Computational identification of miRNAs and their targets from Niger (Guizotia abyssinica)

Abstract

MicroRNAs play a pivotal role in regulating a broad range of biological processes, acting by cleaving mRNAs or by translational repression. A group of plant microRNAs are evolutionarily conserved; however, others are expressed in a species-specific manner. In this study we used homology-based analysis with available expressed sequence tag (EST) of Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) to predict conserved miRNAs. Two potent miRNAs targeting 49 genes were identified. The newly identified miRNAs belongs to miR2592 and miR396 family. Targets recognized were F-box proteins, leucine zipper, DEAD box RNA helicase, disease resistant proteins. Gene annotations revealed miRNAs were involved in growth and development and Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses showed miRNAs were involved in metabolic pathways.