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Analysis of 13 cell types reveals evidence for the expression of numerous novel primate- and tissue-specific microRNAs

Eric Londin, Phillipe Loher, Aristeidis G. Telonis, Kevin Quann, Peter Clark, Jing Yi, Eleftheria Hatzimichael, Yohei Kirino, Shozo Honda, Michelle Lally,

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2015 · 415 citations · 63 references

DOI Full text

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Concepts

Life SciencesGeneticsMolecular BiologyGene ExpressionGenomicsTranscriptomicsMicrorna BiogenesisMicrorna BiologyRna Sequencing AnalysisDisease-associated MicrornasMicrorna AnnotationRegulators

TL;DR

MicroRNAs are small ~22‑nt RNAs that regulate gene expression, are implicated in many cellular processes and diseases, and currently about 2,800 human miRNAs are annotated. A key question in miRNA research is how many miRNAs are harbored by the human genome. To answer this question, we examined 1,323 short RNA sequence samples and identified 3,707 novel miRNAs, many of which are human‑specific and tissue‑specific. Our findings suggest that the human genome expresses a greater number of miRNAs than previously appreciated and that many more miRNA molecules may play key roles in disease etiology.

Abstract

Significance MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small ∼22-nt RNAs that are important regulators of posttranscriptional gene expression. Since their initial discovery, they have been shown to be involved in many cellular processes, and their misexpression is associated with disease etiology. Currently, nearly 2,800 human miRNAs are annotated in public repositories. A key question in miRNA research is how many miRNAs are harbored by the human genome. To answer this question, we examined 1,323 short RNA sequence samples and identified 3,707 novel miRNAs, many of which are human-specific and tissue-specific. Our findings suggest that the human genome expresses a greater number of miRNAs than has previously been appreciated and that many more miRNA molecules may play key roles in disease etiology.