Question

Can someone explain how the mRNA relates in this sentence?

"The RNA-binding protein Lin-28 has recently been shown to enhance Insulin receptor (InR) mRNA levels in the ISC [20]."

What do they mean by mRNA levels of the Insulin receptor? What does that mean, and what is the relation between the mRNA and the receptor for insulin?

Answer 1

Lin-28 which is an RNA binding protein it directly regulates the mRNAs to promote insulin signalling. This shows that lin-28 has insulin receptor mRNA enriched which means the levels of mRNA is higher. It is not that the mRNA levels of the insulin receptor but insulin receptor mRNA. Because the expression of insulin receptors is seen when mRNA is bound to Lin-28. So the mRNA level depends on expression of this insulin receptor. Both mRNA and the insulin receptor act simultaneously and depend on each other.This is known when Lin-28 bound mRNAs are immunoprecipitated then identification of Insulin like receptor(InR) expression occurs.