Description
We have used an integrative high content analysis approach to identify the specific miRNAs implicated in EGF signaling in HeLa cells as potential mediators of cancer mediated functions. We have used microarray and deep-sequencing technologies in order to obtain a global view of the EGF miRNA transcriptome with a robust experimental cross-validation. By applying a procedure based on Rankprod tests, we have delimited a solid set of EGF-regulated miRNAs. After validating regulated miRNAs by RT-qPCR, we have derived protein networks and biological functions from the predicted targets of the regulated miRNAs to gain insight into the potential role of miRNAs in EGF-treated cells. In addition, we have analyzed sequence heterogeneity due to editing relative to the reference sequence (isomirs) among regulated miRNAs. Overall design: Time course experiment comparing HeLa gene expression in response to EGF analyzed by small RNA-seq using Illumina 36-bp read massively parallel sequencing. Three independent experiments were performed where HeLa cells were serum deprived for 24 hours and were either left untreated or treated with EGF for 6h and harvested for RNA extraction. Thus, a total of 6 samples were analyzed, 3 controls and the 3 respective treated counterparts. These same samples were also analyzed in parallel on two different microarray platforms.