Table 1 Plant and animal miRNAs
From: Small RNAs in eucaryotes: new clues for amplifying microRNA benefits
Characteristics | Plant miRNAs | Animal miRNA |
|---|---|---|
Complementarity | Almost perfect base-pairing | Usually non-perfect |
Gene Targeting | Coding region in the open reading frame | 3′ untranslated region |
mRNA targeting | Single | Multiple |
Major mechanisms of action | Cleavage of mRNA target or inhibition of transcription | Inhibition of translation |
Grouping | Often belong to large miRNA gene families | Association in large families is uncommon |
Length | Short | Long |
RNA Polymerases involved | RNA Pol II e III | RNA Pol II |
Preservation during evolution | Often conserved among species | Conservation between species is less common than plants |