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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Jun 27;80:443–456. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.06.012

Figure 2.

Figure 2

miRNA biogenesis. miRNAs are initially transcribed into primary miRNA (pri-miRNA) that undergo processing by a microprocessor complex composed of Drosha and DiGeorge syndrome critical region 8 (DGCR8). The resulting precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs) are transported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm by exportin 5 (Exp5), in a guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-dependent manner, and further processed into its mature form by Dicer. The mature miRNA is then loaded into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) to degrade or inhibit the translation of target mRNA. The miRNAs can be released in the blood inside exosomes or in association with RNA-binding proteins and lipoproteins to spread signals to cells located in the vicinity or in other parts of the organism.