title: Computational identification and evolutionary relationships of the microRNA gene cluster miR-71/2 in protostomes.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA molecules which are processed into ~20-24 nt molecules that can regulate the gene expression post-transcriptionally. MiRNA gene clusters have been identified in a range of species, where in miRNAs are often processed from polycistronic transcripts. In this study, a computational approach is used to investigate the extent of evolutionary conservation of the miR-71/2 cluster in animals, and to identify novel miRNAs in the miRNA cluster miR-71/2. The miR-71/2 cluster, consisting of copies of the miR-71 and miR-2 (including miR-13) families, was found to be Protostome-specific. Although, this cluster is highly conserved across the Protostomia, the miR-2 family is completely absent from the Deuterostomia species, while miR-71 is absent from the Vertebrata and Urochordata. The evolutionary conservation and clustering propensity of the miR-71/2 family across the Protostomes could indicate the common functional roles across the member species of the Protostomia.
authors.forename: Matheus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Souza Gomes
authors.forename: Mark T A
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Donoghue
authors.forename: Mohankumar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muniyappa
authors.forename: Roberta Verciano
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guerra-Sá
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spillane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs