Research Article - Journal of RNA and Genomics (2021) Volume 17, Issue 0

Identification of miRNA-21 from SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped RNA virus that's diversely found in humans and is known to infect the neurological, respiratory, enteric, and hepatic systems. The majority of SARS-CoV-2 patients have minor symptoms, but they can deteriorate quickly, especially in the elderly or those with underlying disorders such as chronic lung or cardiovascular disease. There is currently no viable treatment for SARS-CoV-2 patients. Because there are no specific SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations or medications, it is critical to recognize and treat the condition as soon as possible. Interestingly, microRNAs (miRNAs) are important post transcriptional regulators of nearly every organic process which is taking place within the cell. The present study aims to identify the miRNA-21 from SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences available in public genomic databases. Materials and methods: A computational study on miRNA-21 in SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence was identified using NCBI (National Centre for Biotechnology Information) database. The secondary structure of miR-21 was obtained from the RNAfold web server. Results: After the careful evaluation of the secondary structure, SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence was obtained with a minimum free energy of -34.60 kcal/mol. Conclusion: In conclusion, it was found that miR-21 acts as an effective therapeutic target and as a specific biomarker and can help in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Our study results can provide a theoretical basis for use by other researchers to accelerate the study of SARS-CoV-2. This study shows that miRNAs-21 play a significant role in viral control of several cellular processes seen during the viral infection.

Author(s): Sariga Jayachandran, Lavanya Prathap, Auxzilia Preethi K, Sushmaa Chandralekha Selvakumar, Durairaj Sekar

Abstract PDF