Fig. 2

Schematic diagram of miRNA-mediated translational repression. In RISC, miRNA-mediated downregulation of target gene activity occurs via two modes: target mRNA cleavage or translational inhibition. The choice is made based on the degree of complementarity between the miRNA and target gene in combination with an Argonaute family protein. Near-perfect complementarity results in cleavage, followed by general RNA degradation of the targets, whereas partial complementarity causes translational inhibition. miRNA-targeted mRNAs can be sequestered on polysomes or recruited to P-bodies where they are depleted of the translation machinery and eventually degraded