A Guide to in silico Identification of miRNAs and their Targets

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are non-coding RNA molecules that play a critical role in gene regulation including translational repression in animals and mRNA cleavage in plants. MicroRNAs control various cellular, metabolic and physiological processes in living organisms. In this paper, we provide an overview on the significance of miRNA, nomenclature, their biogenesis and the pipelines for prediction of miRNA and their targets. These tools are important for identification of conserved miRNAs in crops where miRNAs have not been previously discovered. The newlyidentified miRNAs and their targets play an important role in understanding regulation of growth, development and gene silencing in various life forms.