Lee R C, Ambros V
Dartmouth Medical School, Department of Genetics, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Science. 2001 Oct 26;294(5543):862-4. doi: 10.1126/science.1065329.
The lin-4 and let-7 antisense RNAs are temporal regulators that control the timing of developmental events in Caenorhabditis elegans by inhibiting translation of target mRNAs. let-7 RNA is conserved among bilaterian animals, suggesting that this class of small RNAs [microRNAs (miRNAs)] is evolutionarily ancient. Using bioinformatics and cDNA cloning, we found 15 new miRNA genes in C. elegans. Several of these genes express small transcripts that vary in abundance during C. elegans larval development, and three of them have apparent homologs in mammals and/or insects. Small noncoding RNAs of the miRNA class appear to be numerous and diverse.
lin-4和let-7反义RNA是时间调控因子，它们通过抑制靶mRNA的翻译来控制秀丽隐杆线虫发育事件的时间。let-7 RNA在两侧对称动物中是保守的，这表明这类小RNA[微小RNA（miRNA）]在进化上很古老。利用生物信息学和cDNA克隆，我们在秀丽隐杆线虫中发现了15个新的miRNA基因。其中几个基因表达的小转录本在秀丽隐杆线虫幼虫发育过程中的丰度有所不同，并且其中三个在哺乳动物和/或昆虫中有明显的同源物。miRNA类别的小非编码RNA似乎数量众多且种类多样。
