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The capacity of highly parallel sequencing technologies to detect small RNAs at unprecedented depth suggests their value in systematically identifying microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the identification of miRNAs from the large pool of sequenced transcripts from a single deep sequencing run remains a major challenge. Here, we present an algorithm, miRDeep, which uses a probabilistic model of miRNA biogenesis to score compatibility of the position and frequency of sequenced RNA with the secondary structure of the miRNA precursor. We demonstrate its accuracy and robustness using published Caenorhabditis elegans data and data we generated by deep sequencing human and dog RNAs. miRDeep reports altogether approximately 230 previously unannotated miRNAs, of which four novel C. elegans miRNAs are validated by northern blot analysis.[1]
microRNAs (miRNAs) are a large class of small non-coding RNAs which post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of a large fraction of all animal genes and are important in a wide range of biological processes. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing allow miRNA detection at unprecedented sensitivity, but the computational task of accurately identifying the miRNAs in the background of sequenced RNAs remains challenging. For this purpose, we have designed miRDeep2, a substantially improved algorithm which identifies canonical and non-canonical miRNAs such as those derived from transposable elements and informs on high-confidence candidates that are detected in multiple independent samples. Analyzing data from seven animal species representing the major animal clades, miRDeep2 identified miRNAs with an accuracy of 98.6-99.9% and reported hundreds of novel miRNAs. To test the accuracy of miRDeep2, we knocked down the miRNA biogenesis pathway in a human cell line and sequenced small RNAs before and after. The vast majority of the >100 novel miRNAs expressed in this cell line were indeed specifically downregulated, validating most miRDeep2 predictions. Last, a new miRNA expression profiling routine, low time and memory usage and user-friendly interactive graphic output can make miRDeep2 useful to a wide range of researchers.[2]
