MicroInspector

MicroInspector detects and analyzes microRNA (miRNA) binding sites within user-defined RNA sequences, typically messenger RNAs (mRNAs) or mRNA segments, to identify potential post-transcriptional regulatory interactions.

Key Features:

• Sequence analysis: Analyzes user-defined RNA sequences against registered databases of known miRNAs to identify binding sites on mRNAs or segments.
• Customizable analysis parameters: Allows adjustment of parameters such as temperature settings and energy values for prediction calculations.
• Database flexibility: Enables selection from multiple miRNA databases to vary the reference set of miRNAs used in analyses.
• Detection and prediction: Identifies known miRNA binding sites and predicts potential novel miRNA–mRNA interactions using computational algorithms.
• Thermodynamics-based scoring: Incorporates thermodynamic properties into binding site prediction and scoring.

Scientific Applications:

• Validation of miRNA–mRNA interactions: Support validation of reported miRNA–mRNA interactions within studies of post-transcriptional gene regulation.
• Discovery of novel binding sites: Predict novel miRNA binding sites on uncharacterized mRNAs to guide experimental validation and further research.

Methodology:

Analyzes a user-defined RNA sequence against registered databases of known miRNAs and employs computational algorithms to predict potential binding sites based on thermodynamic properties and other customizable parameters such as temperature and energy values.