Computational identification of micro RNA in MUSA sp EST sequences / Tan Yew Seong

• Main Author: Tan, Yew Seong
• Format: Thesis
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/4281/1/0_Front_cover.pdf; http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/4281/2/1_Title_page.pdf; http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/4281/3/2_A_ORIGINAL_LITERARY_WORK_DECLARATION.pdf; http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/4281/4/3_Full_thesis.pdf; http://pendeta.um.edu.my/client/default/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f796$002fSD_ILS:796682/one?qu=Computational+identification+of+micro+rna+in+musa; http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/4281/

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single-stranded non-protein-coding RNAs of about 22 nucleotides that play an important role in post-transcriptional gene regulation in animals and plants by targeting mRNAs for direct cleavage of mRNAs or repression of mRNA translation. In this study, a homology search based approach has been used for identifying the novel miRNA genes of Musa sp. using the BLAST program with a total of 42,978 Musa sp. expressed sequence tags (EST) were compared to a total of 959 previously known plant miRNA sequences. Forty-seven candidate miRNA with homology to previously known miRNAs were identified. By using the mFold3.1 program, secondary RNA structures were predicted and total of nine novel miRNA were identified in Musa sp. One of the most promising novel miRNA was miR156 which has the strongest characteristics of a miRNA precursor structure and was 100% identical to the mature miR156 from other plant species. It was experimentally validated to be expressed in Musa acuminata var. Berangan and is the first known report of the identification and expression of miRNA from a banana plant species.