tailieunhanh - Báo cáo khoa học: MicroRNAs – micro in size but macro in function Sunit K. Singh1,2, Manika Pal Bhadra3, Hermann J. Girschick2 and Utpal Bhadra4

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs that can regulate target mRNAs by binding to their 3¢-UTRs. A single miRNA can regulate many mRNA targets, and several miRNAs can regulate a single mRNA. These have been reported to be involved in a variety of functions, including developmental transitions, neuronal patterning, apoptosis, adipogenesis metabolism and hematopoiesis in different organisms. | IFEBS Journal REVIEW ARTICLE MicroRNAs - micro in size but macro in function Sunit K. Singh1 2 Manika Pal Bhadra3 Hermann J. Girschick2 and Utpal Bhadra4 1 Section of Infectious Diseases and Immunobiology Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Hyderabad India 2 Section of Infectious Diseases Immunology and Pediatric Rheumatology Children s Hospital University of Wuerzburg Germany 3 Centre for ChemicalBiology Indian Institute of ChemicalTechnology Hyderabad India 4 FunctionalGenomics and Gene Silencing Group Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Hyderabad India Keywords Dicer microRNA miRNA and cancer miRNA and disease miRNA and therapeutics miRNA biogenesis miRNA function miRNA inhibitors small RNA Correspondence S. K. Singh Section of Infectious Diseases and Immunobiology Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology UppalRoad Hyderabad 500007 India Fax 91 40 27160311 Tel 91 40 27192523 E-mail sunitsingh@ MicroRNAs miRNAs are endogenous small RNAs that can regulate target mRNAs by binding to their 3 -UTRs. A single miRNA can regulate many mRNA targets and several miRNAs can regulate a single mRNA. These have been reported to be involved in a variety of functions including developmental transitions neuronal patterning apoptosis adipogenesis metabolism and hematopoiesis in different organisms. Many oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are regulated by miRNAs. Studies conducted in the past few years have demonstrated the possible association between miRNAs and several human malignancies and infectious diseases. In this article we have focused on the mechanism of miRNA biogenesis and the role of miRNAs in human health and disease. Received 30 June 2008 revised 30 July 2008 accepted 1 August 2008 doi Introduction Small RNAs exhibit a wide spectrum of biological functions. There are many classes of small RNAs such as microRNAs miRNAs small interfering RNAs siRNAs repeat associated small interfering RNAs 1 small nuclear RNA