In
molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that seeks to understand the molecular basis of biological activity in and between cells, including biomolecular synthesis, modification, mechanisms, and interactions. The study of chemical and physi ...
mir-675 microRNA is a short
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydra ...
molecule.
MicroRNAs function to regulate the expression levels of other genes by several mechanisms.
Inhibition of cell proliferation
miR-675 overexpression brings about reduced
proliferation
Proliferation may refer to:
Weapons
*Nuclear proliferation, the spread of nuclear weapons, material, and technology
*Chemical weapon proliferation, the spread of chemical weapons, material, and technology
* Small arms proliferation, the spread of ...
in a range of embryonic and extraembryonic
stem cell line
A stem cell line is a group of stem cells that is cultured in vitro and can be propagated indefinitely. Stem cell lines are derived from either animal or human tissues and come from one of three sources: embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, or ...
s. It has been found to be embedded in the first exon of the
large intergenic non-coding RNA H19, which is responsible for limiting placental growth prior to birth. There is upregulation of the targets of miR-675 in placentas lacking H19; these include the
insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R). Thus placentas lacking miR-675 continue to grow. It is possible that controlled miR-675 release from H19 may enable a rapid inhibition of cell proliferation in response to cellular stress or
oncogenic
Carcinogenesis, also called oncogenesis or tumorigenesis, is the formation of a cancer, whereby normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. The process is characterized by changes at the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels and abno ...
signals.
''COL2A1'' upregulation in Osteoarthritis
miR-675 has been found to be upregulated in
osteoarthritic cartilage, alongside H19.
Indeed, there is co-regulation of these two RNAs. The ''
COL2A1
Collagen, type II, alpha 1 (primary osteoarthritis, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, congenital), also known as COL2A1, is a human gene that provides instructions for the production of the pro-alpha1(II) chain of type II collagen.
Function
This ge ...
'' gene associated with osteoarthritis through altered expression levels compared with in normal tissue is upregulated by miR-675 overexpression. It has been proposed that miR-675 may modulate
collagen type II levels via an unknown target molecule, and there is potential for a diagnostic metabolic balance indicator in osteoarthritis through this microRNA.
See also
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MicroRNA
References
Further reading
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External links
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MicroRNA
MicroRNA precursor families
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