Small RNA sequencing and identification of Andrographis paniculata miRNAs with potential cross‑kingdom human gene targets.

Cross-species post-transcriptional regulatory potential of plant derived small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) has been well documented by plenteous studies. MicroRNAs are transferred to host cells via oral ingestion wherein they play a decisive role in regulation of host genes; thus, miRNAs have evolved as the nascent bioactive molecules imparting pharmacological values to traditionally used medicinal plants. The present study aims to investigate small RNA profiling in order to uncover the potential regulatory role of miRNAs derived from Andrographis paniculata, one of the most widely used herb by tribal communities for liver disorders and document the pharmacological properties of A. paniculata miRNAs. In this study, high-throughput sequencing method was used to generate raw data, ~ 60 million sequences were generated from A. paniculata leaves. Using computational tools and bioinformatics approach, analyses of 3,480,097 clean reads resulted in identification of 3440 known and 51 putative novel miRNAs regulating 1365 and 192 human genes respectively. Remarkably, the identified plausible novel miRNAs apa-miR-5, apa-miR-1, apa-miR-26, and apa-miR-30 are projected to target significant host genes including CDK6, IKBKB, TRAF3, CHD4, MECP2, and ADIPOQ. Subsequent annotations revealed probable involvement of the target genes in various pathways for instance p38-MAPK, AKT, AMPK, NF-Kβ, ERK, WNT signalling, MYD88 dependant cascade, and pathways in cancer. Various diseases such as human papilloma virus infection, Alzheimer's, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver, Alcoholic liver diseases, HepatoCellular Carcinoma (HCC), and numerous other cancers were predominantly found to be linked with target genes. Our findings postulate novel interpretations regarding modulation of human transcripts by A. paniculata miRNAs and exhibit the regulation of human diseases by plant-derived miRNAs. Though our study elucidates miRNAs as novel therapeutic agents, however, experimental validations for assessment of therapeutic potential of these miRNAs are still warranted.