Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome-like protein mRNA 3' untranslated region (WASL mRNA 3'UTR)

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome-like protein (WASL) mRNA 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) is a critical regulatory segment of the WASL transcript, which encodes the N-WASP protein (UniProt P46108). N-WASP is a key scaffold protein that activates the Arp2/3 complex, driving branched actin polymerization essential for cell motility, endocytosis, and the formation of invasive structures like invadopodia (NCBI Gene ID: 8976). The 3'UTR serves as a hub for post-transcriptional regulation, containing multiple binding sites for tumor-suppressive microRNAs, such as miR-145 and miR-218, which repress WASL expression (PubMed: 23103957, 25103498). In many aggressive cancers, the loss of these regulatory microRNAs leads to the pathological overexpression of WASL, significantly increasing the metastatic potential of tumor cells. Consequently, the WASL mRNA 3'UTR is an attractive target for RNA-based therapeutics, including microRNA mimics and antisense oligonucleotides, aimed at restoring translational repression and inhibiting cancer cell invasion.

Other names

N-WASP mRNA 3'UTRWASL 3' untranslated regionWiskott-Aldrich syndrome-like 3'UTR

MicroRNA-mediated gene silencing and translational repression