TY - JOUR
T1 - Little but loud
T2 - Small RNAs have a resounding affect on ear development
AU - Soukup, Garrett A.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by NIH grant P20RR018788 and Nebraska State Fund LB692 (GAS). Thanks to the many researchers in the miRNA and ear fields whose valued contributions could not be cited here, and to Mike Weston, Marsha Pierce, Bernd Fritzsch, Kirk Beisel, and Sonia Rocha-Sanchez for the many discussions contributing to this work.
PY - 2009/6/24
Y1 - 2009/6/24
N2 - The impact of small RNA function has resonated throughout nearly every aspect of eukaryotic biology and captured the varied interests of researchers, whether they are endeavoring to understand the basis of development and disease or seeking novel therapeutic targets and tools. The genetic regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) are particularly interesting given that these often highly conserved factors post-transcriptionally silence many complementary target genes by inhibiting messenger RNA translation. In this regard, miRNAs can be considered as counterparts to transcription factors, the ensemble of which establishes the set of expressed genes that define the characteristics of a specific cell type. In this review, evidence supporting a resounding role for small RNAs in development and maturation of sensory epithelia in the mouse inner ear will be considered with an emphasis on the contribution of one hair cell miRNA family (miR-183, miR-96, and miR-182). Although there is much yet to be explored in this fledgling aspect of ear biology, the breadth of miRNA expression and functional requirement for ear development are already sounding off.
AB - The impact of small RNA function has resonated throughout nearly every aspect of eukaryotic biology and captured the varied interests of researchers, whether they are endeavoring to understand the basis of development and disease or seeking novel therapeutic targets and tools. The genetic regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) are particularly interesting given that these often highly conserved factors post-transcriptionally silence many complementary target genes by inhibiting messenger RNA translation. In this regard, miRNAs can be considered as counterparts to transcription factors, the ensemble of which establishes the set of expressed genes that define the characteristics of a specific cell type. In this review, evidence supporting a resounding role for small RNAs in development and maturation of sensory epithelia in the mouse inner ear will be considered with an emphasis on the contribution of one hair cell miRNA family (miR-183, miR-96, and miR-182). Although there is much yet to be explored in this fledgling aspect of ear biology, the breadth of miRNA expression and functional requirement for ear development are already sounding off.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67649566273&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=67649566273&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.02.027
DO - 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.02.027
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19245798
AN - SCOPUS:67649566273
VL - 1277
SP - 104
EP - 114
JO - Brain Research
JF - Brain Research
SN - 0006-8993
ER -