Mir-2 microRNA precursor

This family represents the microRNA (miRNA) precursors mir-2 and mir-13 (MIPF0000049). mir-2 has now been predicted or experimentally confirmed in a wide range of species. The miRNAs are transcribed as ~70 nucleotide precursors and subsequently processed by the Dicer enzyme to give a ~22 nucleotide product. In this case the mature sequence comes from the 3' arm of the precursor. The extents of the hairpin precursors are not generally known and are estimated based on hairpin prediction. The products are thought to have regulatory roles through complementarity to mRNA. The involvement of Dicer in miRNA processing suggests a relationship with the phenomenon of RNA interference. miRNAs are numbered based on the mature sequence. This family also contains the mir-13 precursor which, despite giving rise to a distinct mature sequence appears to be related in sequence.

Leaman et al. showed that the miR-2 family regulates cell survival by translational repression of proapoptotic factors