Functional interactions among members of the miR-17-92 cluster in lymphocyte development, differentiation and malignant transformation.

The miR-17-92 cluster is a prototypical example of a polycistronic miRNA gene. Recently, miR-17-92 has emerged as a pleiotropic regulator in immune system. Its loss or deregulation leads to defects in lymphocyte development and response, and lymphoma development. Although the six individual miRNAs of the cluster are expressed together from the same primary transcript, their relative abundance, functional contributions and interactions vary in different cellular contexts.