title: The molecular machines that mediate microRNA maturation.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small RNAs that regulate the translation of thousands of message RNAs and play a profound role in mammalian biology. Over the past 5 years, significant advances have been made towards understanding the pathways that generate miRNAs and the mechanisms by which miRNAs exert their regulatory functions. An emerging theme is that miRNAs are both generated by and utilized by large and complex macromolecular assemblies. Here, we review the biology of mammalian miRNAs with a focus on the macromolecular complexes that generate and control the biogenesis of miRNAs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Pick-Wei
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: MacRae
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D028884:Karyopherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012323:RNA Processing, Post-Transcriptional; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D028884:Karyopherins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D035683:MicroRNAs; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D034743:RNA-Induced Silencing Complex; C446511:XPO5 protein, human