| Polymorphism in microRNA Target Site (PolymiRTS) is a database of naturally occurring DNA variations in predicted and experimentally identified microRNA (miRNA) target sites. MicroRNAs pair to the transcripts of protein-coding genes and cause translational repression or mRNA destabilization. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA target sites may affect the base-pairing between the miRNA and its target site, and hence affect miRNA-mediated gene repression.
PolymiRTS as genetic variants underlying variation in gene expression and complex traits. Linkage analysis has long been used to discover chromosomal intervals harboring sequence variants that cause individual differences in biological traits. SNPs in miRNA target sites are one type of sequence variant that cause these effects. The PolymiRTS database was created by scanning 3'UTRs of mRNAs in human and mouse for SNPs in miRNA target sites. Then, the potential downstream effects of these polymorphisms on gene expression and complex traits are identified. Specifically, genes containing PolymiRTSs, cis-acting expression QTLs, and physiological QTLs in mouse and the results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of human traits and diseases are linked in the database. The polymiRTS database also includes polymorphisms in target sites that have been supported by a variety of experimental methods and polymorphisms in miRNA seed regions. |