omiRas: a Web server for differential expression analysis of miRNAs derived from small RNA-Seq data

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Bioinformatics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Small RNA deep sequencing is crucial for characterizing non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and understanding condition-specific molecular mechanisms.
• The non-coding RNAome encompasses diverse RNA types, including transfer RNA, small nucleolar RNA, and microRNA (miRNA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To present omiRas, a web server for annotating, comparing, and visualizing ncRNA interaction networks from next-generation sequencing data.
• To facilitate the analysis of differentially expressed ncRNAs between two conditions.

Main Methods:

• The omiRas web server is implemented using Python, PostgreSQL, and R.
• Users can submit raw sequencing data for analysis.
• Results include static annotation data and interactive network visualizations.

Main Results:

• Static annotation results encompass length distribution, mapping statistics, alignments, and quantification tables.
• Lists of differentially expressed ncRNAs between conditions are provided.
• Interactive network visualization displays user-selected miRNAs and their target genes.

Conclusions:

• omiRas provides a comprehensive platform for analyzing and visualizing ncRNA data from deep sequencing experiments.
• The tool aids in uncovering molecular insights by integrating multiple miRNA-mRNA interaction databases.