title: Modulation of microRNA expression and function by ADARs.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by preventing the translation of specific messenger RNAs. Adenosine deaminases acting on RNAs (ADARs) catalyze adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing, the conversion of adenosines into inosines, in double-stranded RNAs. Because inosine preferentially base pairs with cytidine, this conversion is equivalent to an adenosine to guanosine change. Over the past seven years, an increasing number of edited adenosines have been identified in miRNAs. Editing of miRNAs affects their biogenesis, causes their degradation or alters the set of messenger RNAs that they regulate. Recently, ADARs have been shown to also affect the miRNA phenomenon by sequestering miRNAs or by editing the messenger RNAs they regulate. This article reviews the recent attempts to identify miRNA editing sites and elucidate the effects of ADARs on miRNA expression and function.
authors.affiliation: The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. wulff@sas.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Bjorn-Erik
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Wulff
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishikura
mesh_terms: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D017393:RNA Editing; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D043244:Ribonuclease III; C567955:ADARB1 protein, human; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase