Let-7 microRNA precursor

The Let-7 microRNA precursor was identified from a study of developmental timing in "C. elegans", [cite journal | last = Rougvie | first = AE | year = 2001 | title = Control of developmental timing in animals | journal = Nat Rev Genet | volume = 2 | pages = 690–701 | pmid = 11533718 | doi = 10.1038/35088566] and was later shown to be part of a much larger class of non-coding RNAs termed microRNAs. [cite journal | last = Ambros | first = V | year = 2001 | title = microRNAs: tiny regulators with great potential | journal = Cell | volume = 107 | pages = 823–826 | pmid = 11779458 | doi = 10.1016/S0092-8674(01)00616-X] miR-98 microRNA precursor from human is a let-7 family member. Let-7 miRNAs have now been predicted or experimentally confirmed in a wide range of species ( [http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/cgi-bin/sequences/mirna_summary.pl?fam=MIPF000002 MIPF000002] ). miRNAs are transcribed as pri-miRNAs, which are processed in the nucleus by Drosha and Pasha to hairpin structures of about ~70 nucleotide called pre-miRNAs. These precursors are exported to the cytoplasm by exportin5, where they are subsequently processed by the enzyme Dicer to a ~22 nucleotide mature miRNA. The involvement of Dicer in miRNA processing demonstrates a relationship with the phenomenon of RNA interference.

References

External links

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* [http://microrna.sanger.ac.uk/cgi-bin/sequences/mirna_summary.pl?fam=MIPF0000002 miRBase family entry for let-7]