosha is responsible for nuclear cropping, which transforms long primary miRNA transcripts (pri‐miRNAs) into intermediate products known as precursor‐miRNAs (or pre‐miRNAs). To examine the role of Drosha‐processed miRNAs in vascular development and function, we have examined vertebrate animals downregulated in Drosha . Downregulation of Drosha in zebrafish results in angiogenesis defects, such as incomplete intersegmental vessel formation, vascular leakage and, less frequently, arteriovenous malformations, suggesting an essential role of Drosha‐generated miRNAs in vascular development and integrity.