The physiological impact of microRNA gene regulation in the retina

• Published in: Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS Vol. 69; no. 16; pp. 2739 - 2750
• Main Authors: Sundermeier, Thomas R., Palczewski, Krzysztof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel 01-08-2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene regulation; Humans; Life Sciences; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; Physiology; Protein synthesis; Retina; Retina - growth & development; Retina - metabolism; Review; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; microRNA; Retina; Dicer; Photoreceptor; Argonaute
• ISSN: 1420-682X; 1420-9071
• DOI: 10.1007/s00018-012-0976-7

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small, stable RNA molecules that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in plants and animals by base pairing to partially complementary sequences on target mRNAs to inhibit protein synthesis. More than 250 miRNAs are reportedly expressed in the retina, and miRNA gene regulation has been shown to affect retinal development, function, and disease. Here we highlight recent advances in understanding the functional roles of vertebrate retinal miRNAs. Details are emerging about the physiological impact of specific miRNAs in the developing and mature retina, and we discuss a group of emerging technologies for studying miRNAs, which can be employed to yield a deeper understanding of retinal miRNA gene regulation.