[Oncogenic and tumour suppressor microRNAs]

Med Sci (Paris). 2008 Dec;24(12):1049-54. doi: 10.1051/medsci/200824121049.
[Article in French]

Abstract

microRNAs constitute one of the most important discovery in the past few years in the field of gene expression regulation. They can precisely regulate the expression of a specific protein by inhibiting its translation and/or promoting the degradation of its mRNA. In several cancers, the expression of some microRNAs is misregulated, pointing toward the existence of microRNAs with oncogenic or tumour suppressor properties. The miR-17-92 miRNA cluster has been reported to have a pro-oncogenic role in a mouse model system of Myc-induced B cell lymphoma. Some of its targets mRNAs code for proteins with pro-apoptotic or anti-proliferative functions, which shed some light on the mechanism of action of this cluster. On the other hand, a tumour suppressor miRNA like let-7 targets mRNAs coding for oncogenes and is frequently down-regulated in cancers. The finding that c-Myc controls the expression of several of these microRNAs reveals new information on how misregulation of this proto-oncogene can promote tumorigenesis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / genetics
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics
  • MicroRNAs / physiology*
  • Oncogenes*
  • Protein Biosynthesis
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • RNA Interference / physiology*
  • RNA Stability
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Neoplasm / genetics
  • RNA, Plant / genetics

Substances

  • MAS1 protein, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Neoplasm
  • RNA, Plant
  • mirnlet7 microRNA, human