The evolution of core proteins involved in microRNA biogenesis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) which play important roles in eukaryotic gene regulation. miRNA biogenesis and activation is a complex process involving multiple protein catalysts and involves the large macromolecular RNAi Silencing Complex or RISC. While phylogenetic analyses of miRNA genes have been previously published, the evolution of miRNA biogenesis itself has been little studied. In order to better understand the origin of miRNA processing in animals and plants, we determined the phyletic occurrences and evolutionary relationships of four major miRNA pathway protein components; Dicer, Argonaute, RISC RNA-binding proteins, and Exportin-5.

Results

Phylogenetic analyses show that all four miRNA pathway proteins w

SUBMITTER: Murphy D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2287173 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature