Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology · 生化学・遺伝学・分子生物学
Professor Jinju Han's research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of microRNA biogenesis and function, with a particular emphasis on RNase III enzymes such as Drosha and Dicer in gene regulation. The lab investigates how microRNAs and their regulatory networks control critical biological processes, including neural stem cell differentiation, adult neurogenesis, and cellular metabolism. By integrating molecular biology, genomics, and functional studies, the lab explores the roles of non-coding RNAs in development and disease, especially in the nervous system. Recent work also extends to the identification and characterization of microRNAs in non-model organisms, such as wheat, highlighting the evolutionary and functional conservation of these regulatory RNAs.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
RNase III proteins play key roles in microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. The nuclear RNase III Drosha cleaves primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs) to release hairpin-shaped pre-miRNAs that are subsequently cut by the cytoplasmic RNase III Dicer to generate mature miRNAs. While Dicer (class III) and other simple RNase III proteins (class I) have been studied intensively, the class II enzyme Drosha remains to be characterized. Here we dissected the action mechanism of human Drosha by generating mutants and by cha
RNA interference mediated by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) has been exploited for the development of therapeutics. siRNAs can be a powerful therapeutic tool because the working mechanisms of siRNAs are straightforward. siRNAs determine targets based on their sequence and specifically regulate the gene expression of the target gene. However, efficient delivery of siRNAs to the target organ has long been an issue that needs to be solved. Tremendous efforts regarding siRNA delivery have led to si
Mitochondria are ubiquitous and multi-functional organelles involved in diverse metabolic processes, namely energy production and biomolecule synthesis. The intracellular mitochondrial morphology and distribution change dynamically, which reflect the metabolic state of a given cell type. A dramatic change of the mitochondrial dynamics has been observed in early development that led to further investigations on the relationship between mitochondria and the process of development. A significant de
Differentiation of multipotent stem cells occurs through the highly coordinated control of gene expression. Repressor element 1 (RE1) silencing transcription factor (REST), a master transcriptional regulator in neuronal stem cells, restricts neuronal gene expression. REST activity is context-dependent and is modified by its cofactors, such as Ctdsp2. In this issue of Genes & Development, Dill and colleagues (pp. 25-30) report on the microRNA-mediated regulation of neural differentiation. Interes
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a newly discovered class of noncoding small RNAs that regulate gene expression by directing target mRNA cleavage or translational inhibition. A large number of miRNAs have been identified in plants. Increasing evidence has shown that miRNAs play multiple roles in plant biological processes. So far, identification of miRNAs has been limited to a few model plant species, whose genomes have been sequenced. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops
The latest miRNA database (Release 21) annotated 2588 and 1915 miRNAs in the human and mouse genomes, respectively.<sup>1</sup> However, the biological roles of miRNAs <i>in vivo</i> remain largely unknown. In particular, the physiological and pathological roles of individual microRNAs in the brain have not been investigated extensively although expression profiles of microRNAs have been reported in many given conditions. In a recent study,<sup>2</sup> we identified miR-19, which is enriched in
Metabolic dysregulation of neurons is associated with diverse human brain disorders. Metabolic reprogramming occurs during neuronal differentiation, but it is not fully understood which molecules regulate metabolic changes at the early stages of neurogenesis. In this study, we report that miR-124 is a driver of metabolic change at the initiating stage of human neurogenesis. Proteome analysis has shown the oxidative phosphorylation pathway to be the most significantly altered among the differenti
Long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE1, L1) is a retrotransposon comprising ~17% of the human genome. A subset of L1s maintains the potential to mobilize and alter the genomic landscape, consequently contributing to the change in genome integrity and gene expression. L1 retrotransposition occurs in the human brain regardless of disease status. However, in the brain of patients with various brain diseases, the expression level and copy number of L1 are significantly increased. In this review,
Metabolic alterations have been observed in the brains of patients with bipolar disorder (BD), a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by alternating episodes of mania and depression. However, the specific contributions of glial cells to these metabolic changes remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate the metabolic characteristics of induced astrocytes (iAstrocytes) derived from induced pluripotent stem cells of BD patients-classified by lithium responsiveness-and healthy controls. Transcr
Major depressive disorder (MDD) with atypical features accompanied by psychotic symptoms represents a severe and under-researched subtype of depression and severe mental illness, characterized by significant personal and social impact. This study aims to explore novel biomarkers through a precision medicine approach by combining clinical data, white blood cell (WBC) single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), plasma proteomics, and brain organoid models to uncover immunological and neurological alte
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