The features of novel miRNAs interaction with mRNA candidate genes having trinucleotide repeats in coding sequences and untranslated regions

Abstract

Trinucleotide repeat disorders are a group of predominantly inherited neurological diseases
caused by the expansion of repetitive sequences. miRNAs play major roles in transcriptional regulation and
are expressed selectively and abundantly in the central nervous system. In the present research, MirTarget
program predicted the miRNA-binding sites in mRNAs of genes with trinucleotide repeats. The MirTarget
programme determines the following features of binding: the start of the initiation of miRNA binding
to mRNAs; the localization of miRNA binding sites in 5’UTRs, CDSs and 3’UTRs; the free energy of
binding; and the schemes of nucleotide interactions between miRNAs and mRNAs. In coding sequences
the binding sites of ID00372.5p-miR with mRNA of ATXN2, FMN2 and MN1 genes having CAG (Q)
repeats show the highest free binding energy. The mRNA of ADRBK1, BRSK2, C11orf87 and FMR1
genes have ID01508.5p-miR binding sites in 5’UTR with CGG repeated regions. Also, the binding sites
of ID00296.3p-miR and ID01702.3p-miR in 5’UTR of BLMH gene interacted with CCG repeats. DMPK
gene with CUG repeated regions have ID00522.5p-miR binding sites in 3’UTR. Based on these results, the
interactions of ID00372.5p-miR, ID01508.5p-miR, ID00296.3p-miR, ID01702.3p-miR and ID00522.5pmiR and their target genes ATXN2, FMN2, MN1, ADRBK1, BRSK2, C11orf87, FMR1, BLMH and DMPK
can be used for developing methods for diagnosing and therapeutic targets for neurological disorders.