Abstract
Over the last decade, microRNAs have emerged as critical regulators in the expression and function of animal genomes. This review article discusses the relationship between microRNA-mediated regulation and the biology of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We focus on the roles that microRNAs play in tissue growth, germ cell development, hormone action, and the development and activity of the central nervous system. We also discuss the ways in which microRNAs affect robustness. Many gene regulatory networks are robust; they are relatively insensitive to the precise values of reaction constants and concentrations of molecules acting within the networks. MicroRNAs involved in robustness appear to be nonessential under uniform conditions used in conventional laboratory experiments. However, the robust functions of microRNAs can be revealed when environmental or genetic variation otherwise has an impact on developmental outcomes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 29-37 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology |
Volume | 65 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2017 |
Funding
The following funding sources are acknowledged: Malkin Scholarship Fund (R.G.), the Cell and Molecular Basis of Disease NIGMS Training Grant (P.A.), and R01GM077581 (R.W.C.).
Keywords
- Drosophila
- MiRNAs
- MicroRNAs
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology