Melanoma sponge on pigmentation gene to reduce tumour-suppressive microRNAs

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRs) were originally described as non-coding RNA molecules that mediate the inhibition of translation of their target genes by binding to distinctive, now called canonical, MicroRNA Response Elements (MREs). After binding to MREs, which are usually located near the 3'UTR of their target mRNA, a complex protein machinery (RNA-induced silencing complex, RISC) mediates mRNA decay and/or the inhibition of translation initiation (Mione and Bosserhoff, 2015). However, the diversity of microRNA regulation and function has greatly expanded over the last several years, and more non-canonical functions of miRs are emerging.

In the study by Gilot et al. (covered in this N&V), the group reveals a novel and exciting mechanism of how mRNAs appear as potent miR sponges that sequester tumour-suppressive miRs, thereby lessening the function of these miRs. Here, they convincingly present how the sequestration of tumour-suppressive miR-16 can de-repress its target genes and promote melanoma progression.

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