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- Title
MicroRNAs can generate thresholds in target gene expression.
- Authors
Mukherji, Shankar; Ebert, Margaret S; Zheng, Grace X Y; Tsang, John S; Sharp, Phillip A; van Oudenaarden, Alexander
- Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, highly conserved noncoding RNA molecules that repress gene expression in a sequence-dependent manner. We performed single-cell measurements using quantitative fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry to monitor a target gene's protein expression in the presence and absence of regulation by miRNA. We find that although the average level of repression is modest, in agreement with previous population-based measurements, the repression among individual cells varies dramatically. In particular, we show that regulation by miRNAs establishes a threshold level of target mRNA below which protein production is highly repressed. Near this threshold, protein expression responds sensitively to target mRNA input, consistent with a mathematical model of molecular titration. These results show that miRNAs can act both as a switch and as a fine-tuner of gene expression.
- Publication
Nature genetics, 2011, Vol 43, Issue 9, p854
- ISSN
1546-1718
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1038/ng.905