Direct interaction between CEP85 and STIL mediates PLK4-driven directed cell migration.

PLK4 has emerged as a prime target for cancer therapeutics, and its overexpression is frequently observed in various types of human cancer. Recent studies have further revealed an unexpected oncogenic activity of PLK4 in regulating cancer cell migration and invasion. However, the molecular basis behind the role of PLK4 in these processes still remains only partly understood.

An optimized microRNA backbone for effective single-copy RNAi.

Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) technology enables stable and regulated gene repression. For establishing experimentally versatile RNAi tools and minimizing toxicities, synthetic shRNAs can be embedded into endogenous microRNA contexts. However, due to our incomplete understanding of microRNA biogenesis, such "shRNAmirs" often fail to trigger potent knockdown, especially when expressed from a single genomic copy.