MicroRNA transfection and AGO-bound CLIP-seq data sets reveal distinct determinants of miRNA action

Microarray expression analyses following miRNA transfection/inhibition and, more recently, Argonaute cross-linked immunoprecipitation (CLIP)-seq assays have been used to detect miRNA target sites. CLIP and expression approaches measure differing stages of miRNA functioning-initial binding of the miRNP complex and subsequent message repression. We use nonparametric predictive models to characterize a large number of known target and flanking features, utilizing miRNA transfection, HITS-CLIP, and PAR-CLIP data. In particular, we utilize the precise spatial information provided by CLIP-seq to analyze the predictive effect of target flanking features. We observe distinct target determinants between expression-based and CLIP-based data. Target flanking features such as flanking region conservation are an important AGO-binding determinant-we hypothesize that CLIP experiments have a preference for strongly bound miRNP-target interactions involving adjacent RNA-binding proteins that increase the strength of cross-linking. In contrast, seed-related features are major determinants in expression-based studies, but less so for CLIP-seq studies, and increased miRNA concentrations typical of transfection studies contribute to this difference. While there is a good overlap between miRNA targets detected by miRNA transfection and CLIP-seq, the detection of CLIP-seq targets is largely independent of the level of subsequent mRNA degradation. Also, models built using CLIP-seq data show strong predictive power between independent CLIP-seq data sets, but are not strongly predictive for expression change. Similarly, models built from expression data are not strongly predictive for CLIP-seq data sets, supporting the finding that the determinants of miRNA binding and mRNA degradation differ. Predictive models and results are available at http://servers.binf.ku.dk/antar/.     

玉米纹枯病抗性相关miRNA的鉴定与功能分析

MicroRNA (miRNA)是一类内源性非编码小分子RNA,通过指导剪切或者抑制翻译等方式调节植物基因的表达,参与调控植物的生长发育,并在多种非生物与生物胁迫响应中发挥重要作用. 但目前关于玉米纹枯病抗性相关miRNA表达调节与功能尚不十分清楚. 本研究结合直接克隆法与生物信息学分析,鉴定玉米纹枯病抗性相关9个新的玉米miRNA和已知的zma-miR168a、zma-miR168a*;WMD 3软件进行靶基因预测显示,共获得靶基因总数34个,靶基因功能主要涉及玉米的抗氧化胁迫机制、自身反馈调节、转录调控途径、抗病相关代谢途径以及毒物转运外排等调控过程;实时定量PCR检测miRNA显示,耐感纹枯病材料R15和Ye478叶片和叶鞘中共有9个miRNA受纹枯病感染诱导发生特异性差异表达. 本研究结果提示,玉米纹枯病抗性相关 miRNA介导的玉米对纹枯病诱导产生可能的抗病途径构成了玉米抗纹枯病侵染复杂的防御机制.     

植物逆境胁迫相关miRNA研究进展

MicroRNAs(mi RNAs)是一类内源性小分子的非编码RNA,它通过对其靶基因mRNA的降解或抑制翻译来调控基因表达,进而参与调控植物相关生理活动。在逆境胁迫下,植物中的一些miRNA通过迅速表达并作用于某些与逆境相关的基因,以启动植物的某些抗逆信号系统,进而提高植物对不良环境的适应能力。就miRNA的产生、作用方式、研究方法及其在植物在逆境胁迫中的抗逆作用机制研究进行了综述,并对植物miRNA的研究发展趋势进行了展望。     

Refining microRNA target predictions: Sorting the wheat from the chaff

microRNAs are short RNAs that reduce gene expression by binding to their targets. The accurate prediction of microRNA targets is essential to understanding the function of microRNAs. Computational predictions indicate that all human genes may be regulated by microRNAs, with each microRNA possibly targeting thousands of genes. Here we discuss computational methods for identifying mammalian microRNA targets and refining them for further experimental validation. We describe microRNA target prediction resources and procedures and how they integrate with various types of experimental techniques that aim to validate them or further explore their function. We also provide a list of target prediction databases and explain how these are curated.     

Searching the coding region for microRNA targets

Finding microRNA targets in the coding region is difficult due to the overwhelming signal encoding the amino acid sequence. Here, we introduce an algorithm (called PACCMIT-CDS) that finds potential microRNA targets within coding sequences by searching for conserved motifs that are complementary to the microRNA seed region and also overrepresented in comparison with a background model preserving both codon usage and amino acid sequence. Precision and sensitivity of PACCMIT-CDS are evaluated using PAR-CLIP and proteomics data sets. Thanks to the properly constructed background, the new algorithm achieves a lower rate of false positives and better ranking of predictions than do currently available algorithms, which were designed to find microRNA targets within 3′ UTRs.     

miRDB: a microRNA target prediction and functional annotation database with a wiki interface

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that are involved in the regulation of thousands of gene targets. Recent studies indicate that miRNAs are likely to be master regulators of many important biological processes. Due to their functional importance, miRNAs are under intense study at present, and many studies have been published in recent years on miRNA functional characterization. The rapid accumulation of miRNA knowledge makes it challenging to properly organize and present miRNA function data. Although several miRNA functional databases have been developed recently, this remains a major bioinformatics challenge to miRNA research community. Here, we describe a new online database system, miRDB, on miRNA target prediction and functional annotation. Flexible web search interface was developed for the retrieval of target prediction results, which were generated with a new bioinformatics algorithm we developed recently. Unlike most other miRNA databases, miRNA functional annotations in miRDB are presented with a primary focus on mature miRNAs, which are the functional carriers of miRNA-mediated gene expression regulation. In addition, a wiki editing interface was established to allow anyone with Internet access to make contributions on miRNA functional annotation. This is a new attempt to develop an interactive community-annotated miRNA functional catalog. All data stored in miRDB are freely accessible at http://mirdb.org.     

p53直接调控microRNA及其靶基因的高通量筛选

通过对676条人microRNA进行筛选,共得到了53条新的具有p53-DNA结合位点且调控p53上游转录因子和下游靶基因的microRNA．结合已有蛋白质互作关系与microRNA调控信息,构建了p53-microRNA相互作用网络图,其中FAS受多条microRNA调控,FAS是介导细胞凋亡的关键因子,因此,FAS-microRNA的相互作用可能在细胞凋亡途径中起着关键的作用．随后,提出了microRNA参与p53调控的假设机制,认为p53调控靶基因与microRNA的同时也受上游转录因子与microRNA的调控,从而形成了以p53为中心的一种平衡,当这种调控平衡一旦被打破则会引起信号通路的紊乱,从而可能引发相应的疾病．对这53条microRNA进行靶基因预测,共得到15 500个靶基因,对这些基因的出现频率进行聚类分析共得到27个簇,将出现频率大于10的基因进行功能注释分析,发现多数基因功能属于近来发现的p53靶基因新的功能分类——细胞粘连和细胞运动,目前研究认为,p53通过与这些具有细胞粘连和运动功能的靶基因结合来抑制肿瘤的迁移．通过对15 500个基因进行功能注释分析,得到了30条感兴趣的参与细胞周期调控、细胞凋亡和细胞增殖的microRNA,其中有9条microRNA于3种生物学进程均有参与,这9条microRNA分别是: hsa-mir-181a-1、hsa-mir-181b-1、hsa-mir-181c、hsa-mir-181d、hsa-mir-195、hsa-mir-497、hsa-mir-495、hsa-mir-543和hsa-mir-548c．这暗示着这9条microRNA在p53信号通路的调节中可能起着关键的作用,它们互相作用共同调节着多个p53信号环路．最后在36个物种的基因组中对这30条microRNA进行了同源性搜索与保守性分析,结果发现有10条高度保守的且为目前数据库所未收录的microRNA．这10条microRNA分别是：hsa-mir-497、hsa-mir-495、hsa-mir-543、hsa-mir-19a、hsa-mir-19b-1、hsa-mir-200b、hsa-mir-448、 hsa-mir-28、hsa-mir-455和hsa-mir-590．     

microRNA与人类疾病关系研究中的生物信息学方法和资源

microRNA(miRNA)是一类基因调控分子,其成熟体长度大约为22个核苷酸,其在转录后水平通过碱基互补配对的方式特异性结合靶mRNA的3端非翻译区来发挥调控功能,造成靶mRNA的翻译抑制或降解。越来越多的研究表明miRNA具有十分重要的分子功能,几乎在所有的生命过程中均扮演着重要角色。因此,和miRNA有关的功能异常就可能和疾病的发生发展有密切关系。生物信息学旨在为解决生命科学问题提供信息学手段,目前已经有多种用于研究miRNA和人类疾病关系的生物信息学方法和网络资源,本文将综述这一主题的现状,并探讨将来的发展趋势。     

靶向细胞外基质磷酸糖蛋白的microRNA的筛选及鉴定

目的:寻找靶向细胞外基质磷酸糖蛋白(MEPE)基因的微小RNA(miRNA),并检测其对人HeLa细胞内源性Mepe基因表达的影响。方法:通过NCBI检索人源Mepe的3’UTR,利用miRNA预测工具TargetScan预测可能靶向Mepe的所有miRNA,通过双萤光素酶报告基因系统检测miRNA与Mepe3’UTR的结合情况,从而初步筛选出可能靶向Mepe的miRNA;同时,用Western印迹检测miRNA经转染后对Mepe基因表达的影响。结果:利用TargetScan预测出36条可能靶向Mepe的miRNA,根据分值及匹配情况从中挑选出6条进行验证;与转染空载体pGL3-cm的相对荧光素值相比,转染miR-376a的相对荧光素值降低较为明显,而当Mepe3’UTR与miR-376a结合位点突变后,miR-376a不能抑制萤光素酶的活性;Western印迹结果显示miR-376a能明显抑制MEPE的表达。结论:miRNA-376a可能是靶向Mepe基因的miRNA,为进一步研究MEPE的功能奠定了基础。     

红花microRNAs靶基因的生物信息学预测

miRNA是一类动、植物细胞中负责转录后调控的非编码RNA,植物的miRNA通常来源于具有茎环结构的单链RNA前体上,加工成熟后同ARGONAUTE转变成蛋白复合体结构,通过结合并沉默蛋白合成模板的方式关闭完整的基因表达网络。由于miRNA存在组织表达的特异性,且miRNA在植物中的表达高度保守。通过高通量测序获得的红花(Carthamus tinctorious L.)miRNA序列信息与红花转录EST数据库比对,通过靶基因预测筛选,对属于104个家族的173个红花miRNA进行预测,其中得到109个miRNAs对应调控的385个红花靶基因。并且通过Nr基因注释表明多数红花miRNA的靶基因编码包括调控细胞生长发育、信号转导及新陈代谢等相关的功能蛋白。     

miR-769-3p 对甲型 H1N1流感病毒核蛋白表达的调控

目的:预测靶向甲型流感病毒核蛋白(NP)基的微小 RNA(miRNA),并检测其对 NP 表达的影响.方法:从miRBase 数据库中获取人成熟 miRNA 序列,利用 miRanda 软件预测潜在靶向流感病毒 A/FM/1/47(H1N1) NP 基的人 miRNA;通过双萤光素酶报告基系统及 Western 印迹验证所预测的 miRNA 对 NP 表达的影响.结果:用 miRanda软件在流感病毒 A/FM/1/47(H1N1) NP 基上预测得到分值及最小结合自由能均较好的 miR-769-3p;双萤光素酶报告基结果显示 miR-769-3p 能显著降低报告基载体萤光素酶的表达;Western 印迹结果显示 miR-769-3p 能明显抑制 NP 的表达,但突变 NP 基上的 miR-769-3p 结合位点后,miR-769-3p 不能抑制 NP 的表达.结论:miR-769-3p 可靶向流感病毒 A/FM/1/47(H1N1) NP 基并抑制 NP 的表达,为抗甲型流感病毒的 miRNA 药物研发提供了据和潜在药物靶标.     

转基因动物在microRNA研究中的应用

MicroRNA是一类在转录后水平上调节基因表达的非编码小分子RNA,在生物体生理、病理等过程中发挥重要作用．MicroRNA功能的研究将是未来人们关注的焦点．通过转基因技术建立的多种动物模型在整体水平揭示了基因的功能．近年,以microRNA为研究对象的转基因动物模型数量不断增加,构建策略不断丰富．通过miRNA过表达、敲除及敲减等手段已揭示了miRNA在肿瘤、心血管系统疾病等多方面的作用．转基因动物正成为microRNA研究中不可或缺的工具．     

miRNA与其靶mRNA的相互作用：绑定位点的质量与数量特征的整合计算分析

miRNAs通过完全或不完全的碱基互补绑定到信使RNA(mRNA)上,通过抑制翻译或者直接导致mRNA降解的方式来调节靶基因的表达．为了研究miRNAs在转录水平上面的调控作用,两种人类基因组中组织特异的miRNAs(miR-1和miR-124)被转染到HeLa细胞中,微阵列(microarray)分析转染前后细胞中各基因mRNA表达水平变化情况的结果表明：动物基因组中靶基因与miRNAs不完全的碱基互补也会导致mRNA的直接降解．通过分析实验得到的mRNA表达水平变化数据,发现这相同miRNA的不同靶基因mRNA表达水平的下调倍数有着明显的差别,推测这些靶基因mRNA序列本身存在某些影响其受调节程度的因素．为此,提取和分析这些靶基因mRNA的序列特征,通过对这些序列特征与mRNA表达水平下调数据进行统计相关分析,最终发现,miRNA靶基因受调节的程度与以下几个因素相关联：mRNA序列中miRNA靶位点的个数,靶位点与miRNA序列碱基互补的程度,以及绑定后形成二级结构的稳定程度(即最低自由能的大小)．在此基础上,初步建立起一个多因子作用下的miRNA 靶基因mRNA表达水平下调程度模型,分析表明：该模型在一定程度上可以反映了部分序列特征对于miRNA靶基因mRNA表达水平下调程度的影响．