title: Micromanagement of the immune system by microRNAs.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of evolutionarily conserved small non-coding RNAs that are thought to control gene expression by targeting mRNAs for degradation or translational repression. Emerging evidence suggests that miRNA-mediated gene regulation represents a fundamental layer of genetic programmes at the post-transcriptional level and has diverse functional roles in animals. Here, we provide an overview of the mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate gene expression, with specific focus on the role of miRNAs in regulating the development of immune cells and in modulating innate and adaptive immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nine Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA. lodish@wi.mit.edu
authors.forename: Harvey F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Lodish
authors.forename: Beiyan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Gwen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chang-Zheng
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D007109:Immunity / Q000235:genetics*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs