MicroRNAs
From Basic Science to Disease Biology

A wide-ranging reference on microRNA technology, integrating basic science with applications in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

Krishnarao Appasani (Edited by), Sidney Altman (Foreword by), Victor R. Ambros (Foreword by)

9780521118552, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 20 August 2009

580 pages
25.4 x 17.8 x 3 cm, 0.99 kg

'… a useful reference guide for those interested in miRNA …' Immunology News

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are RNA molecules, conserved by evolution, that regulate gene expressions and their discovery has revolutionised both basic biomedical research and drug discovery. Expression levels of miRNAs have been found to vary between tissues and with developmental stages and hence evaluation of the global expression of miRNAs potentially provides opportunities to identify regulatory points for many different biological processes. This wide-ranging reference work, written by leading experts from both academia and industry, will be an invaluable resource for all those wishing to use miRNA techniques in their own research, from graduate students, post-docs and researchers in academia to those working in R&D in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies who need to understand this emerging technology. From the discovery of miRNAs and their functions to their detection and role in disease biology, this volume uniquely integrates the basic science with industry application towards drug validation, diagnostic and therapeutic development.

Foreword
Foreword
Introduction Part I. Discovery of MicroRNAs in Various Organisms: 1. The microRNAs of C. elegans
2. Non-coding RNAs - development of man-made vector-based intronic microRNAs
3. Seeing is believing: strategies for studying microRNA expression
4. MicroRNAs in limb development
5. Identification of miRNAs in plant oryza sativa
Part II. MicroRNA Functions and RNAi-Mediated Pathways: 6. Inhibition of translation initiation by a microRNA
7. In situ analysis of microRNA expression during vertebrate development
8. MicroRNA function in the nervous system
9. Micro RNA expression that controls the amount of branched chain ?-ketoacid dehydrogenase in mitochondria of human cells
10. MicroRNAs and the regulation of leaf shape
Part III. Computational Biology of MicroRNAs: 11. MiRBase: a database of microRNA sequences, targets and nomenclature
12. Computational prediction of microRNA targets in vertebrates, fruitflies and nematodes
13. Computational approaches to elucidate miRNA biology
14. The RNA hybrid approach to microRNA target prediction
15. Machine learning predicts microRNA target sites
16. Models of microRNA-target coordination
Part IV. Detection and Quantitation of MicroRNAs: 17. Detection and analysis of microRNAs using LNA (locked nucleic acid)-modified probes
18. Detection and quantitation of microRNAs using the RNA Invader® assay
19. A single molecule method to quantify miRNA gene expression
20. Real-time quantification of MicroRNAs by TaqMan® assays
21. Real-time quantification of miRNAs and mRNAs employing universal reverse transcription
Part V. MicroRNAs in Disease Biology: 22. Dysregulation of microRNAs in human malignancy
23. High throughput microRNAs profiling in cancers
24. Roles of microRNAs in cancer and development
25. MiR-122 in mammalian liver
26. MiRNAs in glioblastoma
27. Role of microRNA pathway in Fragile X mental retardation
28. Insertion of miRNA125b-1 into immunoglobulin heavy chain gene locus mediated by V(D)J recombination in precursor B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
29. MiRNAs in TPA-induced differentiation of HL-60 cells
30. MiRNAs in skeletal muscle differentiation
31. Identification and potential function of viral microRNAs
32. Lost in translation: regulation of HIV-1 by microRNAs and a key enzyme of RNA-directed RNA polymerase
Part VI. MicroRNAs in Stem Cell Development: 33. MicroRNAs in the stem cells of the mouse Blastocyst
34. The role of miRNA in hematopoiesis
35. MicroRNAs in embryonic stem cell differentiation and prediction of their targets
36. Generation of single cell microRNA expression profile.

Subject Areas: Biotechnology [TCB], Pharmacology [MMG], Medical genetics [MFN]