Saturday, August 2, 2025 8/2/2025

The Role of Pre-miRNA Loop in Target Regulation by microRNA Genes

Award Number: DP1CA174421
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/2009
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2016

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

The Role of Pre-miRNA Loop in Target Regulation by microRNA Genes - ABSTRACT MicroRNA (miRNA) genes encode an abundant class of ~22-nucleotide small RNAs that are thought to control gene expression at the post-transcriptional levels. Although the importance of miRNA-mediated gene regulation is now evident, as miRNA genes were shown to play diverse functional roles in animals, their mechanisms of action remain elusive. We have recently found that miRNA genes encoding identical mature miRNAs could have distinct biological activities that are determined by their cognate pre-miRNA loops, revealing unexpected regulatory complexity encoded in the pre-miRNA loops. These findings prompted us to reexamine some of the fundamental assumptions in the miRNA field. It was noted in the original discovery of the C. elegans lin-4 gene that mutations and deletions in lin-4 genes invariably affect including the primary (pri), precursor (pre), and mature miRNA species, which all contain sequences complementary to cognate target genes. Thus, phenotypes observed for loss of miRNA genes in worms and mice cannot be attributed to mature miRNA specie alone. Together, the limitations of current assumption and our surprising discovery of pre-miRNA loop function suggest that pri- and pre-miRNA species may play direct roles in target gene regulation. Here we propose to examine the mechanisms by which pre-miRNA loops control activity of miRNA genes using biochemical and genetic approaches. We will further dissect the structure and sequence elements beyond mature miRNA regions that are important for the activity of miRNA genes (aim 1), identify the protein and RNA components that contribute to the pre-miRNA loop functions (aim 2), and delineate the roles of premiRNA loop nucleotides in target gene recognition (aim 3). The proposed study will shed fundamental insights into gene regulation by miRNA genes and yield novel principles for target gene prediction and for designing more efficient gene silencing molecules targeting messenger RNAs and miRNA genes.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2018	2013	ACHELOIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.	953 INDIANA ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94107	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	002	6	9/30/2018	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2018	2013	ACHELOIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.	953 INDIANA ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94107	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	6	9/30/2018	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2018	2013	ACHELOIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.	953 INDIANA ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94107	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	6	9/30/2018	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2017 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2017	2013	ACHELOIS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.	953 INDIANA ST	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94107	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	6	2/22/2017	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2015	2013	ACHELOIS PHARMACEUTICALS INC	953 INDIANA STREET	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94107	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	6	4/22/2015	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2014	2013	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	651 SERRA STREET, ROOM 110	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	5	2/28/2014	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$667,358
2014	2013	ACHELOIS PHARMACEUTICALS INC	953 INDIANA STREET	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94107	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	6	2/28/2014	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$667,358
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2013 ( Subtotal = $768,240 )
2013	2013	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	651 SERRA STREET, ROOM 110	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	5	7/11/2013	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$768,240
2013	2013	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	651 SERRA STREET, ROOM 110	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	5	2/28/2014	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$667,358
2013	2013	ACHELOIS PHARMACEUTICALS INC	953 INDIANA STREET	SAN FRANCISCO	CA	94107	SAN FRANCISCO	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	002	6	2/28/2014	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$667,358
														Subtotal = $768,240

Issue Date FY: 2012 ( Subtotal = $792,000 )
2012	2012	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	651 SERRA STREET, ROOM 110	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	000	4	7/13/2012	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$792,000
2012	2012	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	651 SERRA STREET, ROOM 110	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	001	4	7/26/2012	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
2012	2012	STANFORD UNIVERSITY	651 SERRA STREET, ROOM 110	STANFORD	CA	94305	SANTA CLARA	USA	Trans-NIH Research Support	002	4	9/24/2012	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $792,000

Grand Total All Awards = $1,560,240

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

The Role of Pre-miRNA Loop in Target Regulation by microRNA Genes

Award Number: DP1CA174421

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/2009

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2016

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer