Figure 3.
microRNA (miRNA) classification. miRNAs can be classified as both (a) clusters and (b) families. miRNAs that are adjacent in the genome and encoded in the same transcript are in a cluster, regardless of the sequence of each mature miRNA. miRNAs that have the same seed sequence have overlapping targets and, therefore, are grouped into families, regardless of their location in the genome. (c) Examples of miRNAs from two different clusters that are part of the same family, the ESCC family. The shared seed sequence is highlighted in blue.