U53MicroRNA subcellular localisation

MicroRNAs是一种短的非编码的RNA分子，对基因表达的控制是必不可少的。在人类中，数百种不同的microRNA每个都针对一组特定的基因。这一调节对正常发育至关重要，在疾病中经常被破坏。尽管进行了大量研究，但关于microRNAs如何调节其靶标仍有许多悬而未决的问题。有趣的是，有证据表明，位于细胞内不同位置的microRNAs的功能可能不同。该项目将专注于miR-122，这是一种高度表达的肝脏特异性microRNA，在肝脏发育和疾病中具有重要功能。我们有证据表明miR-122定位于细胞核和内质网，但不知道这是如何介导的，也不知道它如何影响miR-122的功能。这个迷你项目将使用一系列分子和细胞生物学技术，如荧光显微镜、细胞分离和qPCR来表征miR-122和其他肝脏miRNAs的亚细胞定位。

MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNA molecules that are essential for the control of gene expression. In humans, hundreds of different microRNAs each target a particular set of genes. This regulation is crucial for normal development and frequently disrupted in disease. Despite much research, there are still many unanswered questions about how microRNAs regulate their targets. Interestingly, there is evidence that microRNAs located at different sites within the cell may function differently. This project will focus on miR-122, a very highly expressed liver-specific microRNA that has important functions in liver development and disease. We have evidence that miR-122 is localised both in the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum, but do not know how this is mediated or how it affects miR-122 function. The mini-project will use a series of molecular and cell biology techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, cell fractionation, and qPCR to characterise the subcellular localisation of miR-122 and other liver miRNAs.