Functional microRNA targeting without seed pairing.

ABSTRACT: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) associate with Argonaute (AGO) proteins to serve as guides, directing binding to partially complementary sites in mRNAs, ultimately causing post-transcriptional repression. Complementarity to the miRNA seed (miRNA nucleotides 2-7) is typically necessary and sufficient for repression. Here, we investigate unusual sites with extensive complementarity to the miRNA 3' region (nucleotide 9 and onwards) but without complementarity to the seed. The top examples of these 3'-only sites bind as well as top canonical sites and impart similar repression, which can be further boosted by as few as 2-3 additional pairs to the miRNA seed. Despite these similarities, 3'-only sites have slower association and dissociation rates than seed-matched sites. They also impart different conformat

SUBMITTER: Hall MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12529927 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature