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Updated: Jan 7, 2026
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In Silico Identification and Characterization of circRNAs During Host-Pathogen Interactions
Published on: October 21, 2022
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CircTarget: a comprehensive database of circRNA-target RNA interactions across multiple cell types
Hongmei Zhang1,2,3, Yuyang Zhang4, Peng Li2
1Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510100, China.
Nucleic Acids Research
|December 30, 2025
Summary
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are key gene regulators, but their targets are unknown. CircTarget is a new database mapping thousands of experimentally verified circRNA-target RNA interactions at high resolution.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are prevalent regulatory molecules derived from pre-mRNA back-splicing.
- circRNAs play crucial roles in gene regulation and disease development.
- Identifying circRNA targets is essential but remains a significant challenge in the field.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop the first comprehensive database of experimentally validated circRNA-target RNA interactions.
- To provide single-nucleotide resolution mapping of these interactions.
- To facilitate research into circRNA function and disease mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of RNA-RNA interactome data from various crosslinking methods.
- Data integration from 13 cell lines and human/mouse hippocampal tissues.
- Identification of high-confidence circRNA-target RNA interactions using stringent criteria.
Main Results:
- Discovery of 132,517 high-confidence circRNA-target RNA interactions.
- Development of CircTarget, a database with detailed annotations for each interaction.
- Inclusion of circRNA information, disease associations, interaction sites, and linked genetic variants.
Conclusions:
- CircTarget is a valuable resource for exploring circRNA functions and interactions.
- The database provides experimentally supported evidence for circRNA-target RNA binding.
- CircTarget enables deeper investigation into the roles of circRNAs in gene regulation and disease pathogenesis.
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