microRNA in Human Reproduction




Iris Eisenberg, Noora Kotaja, Debra Goldman-Wohl, Tal Imbar

Santulli Gaetano

2015

microRNA: Medical Evidence

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

888

888

353

387

35

978-3-319-22670-5

978-3-319-22671-2

0065-2598

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22671-2_18



microRNAs constitute a large family of approximately 21-nucleotide-long, noncoding RNAs. They emerged more than 20 years ago as key posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. The regulatory role of these small RNA molecules has recently begun to be explored in the human reproductive system. microRNAs have been shown to play an important role in control of reproductive functions, especially in the processes of oocyte maturation, folliculogenesis, corpus luteum function, implantation, and early embryonic development. Knockout of Dicer, the cytoplasmic enzyme that cleaves the pre-miRNA to its mature form, results in postimplantation embryonic lethality in several animal models, attributing to these small RNA vital functions in reproduction and development. Another intriguing characteristic of microRNAs is their presence in body fluids in a remarkably stable form that is protected from endogenous RNase activity.In this chapter we will describe the current knowledge on microRNAs, specifically relating to human gonadal cells. We will focus on their role in the ovarian physiologic process and ovulation dysfunction, regulation of spermatogenesis and male fertility, and putative involvement in human normal and aberrant trophoblast differentiation and invasion through the process of placentation.



Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 21:56