Microexons, tiny fragments of genes that are just 3-27 nucleotides long, are known to play a ‘tiny but mighty’ role in neuronal cells. Through RNA splicing, microexons sculpt the surfaces of proteins in a highly precise manner, performing microsurgery on the nervous system’s proteins. According to a new study, microexons are also crucial for pancreatic function and regulating blood glucose levels. The microexons are located on more than a hundred genes, including some critical for insulin secretion and type-2 diabetes risk. The researchers believe the discovery could lead to new high-precision treatments for type-2 diabetes, for example by repurposing existing treatments that already exploit RNA splicing mechanisms to treat other types of diseases.
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Source: ScienceDaily