Small but influential: the role of microRNAs on gene regulatory network and 3′UTR evolution

Rui Zhang; Bing Su

doi:10.1016/S1673-8527(09)60001-1

Volume 36 Issue 1

Jan. 2009

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Small but influential: the role of microRNAs on gene regulatory network and 3′UTR evolution

doi: 10.1016/S1673-8527(09)60001-1

Rui Zhang^{a, b},
Bing Su^a

a
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology and Kunming Primate Research Center Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
b
Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China

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Corresponding author: E-mail address: sub@mail.kiz.ac.cn (Bing Su)
Received Date: 2008-09-26
Accepted Date: 2008-11-11
Rev Recd Date: 2008-10-28

Available Online: 2009-01-20

Publish Date: 2009-01-20

Abstract

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous ∼22 nucleotide noncoding RNAs that regulate the expression of complementary messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Thousands of miRNA genes have been found in diverse species, and many of them are highly conserved. With the miRNA roles identified in nearly all aspects of biological processes, evidence is mounting that miRNAs could represent a new layer of regulatory network, and their regulatory effect might be much more pervasive than previously suspected. Here we focus on the post-transcriptional level gene regulation of miRNAs in animals and review how the miRNAs act to sustain and shape up the expression profiles of specific cell types; how the miRNAs integrate into the existing gene regulatory networks; and how the miRNAs influence the evolution of 3′UTR of mammalian mRNAs.
- miRNA,
- gene expression,
- regulatory network,
- 3′;UTR evolution

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References(40)

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