miRCURY LNA miRNA Mimic (5)

QIAGEN miRCURY LNA miRNA Mimics are LNA-optimized oligonucleotides developed for use in miRNA functional studies. They are designed to simulate naturally occurring, mature miRNAs, enabling researchers to increase the proportion of RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISC) containing a particular miRNA. By studying the resulting phenotypic consequences, miRNA functions can be discovered, and the products are primarily used in gain-of-function studies to assess the biological consequences of increasing miRNA activity.

Unlike traditional two-strand miRNA mimics, these products employ a novel three-strand RNA design. The miRNA (guide) strand is a non-modified RNA strand with a sequence corresponding exactly to the annotation in miRBase, while the passenger strand is split into two LNA-enhanced RNA strands that are complementary to the miRNA strand. Because the passenger strands are too short to act as miRNAs and are rapidly degraded after displacement from the miRNA strand, off-target effects from the passenger strands are minimal, and phenotypic changes observed can be ascribed to the miRNA simulated by the mimic. The sequence, length and LNA spiking pattern of the two segmented passenger strands have been optimized using an empirically derived design algorithm, making the triple RNA strand mimics as potent as traditional double-strand RNA mimics.

Locked nucleic acids (LNA) are high-affinity RNA analogs in which the ribose ring is locked in the ideal conformation for Watson-Crick binding, and for each incorporated LNA monomer, the melting temperature of the duplex increases by 2–8°C. The mimics are shipped at room temperature and unopened vials should be stored at –15 to –30°C or below, where they remain stable for at least 6 months after the shipping date. They are intended for molecular biology applications and are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a disease. Each lot is tested against predetermined specifications under QIAGEN's ISO-certified Quality Management System to ensure consistent product quality.