title: Competition between target sites of regulators shapes post-transcriptional gene regulation.
abstract: Post-transcriptional gene regulation (PTGR) of mRNA turnover, localization and translation is mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs) and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). These regulators exert their effects by binding to specific sequences within their target mRNAs. Increasing evidence suggests that competition for binding is a fundamental principle of PTGR. Not only can miRNAs be sequestered and neutralized by the targets with which they interact through a process termed 'sponging', but competition between binding sites on different RNAs may also lead to regulatory crosstalk between transcripts. Here, we quantitatively model competition effects under physiological conditions and review the role of endogenous sponges for PTGR in light of the key features that emerge.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert Rössle Strasse 10, 13092 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Marvin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jens
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert Rössle Strasse 10, 13092 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rajewsky
mesh_terms: D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012333:RNA, Messenger