Identifying RNA editing sites in miRNAs by deep sequencing

Deep sequencing has many possible applications; one of them is the identification and quantification of RNA editing sites. The most common type of RNA editing is adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) editing. A prerequisite for this editing process is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) structure. Such dsRNAs are formed as part of the microRNA (miRNA) maturation process, and it is therefore expected that miRNAs are affected by A-to-I editing. Indeed, tens of editing sites were found in miRNAs, some of which change the miRNA binding specificity. Here, we describe a protocol for the identification of RNA editing sites in mature miRNAs using deep sequencing data.