MicroRNA regulation of messenger-like noncoding RNAs: a network of mutual microRNA control.

Metazoan microRNAs (miRNAs) are commonly encoded by primary mRNA-like characteristics (mlRNAs). To investigate whether mlRNAs are subject to miRNA control, we compared the expression of mlRNAs to that of tissue-specific miRNAs. We show that, like mRNAs, the expression levels of predicted mlRNA targets are significantly reduced in tissues where a targeting miRNA is expressed. On the basis of these results, we describe a potential network for posttranscriptional miRNA-miRNA control.