Pre-microRNA

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Zeng Y, Cullen BR 2004. Structural requirements for pre-microRNA binding and nuclear export by Exportin 5. Nucleic Acids Res 32(16) 4776-4785. 

Makeyev EV, Zhang J, Carrasco MA et al (2007) The MicroRNA miR-124 promotes neuronal differentiation by triggering brain-specific alternative pre-mRNA splicing. Mol CeU 27 435-448... 

Costinean S, Zanesi N, Pekarsky Y et al. Pre-B cell proliferation and lymphoblastic leukemia/high-grade lymphoma in E(mu)-miR155 transgenic mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006 103 7024-7029. Volinia S, Calin GA, Liu CG et al. A microRNA expression signature of human solid tumors defines cancer gene targets. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006 103 2257-2261. 

Fig. 3 The microRNA (miRNA) pathway. An miRNA is first transcribed as part of an imperfect hairpin in a longer Pol II transcript with 5 cap (open circle) and polyadenosine tail (AAAAAA). The hairpin (pre-miRNA) is removed from the transcript by the nuclear RNase III type enzyme Drosha and its partner, DGCR8. Exportin-5 (Xpo-5) transports the resulting by-product to the cytoplasm, where Dicer liberates a short-lived miRNA duplex. The duplex is unwound, and one strand enters RISC. If the miRNA is mismatched to its target (left), it does not induce cleavage, but may inhibit translation. With a perfect or near-perfect match (right), the target RNA is destroyed by RISC.

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