Date of Award
2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Molecular Biology
Abstract
MicroRNAs are noncoding RNAs that bind to the 3' untranslated region of their mRNA targets, which causes downregulation of target gene expression. Previous studies have shown that the miR-17-92 cluster, which encodes six miRNAs, is overexpressed in leukemias arising from chromosomal translocations of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene. In the present study, prediction algorithms identified WEE1, a kinase that inhibits cell cycle progression, as a possible target of five of the six miRNAs. Through luciferase reporter assays, we found that miR-17, miR-20a, and miR-18a specifically target nucleotides 465 to 487 of the 3' UTR of WEE1, while miR-19a and miR-19b target nucleotides 1069 to 1091. Notably, while we did not detect a relationship between MLL rearrangement status and miR-17-92 expression in the leukemia cell lines tested, we observed a negative correlation between endogenous miR-17-92 and endogenous WEE1. These results suggest that WEE1 is a target of the miR-17-92 cluster.
Recommended Citation
Olikara, Sonia Susan, "WEE1 Is a Biological Target of the miR-17-92 Cluster in Leukemia" (2011). Master's Theses. 570.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/570
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2011 Sonia Susan Olikara
