Identification and characterization of 63 MicroRNAs in the Asian seabass Lates calcarifer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of many fundamental biological processes. So far miRNAs have been only identified in a few fish species, although there are over 30,000 fish species living under different environmental conditions on the earth. Here, we described an approach to identify conserved miRNAs and characterized their expression patterns in different tissues for the first time in a food fish species Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer).

Methodology/principal findings

By combining a bioinformatics analysis with an approach of homolog-based PCR amplification and sequencing, 63 novel miRNAs belonging to 29 conserved miRNA families were identified. Of which, 59 miRNAs were conserved across 10-86 species (E value ≤ 10⁻⁴) and 4 miRNAs were

SUBMITTER: Xia JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3055879 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature