Why am I getting microRNA genes from a 10X genomics dataset?

Question

[Gene_MMP8]

I have collected Nanogrid Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing data from an already published study. While checking the top 20 highly variable genes using the Seurat package, I am getting a bunch of microRNA genes (eg: MIR1244-1) and RNA genes (eg: SNAR-B1). I am confused here because I thought it is impossible to capture microRNA gene expression using the 10X workflow because mature microRNA (miRNA) transcripts lack a polyA tail. What am I missing?

Answer 1

[saeedabdurahman]

In this paper on RNA velocity, in the second para of the main text (Ext Figure 1) they report why and how unspliced RNA is picked up in 10x workflow which do not have poly A Tail. Could the same be the case for these miRNAs?