MicroRNA signature and function in retinal neovascularization

Figure 1 Schematic representation of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. miRNA genes are transcribed into large pre-miRNA (capital R) that are cleaved by a protein complex containing the endonuclease Drosha into shorter pre-miRNAs. The latter are then transported to the cytoplasm by exportin-5. A complex containing the endonuclease, Dicer, then cleaves the loop portion of the pre-miRNA (capital R) to form a short duplex molecule that is unwound, and the single-stranded mature mirNA is then passed to Argonaute to from a functional mature, approximately 22 nucleotide, miRNA that inhibit translation after base-pairing with the 3’ UTR of the miRNA (capital R) target.