The miRNA Response after Exposure to Particulate Matter: a Potential Epigenetic Mechanism
Carsten Knutsen
Abstract
Particulate matter, one form of air pollution, is a dangerous environmental toxin. Increasing numbers of cars on the road and further industrialization will continue to exacerbate this problem into the future. Particulate matter inhalation has been connected with cancer onset, especially in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Alterations in the microRNA (miRNA) pathway may be one factor contributing to the resulting cancer. miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that act as post-transcriptional gene regulators. They bind to the 3’ UTR of an mRNA through nitrogenous base pairing, leading to repression of the target gene. Methylation of the DNA loci encoding miRNAs may explain different levels of miRNA output seen in cancerous cells. Understanding this link is important in determining how cancer can start and in potential therapeutic approaches. However, methylation of miRNA template DNA is only one facet in a very complex epigenetic pathway.
