biostudies-literatureUnknown7(2)El-Murr NMismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancers (CRC) display widespread instability at DNA microsatellite sequences (MSI). Although MSI has been reported to commonly occur at coding repeats, leading to alterations in the function of a number of genes encoding cancer-related proteins, nothing is known about the putative impact of this process on non-coding microRNAs. In miRbase V15, we identified very few human microRNA genes with mono- or di-nucleotide repeats (n = 27). A mutational analysis of these sequences in a large series of MSI CRC cell lines and primary tumors underscored instability in 15 of the 24 microRNA genes successfully studied at variable frequencies ranging from 2.5% to 100%. Following a maximum likelihood statistical method, microRNA genes were separated into two groups thaPloS onee31862https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3279428biostudies-literatureMiRNA genes constitute new targets for microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer.PMC3279428Abidi ZGaub MPLesuffleur TFlejou JFHamelin REl-Murr NWanherdrick KDuval ASvrcek MfalseMiRNA genes constitute new targets for microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer.Mismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancers (CRC) display widespread instability at DNA microsatellite sequences (MSI). Although MSI has been reported to commonly occur at coding repeats, leading to alterations in the function of a number of genes encoding cancer-related proteins, nothing is known about the putative impact of this process on non-coding microRNAs. In miRbase V15, we identified very few human microRNA genes with mono- or di-nucleotide repeats (n = 27). A mutational analysis of these sequences in a large series of MSI CRC cell lines and primary tumors underscored instability in 15 of the 24 microRNA genes successfully studied at variable frequencies ranging from 2.5% to 100%. Following a maximum likelihood statistical method, microRNA genes were separated into two groups tha2012-01-01T00:00:00Z20122026-05-02T06:09:15.712Z2026-04-07T17:41:49.678ZS-EPMC32794282234813210.1371/journal.pone.0031862