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Cited by 544MicroRNA in disease regulationRNA Research and SplicingPlant Molecular Biology Research

Experimental strategies for microRNA target identification

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Thomson, D. W., Bracken, C. P., Goodall, G. J.·2011·Nucleic Acids Research
DOI 10.1093/nar/gkr330PMC PMC3167600
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Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of eukaryotic gene expression in most biological processes. They act by guiding the RNAi-induced silencing complex (RISC) to partially complementary sequences in target mRNAs to suppress gene expression by a combination of translation inhibition and mRNA decay. The commonly accepted mechanism of miRNA targeting in animals involves an interaction between the 5'-end of the miRNA called the 'seed region' and the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the mRNA. Many target prediction algorithms are based around such a model, though increasing evidence demonstrates that targeting can also be mediated through sites other than the 3'-UTR and that seed region base pairing is not always required. The power and validity of such in silico data can be therefore hindered by the simplified rules used to represent targeting interactions. Experimentation is essential to identify genuine miRNA targets, however many experimental modalities exist and their limitations need to be understood. This review summarizes and critiques the existing experimental techniques for miRNA target identification.

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Authors
Thomson, D. W., Bracken, C. P., & Goodall, G. J.
Affiliations
South Australia Pathology (AU)
Corresponding author
Goodall, G. J.
ORCID
Venue
Nucleic Acids Research
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2011-06-07
Volume
39
Issue
16
Pages
6845-6853
ISSN
  • 0305-1048 (ISSN-L)
  • 1362-4962
DOI
10.1093/nar/gkr330
PMC
PMC3167600
OpenAlex
W2149748804
Cited by
544
References
6
Citations by year
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FWCI
3.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nucleic Acids Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Breast Cancer Foundation
  • Medical Research Council
  • National Health and Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › MicroRNA in disease regulation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › RNA Research and Splicing
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant Molecular Biology Research
Keywords
miRNA target identification, miRNA target prediction, seed region, 3' untranslated region, gene expression regulation, protein synthesis inhibition, mRNA degradation
MeSH terms
Gene Expression Regulation, RNA, Messenger, Protein Biosynthesis, Gene Expression, Sequence Analysis, RNA, MicroRNAs, Proteomics, Immunoprecipitation

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