The C. elegans microRNA let-7 binds to imperfect let-7 complementary sites from the lin-41 3′UTR

作者：Monica C. Vella, Eun Young Choi, Shin-Yi Lin, Kristy L. Reinert, Frank John Slack · 发表于：Genes & Development · 年份：2004 · DOI：10.1101/gad.1165404 · 被引用次数：455 · 研究领域：RNA Research and Splicing、MicroRNA in disease regulation、Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms

Caenorhabditis elegans let-7, a founding member of the microRNA family, is predicted to bind to six sites in the 3'UTR of the mRNA of its target gene, lin-41, to down-regulate LIN-41. Here, we demonstrate that wild-type let-7 microRNA binds in vitro to RNA from the lin-41 3'UTR. This interaction is dependent on two conserved let-7 complementary sites (LCSs). A 27-nucleotide sequence between the LCSs is also necessary for down-regulation in vivo. LCS mutations compensatory to the lesion in let-7(n2853) can partially restore lin-41 3'UTR function in a let-7(n2853) background, providing the first experimental evidence for an animal miRNA binding directly to its validated target in vivo.