How do microRNA mimics work?

The miRNA mimic technology (miR-Mimic) is an innovative approach for gene silencing. Once introduced into cells, this RNA fragment, mimicking an endogenous miRNA, can bind specifically to its target gene and produce posttranscriptional repression, more specifically translational inhibition, of the gene.

What is a microRNA mimic?

MicroRNA (miRNA) mimics are innovative biomolecules useful for research in gene targeting, antisense and cell reprogramming approches. miRNA mimics are innovative molecules designed for gene silencing approaches. miRNA mimics contain nonnatural or artificial double stranded miRNA-like RNA fragments.

What is mimic transfection?

Transfection of microRNA (miRNA) mimics is increasingly being used to examine biological effects of specific miRNAs on cell function. However, most other miRNAs down regulate target gene expression at the protein level.

What is miRNA inhibitor?

miRNA inhibitors are natural or artificial RNA transcripts that sequestrate miRNAs and decrease or even eliminate their depressing effects. Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) can be viewed as natural and endogenous miRNA inhibitors.

What is the difference between miRNA and siRNA?

Origin: The siRNA is an exogenous double-stranded RNA uptaken by cells, while miRNA is single-stranded and comes from endogenous non-coding RNA. Besides, the siRNA is present in lower animals and plants, but not found in mammals; whereas miRNAs are present in all the animal and plant.

How do you inhibit miRNA?

The standard method for inhibiting microRNA (miRNA) function is by steric blocking, using an oligonucleotide that is perfectly complementary to the mature miRNA target. These inhibitors form a duplex with the miRNA guide strand and prevent the miRNA from binding to its intended target.

What is pre miR?

Pre-miR™ miRNA Precursor Molecules are small, chemically modified, double-stranded RNA molecules designed to mimic endogenous mature miRNAs. This ready-to-use miRNA mimic can be introduced into cells using transfection or electroporation parameters similar to those used for siRNAs.

How are miRNA and siRNA similar?

siRNAs and miRNAs share many similarities, both are short duplex RNA molecules that exert gene silencing effects at the post-transcriptional level by targeting messenger RNA (mRNA), yet their mechanisms of action and clinical applications are distinct.