title: Insights into the regulation of human CNV-miRNAs from the view of their target genes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  microRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small (typically 22 nucleotides in length) non-coding RNAs that can degrade their target mRNAs or block their translation. Recent research showed that copy number alterations of miRNAs and their target genes are highly prevalent in cancers; however, the evolutionary and biological functions of naturally existing copy number variable miRNAs (CNV-miRNAs) among individuals have not been studied extensively throughout the genome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the properties of genes regulated by CNV-miRNAs, and found that CNV-miRNAs tend to target a higher average number of genes and prefer to synergistically regulate the same genes; further, the targets of CNV-miRNAs tend to have higher variability of expression within and between populations. Finally, we found the targets of CNV-miRNAs are more likely to be differentially expressed among tissues and developmental stages, and participate in a wide range of cellular responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our analyses of CNV-miRNAs provide new insights into the impact of copy number variations on miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional networks. The deeper interpretation of patterns of gene expression variation and the functional characterization of CNV-miRNAs will help to broaden the current understanding of the molecular basis of human phenotypic diversity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Design, State key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Rd,, Dalian, 116023, PR China.
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Dinglin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guohui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology; D056915:DNA Copy Number Variations / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs