MicroRNA

A microRNA is a short noncoding RNA that binds target messenger RNAs and reduces their translation or stability. It helps regulate gene expression after transcription.

MicroRNA biogenesis: The cellular pathway that produces mature microRNAs from longer RNA precursors. It explains how primary microRNA transcripts become functional molecules.
RNA: A nucleic acid made of ribonucleotides that functions in information transfer, catalysis, and regulation. MicroRNA is one specialized regulatory form of RNA.
Circulating microRNA: A microRNA detected outside cells in blood or other bodily fluids, often protected by vesicles or bound proteins. Its stability in bodily fluids makes it a candidate disease biomarker.
Small interfering RNA: A short RNA that guides sequence-specific silencing, commonly through extensive pairing with its target RNA. Unlike many microRNAs, it often directs cleavage of a closely matched target.
MicroRNA target prediction: Computational and experimental methods for identifying messenger RNAs regulated by a microRNA. Sequence matches alone often fail to predict which targets matter in cells.
Drosha: An RNase III enzyme that cleaves primary microRNA transcripts in the nucleus. Drosha makes the precursor hairpins that proceed toward mature microRNAs.
Messenger RNA: An RNA molecule that carries protein-coding information from DNA to the cellular protein-synthesis machinery. MicroRNAs regulate gene expression by binding these transcripts.
MicroRNA biomarker: A measured microRNA whose abundance is associated with a biological condition or disease. Expression changes can help distinguish disease states, though clinical validation is essential.
Piwi-interacting RNA: A class of small RNAs that associates with PIWI proteins and helps silence transposable elements, especially in germ cells. Its PIWI partners and transposon-focused role distinguish it from microRNA pathways.
MicroRNA off-target effects: Unintended changes in gene expression caused by a microRNA or a microRNA-targeting intervention. Each microRNA can influence many transcripts, complicating causal interpretation and treatment.

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