title: Hypothesis: a role for fragile X mental retardation protein in mediating and relieving microRNA-guided translational repression?
abstract: MicroRNA (miRNA)-guided messenger RNA (mRNA) translational repression is believed to be mediated by effector miRNA-containing ribonucleoprotein (miRNP) complexes harboring fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Recent studies documented the nucleic acid chaperone properties of FMRP and characterized its role and importance in RNA silencing in mammalian cells. We propose a model in which FMRP could facilitate miRNA assembly on target mRNAs in a process involving recognition of G quartet structures. Functioning within a duplex miRNP, FMRP may also mediate mRNA targeting through a strand exchange mechanism, in which the miRNA* of the duplex is swapped for the mRNA. Furthermore, FMRP may contribute to the relief of miRNA-guided mRNA repression through a reverse strand exchange reaction, possibly initiated by a specific cellular signal, that would liberate the mRNA for translation. Suboptimal utilization of miRNAs may thus account for some of themolecular defects in patients with the fragile X syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche en Rhumatologie et Immunologie, Centre de Recherche du CHUL (CHUQ), Laurier, Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Plante
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Provost