title: MicroRNAs: Small regulators with a big impact.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are non-coding small (approximately 22nt) RNAs that regulate diverse physiological and developmental processes. In animals, they regulate target genes by binding imperfectly to 3'UTR sequences in mRNAs and attenuate translation. There are hundreds of miRNA genes in animals, and current studies show they constitute a minimum of 1% of known genes. We are just beginning to understand the diverse roles they play in cellular processes, which include signaling pathways, developmental pathways, and possibly various types of cancers.
authors.affiliation: Waksman Institute, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, 08854-8020, USA.
authors.forename: Maocheng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Richard W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Padgett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs