edgepedia

RNA and gene regulation

748 articles

miRNAs in cellular senescence and aging

MicroRNAs regulate cellular senescence, the stable arrest program that stressed or aged cells enter, acting both upstream and downstream of p53, p16, and p21; miR-605 converts the p53–Mdm2 loop into a positive one.

miRNAs in neuronal regulation

miRNAs in neuronal regulation is the study of how microRNAs control neurons: miR-124 makes up 25 to 48% of brain miRNAs and drives the PTBP1-PTBP2 differentiation switch.

Mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases

Mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (mt-aaRSs) are nucleus-encoded enzymes imported into mitochondria, where they attach the correct amino acid to each mitochondrial tRNA; all 19 human genes are linked to disease.

Mitochondrial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with lactic acidosis due to MTO1 deficiency

Mitochondrial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with lactic acidosis due to MTO1 deficiency, also known as combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency 10 (COXPD10), is a rare autosomal recessive mitochondrial disorder.

Mitochondrial ribosomal RNA genes

Mitochondrial ribosomal RNA genes (MT-RNR1, MT-RNR2) are the two mtDNA genes encoding 12S and 16S rRNAs of the 55S mitoribosome, transcribed as polycistronic RNA, processed by tRNA excision, chemically modified, and linked to mitochondrial disease.

Mitochondrial ribosome

Mitochondrial ribosome (mitoribosome): the protein-synthesis machine inside mitochondria, descended from an alpha-proteobacterial ribosome; RNA-reduced, protein-rich (human 55S: 80 proteins, 3 RNAs), specialized for membrane proteins and linked to mitochondrial disease.

Mitochondrial RNA processing and modification

Mitochondrial RNA processing and modification is the set of reactions that cuts polycistronic mitochondrial transcripts into mature mRNAs, tRNAs, and rRNAs; defects cause MELAS, MERRF, and cardiomyopathy.

Mitochondrial transcription factor Mtf1

Mtf1 (Mtf1p), the MTF1 gene product of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is the single ~40 kDa initiation factor required by mitochondrial RNA polymerase Rpo41 for promoter-specific transcription; homologous to human TFB2M, distinct from metal-responsive MTF-1.

Mitochondrial transcription machinery

Mitochondrial transcription machinery: POLRMT (mtRNAP), a T7-related single-subunit RNA polymerase, with TFAM and TFB2M initiating, TEFM elongating, MTERF1 terminating; also primes mtDNA replication.

Mitochondrial transfer RNA genes

The mitochondrial transfer RNA genes are the 22 tRNA genes in human mitochondrial DNA, which supply the complete adapter set for translating the 13 mitochondrial proteins.

Mitochondrial translation factors

Mitochondrial translation factors are the soluble proteins that drive protein synthesis inside mammalian mitochondria: initiation factors MTIF2 and MTIF3, elongation factors, and release and recycling factors acting on mitoribosomes.

Mitochondrial tRNA modification

Mitochondrial tRNA modification: chemical alteration of the 22 mtDNA-encoded mitochondrial tRNAs by enzymes such as TRMT10C, NSUN3, GTPBP3/MTO1, and MTU1, stabilizing degenerated mt-tRNA structures and decoding; loss causes MELAS, MERRF, and Leigh syndrome.

Molybdenum transport protein ModE-like

Molybdenum transport protein ModE-like (InterPro IPR051815): bacterial molybdate-responsive transcriptional regulators, archetype E. coli ModE, a homodimer with winged HTH DNA-binding and Mop molybdate-binding domains that represses modABC and activates molybdoenzyme genes.

mRNA 3'-end processing

mRNA 3'-end processing (cleavage and polyadenylation) generates eukaryotic mRNA 3' ends: CPSF73 cleaves pre-mRNA downstream of AAUAAA, poly(A) polymerase adds a ~250-residue tail; histone mRNAs are the exception.

mRNA decapping protein 2, Box A domain

Box A domain of mRNA decapping protein 2 (Dcp2; InterPro IPR007722, Pfam PF05026, SMART SM001125), an N-terminal regulatory domain specific to Dcp2 that aids cap recognition, Dcp1 binding, and catalytic fidelity in mRNA decapping.

mRNA decay factor PAT1 domain

mRNA decay factor PAT1 domain (InterPro IPR019167, Pfam PF09770), a conserved domain in Pat1 scaffold proteins with N-terminal, middle, and ARM-fold PatC regions that bind Dhh1, Lsm1-7, and Dcp2 to activate 5'-3' mRNA decapping.

mRNA Editing

mRNA editing, also called RNA editing, is the co- or post-transcriptional alteration of messenger RNA sequence beyond the genome-encoded sequence, via base conversion (A-to-I by ADAR, C-to-U by APOBEC1) or insertion/deletion, altering protein coding and enabling reversible therapeutics.

mRNA interferase PemK-like

mRNA interferase PemK-like (InterPro IPR003477) is a bacterial endoribonuclease toxin family of type II toxin-antitoxin systems, including PemK, Kid, MazF, ChpA, and ChpB, that cleaves single-stranded mRNA to block protein synthesis and is neutralized by PemI antitoxins.

mRNA nuclear export

mRNA nuclear export is the transport of mature messenger RNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm through nuclear pore complexes, mainly via the NXF1–NXT1 receptor.

mRNA Polyadenylation

mRNA polyadenylation is the addition of a poly(A) tail to a messenger RNA's 3′ end after cleavage, stabilizing the mRNA, stimulating translation, and occurring in nearly all eukaryotic mRNAs.

mRNA Splicing

mRNA splicing: intron removal from pre-mRNA and exon ligation by the spliceosome (five snRNAs, about 150 human proteins). Discovered 1977; alternative splicing lets over 90% of human intron-containing genes yield multiple proteins; targeted by ASO and exon-editing drugs.

MRNA vaccine

mRNA vaccine: synthetic messenger RNA in lipid nanoparticles (Comirnaty, Spikevax) instructing host cells to make antigen. Nucleoside-modified RNA (pseudouridine) avoids innate immune sensing; 95%/94.1% COVID-19 trial efficacy.

MT-RNR1

MT-RNR1 is a human mitochondrial gene encoding the 12S ribosomal RNA and the metabolic peptide MOTS-c; pathogenic variants predispose carriers to permanent hearing loss from aminoglycoside antibiotics.

MT-TH

MT-TH (MTTH, TRNH) is the human mitochondrial tRNA histidine gene at NC_012920.1:12138-12206, encoding the tRNA-His adaptor for mitochondrial translation; variants such as m.12201T>C cause mitochondrial disease including deafness.

MT-TK

MT-TK (MTTK, TRNK) is a human mitochondrial DNA gene at NC_012920.1:8295-8364 encoding tRNA-Lys; the m.8344A>G variant causes about 80% of MERRF and other mitochondrial disorders.

MTORC1

mTORC1 (mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1) is the rapamycin-sensitive mTOR complex integrating nutrients, growth factors, and energy to drive protein synthesis and repress autophagy; dysregulation links to cancer, diabetes, and aging.

Myogenic factor

Myogenic factors (MRFs: MyoD, Myf5, myogenin, MRF4/Myf6) are muscle-specific bHLH transcription factors that determine and differentiate skeletal muscle lineage, binding E-box DNA with E-proteins; MyoD, found in 1987, reprograms fibroblasts to muscle.

N6-Methyladenosine

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal RNA modification in eukaryotic mRNA, methylating adenosine at nitrogen-6. Added by METTL3-METTL14 writers, removed by FTO and ALKBH5 erasers, read by YTH-domain proteins, it regulates splicing, export, translation, and mRNA stability.

Nab1, C-terminal

Nab1, C-terminal (Nab1_C, NCD2) is the conserved C-terminal repression domain of NAB1/NGFI-A-binding protein 1, a corepressor of EGR1 and EGR2; distinct from Chlamydomonas NAB1 RNA-binding protein.

NAC domain

NAC domain (IPR003441, NAC-dom): ~160-amino-acid N-terminal DNA-binding and dimerization domain of plant-specific NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2) transcription factors; beta-fold dimer binding DNA's major groove, five subdomains A-E, regulating plant development and stress responses.