title: miRNA Repertoires of Demosponges Stylissa carteri and Xestospongia testudinaria.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that are involved in many biological process in eukaryotes. They play a crucial role in modulating genetic expression of their targets, which makes them integral components of transcriptional regulatory networks. As sponges (phylum Porifera) are commonly considered the most basal metazoan, the in-depth capture of miRNAs from these organisms provides additional clues to the evolution of miRNA families in metazoans. Here, we identified the core proteins involved in the biogenesis of miRNAs, and obtained evidence for bona fide miRNA sequences for two marine sponges Stylissa carteri and Xestospongia testudinaria (11 and 19 respectively). Our analysis identified several miRNAs that are conserved amongst demosponges, and revealed that all of the novel miRNAs identified in these two species are specific to the class Demospongiae.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.|Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Yi Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.|KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program (KEEP), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Taewoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.|Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aranda
authors.affiliation: Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences & Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.|KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program (KEEP), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ravasi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060565:Argonaute Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D034622:RNA Interference; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000235:genetics; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D047131:Xestospongia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D060565:Argonaute Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D043244:Ribonuclease III