Publications

Detailed Information

The nuclear RNase III Drosha initiates microRNA processing

Cited 3785 time in Web of Science Cited 4121 time in Scopus
Authors

Lee, Yoontae; Ahn, Chiyoung; Han, Jin Ju; Choi, Hyounjeong; Kim, Jaekwang; Yim, Jeongbin; Lee, Junho; Provost, Patrick; Rådmark, Olof; Kim, Sunyoung; Kim, V. Narry

Issue Date
2003-09
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Citation
Nature, Vol.425 No.6956, pp.415-419
Abstract
Hundreds of small RNAs of similar to22 nucleotides, collectively named microRNAs (miRNAs), have been discovered recently in animals and plants(1-10). Although their functions are being unravelled(1,2,11-13), their mechanism of biogenesis remains poorly understood. miRNAs are transcribed as long primary transcripts (pri-miRNAs) whose maturation occurs through sequential processing events: the nuclear processing of the pri-miRNAs into stem-loop precursors of similar to70 nucleotides (pre-miRNAs), and the cytoplasmic processing of pre-miRNAs into mature miRNAs(14). Dicer, a member of the RNase III superfamily of bidentate nucleases, mediates the latter step(15-19), whereas the processing enzyme for the former step is unknown. Here we identify another RNase III, human Drosha, as the core nuclease that executes the initiation step of miRNA processing in the nucleus. Immunopurified Drosha cleaved pri-miRNA to release pre-miRNA in vitro. Furthermore, RNA interference of Drosha resulted in the strong accumulation of pri-miRNA and the reduction of pre-miRNA and mature miRNA in vivo. Thus, the two RNase III proteins, Drosha and Dicer, may collaborate in the stepwise processing of miRNAs, and have key roles in miRNA-mediated gene regulation in processes such as development and differentiation.
ISSN
0028-0836
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/10371/171881
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01957
Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.
Appears in Collections:

Related Researcher

  • College of Natural Sciences
  • School of Biological Sciences
Research Area Molecular Biology & Genetics

Altmetrics

Item View & Download Count

  • mendeley

Items in S-Space are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Share