MicroRNAs in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine: Directing Tissue Repair and Cellular Differentiation

Figure 2

MiRNA biogenesis. miRNA molecules are endogenously transcribed within the nucleus of a cell, located between exons of a single mRNA (intronic), between coding genes (intergenic), or co-transcribed from a single locus (polycistronic); these transcripts are called pri-miRNAs. After cleavage into hairpin-shaped pre-miRNA molecules by Drosha/DGCR8, they are transported out of the nucleus by exportin-5. Here, Dicer will cleave the molecule into the mature single stranded miRNA that can be loaded into the RISC complex leading to translational repression or mRNA destabilization.