MicroPC (microPC): A comprehensive resource for predicting and comparing plant microRNAs

Area of Science:

• * Plant molecular biology
• * Bioinformatics
• * Genomics

Background:

• * Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression in development and environmental responses.
• * Existing online miRNA resources are limited, often focusing on specific crops or model organisms.
• * Publicly available plant sequence data necessitates a centralized resource for miRNA identification and comparative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To develop MicroPC, a comprehensive online database for plant microRNAs and their targets.
• * To provide a platform for comparative studies of plant miRNAs across diverse species.
• * To facilitate the prediction and analysis of novel plant miRNAs and their associated gene targets.

Main Methods:

• * Large-scale analysis of Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) to identify potential miRNA candidates.
• * Integration of previously reported mature miRNA sequences from miRBase.
• * Development of search and prediction utilities for comparative analysis and target identification.

Main Results:

• * MicroPC contains 4,006 potential miRNA candidates across 128 families and 125 plant species.
• * The database includes 2,995 targeted proteins (4,953 EST sequences) and 1,727 known mature miRNA sequences.
• * Functionalities include sequence comparison, detailed search options, and interactive prediction tools.

Conclusions:

• * MicroPC is the first online resource enabling comprehensive comparison and prediction of plant miRNAs and targets.
• * It provides a foundation for researching miRNA conservation, function, and evolution in plants.
• * The resource is accessible at http://www.biotec.or.th/isl/micropc.