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Previous Volume 354:1194-1195 March 16, 2006 Number 11 Next

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New revelations about small RNA molecules continue to rivet molecular biologists. Lurking in cells among the thousands of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts that direct the synthesis of proteins, microRNAs function to inactivate specific mRNAs and deplete their corresponding proteins (Figure 1). The microRNAs average only about 22 nucleotides in length and are transcribed from DNA as hairpin precursors. They regulate such major processes as development, apoptosis, cell proliferation, hematopoiesis, and patterning of the nervous system.^2,3,4,5 Thus, the identification of the actions of microRNAs adds new layers of complexity to our understanding of human biology.

View larger version (45K):   Figure 1. Silencing MicroRNAs with Antagomirs. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

 

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From the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.

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