AI Article Synopsis
- - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that typically attach to the 3' UTR of target mRNAs, leading to reduced stability and translation of those mRNAs.
- - This study highlights a new role for miRNAs, showing that they can also affect gene expression by targeting non-coding antisense transcripts, specifically how miR-671 targets a circular antisense transcript linked to the CDR1 gene.
- - The research reveals that the cleavage of this circular RNA by miR-671 leads to decreased levels of CDR1 mRNA, demonstrating a new regulatory mechanism and the functional importance of non-coding antisense transcripts in cellular regulation.
Article Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22 nt non-coding RNAs that typically bind to the 3' UTR of target mRNAs in the cytoplasm, resulting in mRNA destabilization and translational repression. Here, we report that miRNAs can also regulate gene expression by targeting non-coding antisense transcripts in human cells. Specifically, we show that miR-671 directs cleavage of a circular antisense transcript of the Cerebellar Degeneration-Related protein 1 (CDR1) locus in an Ago2-slicer-dependent manner. The resulting downregulation of circular antisense has a concomitant decrease in CDR1 mRNA levels, independently of heterochromatin formation. This study provides the first evidence for non-coding antisense transcripts as functional miRNA targets, and a novel regulatory mechanism involving a positive correlation between mRNA and antisense circular RNA levels.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230379 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/emboj.2011.359 | DOI Listing |
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