Spatial preferences of microRNA targets in 3' untranslated regions.

ABSTRACT:

Background

MicroRNAs are an important class of regulatory RNAs which repress animal genes by preferentially interacting with complementary sequence motifs in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of target mRNAs. Computational methods have been developed which can successfully predict which microRNA may target which mRNA on a genome-wide scale.

Results

We address how predicted target sites may be affected by alternative polyadenylation events changing the 3'UTR sequence. We find that two thirds of targeted genes have alternative 3'UTRs, with 40% of predicted target sites located in alternative UTR segments. We propose three classes based on whether the target sites fall within constitutive and/or alternative UTR segments, and examine the spatial distribution of predicted targets

SUBMITTER: Majoros WH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1904200 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature