Computational Prediction of microRNAs and their Targets

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small single stranded RNAs, having an average length of 22 nucleotides. microRNAs are generated from endogenous hairpinshaped transcripts through post-transcriptional activity. They are found in diverse organisms and play critical roles in gene expression regulations of many essential cellular processes. Different computational methods are currently available for identifying microRNA genes in the genomes of different species, and predict exactly the functional part of the microRNA gene, namely the mature microRNA. The mature microRNA makes base pairing with mRNA, where complementarities exist between them and thus regulate gene expression. This article presents a brief description of microRNA related databases, different approaches for prediction and target gene identification. The methods employed, characteristics, and species addressed in each of publicly available tools are analyzed.