title: RNA editing of human microRNAs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNAs of around 22 nucleotides that regulate gene expression. The primary transcripts of miRNAs contain double-stranded RNA and are therefore potential substrates for adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have conducted a survey of RNA editing of miRNAs from ten human tissues by sequence comparison of PCR products derived from matched genomic DNA and total cDNA from the same individual. Six out of 99 (6%) miRNA transcripts from which data were obtained were subject to A-to-I editing in at least one tissue. Four out of seven edited adenosines were in the mature miRNA and were predicted to change the target sites in 3' untranslated regions. For a further six miRNAs, we identified A-to-I editing of transcripts derived from the opposite strand of the genome to the annotated miRNA. These miRNAs may have been annotated to the wrong genomic strand.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that RNA editing increases the diversity of miRNAs and their targets, and hence may modulate miRNA function.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Genome Project, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Blow
authors.forename: Russell J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Grocock
authors.forename: Stijn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Dongen
authors.forename: Anton J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Enright
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dicks
authors.forename: P Andrew
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Futreal
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wooster
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stratton
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007288:Inosine / Q000378:metabolism; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017393:RNA Editing; D012322:RNA Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D012322:RNA Precursors; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D007288:Inosine; D000241:Adenosine