摘要

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are 21-23 nucleotide long RNAs that associate with the Argonaute family of proteins and direct interactions of these and RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) components to the 3'-UTRs of mRNAs that harbour partially complementary sequences. The paradigm for miRNA function has been that they inhibit gene expression by translational inhibition and subsequent mRNA degradation. However, a series of recent studies have revealed that subsets of miRNAs are also localized in the nucleus, suggesting that they perform different functions in this cellular compartment. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Hansen et al (2011) describe that nuclear localized miRNAs target non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) revealing an intriguing and novel mechanism for gene regulation.

  • 出版日期2011-11-2