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Cheng S, You Y, Wang X, Yi C, Zhang W, Xie Y, Xiu L, Luo F, Lu Y, Wang J, Hu W. Dynamic profiles of lncRNAs reveal a functional natural antisense RNA that regulates the development of Schistosoma japonicum. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011949. [PMID: 38285715 PMCID: PMC10878521 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomes are flatworm parasites that undergo a complex life cycle involving two hosts. The regulation of the parasite's developmental processes relies on both coding RNAs and non-coding RNAs. However, the roles of non-coding RNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in schistosomes remain largely unexplored. Here we conduct advanced RNA sequencing on male and female S. japonicum during their pairing and reproductive development, resulting in the identification of nearly 8,000 lncRNAs. This extensive dataset enables us to construct a comprehensive co-expression network of lncRNAs and mRNAs, shedding light on their interactions during the crucial reproductive stages within the mammalian host. Importantly, we have also revealed a specific lncRNA, LNC3385, which appears to play a critical role in the survival and reproduction of the parasite. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the dynamic nature of lncRNAs during the reproductive phase of schistosomes but also highlight LNC3385 as a potential therapeutic target for combating schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoyun Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanmin You
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cun Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuxiang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Xiu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jipeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
- College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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2
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Martín-Zamora FM, Davies BE, Donnellan RD, Guynes K, Martín-Durán JM. Functional genomics in Spiralia. Brief Funct Genomics 2023; 22:487-497. [PMID: 37981859 PMCID: PMC10658182 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the mechanisms that modulate gene expression in animals is strongly biased by studying a handful of model species that mainly belong to three groups: Insecta, Nematoda and Vertebrata. However, over half of the animal phyla belong to Spiralia, a morphologically and ecologically diverse animal clade with many species of economic and biomedical importance. Therefore, investigating genome regulation in this group is central to uncovering ancestral and derived features in genome functioning in animals, which can also be of significant societal impact. Here, we focus on five aspects of gene expression regulation to review our current knowledge of functional genomics in Spiralia. Although some fields, such as single-cell transcriptomics, are becoming more common, the study of chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications and genome architecture are still in their infancy. Recent efforts to generate chromosome-scale reference genome assemblies for greater species diversity and optimise state-of-the-art approaches for emerging spiralian research systems will address the existing knowledge gaps in functional genomics in this animal group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco M Martín-Zamora
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Billie E Davies
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Rory D Donnellan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Kero Guynes
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - José M Martín-Durán
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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3
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McVeigh P, McCammick E, Robb E, Brophy P, Morphew RM, Marks NJ, Maule AG. Discovery of long non-coding RNAs in the liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011663. [PMID: 37769025 PMCID: PMC10564125 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding (lnc)RNAs are a class of eukaryotic RNA that do not code for protein and are linked with transcriptional regulation, amongst a myriad of other functions. Using a custom in silico pipeline we have identified 6,436 putative lncRNA transcripts in the liver fluke parasite, Fasciola hepatica, none of which are conserved with those previously described from Schistosoma mansoni. F. hepatica lncRNAs were distinct from F. hepatica mRNAs in transcript length, coding probability, exon/intron composition, expression patterns, and genome distribution. RNA-Seq and digital droplet PCR measurements demonstrated developmentally regulated expression of lncRNAs between intra-mammalian life stages; a similar proportion of lncRNAs (14.2%) and mRNAs (12.8%) were differentially expressed (p<0.001), supporting a functional role for lncRNAs in F. hepatica life stages. While most lncRNAs (81%) were intergenic, we identified some that overlapped protein coding loci in antisense (13%) or intronic (6%) configurations. We found no unequivocal evidence for correlated developmental expression within positionally correlated lncRNA:mRNA pairs, but global co-expression analysis identified five lncRNA that were inversely co-regulated with 89 mRNAs, including a large number of functionally essential proteases. The presence of micro (mi)RNA binding sites in 3135 lncRNAs indicates the potential for miRNA-based post-transcriptional regulation of lncRNA, and/or their function as competing endogenous (ce)RNAs. The same annotation pipeline identified 24,141 putative lncRNAs in F. gigantica. This first description of lncRNAs in F. hepatica provides an avenue to future functional and comparative genomics studies that will provide a new perspective on a poorly understood aspect of parasite biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul McVeigh
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Erin McCammick
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Robb
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Brophy
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Russell M. Morphew
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron G. Maule
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
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4
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Leija-Montoya AG, González-Ramírez J, Martínez-Coronilla G, Mejía-León ME, Isiordia-Espinoza M, Sánchez-Muñoz F, Chávez-Cortez EG, Pitones-Rubio V, Serafín-Higuera N. Roles of microRNAs and Long Non-Coding RNAs Encoded by Parasitic Helminths in Human Carcinogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158173. [PMID: 35897749 PMCID: PMC9331937 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites can lead to cancer development. Infection with the helminthic parasite Schistosoma haematobium can cause cancer of the urinary bladder in humans, and infection with the parasites Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini can promote cholangiocarcinoma. These three pathogens have been categorized as “group 1: carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Additionally, the parasite Schistosoma japonicum has been associated with liver and colorectal cancer and classified as “group 2B: possibly carcinogenic to humans”. These parasites express regulatory non-coding RNAs as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which modulate genic expression in different biological processes. In this review, we discuss the potential roles of miRNAS and lncRNAs encoded by helminthic parasites that are classified by the IARC as carcinogenic and possibly carcinogenic to humans. The miRNAs of these parasites may be involved in carcinogenesis by modulating the biological functions of the pathogen and the host and by altering microenvironments prone to tumor growth. miRNAs were identified in different host fluids. Additionally, some miRNAs showed direct antitumoral effects. Together, these miRNAs show potential for use in future therapeutic and diagnostic applications. LncRNAs have been less studied in these parasites, and their biological effects in the parasite–host interaction are largely unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Gabriela Leija-Montoya
- Facultad de Medicina Mexicali, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Centro Cívico, Mexicali 21000, BC, Mexico; (A.G.L.-M.); (G.M.-C.); (M.E.M.-L.)
| | - Javier González-Ramírez
- Facultad de Enfermería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Av. Álvaro Obregón y Calle “G” S/N, Col. Nueva, Mexicali 21100, BC, Mexico;
| | - Gustavo Martínez-Coronilla
- Facultad de Medicina Mexicali, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Centro Cívico, Mexicali 21000, BC, Mexico; (A.G.L.-M.); (G.M.-C.); (M.E.M.-L.)
| | - María Esther Mejía-León
- Facultad de Medicina Mexicali, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Centro Cívico, Mexicali 21000, BC, Mexico; (A.G.L.-M.); (G.M.-C.); (M.E.M.-L.)
| | - Mario Isiordia-Espinoza
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Médicas, Departamento de Clínicas, División de Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Los Altos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Rafael Casillas Aceves 1200, Tepatitlán de Morelos 47600, JAL, Mexico;
| | - Fausto Sánchez-Muñoz
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, Juan Badiano No. 1, Col. Sección XVI, Tlapan 140080, DF, Mexico;
| | - Elda Georgina Chávez-Cortez
- Centro de Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Zotoluca s/n, Fracc. Calafia, Mexicali 21040, BC, Mexico; (E.G.C.-C.); (V.P.-R.)
| | - Viviana Pitones-Rubio
- Centro de Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Zotoluca s/n, Fracc. Calafia, Mexicali 21040, BC, Mexico; (E.G.C.-C.); (V.P.-R.)
| | - Nicolas Serafín-Higuera
- Centro de Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Zotoluca s/n, Fracc. Calafia, Mexicali 21040, BC, Mexico; (E.G.C.-C.); (V.P.-R.)
- Correspondence:
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5
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Giri BR, Fang C, Cheng G. Genome-wide identification of circular RNAs in adult Schistosoma japonicum. Int J Parasitol 2022; 52:629-636. [PMID: 35810786 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of novel, widespread, covalently closed RNAs that have played an essential role in animal gene regulation. To systematically explore circRNAs in the blood fluke Schistosoma japonicum, we performed RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, and found that hundreds of circRNAs showed gender-associated expression. Among these identified circRNAs, more than 77.54% and 74.73% were putatively derived from the exon region of the genome and some circRNAs showed gender-associated expressions. The functional prediction of circRNAs (circ_003826 and circ_004690) showed potential binding sites and possibly acted as the sponge to regulate microRNAs (miRNAs) sja-miR-1, sja-miR-133 and sja-miR-3504. Altogether, these findings demonstrated that S. japonicum also contains circRNAs, which may have potential regulatory roles during schistosome development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikash R Giri
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai 200072, PR China
| | - Chuantao Fang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai 200072, PR China
| | - Guofeng Cheng
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai 200072, PR China.
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6
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Silveira GO, Coelho HS, Amaral MS, Verjovski-Almeida S. Long non-coding RNAs as possible therapeutic targets in protozoa, and in Schistosoma and other helminths. Parasitol Res 2021; 121:1091-1115. [PMID: 34859292 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07384-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) emerged in the past 20 years due to massive amounts of scientific data regarding transcriptomic analyses. They have been implicated in a plethora of cellular processes in higher eukaryotes. However, little is known about lncRNA possible involvement in parasitic diseases, with most studies only detecting their presence in parasites of human medical importance. Here, we review the progress on lncRNA studies and their functions in protozoans and helminths. In addition, we show an example of knockdown of one lncRNA in Schistosoma mansoni, SmLINC156349, which led to in vitro parasite adhesion, motility, and pairing impairment, with a 20% decrease in parasite viability and 33% reduction in female oviposition. Other observed phenotypes were a decrease in the proliferation rate of both male and female worms and their gonads, and reduced female lipid and vitelline droplets that are markers for well-developed vitellaria. Impairment of female worms' vitellaria in SmLINC156349-silenced worms led to egg development deficiency. All those results demonstrate the great potential of the tools and methods to characterize lncRNAs as potential new therapeutic targets. Further, we discuss the challenges and limitations of current methods for studying lncRNAs in parasites and possible solutions to overcome them, and we highlight the future directions of this exciting field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert O Silveira
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Helena S Coelho
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Murilo S Amaral
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil.
| | - Sergio Verjovski-Almeida
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil. .,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil.
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7
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Olajide JS, Olopade B, Cai J. Functional Intricacy and Symmetry of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Parasitic Infections. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:751523. [PMID: 34692567 PMCID: PMC8531492 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.751523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RNAs are a class of molecules and the majority in eukaryotes are arbitrarily termed non- coding transcripts which are broadly classified as short and long non-coding RNAs. Recently, knowledge of the identification and functions of long non-coding RNAs have continued to accumulate and they are being recognized as important molecules that regulate parasite-host interface, parasite differentiation, host responses, and disease progression. Herein, we present and integrate the functions of host and parasite long non-coding RNAs during infections within the context of epigenetic re-programming and molecular crosstalk in the course of host-parasite interactions. Also, the modular range of parasite and host long non-coding RNAs in coordinated parasite developmental changes and host immune dynamic landscapes are discussed. We equally canvass the prospects of long non-coding RNAs in disease diagnosis and prognosis. Hindsight and suggestions are offered with the aim that it will bolster our understanding for future works on host and parasite long non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Seun Olajide
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Veterinary Research Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,Centre for Distance Learning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
| | - Bolatito Olopade
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Jianping Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Veterinary Research Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, China
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8
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In Silico Analysis of Common Long Noncoding RNAs in Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium. J Trop Med 2021; 2021:6617118. [PMID: 33628277 PMCID: PMC7899772 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6617118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma parasites is one of the most common parasitic infections worldwide. Genetic regulation of the genus Schistosoma, which has different developmental stages throughout its life, is quite complex. In these parasites, thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) estimated to be functional were identified. Identifying the transcripts expressed in common and detecting their functions for better understanding of the role of these lncRNAs require a comparative study. Methods Assembled RNA-seq datasets belonging to S. mansoni and S. haematobium were obtained from the National Center for Biotechnology. A basic local alignment search tool (BLASTN) analysis was conducted against previously constructed lncRNA library to identify the common lncRNAs between two species. LncRNAs target genes and their gene ontology annotation was performed. Results In S. mansoni and S. haematobium, 5132 and 3589 lncRNA transcripts were detected, respectively. These two species had 694 lncRNAs in common. A significant number of lncRNAs was determined to be transcribed from sex chromosomes. The frequently expressed lncRNAs appear to be involved in metabolic and biological regulation processes. Conclusions These two species share similar lncRNAs; thus, this finding is a clue that they might have similar functions. In sexual development, they especially might play important roles. Our results will provide important clues to further studies about interactions between human hosts and parasites and the infection mechanisms of Schistosoma parasites.
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9
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Mota EA, de Oliveira VF, Barban do Patrocinio A, Rodrigues V, Guerra-Sá R. Detection of Schistosoma mansoni long non-coding RNAs in the infected C57BL/6 mouse liver. Exp Parasitol 2020; 222:108062. [PMID: 33383024 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2020.108062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) perform several types of regulatory functions and have been recently explored in the genus Schistosoma. Although sequencing and bioinformatics approaches have demonstrated the presence of hundreds of lncRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) in this genus, information regarding their abundance, characteristics, and potential functions linked to Schistosoma mansoni biology and parasite-host interaction is limited. Our objectives in the present study were to verify whether 15 previously identified S. mansoni lncRNAs are detectable in the host liver. In addition, we assess whether these lncRNAs are present in the S. mansoni infective form and the stages inside the definitive host. The detection of these 15 S. mansoni lncRNAs and a long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon Saci 4 was performed in the eggs, cercariae, and 3.5-h schistosomula. All lncRNAs were found to be expressed in these stages; some of the lncRNAs were found in the livers of the infected C57BL/6 mice. In conclusion, S. mansoni lncRNAs were detected in host livers and quantified. Furthermore, many of the lncRNAs analyzed showed differential expression in the larval stages, indicating that they play a stage-specific regulatory role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Alves Mota
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Victor Fernandes de Oliveira
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - Andressa Barban do Patrocinio
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Vanderlei Rodrigues
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Vila Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Renata Guerra-Sá
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil.
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10
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Long non-coding RNA levels can be modulated by 5-azacytidine in Schistosoma mansoni. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21565. [PMID: 33299037 PMCID: PMC7725772 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78669-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosoma mansoni is a flatworm that causes schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. There is only one drug indicated for treatment, praziquantel, which may lead to parasite resistance emergence. The ribonucleoside analogue 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC) is an epigenetic drug that inhibits S. mansoni oviposition and ovarian development through interference with parasite transcription, translation and stem cell activities. Therefore, studying the downstream pathways affected by 5-AzaC in S. mansoni may contribute to the discovery of new drug targets. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides with low or no protein coding potential that have been involved in reproduction, stem cell maintenance and drug resistance. We have recently published a catalog of lncRNAs expressed in S. mansoni life-cycle stages, tissues and single cells. However, it remains largely unknown if lncRNAs are responsive to epigenetic drugs in parasites. Here, we show by RNA-Seq re-analyses that hundreds of lncRNAs are differentially expressed after in vitro 5-AzaC treatment of S. mansoni females, including intergenic, antisense and sense lncRNAs. Many of these lncRNAs belong to co-expression network modules related to male metabolism and are also differentially expressed in unpaired compared with paired females and ovaries. Half of these lncRNAs possess histone marks at their genomic loci, indicating regulation by histone modification. Among a selected set of 8 lncRNAs, half of them were validated by RT-qPCR as differentially expressed in females, and some of them also in males. Interestingly, these lncRNAs are also expressed in other life-cycle stages. This study demonstrates that many lncRNAs potentially involved with S. mansoni reproductive biology are modulated by 5-AzaC and sheds light on the relevance of exploring lncRNAs in response to drug treatments in parasites.
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11
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Xia T, Giri BR, Liu J, Du P, Li X, Li X, Li S, Cheng G. RNA sequencing analysis of altered expression of long noncoding RNAs associated with Schistosoma japonicum infection in the murine liver and spleen. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:601. [PMID: 33261628 PMCID: PMC7705434 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04457-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is a chronic, debilitating infectious disease caused by members of the genus Schistosoma. Previous findings have suggested a relationship between infection with Schistosoma spp. and alterations in the liver and spleen of infected animals. Recent reports have shown the regulatory role of noncoding RNAs, such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), in different biological processes. However, little is known about the role of lncRNAs in the mouse liver and spleen during Schistosoma japonicum infection. METHODS In this study, we identified and investigated lncRNAs using standard RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). The biological functions of the altered expression of lncRNAs and their target genes were predicted using bioinformatics. Ten dysregulated lncRNAs were selected randomly and validated in reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) experiments. RESULTS Our study identified 29,845 and 33,788 lncRNAs from the liver and spleen, respectively, of which 212 were novel lncRNAs. We observed that 759 and 789 of the lncRNAs were differentially expressed in the respective organs. The RT-qPCR results correlated well with the sequencing data. In the liver, 657 differentially expressed lncRNAs were predicted to target 2548 protein-coding genes, whereas in the spleen 660 differentially expressed lncRNAs were predicted to target 2673 protein-coding genes. Moreover, functional annotation showed that the target genes of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with cellular processes, metabolic processes, and binding, and were significantly enriched in metabolic pathways, the cell cycle, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and pathways in cancer. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that numerous lncRNAs were differentially expressed in S. japonicum-infected liver and spleen compared to control liver and spleen; this suggested that lncRNAs may be involved in pathogenesis in the liver and spleen during S. japonicum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Xia
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Bikash Ranjan Giri
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyi Liu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Pengfei Du
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuxin Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Shun Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Guofeng Cheng
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China. .,Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Si-ping Road, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
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12
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Abstract
Helminth parasitology is an important discipline, which poses often unique technical challenges. One challenge is that helminth parasites, particularly those in humans, are often difficult to obtain alive and in sufficient quantities for study; another is the challenge of studying these organisms in vitro – no helminth parasite life cycle has been fully recapitulated outside of a host. Arguably, the key issue retarding progress in helminth parasitology has been a lack of experimental tools and resources, certainly relative to the riches that have driven many parasitologists to adopt free-living model organisms as surrogate systems. In response to these needs, the past 10–12 years have seen the beginnings of helminth parasitology's journey into the ‘omics’ era, with the release of abundant sequencing resources, and the functional genomics tools with which to test biological hypotheses. To reflect this progress, the 2019 Autumn Symposium of the British Society for Parasitology was held in Queen's University Belfast on the topic of ‘post-genomic progress in helminth parasitology’. This issue presents examples of the current state of play in the field, while this editorial summarizes how genomic datasets and functional genomic tools have stimulated impressive recent progress in our understanding of parasite biology.
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13
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Maciel LF, Morales-Vicente DA, Verjovski-Almeida S. Dynamic Expression of Long Non-Coding RNAs Throughout Parasite Sexual and Neural Maturation in Schistosoma japonicum. Noncoding RNA 2020; 6:E15. [PMID: 32244675 PMCID: PMC7344908 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna6020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosoma japonicum is a flatworm that causes schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease. S. japonicum RNA-Seq analyses has been previously reported in the literature on females and males obtained during sexual maturation from 14 to 28 days post-infection in mouse, resulting in the identification of protein-coding genes and pathways, whose expression levels were related to sexual development. However, this work did not include an analysis of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Here, we applied a pipeline to identify and annotate lncRNAs in 66 S. japonicum RNA-Seq publicly available libraries, from different life-cycle stages. We also performed co-expression analyses to find stage-specific lncRNAs possibly related to sexual maturation. We identified 12,291 S. japonicum expressed lncRNAs. Sequence similarity search and synteny conservation indicated that some 14% of S. japonicum intergenic lncRNAs have synteny conservation with S. mansoni intergenic lncRNAs. Co-expression analyses showed that lncRNAs and protein-coding genes in S. japonicum males and females have a dynamic co-expression throughout sexual maturation, showing differential expression between the sexes; the protein-coding genes were related to the nervous system development, lipid and drug metabolism, and overall parasite survival. Co-expression pattern suggests that lncRNAs possibly regulate these processes or are regulated by the same activation program as that of protein-coding genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas F. Maciel
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo SP 05503-900, Brazil (D.A.M.-V.)
- Programa Interunidades em Bioinformática, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - David A. Morales-Vicente
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo SP 05503-900, Brazil (D.A.M.-V.)
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Sergio Verjovski-Almeida
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo SP 05503-900, Brazil (D.A.M.-V.)
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo SP 05508-900, Brazil
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14
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Kim HC, Khalil AM, Jolly ER. LncRNAs in molluscan and mammalian stages of parasitic schistosomes are developmentally-regulated and coordinately expressed with protein-coding genes. RNA Biol 2020; 17:805-815. [PMID: 32131676 PMCID: PMC7549628 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2020.1729594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the low level expression of some long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), the differential expression of specific lncRNAs plays important roles during the development of many organisms. Schistosomes, parasitic flatworms that are responsible for schistosomiasis, infects over 200 million people resulting in chronic disease and hundreds of thousands of deaths. Schistosomes have a complex life cycle that transitions between molluscan and mammalian hosts. In a molluscan snail host, the sporocyst stage develops over 5 weeks undergoing asexual reproduction to give rise to free-swimming and infectious cercariae that penetrate human skin and eventually mature into egg producing worms in mammals. The tight integration of the sporocyst to the snail host hepatopancreas hinders the -omics study in the molluscan stage, so the sporocyst transcriptome has only been examined for lncRNAs in immature in vitro samples. Here we analyzed the in vivo mature sporocyst transcriptome to identify 4,930 total lncRNAs between the molluscan and mammalian stages of the parasite. We further demonstrate that the lncRNAs are differentially expressed in a development-dependent manner. In addition, we constructed a co-expression correlation network between lncRNAs and protein-coding (PC) genes that was used to identify clusters of lncRNA transcripts with potential functional relevance. We also describe lncRNA-lncRNA and lncRNA-kinome correlations that identify lncRNAs with prospective roles in gene regulation. Finally, our results show clear differential expression patterns of lncRNAs in host-dependent development stages of S. mansoni and ascribe potential functional roles in development based on predicted intracellular interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyung Chul Kim
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ahmad M Khalil
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, OH, USA.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Emmitt R Jolly
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, OH, USA.,Center for Global Health and Disease, Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland, OH, USA
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15
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Step-by-Step Bioinformatics Analysis of Schistosoma mansoni Long Non-coding RNA Sequences. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2151:109-133. [PMID: 32452000 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0635-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the last few years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been widely studied in humans, and their relevance for physiological and pathological conditions has been demonstrated. In parasites, there are only a few works, such as in Plasmodium falciparum, where it was shown that an lncRNA regulates the expression of a gene associated with immune system evasion, also indicating the relevance of understanding the role of this class of RNAs in parasites. In Schistosoma mansoni, in the last 2 years, there were four published articles related to the annotation of lncRNAs in different life cycle stages using RNA-Seq libraries. In order to make this process of lncRNA identification and annotation more accessible to biologists with no bioinformatics training, considering the growing number of S. mansoni RNA-Seq libraries publicly available from different sources, such as ovary tissues from bi-sex and single-sex infections, and the potential of lncRNAs as therapeutic targets, we provide this step-by-step protocol of lncRNA identification and quantification. This guide includes the download of RNA-Seq libraries from a public database and reads processing and mapping against the genome, transcript reconstruction, novel lncRNA identification, transcripts expression level determination, and the identification of differentially expressed lncRNAs.
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16
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Maciel LF, Morales-Vicente DA, Silveira GO, Ribeiro RO, Olberg GGO, Pires DS, Amaral MS, Verjovski-Almeida S. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Analyses Point to Long Non-Coding RNA Hub Genes at Different Schistosoma mansoni Life-Cycle Stages. Front Genet 2019; 10:823. [PMID: 31572441 PMCID: PMC6752179 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) (>200 nt) are expressed at levels lower than those of the protein-coding mRNAs, and in all eukaryotic model species where they have been characterized, they are transcribed from thousands of different genomic loci. In humans, some four dozen lncRNAs have been studied in detail, and they have been shown to play important roles in transcriptional regulation, acting in conjunction with transcription factors and epigenetic marks to modulate the tissue-type specific programs of transcriptional gene activation and repression. In Schistosoma mansoni, around 10,000 lncRNAs have been identified in previous works. However, the limited number of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) libraries that had been previously assessed, together with the use of old and incomplete versions of the S. mansoni genome and protein-coding transcriptome annotations, have hampered the identification of all lncRNAs expressed in the parasite. Here we have used 633 publicly available S. mansoni RNA-seq libraries from whole worms at different stages (n = 121), from isolated tissues (n = 24), from cell-populations (n = 81), and from single-cells (n = 407). We have assembled a set of 16,583 lncRNA transcripts originated from 10,024 genes, of which 11,022 are novel S. mansoni lncRNA transcripts, whereas the remaining 5,561 transcripts comprise 120 lncRNAs that are identical to and 5,441 lncRNAs that have gene overlap with S. mansoni lncRNAs already reported in previous works. Most importantly, our more stringent assembly and filtering pipeline has identified and removed a set of 4,293 lncRNA transcripts from previous publications that were in fact derived from partially processed mRNAs with intron retention. We have used weighted gene co-expression network analyses and identified 15 different gene co-expression modules. Each parasite life-cycle stage has at least one highly correlated gene co-expression module, and each module is comprised of hundreds to thousands lncRNAs and mRNAs having correlated co-expression patterns at different stages. Inspection of the top most highly connected genes within the modules’ networks has shown that different lncRNAs are hub genes at different life-cycle stages, being among the most promising candidate lncRNAs to be further explored for functional characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas F Maciel
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Programa Interunidades em Bioinformática, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - David A Morales-Vicente
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gilbert O Silveira
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Raphael O Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovanna G O Olberg
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - David S Pires
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Murilo S Amaral
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sergio Verjovski-Almeida
- Laboratório de Expressão Gênica em Eucariotos, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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17
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Huang J, Zheng Q, Wang S, Wei X, Li F, Ma Y. High-Throughput RNA Sequencing Reveals NDUFC2-AS lncRNA Promotes Adipogenic Differentiation in Chinese Buffalo ( Bubalus bubalis L). Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10090689. [PMID: 31500202 PMCID: PMC6770997 DOI: 10.3390/genes10090689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis L.) is prevalent in China and the increasing demand for meat production has changed its role from being a beast of burden to a meat source. The low fat deposition level has become one of the main barriers for its use in meat production. It is urgent to reveal factors involved in fat deposition in buffalo. This study performed RNA sequencing to investigate both long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs of adipose tissues in young and adult buffalos. A total of 124 lncRNAs and 2008 mRNAs showed differential expression patterns between young and adult samples. Coexpression analysis and functional enrichment revealed 585 mRNA–lncRNA pairs with potential function in fat deposition. After validation by qRT-PCR, we focused on a lncRNA transcribed from the ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit C2 (NDUFC2) antisense (AS) strand which showed high correlation with thyroid hormone responsive protein (THRSP). NDUFC2-AS lncRNA is highly expressed in adipose tissue and maturation adipocytes and mainly exists in the nucleus. Functional assays demonstrated that NDUFC2-AS lncRNA promotes adipogenic differentiation by upregulating the expression levels of THRSP and CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) in buffalo. These results indicate that NDUFC2-AS lncRNA promotes fat deposition in buffalo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieping Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan 464000, China.
| | - Qiuzhi Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan 464000, China.
| | - Shuzhe Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan 464000, China.
| | - Xuefeng Wei
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan 464000, China.
| | - Fen Li
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan 464000, China.
| | - Yun Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, Henan 464000, China.
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
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18
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Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Regulation of Gene Expression: Physiology and Disease. Noncoding RNA 2019; 5:ncrna5010017. [PMID: 30781588 PMCID: PMC6468922 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna5010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 368] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of RNAs that are not translated into proteins was an important breakthrough, defining the diversity of molecules involved in eukaryotic regulation of gene expression. These non-coding RNAs can be divided into two main classes according to their length: short non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The lncRNAs in association with other molecules can coordinate several physiological processes and their dysfunction may impact in several pathologies, including cancer and infectious diseases. They can control the flux of genetic information, such as chromosome structure modulation, transcription, splicing, messenger RNA (mRNA) stability, mRNA availability, and post-translational modifications. Long non-coding RNAs present interaction domains for DNA, mRNAs, miRNAs, and proteins, depending on both sequence and secondary structure. The advent of new generation sequencing has provided evidences of putative lncRNAs existence; however, the analysis of transcriptomes for their functional characterization remains a challenge. Here, we review some important aspects of lncRNA biology, focusing on their role as regulatory elements in gene expression modulation during physiological and disease processes, with implications in host and pathogens physiology, and their role in immune response modulation.
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