MicroRNA expression and turnover are regulated by neural activity in the retina and brain

ScienceDaily (2010-06-01) -- Scientists in Switzerland have found that microRNAs, small RNA regulators of gene expression, are up- and down-regulated in the retina during light-dark adaptation and in response to synaptic stimulation in hippocampal and cortical neurons. This important discovery provides an unexpected function for microRNAs: it shows that they are able to regulate rapidly the expression of synaptic proteins, which are involved in synapse plasticity and memory formation.


瑞士的科學家發現microRNAs的作用在視網膜。
(該要細讀一下microRNAs在神經元的作用及神經元的功能)



Journal Reference:
Jacek Krol, Volker Busskamp, Ilona Markiewicz, Michael B. Stadler, Sebastian Ribi, Jens Richter, Jens Duebel, Silvia Bicker, Hans Jörg Fehling, Dirk Schübeler. Characterizing Light-Regulated Retinal MicroRNAs Reveals Rapid Turnover as a Common Property of Neuronal MicroRNAs. Cell, 2010; 141 (4): 618 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.03.039