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The role of miRNAs in regulating gene expression networks.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression. They are conserved across species, expressed across cell types, and active against a large proportion of the transcriptome. The sequence-complementary mechanism of miRNA activity exploits combinatorial diversity, a property conducive to network-wide regulation of gene expression, and functional evidence supporting this hypothesized systems-level role has steadily begun to accumulate. The emerging models are exciting and will yield deep insight into the regulatory architecture of biology. However, because of the technical challenges facing the network-based study of miRNAs, many gaps remain. Here, we review mammalian miRNAs by describing recent advances in understanding their molecular activity and network-wide function.

SUBMITTER: Gurtan AM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3757117 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The role of miRNAs in regulating gene expression networks.

Gurtan Allan M AM Sharp Phillip A PA

Journal of molecular biology 20130313 19

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression. They are conserved across species, expressed across cell types, and active against a large proportion of the transcriptome. The sequence-complementary mechanism of miRNA activity exploits combinatorial diversity, a property conducive to network-wide regulation of gene expression, and functional evidence supporting this hypothesized systems-level role has steadily begun to accumulate. The emerging models are exciting and will yield deep in ...[more]

PMID: 23500488

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