MiRNA genomic location and cluster analyses

The genomic coordinates (scaffold, coordinates, and strand) and location (intronic, exonic and intergenic) of all miRNAs identified in this study were assessed by BLAST searches against current annotations of E. multilocularis genome available in WormBase ParaSite database version WBPS14 [37] (e-value 0.01). For intronic miRNAs, only miRNAs overlapping a coding gene with a predicted functional annotation and in the same orientation were considered. To identify miRNA clusters in E. multilocularis, the genomic arrangement of the miRNAs identified in this study was assessed. Precursor miRNA sequences were considered to be grouped in clusters if they were in the same scaffold/contig, less than 10 kb apart and on the same strand [51].