How does a miRNA loaded into RISC most commonly silence gene expression?
- A
It acts as a transcription factor for RNA polymerase III.
- B
It binds DNA directly and methylates the gene.
- C
It cuts ribosomes apart.
- Dcheck_circle
It guides RISC to base-pair with target mRNA, leading to translational repression and/or mRNA degradation.
Explanation
Mature miRNAs guide the RISC to complementary mRNAs. Imperfect pairing typically leads to translational repression; near-perfect pairing causes Argonaute-mediated mRNA cleavage.