title: Intronic microRNAs: a crossroad in gene regulation.
abstract: Most human genes transcribed by RNA Pol II (polymerase II) contain short exons separated by long tracts of non-coding intronic sequences. In addition to their role in generating proteomic diversity through the process of alternative splicing, intronic sequences host many ncRNAs (non-coding RNAs), involved in various gene regulation processes. miRNAs (microRNAs) are short ncRNAs that mediate either mRNA transcript translational repression and/or degradation. Between 50 and 80% of miRNAs are encoded within introns of host mRNA genes. This observation suggests that there is co-regulation between the miRNA biogenesis and pre-mRNA splicing processes. The present review summarizes current advances in this field and discusses possible roles for intronic co-transcriptional cleavage events in the regulation of human gene expression.
authors: Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. natalia.gromak@path.ox.ac.uk
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: Gromak
mesh_terms: D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D012326:RNA Splicing / Q000235:genetics; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D022661:RNA, Untranslated