LIN-42, the Caenorhabditis elegans PERIOD homolog, negatively regulates microRNA transcription.
During C.elegans development, microRNAs (miRNAs) function as molecular switches that define temporal gene expression and cell lineage patterns in a dosage-dependent manner.It is critical, therefore, that the expression of miRNAs be tightly regulated so that target mRNA expression is properly controlled.The molecular mechanisms that function to opti