| Autor: |
Feng Le, Huang Yufu, Zhang Qingfeng, Xue Xiangyang, Pan Weiqing |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2008 |
| Předmět: |
|
| Zdroj: |
Malaria Journal, Vol 7, Iss 1, p 47 (2008) |
| Druh dokumentu: |
article |
| ISSN: |
1475-2875 |
| DOI: |
10.1186/1475-2875-7-47 |
| Popis: |
Abstract Background The transcriptional regulation of Plasmodium during its complex life cycle requires sequential activation and/or repression of different genetic programmes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a highly conserved class of non-coding RNAs that are important in regulating diverse cellular functions by sequence-specific inhibition of gene expression. What is know about double-stranded RNA-mediated gene silencing (RNAi) and posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in Plasmodium parasites entice us to speculate whether miRNAs can also function in Plasmodium-infected RBCs. Results Of 132 small RNA sequences, no Plasmodium-specific miRNAs have been found. However, a human miRNA, miR-451, was highly expressed, comprising approximately one third of the total identified miRNAs. Further analysis of miR-451 expression and malaria infection showed no association between the accumulation of miR-451 in Plasmodium falciparum-iRBCs, the life cycle stage of P. falciparum in the erythrocyte, or of P. berghei in mice. Moreover, treatment with an antisense oligonucleotide to miR-451 had no significant effect on the growth of the erythrocytic-stage P. falciparum. Methods Short RNAs from a mixed-stage of P. falciparum-iRBC were separated in a denaturing polyacrylamide gel and cloned into T vectors to create a cDNA library. Individual clones were then sequenced and further analysed by bioinformatics prediction to discover probable miRNAs in P. falciparum-iRBC. The association between miR-451 expression and the parasite were analysed by Northern blotting and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) of miR-451. Conclusion These results contribute to eliminate the probability of miRNAs in P. falciparum. The absence of miRNA in P. falciparum could be correlated with absence of argonaute/dicer genes. In addition, the miR-451 accumulation in Plasmodium-infected RBCs is independent of parasite infection. Its accumulation might be only the residual of erythroid differentiation or a component to maintain the normal function of mature RBCs. |
| Databáze: |
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