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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Jul 16;26(1):75–85. doi: 10.1016/j.pupt.2012.07.002

Fig. 2. miRNA biogenesis and function.

Fig. 2

miRNA are transcribed by RNA polymerase II (RNAPol II) as primary miRNA (pri-miRNA). The transcripts are cleaved by the ribonuclease Drosha to form precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA). Pre-miRNA are exported out of the nucleus and further cleaved by Dicer to yield a mature miRNA duplex bound by a miRNA-associated RNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). Binding of complementary mRNA sequences by one strand of the miRNA leads to Argonaute (AGO2 in mammals) mediated cleavage, resulting in decreased mRNA stability and transcript cleavage or translational repression and reduced synthesis of proteins coded by the coding DNA sequence (CDS).