title: Identification and characterization of circular RNAs in zebrafish.
abstract: Circular RNA (circRNA), a class of RNAs with circular structure, has received little attention until recently, when some new features and functions were discovered. In the present study, we sequenced circRNAs in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and identified 3868 circRNAs using three algorithms (find_circ, CIRI, segemehl). The analysis of microRNA target sites on circRNAs shows that some circRNAs may function as miRNA sponges. Furthermore, we identified the existence of reverse complementary sequences in the flanking regions of only 25 (2.64%) exonic circRNAs, indicating that the mechanism of zebrafish exonic circRNA biogenesis might be different from that in mammals. Moreover, 1122 (29%) zebrafish circRNA sequences showed homology with human, mouse and coelacanth circRNAs.
authors.affiliation: College of Fisheries, Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education/Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yudong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Lab of Biotecnología Genómica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto de Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
authors.forename: Xianwu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: College of Fisheries, Key Lab of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education/Key Lab of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Weimin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism*; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D000079962:RNA, Circular; D012313:RNA
keywords: circRNAs biogenesis; homology; zebrafish