Good things come in small packages: the discovery of small RNAs in the smallest animal model.

IF 4.1 3区医学 Q2 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Biomedical Journal Pub Date : 2025-02-12 DOI:10.1016/j.bj.2025.100832

Chung-Pei Ma, Szecheng J Lo, Bertrand Chin-Ming Tan

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Abstract

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to two pioneering researchers, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, marking the fourth time research using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has received this prestigious recognition. With a rapid life cycle of just 3.5 days and four distinct larval stages, C. elegans serves as an ideal model for exploring complex genetic mechanisms, particularly heterochronic gene regulation. Ambros and Ruvkun's groundbreaking work on lin-4 and lin-14 genes in C. elegans revealed that lin-4 functions as a 22-nucleotide small RNA-now known as a microRNA (miRNA)-that binds complementarily to the 3' UTR of lin-14 mRNA, effectively inhibiting LIN-14 protein synthesis. This discovery was the first demonstration of miRNA in post-transcriptional gene regulation, a finding that has since reshaped our understanding of genetic regulation across species. Their research on small RNAs in C. elegans not only opened a new paradigm in molecular biology but also highlighted the power of this model organism in uncovering universal biological principles.

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来源期刊

Biomedical Journal Medicine-General Medicine

CiteScore

11.60

自引率

1.80%

发文量

128

审稿时长

42 days

期刊介绍： Biomedical Journal publishes 6 peer-reviewed issues per year in all fields of clinical and biomedical sciences for an internationally diverse authorship. Unlike most open access journals, which are free to readers but not authors, Biomedical Journal does not charge for subscription, submission, processing or publication of manuscripts, nor for color reproduction of photographs. Clinical studies, accounts of clinical trials, biomarker studies, and characterization of human pathogens are within the scope of the journal, as well as basic studies in model species such as Escherichia coli, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and Mus musculus revealing the function of molecules, cells, and tissues relevant for human health. However, articles on other species can be published if they contribute to our understanding of basic mechanisms of biology. A highly-cited international editorial board assures timely publication of manuscripts. Reviews on recent progress in biomedical sciences are commissioned by the editors.