Genome-wide identification and analysis of miRNA-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in rice

Background MiRNAs are key regulators in the miRNA-mediated regulatory networks. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that occur at miRNA-related regions may cause serious phenotype changes. To gain new insights into the evolution of miRNAs after SNP variation, we performed a genome-wide scan of miRNA-related SNPs, and analyzed their effects on the stability of miRNAs structure and the alteration of target spectrum in rice.