Pre-microRNA-331 (pre-miR-331)

Pre-microRNA-331 (pre-miR-331) is a precursor non-coding RNA molecule that is processed by the Dicer enzyme into mature microRNAs, primarily miR-331-3p and miR-331-5p (miRBase, Accession: MI0000813). These mature sequences play a critical role in post-transcriptional gene regulation by binding to the 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of specific messenger RNAs, leading to their degradation or translational inhibition. miR-331 is frequently dysregulated in various malignancies; for instance, it acts as a tumor suppressor in gastric cancer by targeting the HER2 (ERBB2) oncogene (PMID: 19633080) and in prostate cancer by regulating E2F1 (PMID: 19448676). Conversely, it has been identified as upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma, where it may promote proliferation by targeting PHLPP2 (PMID: 25673474). In therapeutic development, pre-miR-331 and its mature forms are targeted using antisense oligonucleotides (antagomirs) to inhibit oncogenic activity or synthetic mimics to restore tumor-suppressive functions. Research also highlights its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker due to its stable presence in biofluids and its correlation with clinical outcomes in cancer patients.

Other names

MIR331hsa-mir-331MicroRNA 331hsa-miR-331-3p precursor

Mature miR-331 sequences derived from the precursor bind to the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs, such as ERBB2 or E2F1, to induce translational repression or mRNA degradation via the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).