Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2017.
World J Biol Chem. Feb 26, 2017; 8(1): 45-56
Published online Feb 26, 2017. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v8.i1.45
Figure 1
Figure 1 Mechanisms of action of microRNAs. A: miRNAs bind the 3’UTR of a target gene by base pairing. The binding between the miRNA seed sequence (nucleotides 2-8 at the 5’end of the miRNA sequence) and the miRNA regulatory element (MRE) at the 3’UTR of a target gene determines the specific type of regulation; B: miRNAs act as inhibitors of translation when the binding at the 3’UTR of target genes is only partially complementary. Instead, when the binding complementarity is perfect, miRNAs induce mRNA degradation; C: miRNAs can also function in an unconventional manner: Under specific conditions, particularly during quiescence, they can activate translation by binding non canonical sites in the 5’UTR of target genes. ORF: Open reading frames.