Shining the Light on Retinal miRNA RegulationMay 25, 2010As any celebrity can tell you, lighting conditions can make a big difference. A new article in Cell shows that lighting can effect much more than just whether or not a star looks good on the cover of People Magazine, it also plays a part in regulating miRNA expression in the retina. A group from […]
Taming miR-33 Keeps Cholesterol Levels in LineMay 13, 2010Judging from the amount of Lipitor® adds on TV, everyone these days is looking for ways to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). Now, in dueling Science Express papers, two independent research teams say that blocking miR-33 expression could give our good cholesterol a real boost. Anders Näär and colleagues at various […]
DNA Methylation Takes a Back Seat To Histone Mods in miRNA RegulationMay 11, 2010DNA methylation has long been considered a key epigenetic driver in transcription, but lately histone modifications have been stealing some of the regulatory thunder. Histone mods like H3K4me3, H3K27me3 and H4 acetylation have shown researchers they’re not afraid to get conrolling when it comes to miRNA transcription either. Researchers from the Institute of Genetics and […]
microRNA Targeting mRNAs: More Exceptions Than RulesMay 5, 2010Up to now, all miRNAs have been assumed to work the same way when it comes to finding their mRNA targets, but a new paper shows that miRNAs behave more like rugged individualists in how they function. Researchers from the University of Kentucky broke out the RIP-Chip method (Argonaute, aka AGO, co-IP assays coupled with […]
BPA Seeps Into Placental miRNA ExpressionMay 4, 2010Since 2008, Bisphenol A (BPA) has seen more bad press than a big U.S. bank. The media blitz of studies linking BPA to a number of reproductive, immune and CNS disorders has led people to eye suspiciously everything from baby bottles to that cool REI water bottle you’ve been hiking with the last few years. […]
RDM1 Corners the RNA Directed DNA Methylation PuzzleApril 28, 2010It’s often easiest to put together a jigsaw puzzle by finding the corner pieces first, then working on the borders before moving on to what’s happening in the center. A similar approach to solving the transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) and RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) mechanisms in Arabidopsis has identified a protein, RDM1, which seems to […]
Decoding Autism’s Epigenetic RiddleApril 14, 2010Autism is a developmental disorder that’s shrouded in mystery. Its causes are unknown and hotly debated, but some recent detective work hints that through changes in miRNA expression and DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns, there is an epigenetic link. Autism often brings to mind Dustin Hoffman’s character in Rain Man, who was deeply focused on only […]
RNA Binding Proteins Get miRNA Regulation Turned OnApril 14, 2010With all of the big energy conservation campaigns over the years, not many people understand flipping-switches like Southern Californians. You can’t get through a Lakers game without being reminded to turn the lights off, or adjust your thermostat. It appears that some researchers from the Institute of Microbiology in Prague have gotten into the act […]
Breaking Down miRNA MicroarraysApril 6, 2010As analysis of miRNAs becomes increasingly popular, the resulting flood of microarray products out there for miRNA profiling is enough to make your head spin. So how do you decide which ones to use? If you’ve been stressing over that question, you’ll be happy to know that some good folks at Cambridge Research Institute and […]
miRNA SNPs Here or There Can Make a Big DifferenceMarch 30, 2010One wrong snip from your barber might leave you with a bad hair day, but a genomic SNP in the wrong place, like a miRNA target site, can leave you in a much worse situation; with a predisposition to cancer. SNPs have been studied extensively in several diseases, but only recently have scientists started looking […]