The C19MC miRNA cluster is a

microRNA MicroRNA (miRNA) are small, single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules containing 21 to 23 nucleotides. Found in plants, animals and some viruses, miRNAs are involved in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. miRN ...

cluster consisting of 46

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

s. These 46 genes encode 59 mature miRNAs. The C19MC miRNA cluster is only found in

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

(including human) genomes and expresses miRNAs almost exclusively in the placenta, but also in testis, embryonic stem cells, and some tumors. They are also expressed highly in

trophoblast The trophoblast (from Greek : to feed; and : germinator) is the outer layer of cells of the blastocyst. Trophoblasts are present four days after fertilization in humans. They provide nutrients to the embryo and develop into a large part of the pl ...

-derived vesicles, including exosomes. C19MC miRNAs have been shown to be among the most expressed miRNAs in the human placenta and are also found in the serum of pregnant women. Trophoblast cells, found in the human placenta, produce many different types of microRNAs (miRNAs). MicroRNAs play a role in placental development or physiology. Some placental

cell line An immortalised cell line is a population of cells from a multicellular organism which would normally not proliferate indefinitely but, due to mutation, have evaded normal cellular senescence and instead can keep undergoing division. The cell ...

s derived from trophoblasts also express C19MC miRNA, including the

choriocarcinoma Choriocarcinoma is a malignant, trophoblastic cancer, usually of the placenta. It is characterized by early hematogenous spread to the lungs. It belongs to the malignant end of the spectrum in gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). It is also cl ...

lines JEG3, JAr, and BeWo, but not HTR8/SVneo.

References

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