Editor's Summary

23 July 2009

miRNA–mRNA interactions

The importance of gene silencing induced by inhibitory microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of gene expression is now readily apparent. But since miRNA regulation of a messenger RNA requires only a short (eight-nucleotide or fewer) match in their sequences, it has proved almost impossible to definitively determine which among many predicted mRNA binding sites is the in vivo target for each miRNA. Now a refinement of the HITS-CLIP method that focuses on miRNA and mRNA interaction with Argonaute proteins, ubiquitous endonucleases that are part of the RNA-induced silencing complex, has been used to decode a precise map linking miRNA binding sites to brain mRNA transcripts. The method is generally applicable and should provide a new approach to understanding the role of miRNAs in biology. In addition the maps allow target site determination for RNA interference therapy on clinically relevant mRNAs.

Article: Argonaute HITS-CLIP decodes microRNA–mRNA interaction maps

Sung Wook Chi, Julie B. Zang, Aldo Mele & Robert B. Darnell

doi:10.1038/nature08170

Abstract | Full Text | PDF (1,043K) | Supplementary information