Victor Ambros, David Baulcombe, and Gary Ruvkun
For discoveries that revealed an unanticipated world of tiny RNAs that regulate gene function in plants and animals
In summary, Ambros was working on the lin-4 gene in C. elegans (worms) which advances worm development. Another gene, lin-14 which Ruvkun is working on works the opposite way (antithesis they call it), it stops development advancement. So, the thing is, this lin-4 gene is only 22 nucleotides (nt) long but useful RNAs are typically 75 nt long. Now this tiny RNA (lin-4) binds to the 3' UTR (untranslated region downstream of the protein coding region) of lin-14, thereby inhibiting the development inhibition (double negative :D) and so development continues. So lin-4 works like a tiny RNA inhibitor of lin-14. Fun stuff.
Diagram from the laskerfoundation link below.
http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/2008_b_description.htm
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