MIREyA: a computational approach to detect miRNA-directed gene activation

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly recognized for their role in gene activation.
• A proposed mechanism involves miRNAs triggering enhancers, leading to chromatin remodeling and target gene activation.
• Identifying these specific miRNA-gene-enhancer interactions is crucial for understanding gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present MIREyA, a computational pipeline for predicting miRNA-gene-enhancer trios.
• To provide a user-friendly tool that automates the detection of miRNA-mediated gene activation via enhancers.
• To analyze gene activation in a specific biological context using the developed pipeline.

Main Methods:

• Development of the MIREyA pipeline for predicting miRNA-gene-enhancer interactions.
• Application of the pipeline to an expression dataset from primary murine macrophages infected with *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* (HN878 strain).
• Analysis of predicted interactions to identify miRNAs involved in immune responses.

Main Results:

• The MIREyA pipeline successfully predicted miRNA-gene-enhancer trios.
• Several miRNAs, including Mir22, Mir221, Mir222, Mir155, and Mir1956, were identified.
• These miRNAs were found to potentially up-regulate genes associated with immune responses in the context of *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* infection.

Conclusions:

• MIREyA is a valuable tool for identifying potential cases of miRNA-directed gene activation.
• The pipeline facilitates the study of novel gene regulatory mechanisms involving enhancers.
• The findings highlight specific miRNAs involved in the immune response to *Mycobacterium tuberculosis*.