Figure 1.

miRNAs processing and maturation. Transcribed into a primary transcript of several hundred base-pairs in length, primary miRNAs may undergo editing by adenosine deaminases. Following this, the miRNAs transcript is cleaved by the RNase II enzyme Drosha and then exported to the cytoplasm from the nucleus. Within the cytoplasm the precursor miRNAs transcript is further cleaved by the RNase-III enzyme Dicer. The resulting duplex is then unwound by RNA helicases resulting in mature miRNAs production.