BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS OF microRNAs

© 2010. Yong Huang*, Xing Jia Shen*^,**^#, Quan Zou***, Qiao Ling Zhao*^,**

^#Phone: +86 511 85622507; e-mail: shenxj63@yahoo.com.cn

*Jiang Su University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang City, 212018, Jiangsu Province, PR China;
**The Key Laboratory of Silkworm and Mulberry genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang City, 212018, Jiangsu Province, PR China;
***School of information Science and Technology of Xiamen University, Xiamen city, 361005, Fujian Province, PR China

Received 17.05.2010; in final form 24.06.2010^a

The small regulatory non-coding RNA molecules, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), have been recognized as potential regulator of gene expression and modulate the gene function at the post-transcriptional level. It is now clear that miRNA biogenesis and function are related to the molecular mechanisms of various clinical diseases, which can potentially regulate every aspect of cellular activity, including differentiation and development, metabolism, proliferation, apoptotic cell death viral infection and tumorgenesis. Here, we review recent work and provide insight into the diverse roles of miRNAs.

Key words: microRNA; biogenesis; function; expression; diseases.

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^aAfter author’s corrections in conformity with reviewer’s comments, the paper is published without any other editor's revision

Биоорг.химия 2010, 36 (6): 747-752