miRNATarBase

miRNATarBase curates experimentally validated microRNA–target interactions (MTIs) to support studies of post-transcriptional gene regulation.

Key Features:

• Manual curation and text mining: Employs a dual approach combining manual curation with advanced text-mining techniques and a scoring system to identify and prioritize MTI-related literature.
• Experimental validation: Contains MTIs validated by reporter assays, western blotting, microarrays, and next-generation sequencing methods, with a substantial increase in CLIP-seq-validated interactions.
• Integration with biological databases: Integrates data from multiple biological databases to link miRNAs with their targets and regulators.
• Expression data in blood: Includes miRNA expression profiles in blood to support studies of systemic regulatory mechanisms.
• Content coverage: Provides over 13,404 microRNA-target interactions curated from more than 11,021 scientific articles.

Scientific Applications:

• Post-transcriptional regulation analysis: Enable analysis of microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation and gene expression control mechanisms.
• Regulatory network reconstruction: Support reconstruction and exploration of miRNA regulatory networks, including upstream regulators and downstream targets.
• Biomarker and therapeutic target discovery: Facilitate identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in conditions involving miRNA dysregulation.
• Integrative genomics and systems biology: Support integrative analyses across genomics, transcriptomics, and systems biology.

Methodology:

Manual curation combined with advanced text-mining and a scoring system to identify MTI-related literature, together with integration of data from external biological databases.