Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Site Tools

  • AAAS
  • Subscribe
  • Feedback

Site Search

Search Advanced

Sci. Signal., 3 June 2008
Vol. 1, Issue 22, p. ec210
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.122ec210]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Molecular Biology Micro Managing Translational Repression

Guy Riddihough

Science, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that generally repress gene expression. The degree of complementarity between a miRNA and its RNA target is thought to determine the mode of repression. In plants, most characterized miRNAs are highly complementary to their targets, resulting in target cleavage (slicing), whereas those in animals have reduced complementarity and instead down-regulate mRNA translation. Brodersen et al. conducted a screen in Arabidopsis for factors involved in miRNA-mediated gene regulation and found that, in addition to directing cleavage, highly complementary miRNAs also repressed translation. Furthermore, siRNAs, which are precisely complementary to their mRNA targets and generally thought to repress gene expression by slicing, also have a translational repression component.

P. Brodersen, L. Sakvarelidze-Achard, M. Bruun-Rasmussen, P. Dunoyer, Y. Y. Yamamoto, L. Sieburth, O. Voinnet, Widespread translational inhibition by plant miRNAs and siRNAs. Science 320, 1185-1190 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: G. Riddihough, Micro Managing Translational Repression. Sci. Signal. 1, ec210 (2008).

To Advertise     Find Products

Science Signaling. ISSN 1937-9145 (online), 1945-0877 (print). Pre-2008: Science's STKE. ISSN 1525-8882