MicroRNA-340 (miR-340)

MicroRNA-340 (miR-340) is a short, non-coding RNA molecule (~22 nucleotides) that post-transcriptionally regulates gene expression by binding to the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR) of target messenger RNAs, leading to mRNA degradation or translation repression[1]. It is encoded within an intron of the RNF130 host gene on human chromosome 5q35.3 and is highly conserved among mammals[1]. miR-340 is multifunctional, influencing cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and metastasis by targeting a wide array of genes involved in key oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways, such as Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, JAK-STAT, and MAPK signaling[1][3][5][6]. Its dysregulation is implicated in diverse types of cancer, where it can act either as a tumor suppressor or oncogene depending on disease context, as well as in other conditions such as autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disorders, osteoporosis, and neurological disease[1][5]. miR-340 shows promise as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy monitoring, and the modulation of its levels (e.g., by mimics or inhibitors) is being explored as a novel therapeutic approach, though direct clinical applications remain under investigation[1][2][5].

Other names

hsa-miR-340MIR340mir-340MIRN340microRNA 340miR-340-3pmiR-340-5p

Antisense oligonucleotide inhibition (anti-miR-340 approaches); miRNA mimic replacement (agomiR-340 approaches); Indirect modulation: drug-induced expression or inhibition (e.g., curcumin upregulates miR-340); Targets multiple mRNAs, including key oncogenes and regulators like MDM2 (p53 pathway), SKP2, FHL2, c-Met, ROCK1, REV3L, Bcl-2, Bax, RhoA, ZEB1, LGR5