A subclass of small RNAs is encoded by exons of protein-coding genes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Small RNAs regulate gene expression in species across the tree of life. miRNAs, which impact a variety of cellular and physiological processes ranging from development and stress adaptation to host defense, are one of the best characterized classes of small RNA. Many miRNAs are produced from longer non-coding transcripts generated from host genes via a series of RNA cleavage reactions. The location of a small RNA within a host gene can shape the processing of the mature small RNA. For example, a type of miRNAs derived from host gene intronic sequence, referred to as miRtrons, are Drosha-independent and reliant on splicing for biogenesis. Relatedly, processing of a small RNA from an exon of a protein-coding mRNA, in principle, may destabilize it and compromise translation

SUBMITTER: Chang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12465437 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature