What is microRNA and how does it work?
microRNA is the name of a family of molecules that helps cells control the kinds and amounts of proteins they make. That is, cells use microRNA to help control gene expression. Molecules of microRNA are found in cells and in the bloodstream. It happens through a four-step process called protein synthesis.
How do microRNA mimics work?
The miRNA mimic technology (miR-Mimic) is an innovative approach for gene silencing. Once introduced into cells, this RNA fragment, mimicking an endogenous miRNA, can bind specifically to its target gene and produce posttranscriptional repression, more specifically translational inhibition, of the gene.
How do you overexpress microRNA?
Currently, overexpression of miRNAs is achieved by using chemically-synthesized miRNA mimics, or shRNA-like stem-loop vectors to express primary or precursor miRNAs, which are limited by low transfection efficacy or rate-limiting miRNA processing.
Why is miRNA important?
miRNAs have key roles in the regulation of distinct processes in mammals. They provide a key and powerful tool in gene regulation and thus a potential novel class of therapeutic targets. miRNAs play an evolutionarily conserved developmental role and diverse physiological functions in animal.
How do Antagomirs work?
Antagomirs are microRNA inhibitors that inhibit miRNAs but, because of the promiscuity of microRNAs, antagomirs could affect the regulation of many different mRNA molecules. If a Blockmir binds to a non-intended RNA, it will only cause an effect if it prevents binding of a microRNA or another cellular factor.
Why do we use transfection?
Transfection is a powerful analytical tool for study of gene function and regulation and protein function. The main purpose of transfection is to study the function of genes or gene products, by enhancing or inhibiting specific gene expression in cells, and to produce recombinant proteins in mammalian cells [3].
What is mimic transfection?
Transfection of microRNA (miRNA) mimics is increasingly being used to examine biological effects of specific miRNAs on cell function. However, most other miRNAs down regulate target gene expression at the protein level.
How does microRNA inhibit gene expression?
miRNAs (microRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. They generally bind to the 3′-UTR (untranslated region) of their target mRNAs and repress protein production by destabilizing the mRNA and translational silencing.
How can I study miRNA?
miRNA expression levels can be studied by several methods: microarray analysis, real-time PCR, Northern blots, in situ hybridization, and solution hybridization. Of these techniques, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is the most sensitive and accurate method.
