title: The C. elegans microRNA let-7 binds to imperfect let-7 complementary sites from the lin-41 3'UTR.
abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans let-7, a founding member of the microRNA family, is predicted to bind to six sites in the 3'UTR of the mRNA of its target gene, lin-41, to down-regulate LIN-41. Here, we demonstrate that wild-type let-7 microRNA binds in vitro to RNA from the lin-41 3'UTR. This interaction is dependent on two conserved let-7 complementary sites (LCSs). A 27-nucleotide sequence between the LCSs is also necessary for down-regulation in vivo. LCS mutations compensatory to the lesion in let-7(n2853) can partially restore lin-41 3'UTR function in a let-7(n2853) background, providing the first experimental evidence for an animal miRNA binding directly to its validated target in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Monica C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vella
authors.forename: Eun-Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Shin-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Kristy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reinert
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Slack
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C410586:LIN-41 protein, C elegans; D035683:MicroRNAs; D014157:Transcription Factors; C474488:let-7 microRNA, C elegans