title: The Functions of MicroRNAs: mRNA Decay and Translational Repression.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small noncoding RNAs, which regulate complementary mRNAs by inducing translational repression and mRNA decay. Although this dual repression system seems to operate in both animals and plants, genetic and biochemical studies suggest that the mechanism underlying the miRNA-mediated silencing is different in the two kingdoms. Here, we review the recent progress in our understanding of how miRNAs mediate translational repression and mRNA decay, and discuss the contributions of the two silencing modes to the overall silencing effect in both kingdoms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiro-Oki
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Iwakawa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan. Electronic address: tomari@iam.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yukihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomari
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: AGO; Argonaute; RISC; RNA silencing; miRNA; plant