Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER ONE
Let's Make It Happen: The Role of let-7
MicroRNA in Development
Vanessa Mondol and Amy E. Pasquinelli
Contents
1. Introduction
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7
2. The Discovery of miRNAs
7
2.1. lin-4 miRNA
2.2. let-7 miRNA
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8
2.3. let-7 miRNA in other organisms
3. The Role of let-7 in C. elegans Development
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3.1. Biogenesis of let-7
3.2. Identification of let-7 targets
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3.3. Developmental role of let-7 and its targets
4. The Role of let-7 in Development and Disease Across Species
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4.1. Stem cells and differentiation
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4.2. Cancer
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4.3. Neuronal functions
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5. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
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References
22
Abstract
Noncoding RNAs have emerged as an integral part of posttranscriptional gene
regulation. Among that class of RNAs are the microRNAs (miRNAs), which
posttranscriptionally regulate target mRNAs containing complementary
sequences. The broad presence of miRNAs in lower eukaryotes, plants, and
mammals highlights their importance throughout evolution. MiRNAs have been
shown to regulate many pathways, including development, and disruption of
miRNA function can lead to disease (
Ivey and Srivastava, 2010; Jiang et al.,
2009
). Although the first miRNA genes were discovered in the nematode,
Caenorhabditis elegans, almost 20 years ago, the field of miRNA research
began when they were found in multiple organisms a little over a decade ago
Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
