Identifi cation of miRNAs and their targets in C. elegans

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that direct posttranscriptional regulation of specifi c target genes. Since their discovery in Caenorhabditis elegans , they have been associated with the control of virtually all biological processes and are known to play major roles in development and cellular homeostasis. Yet the biological roles of most miRNAs remain to be fully known. Furthermore, the precise rules by which miRNAs recognize their targets and mediate gene silencing are still unclear. Systematic identifi cation of miRNAs and of the RNAs they regulate is essential to close these knowledge gaps. Studies in C. elegans have been instrumental not only in the discovery phase of miRNA biology but also in the elucidation of mechanisms regulating miRNA expression, target recognition and regulation. This chapter highlights some of the main challenges still present in the fi eld, while introducing the major studies and methods used to fi nd miRNAs and their targets in the worm.