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Sci. STKE, 16 October 2007
Vol. 2007, Issue 408, p. tw378
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.4082007tw378]

EDITORS' CHOICE

Developmental Biology MicroRNAs Strike a Balance

Beverly A. Purnell

Science, AAAS, Washington, DC 20005, USA

Hundreds of microRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to repress thousands of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs), but it has been difficult to study the interaction between individual miRNA-mRNA pairs. Choi et al. developed a way to block the interaction between a miRNA and specific target sites. Antisense morpholino oligonucleotides complementary to miRNA binding sites could protect specific mRNAs from miRNA-mediated repression. Applying this technology during zebrafish embryogenesis, they found that the miRNA miR-430 inhibits an antagonist and an agonist of the Nodal signaling pathway. Loss of repression led to an imbalance of signaling and abnormal development.

W.-Y. Choi, A. J. Giraldez, A. F. Schier, Target protectors reveal dampening and balancing of Nodal agonist and antagonist by miR-430. Science 318, 271-274 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: B. A. Purnell, MicroRNAs Strike a Balance. Sci. STKE 2007, tw378 (2007).

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