Analysis of Current Tools Available For Microrna Target Prediction

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are genomically encoded small non-coding RNAs of 20-24 nucleotides that regulate flow of genetic information by controlling translation or stability of mRNAs in higher eukaryotes. The miRNAs are reported to be involved in many biological processes, and the discovery of miRNAs has been provided great impacts on computational biology as well as traditional biology. Most miRNA-associated computational methods comprise the prediction of miRNA genes and their targets, and increasing numbers of computational algorithms and web-based resources are being developed to fulfil the need of scientists performing miRNA research. Here we summarize the tools to predict miRNA targets and introduce some computational algorithms that have been developed for miRNA target prediction.