miRNA activation is an endogenous gene expression pathway

Abstract

Transfection of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) molecules has become a routine technique widely used for silencing gene expression by triggering post-transcriptional and transcriptional RNA interference (RNAi) pathways. Moreover, in the past decade, small activating (saRNA) sequences targeting promoter regions were also reported, thereby a RNA-based gene activation (RNAa) mechanism has been proposed. In this regard, Turner and colleagues recently discovered an endogenous microRNA (miRNA) which binds its promoter in order to upregulate its own expression. Interestingly, several miRNA-induced RNA activation (miRNAa) phenomena have since then been identified. My objective here is to introduce the reader into the emergent miRNAa research field, as well as bring together important discoveries about this unexplored transcriptional activation pathway.