title: The Three Paralogous MicroRNA Clusters in Development and Disease, miR-17-92, miR-106a-363, and miR-106b-25.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) form a class of noncoding RNA genes whose products are small single-stranded RNAs that are involved in the regulation of translation and degradation of mRNAs. There is a fine balance between deregulation of normal developmental programs and tumor genesis. An increasing body of evidence suggests that altered expression of miRNAs is entailed in the pathogenesis of human cancers. Studies in mouse and human cells have identified the miR-17-92 cluster as a potential oncogene. The miR-17-92 cluster is often amplified or overexpressed in human cancers and has recently emerged as the prototypical oncogenic polycistron miRNA. The functional analysis of miR-17-92 is intricate by the existence of two paralogues: miR-106a-363 and miR-106b-25. During early evolution of vertebrates, it is likely that the three clusters commenced via a series of duplication and deletion occurrences. As miR-106a-363 and miR-106b-25 contain miRNAs that are very similar, and in some cases identical, to those encoded by miR-17-92, it is feasible that they regulate a similar set of genes and have overlapping functions. Further understanding of these three clusters and their functions will increase our knowledge about cancer progression. The present review discusses the characteristics and functions of these three miRNA clusters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Cuong
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8203-5511
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khuu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, 0407 Oslo, Norway; Department of Ophthalmology, Drammen Hospital, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, 3004 Drammen, Norway; Faculty of Health Sciences, University College of South East Norway, 3614 Kongsberg, Norway.
authors.forename: Tor Paaske
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3821-6777
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Utheim
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Amer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sehic