Abstracto

Secondary Structural Analyses of MicroRNAs and Their Precursors in a Group of Mammals and Insects

Rudra Prasanna Banerjee, Sayak Ganguli, Moumita Adhikary and Abhijit Datta

The recent discovery of microRNAs took many by surprise because of their unorthodox features and widespread functions. These tiny, ~22 nucleotides, RNAs control several pathways including developmental timing, hematopoiesis, organogenesis, apoptosis, cell proliferation and possibly even tumorigenesis. These RNAs are also the key players in the process of RNA interference. This work focuses on the secondary structure analyses of micro RNAs and their precursors and establishment a relation between the formation of secondary structures and their free energy values.