Computational analysis of miRNA targets in plants: current status and challengesXinbin Dai, Zhaohong Zhuang and Patrick Xuechun Zhao |
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Abstract Plant microRNAs (miRNA) target recognition mechanism was once thought simple and straightforward, i.e. through perfect reverse complementary matching; therefore very fewer target prediction tools and algorithms were developed for plants as compared to those for animals. However, the discovery of transcription suppression and more recent discovery of widespread translational regulation by (miRNAs) highlights the enormous diversity and complexity of gene regulation in plant systems, in turn, renders the needs of advanced computational tools/algorithms for comprehensive miRNA target analysis to help understand these mechanisms . Yet, advanced/comprehensive plant miRNA target analysis tools are lacking despite the desirable and importance of such tools, especially, the ability of predicting translational inhibition and integrating transcriptome data. This article provides a review on latest progress in plant miRNA target recognition mechanism, principles of target prediction based on these understandings, comparison of current prediction tools and algorithms for plant miRNA target analysis and outlook of future direction on the development of plant miRNA target tools and algorithms. |
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