Open AccessMicroRNAs: Biogenesis and Molecular Functions
Author(s) -
Liu Xuhang,
Fortin Kristine,
Mourelatos Zissimos
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
brain pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.986
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1750-3639
pISSN - 1015-6305
DOI - 10.1111/j.1750-3639.2007.00121.x
Subject(s) - argonaute , small interfering rna , microrna , trans acting sirna , rna interference , biology , dicer , rasirna , gene silencing , effector , microbiology and biotechnology , computational biology , regulation of gene expression , rna silencing , drosha , gene expression , genetics , gene , small rna , rna
Small regulatory RNAs are essential and ubiquitous riboregulators that are the key mediators of RNA interference (RNAi). They include microRNAs (miRNAs) and short‐interfering RNAs (siRNAs), classes of ∼22 nucleotide RNAs. miRNAs and siRNAs bind to Argonaute proteins and form effector complexes that regulate gene expression; in animals, this regulation occurs primarily at the post‐transcriptional level. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of how miRNA and siRNAs are generated and how they function to silence gene expression, focusing on animal and, in particular, mammalian miRNAs.