Identification of miRNAs and Their targets in Colorectal Cancer (miRNA)

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The roles of microRNAs (minRNAs) in mRNA destabilization and translational repression of this disease are well appreciated, their involvement in endonucleolytic cleavage of target mRNAs is poorly understood. Methods: High throughput small RNA sequencing was employed for the identification and profiling of miRNAs by six pairs of colorectal cancer tissues (CT) and their adjacent tissues (CN). GO (gene ontology) biological process analysis and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis was carried out to understand the role of regulated miRNAs in CRC. Results: Using high-throughput sequencing, we identified 1409 miRNAs in the CT and CN libraries, including 81 novel miRNAs. 420 conserved and eight novel differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were identified by comparing the expression levels of CT libraries with CN libraries. Conclusions: Our findings may lead to a better understanding of the novel role of miRNA in the gene regulation of CRC. Overall design: miRNA profiles of CRC were generated by deep sequencing using Illumina HiSeq2500