Bioinformatic Enrichment and Network Analyses of miRNA-Related High-Throughput Sequencing Data

Alteration of MicroRNA (miRNAs) expression (gain of function, overexpression, loss of function, and target mimicry) enables the investigation of miRNA functions through phenotypic analyses. Furthermore, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of individuals with these alterations, compared to wild-type individuals, allows the identification of Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs), or other differential sequences, which can be analyzed using different bioinformatic tools to reveal miRNA-related bioprocesses and potential target genes. This chapter describes a methodology for rapid data mining, focusing on Gene Ontology (GO) and Gene Family enrichment methods to find relevant categories for further studies.