Profiling Pre-MicroRNA and Mature MicroRNA Expressions Using a Single Microarray and Avoiding Separate Sample Preparation

Mature microRNA is a crucial component in the gene expression regulation network. At the same time, microRNA gene expression and procession is regulated in a precise and collaborated way. Pre-microRNAs mediate products during the microRNA transcription process, they can provide hints of microRNA gene expression regulation or can serve as alternative biomarkers. To date, little effort has been devoted to pre-microRNA expression profiling. In this study, three human and three mouse microRNA profile data sets, based on the Affymetrix miRNA 2.0 array, have been re-analyzed for both mature and pre-microRNA signals as a primary test of parallel mature/pre-microRNA expression profiling on a single platform. The results not only demonstrated a glimpse of pre-microRNA expression in human and mouse, but also the relationship of microRNA expressions between pre- and mature forms. The study also showed a possible application of currently available microRNA microarrays in profiling pre-microRNA expression in a time and cost effective manner.