Large-scale analysis of microRNA expression, epi-transcriptomic features and biogenesis

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial genetic regulators involved in diverse biological processes, including development, differentiation, metabolism, and disease.
• Next-generation sequencing has enabled extensive miRNA detection and expression profiling, generating large public datasets.
• Existing resources inadequately leverage these datasets to comprehensively understand miRNA features, distribution, and biogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reanalyze existing sequencing data to create a coordinated catalog of microRNA (miRNA) expression in humans and mice.
• To conduct large-scale analyses of miRNA function, biogenesis, and modifications using this catalog.
• To establish a comprehensive online repository for miRNA expression and features.

Main Methods:

• Reanalysis of sequencing data from 461 human and mouse samples.
• Large-scale comparative analyses of miRNA expression, co-expression of miRNA clusters, and prediction of miRNA strand-specificity.
• Global analysis of miRNA epitranscriptomic modifications and RNA editing events.

Main Results:

• A coordinated catalog of miRNA expression in humans and mice was generated.
• Analyses revealed insights into miRNA function, biogenesis, strand-specificity, and constraints.
• The study reports the first global analysis of miRNA epitranscriptomic modifications and identifies potentially mis-annotated miRNAs in miRBase.
• A comprehensive online repository (http://wwwdev.ebi.ac.uk/enright-dev/miratlas) was created.

Conclusions:

• The developed miRNA catalog and repository provide valuable resources for the research community.
• Findings enhance the understanding of miRNA function, biogenesis, and regulation in animals.
• The identification of modifications and potential mis-annotations contributes to miRNA annotation accuracy.