Advances in Computational Tools for Plant microRNA Identification

Abstract

Continuous development in biotechnological techniques has led to major breakthrough discoveries in life sciences, one of which is the finding of a particular class of small RNA molecules known as microRNAs (miRNA). miRNAs have been found to regulate various biological activities in all life forms. Though plant miRNAs were discovered later than animal miRNAs, these have been found to reveal remarkable importance in gene regulation during plant development as well as toward responding to any stimuli. Unraveling the entire mystery of these small molecules is the first step to gaining a better understanding of their function. Initially, miRNAs were identified largely by experimental techniques like forward genetic screening, cloning, and microarray, but these techniques were expensive, more time-consuming, and unable to reveal poorly expressed RNA molecules. Advances in computational tools, made during the last decade, have done wonders in miRNA research work. Many novel miRNAs were discovered using these approaches in plant systems, though confirmation requires experimental validation. In this chapter, an effort has been made to understand the characteristic features of plant miRNA compared to animal miRNAs and to review the recent advances in various computational tools made for identification of plant miRNAs.