[Oncogenic and tumour suppressor microRNAs].
microRNAs constitute one of the most important discovery in the past few years in the field of gene expression regulation. They can precisely regulate the expression of a specific protein by inhibiting its translation and/or promoting the degradation of its mRNA. In several cancers, the expression of some microRNAs is misregulated, pointing toward the existence of microRNAs with oncogenic or tumour suppressor properties. The miR-17-92 miRNA cluster has been reported to have a pro-oncogenic role in a mouse model system of Myc-induced B cell lymphoma. Some of its targets mRNAs code for proteins with pro-apoptotic or anti-proliferative functions, which shed some light on the mechanism of action of this cluster. On the other hand, a tumour suppressor miRNA like let-7 targets mRNAs coding for oncogenes and is frequently down-regulated in cancers. The finding that c-Myc controls the expression of several of these microRNAs reveals new information on how misregulation of this proto-oncogene can promote tumorigenesis.
Finoux
Anne-Laure
AL
Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, 2900, Edouard-Montpetit, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7 Canada.
Chartrand
Pascal
P
D000818:Animals; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009857:Oncogenes; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D020871:RNA Stability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D018749:RNA, Plant; C487931:mirnlet7 microRNA, human