title: Small molecule chemical probes of microRNA function.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs that control protein expression. Aberrant miRNA expression has been linked to various human diseases, and thus miRNAs have been explored as diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. Although it is challenging to target RNA with small molecules in general, there have been successful campaigns that have identified small molecule modulators of miRNA function by targeting various pathways. For example, small molecules that modulate transcription and target nuclease processing sites in miRNA precursors have been identified. Herein, we describe challenges in developing chemical probes that target miRNAs and highlight aspects of miRNA cellular biology elucidated by using small molecule chemical probes. We expect that this area will expand dramatically in the near future as progress is made in understanding small molecule recognition of RNA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, #3A1, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States.
authors.forename: Sai Pradeep
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Velagapudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, #3A1, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States.
authors.forename: Balayeshwanth R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Vummidi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 130 Scripps Way, #3A1, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States. Electronic address: Disney@scripps.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Disney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D015335:Molecular Probes; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries