Research in Progress

Gene Regulation

MicroRNAs and Gene Regulation

As researchers at MIT investigated the function of the tiny molecule microRNA (miRNA) -a relative of short interference RNA (siRNA)- they found that it was not only effective in gene silencing but also in normal gene regulation in plant and animal cells. The researchers are currently looking into the role that microRNA plays in normal cell functioning. Which genes and cellular processes are controlled by microRNA? Answering this question will give insight into the mechanisms behind genetic diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, and how these diseases might be treated with microRNA.

In 2003, two MIT professors created a computational method for identifying the genes that make microRNA in animals, which led to the discovery that microRNA genes are common regulatory mechanisms in the human genome. More recently, the professors developed a similar method for linking microRNAs with their target genes-a system called TargetScan. Using this technique, researchers have already identified more than 400 human, rat, and mouse genes that are targeted by microRNA. TargetScan compares microRNA and mRNA, and if there is a high probability that they will match, the microRNA is said to target that particular mRNA. The researchers found that microRNAs can also play the role of “master regulators”-genes that are essential in regulating the expression of other genes (including other regulatory genes). Additionally, scientists have shown that certain parts of the microRNA are more useful than others in silencing particular genes.

TargetScan represents a great leap forward in identifying which genes are regulated by small RNAs and how these molecules can potentially be used to combat the expression of disease-causing genes with virtually no side effects to the patient.

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Last Modified: 04/12/2007

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