Identifying Potential Conserved Cyperus rotundus microRNAs and their Human Targets by Transcriptome Mining: A Computational Genomics Assessment

Abstract

For centuries, Cyperus rotundus has been a dependable natural cure for various conditions, such as diarrhea, diabetes, inflammation, malaria, and stomach and intestinal issues. However, this plant has become a weed in many tropical and subtropical areas, leading to significant economic damage in the agricultural industry. Plant consumption can lead to plant-derived microRNAs in the human body, affecting human posttranscriptional gene regulation. Recent research has shown that microRNAs can regulate across different kingdoms, indicating that miRNAs from external sources function similarly to those found in mammals. According to the present study, five conserved Cyperus rotundus microRNAs have been identified that could have targeted 129 human messenger RNAs, and three (cro-miR160a-5p, cro-miR168, and cro-miR160c-3p) have shown function homology with seven human microRNAs (hsa-miR-585-3p, hsa-miR-431-5p, hsa-miR-4730, hsa-miR-7854-3p, hsa-miR-4259, hsa-miR-2682-3p and hsa-miR-937-3p). These targets are linked to health conditions such as high blood pressure, Angina Pectoris, Dysarthria, Extrapyramidal Disorders, and Muscle hypotonia. Employing functional enrichment analysis, we revealed that the target genes were considerably associated with Hedgehog signaling and other signaling pathways. The top hub proteins ATXN1, UCHL5, CBX5, UBC, CSNK1A1, USP8, PPP1R12A, APOB, ARID1A, and CORO1C show their interaction with human diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma. The noteworthy discovery of utilizing Cyperus rotundus microRNAs to predict target messenger RNAs in humans has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach researching and treating various human diseases. This knowledge provides us the confidence to identify new candidates for further study and, ultimately, to improve the lives of those afflicted by these diseases.