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Catalog of genetic variants within mature microRNA seed regions in chicken

Minja Zorc1, Sandra Omejec1, Dusan Tercic1

  • 1Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domzale, Slovenia.

Poultry Science
|July 16, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified microRNA (miRNA) seed region polymorphisms in chickens, which can serve as biomarkers for poultry production traits and aid in functional studies.

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial noncoding RNAs regulating gene expression post-transcriptionally.
  • Genetic variations in miRNA genes, particularly in the seed region, are linked to phenotypic traits and disease susceptibility.
  • Polymorphisms in chicken miRNA genes may act as valuable biomarkers for economically important traits in poultry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and catalog polymorphic microRNA genes in chickens, with a focus on variations within the seed region.
  • To experimentally validate identified polymorphisms to ensure accuracy and discover novel variations.
  • To provide a resource for association studies linking miRNA polymorphisms to poultry production traits.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an updated bioinformatics tool, miRNA SNiPer (Version 5.0), to identify polymorphic miRNA genes in chicken.
  • Assembled polymorphic miRNA genes from a dataset of 740 miRNA genes.
  • Performed experimental validation for polymorphisms in four selected chicken miRNA genes (gga-mir-1614, -1644, -1648, and -1657).

Main Results:

  • Identified 263 polymorphic miRNA genes out of 740 analyzed.
  • Found 77 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the mature miRNA region and 29 within the critical miRNA seed region.
  • Experimentally confirmed nine known polymorphisms and discovered three novel polymorphisms in primary miRNA regions across different chicken populations.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive catalog of microRNA single nucleotide polymorphisms (mir-SNPs) in chickens has been established.
  • This catalog serves as a foundational resource for future association studies on poultry production traits.
  • The findings facilitate the design of functional experiments to understand the impact of miRNA polymorphisms on economically important traits in chickens.
Keywords:
chickenmicroRNAseed regionsingle-nucleotide polymorphisms

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