Identification and characterization of the microRNAs and their targets in Salmo salar

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding and regulatory RNAs about 18 to 26 nucleotides long. Their conserved nature among the various organisms makes them a good source of new miRNAs discovery by comparative genomics approach. The study resulted in novel 75 precursor miRNAs containing 102 mature sequences belonging to 46 families in an important aquatic environmental monitoring fish (Salmo salar). All the miRNA families (let-7, mir-1, 7, 9, 21, 22, 92, 96, 122, 126, 128, 129, 132, 133, 142, 144, 147, 148, 196, 202, 212, 223, 375, 429, 430, 449, 451, 457, 466, 682, 700, 1388, 1594, 1600, 1607, 1616, 1642, 1681, 1701, 1720, 1772, 1782, 1787, 1814, 2189 and 3540) are found for the first time in S. salar. All 75 miRNA precursors form stable minimum free energy stem loop and the mature miRNAs reside in the stem portion of the stem loop structure. Their target proteins are involved in transcription factors (28%), metabolism (23%), signaling (18%), transportation (9%), immunity (8%), stress related activity (5%), cancer and tumor related activity (5%), growth and development (3%), and cell division (1%).