Nobel Prize Highlights the Role of MicroRNA in Gene Regulation and RNA’s Central Role in Biology
- October 17, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Nobel Prize Highlights the Role of MicroRNA in Gene Regulation and RNA’s Central Role in Biology
Sub: Sci
Sec: Biotech
Why in News
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were recently awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of microRNA (miRNA) and its crucial role in gene regulation. This discovery has far-reaching implications for understanding cellular processes and potential therapeutic applications, particularly in diseases like cancer.
About MicroRNAs (miRNAs):
- They are small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression in eukaryotesby interfering with the translation of mRNA into proteins.
- The discovery began with experiments on elegans, a tiny roundworm, where researchers showed that gene regulation can happen post-transcription, challenging the previous understanding that it was solely the domain of transcription factors.
- By 2001, microRNAs were found to be present in invertebrates and vertebrates, and many of them were highly conserved across species, indicating that microRNA-mediated regulation is a universal mechanism.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules,approximately 21-24 nucleotides in length, involved in regulating gene expression.
- miRNAs bind to messenger RNA (mRNA)in the cell cytoplasm to control gene expression.
- They either trigger the degradationof mRNA or prevent it from being translated into proteins, thereby regulating protein production.
- Underexpressionof miRNA can lead to overexpression of the protein it controls, while overexpression of miRNA results in underproduction of the associated protein.
- miRNAs are involved in key biological processes such as development, cell differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis(programmed cell death).
- They help maintain cellular homeostasisand respond to environmental stimuli.
- Alterations in miRNA expression contribute to diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other human conditions.
- Circulating miRNAs are considered potential biomarkersfor diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases due to their stability in human fluids.
Ambros and Ruvkun’s Contribution:
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, both American biologists, made significant strides in understanding gene regulation while studying mutant strains of roundworms. They focused on two genes, lin-4 and lin-14, which were instrumental in revealing the role of microRNA. Their collaborative efforts led to the discovery of microRNA as a new principle of gene regulation. Published in 1993, their findings reshaped the scientific understanding of molecular biology.
The Role of MicroRNA in Gene Regulation
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules, typically 22 bases long, that play a key role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.
They bind to messenger RNA (mRNA) and prevent the synthesis of proteins by either degrading the mRNA or blocking its ability to serve as a template for protein production.
miRNAs regulate about 60% of all human genes, influencing critical processes such as:
- Cell differentiation
- Cell division
- Response to stress and disease
- Cell death
Importance of RNA in Cellular Function
- Every cell contains DNA, which acts as the blueprint for producing proteins, the functional molecules of life.
- Each gene in the DNA encodes a specific protein. However, only the proteins required by a cell are produced, depending on the cell’s type and function.
- When a cell needs to produce a protein, it creates a copy of the gene’s instructions in the form of mRNA through a process called transcription.
- Once produced, protein synthesis continues until stopped by regulatory mechanisms like miRNA.
What is RNA?
- RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is a single-stranded molecule composed of ribose sugar, phosphate groups, and nucleotide bases(adenine, guanine, cytosine, uracil).
- It plays a crucial role in various biological processes, mainly in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.
Types of RNA:
- Messenger RNA (mRNA):Carries genetic information from DNA to the ribosome, where proteins are synthesized.
- Transfer RNA (tRNA):Helps in translating mRNA into proteins by bringing amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis.
- Ribosomal RNA (rRNA):A structural component of ribosomes, essential for protein synthesis.
- MicroRNA (miRNA):Regulates gene expression by binding to mRNA, either degrading it or inhibiting its translation into protein.
- RNA plays a central role in the process of transcription(copying genetic code from DNA to RNA) and translation (using mRNA to build proteins).
- RNA is single-stranded(unlike double-stranded DNA).
- RNA contains uracilinstead of thymine, which is found in DNA.
- RNA has a ribose sugarinstead of deoxyribose found in DNA.
- Gene regulation:miRNA and other small RNAs control gene expression.
- Catalytic activity:Certain RNAs like ribozymes act as enzymes.
- Messenger function:mRNA acts as a template for protein synthesis.
- RNA-based technologies, such as mRNA vaccines, have become critical tools in developing treatments for diseases, including COVID-19.