In molecular biology bantam microRNA is a short RNA

Non-coding RNA

A non-coding RNA is a functional RNA molecule that is not translated into a protein. Less-frequently used synonyms are non-protein-coding RNA , non-messenger RNA and functional RNA . The term small RNA is often used for short bacterial ncRNAs...

 molecule. MicroRNAs function to regulate the expression levels of other genes by several mechanisms.

Function

Bantam microRNA works in the epithelial cells of the Drosophila which regulates the growth of dendrites in their sensory neurone. The Hippo signaling pathway

Hippo signaling pathway

The Hippo signaling pathway, also known as the Salvador/Warts/Hippo pathway, controls organ size in animals through the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. The pathway takes its name from one of its key signaling components—the protein kinase Hippo...

also tends to be directly linked with the BANTAM microRNA as it regulates it to control the functionality of cell proliferation and survival. Although the results were on the Drosophila but recent studies showed that human miRNA are also related to the pathway. Homothorax (Hth) and Teashirt (Tsh) are two DNA-binding transcription factors expressed in the Drosophila eye imaginal disc. Recent studies have shown that the Hth and Tsh which are found to be important in cell survival of the Drosophila anterior optimal disc aprticipate in the regulation of the Bantam miRNA..It is concluded that the miRNA has a important function in the central pacemaker of the Drosophila circadian rhythm clock. To be more precise Bantam miRNA has a important relation with the clock component clk. Thus making it an important factor of study regarding its role in the Drosophila behavior.

Diseases

Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome , Martin–Bell syndrome, or Escalante's syndrome , is a genetic syndrome that is the most commonly known single-gene cause of autism and the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability...

disease are implicated to be regulated by the FMRP, a RNA-binding protein

RNA-binding protein

RNA-binding proteins are proteins that bind to RNA. They bind to either double-strand or single-strand RNAs through RNA recognition motif . RNA-binding proteins may regulate the translation of RNA, and post-transcriptional events, such as RNA splicing, editing.They are cytoplasmic and nuclear...

. Studies on Drosophila has shown that the Bantam miRNA plays an important role in the regulation of the protein dFMRP and also genetically interact with the protein in stem cell maintenance. Thus implicating the possibility of an relation between the miRNA and the disease.It is also suggested that the endogenous expression of the Bantam gene in the developing eye imaginal disc contributes to controlling the level of hid-induced apoptosis, which is normally involved in reducing cell number in the pupal eye disc.