Small temporal RNA
Small temporal RNA (abbreviated stRNA) regulates gene expression during roundworm development by preventing the mRNAs they bind from being translated.[1] In contrast to siRNA, stRNAs downregulate expression of target RNAs after translation initiation without affecting mRNA stability.[2] Nowadays, stRNAs are better known as miRNAs.
stRNAs exert negative post-transcriptional regulation by binding to complementary sequences in the 3' untranslated regions of their target genes. stRNAs are transcribed as longer precursor RNAs that are processed by the RNase Dicer/DCR-1 and members of the RDE-1/AGO1 family of proteins, which are better known for their roles in RNA interference (RNAi). stRNAs may function to control temporal identity during development in C. elegans and other organisms.[3]
References
- ^ Science, vol. 293, no. 5531, pp. 811-813 (August 3, 2001).
- ^ Grosshans H, Slack FJ (2002). "Micro-RNAs : small is plentiful". J Cell Biol. 156 (1): 17–22. doi:10.1083/jcb.200111033. PMC 2173595. PMID 11781331.
- ^ Banerjee D, Slack F (February 2002). "Control of developmental timing by small temporal RNAs: a paradigm for RNA-mediated regulation of gene expression". BioEssays. 24 (2): 119–29. doi:10.1002/bies.10046. PMID 11835276.