Identifying MiRNAs, Targets and Functions

Overview

Journal Brief Bioinform

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Biology

Date 2012 Nov 24

PMID 23175680

Citations 269

Authors

Bing Liu

Jiuyong Li

Murray J Cairns

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous non-coding RNAs that function as the universal specificity factors in post-transcriptional gene silencing. Discovering miRNAs, identifying their targets and further inferring miRNA functions have been a critical strategy for understanding normal biological processes of miRNAs and their roles in the development of disease. In this review, we focus on computational methods of inferring miRNA functions, including miRNA functional annotation and inferring miRNA regulatory modules, by integrating heterogeneous data sources. We also briefly introduce the research in miRNA discovery and miRNA-target identification with an emphasis on the challenges to computational biology.

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