MicroRNA: Lacking in maturity

摘要

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to have pleiotropic effects during tumour development. Two recently published papers have found that the disruption of miRNA maturation might also contribute to cancer-related phenotypes. Jia Shen and colleagues examined the relationship between miRNA regulation and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR is trafficked from the cell membrane through endocytic vesicles to lysosomes for degradation and is thought to be able to participate in signalling complexes when bound in endocytic vesicles. Shen and colleagues found that EGFR in vesicles can interact with argonaute 2 (AGO2), the catalytic component of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).