Lin-4 Micro RNA Precursor - Developmental Influence

Developmental Influence

lin-4 acts to dictate the onset of larval stages of developmental events in C. elegans. lin-4 loss of function (lf) mutations see a resultant retardation of developmental fates, from their initially early to instead later larval stages. Consequences include heterochronic developmental patterns, with loss of structures such as the vulva and adult cuticle. lin-4 acts as a negative regulator of lin-14 and represses accumulation of the LIN-14 protein. It also targets lin-28 and reduces its protein expression through translational inhibition. The base pairing in place between lin-4 and the target In question is discontinuous, consisting of two short helices.