Evidence that microRNAs are associated with translating messenger RNAs in human cells

Patricia A Maroney, Yang Yu, Jesse Fisher, Timothy W Nilsen
2006 Nature Structural & Molecular Biology  
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by binding the 3¢ untranslated regions of target mRNAs. We examined the subcellular distribution of three miRNAs in exponentially growing HeLa cells and found that the vast majority are associated with mRNAs in polysomes. Several lines of evidence indicate that most of these mRNAs, including a known miRNA-regulated target (KRAS mRNA), are actively being translated.
doi:10.1038/nsmb1174 pmid:17128271 fatcat:ppg3754f7bbxbmejmeiqp4bzba