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Ullah H, Tian Y, Arbab S, Li K, Khan MIU, Rahman SU, Qadeer A, Muhammad N, Suleman, Hassan IU. Circulatory microRNAs in helminthiases: Potent as diagnostics biomarker, its potential role and limitations. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1018872. [PMID: 36387413 PMCID: PMC9650547 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1018872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by helminths are responsible for severe public health problems and economic burden on continental scale. Well-timed and precise diagnosis of helminth infections is critical for taking by appropriate approaches for pathogen control. Circulating miRNAs are stable diagnostic tool for different diseases found in a variety of body fluid. As diagnostic biomarkers in infectious diseases, miRNAs detection in body fluids of helminth infected hosts is growing promptly. Uncovering miRNAs is a relatively new tool, used for early-stage detection of helminth infection from experimental or non-invasive clinical samples. miRNAs can be detected in body fluids such as serum, saliva, urine, and tissues of helminth infected host, mainly blood offering important benefits for diagnosis accurately. In this review, we discuss different characteristics of helminth parasite-derived circulating and EV miRNAs, supporting its potential uses in for helminth diagnosis and treatment efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanif Ullah
- West China School of Nursing/West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yali Tian
- West China School of Nursing/West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Safia Arbab
- Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ka Li
- West China School of Nursing/West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Muhammad Inayat Ullah Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Sajid Ur Rahman
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Abdul Qadeer
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Nehaz Muhammad
- Department of Zoology, University of Swabi, Swabi, Pakistan
| | - Suleman
- Department of Zoology, University of Swabi, Swabi, Pakistan
| | - Inam Ul Hassan
- Department of Microbiology, Hazara University Manshera, Manshera, Pakistan
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2
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Alizadeh Z, Mahami-Oskouei M, Spotin A, Ahmadpour E, Cai P, Sandoghchian Shotorbani S, Pashazadeh F, Ansari F, Mohammadi H. MicroRNAs in helminth parasites: a systematic review. Curr Mol Med 2021; 22:779-808. [PMID: 34749620 DOI: 10.2174/1566524021666211108114009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are about 22-nucleotide, small, non-coding RNAs that control gene expression post-transcriptionally. Helminth parasites usually express a unique repertoire of genes, including miRNAs, across different developmental stages with subtle regulatory mechanisms. OBJECTIVE There is a necessity to investigate the involvement of miRNAs in the development of parasites, host-parasite interaction, immune evasion and their abilities to govern infection in hosts. miRNAs present in helminth parasites have been summarized in the current systematic review (SR). METHODS Electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Embase, and Google Scholar search engine, were searched to identify helminth miRNA studies published from February 1993 till December 2019. Only the published articles in English were included in the study. RESULTS A total of 1769 articles were preliminarily recorded. Following the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, 105 studies were included in this SR. Most of these studies focused on the identification of miRNAs in helminth parasites and/or probing of differentially expressed host miRNA profiles in specific relevant tissues, while 12 studies aimed to detect parasite-derived miRNAs in host circulating system and 15 studies characterized extracellular vesicles (EV)-derived miRNAs secreted by parasites. CONCLUSION In the current SR, information regarding all miRNAs expressed in helminth parasites has been comprehensively provided and the utility of helminth parasites-derived miRNAs in diagnosis and control of parasitic infections has been discussed. Furthermore, functional studies on helminth-derived miRNAs have also been presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Alizadeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | | | - Adel Spotin
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Ehsan Ahmadpour
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Pengfei Cai
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane. Australia
| | | | - Fariba Pashazadeh
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Fereshteh Ansari
- Research Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Health Management and Safety Promotion Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran
| | - Hamed Mohammadi
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Science, Karaj. Iran
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Mu Y, McManus DP, Gordon CA, Cai P. Parasitic Helminth-Derived microRNAs and Extracellular Vesicle Cargos as Biomarkers for Helminthic Infections. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:708952. [PMID: 34249784 PMCID: PMC8267863 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.708952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
As an adaption to their complex lifecycles, helminth parasites garner a unique repertoire of genes at different developmental stages with subtle regulatory mechanisms. These parasitic worms release differential components such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) as mediators which participate in the host-parasite interaction, immune regulation/evasion, and in governing processes associated with host infection. MiRNAs are small (~ 22-nucleotides) non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, and can exist in stable form in bodily fluids such as serum/plasma, urine, saliva and bile. In addition to reports focusing on the identification of miRNAs or in the probing of differentially expressed miRNA profiles in different development stages/sexes or in specific tissues, a number of studies have focused on the detection of helminth-derived miRNAs in the mammalian host circulatory system as diagnostic biomarkers. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), small membrane-surrounded structures secreted by a wide variety of cell types, contain rich cargos that are important in cell-cell communication. EVs have attracted wide attention due to their unique functional relevance in host-parasite interactions and for their potential value in translational applications such as biomarker discovery. In the current review, we discuss the status and potential of helminth parasite-derived circulating miRNAs and EV cargos as novel diagnostic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Mu
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Donald P McManus
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Catherine A Gordon
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pengfei Cai
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Infectious Diseases Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Raissi V, Mohebali M, Kia EB, Rahimi Foroushani A, Sohrabi N, Rokni MB, Zibaei M. Expression of Mir-21 and Mir-103a in Toxocara canis: Potential for Diagnosis of Human Toxocariasis. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY 2020; 15:559-567. [PMID: 33884013 PMCID: PMC8039491 DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v15i4.4865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Background: Toxocariasis is one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases, predominantly caused by Toxocara canis. We aimed to evaluate the expression of microRNAs 21 and 103a in seropositive individuals for human toxocariasis as diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: This study was conducted on 324 individuals for ELISA test on toxocariasis in Tehran and Karaj, Iran 2019. Then positive samples for anti-Toxocara IgG were obtained to quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays to investigate the transcriptional profiles of miRNAs predicted to be involved in developmental and reproductive processes. qPCR was employed to assess levels of transcription for miRNAs of 103a and 21 in plasma samples. Results: After the experiments, the results were evaluated by REST software, Livak formula and quantitative t-test. The analyzes performed on human samples showed that in the case group compared to the control group, only in Tc-miR-21 gene, a 0.3-fold increase in expression was obtained with REST software (Fold change ≤ 1.5, P>0.05), which was statistically significant by t-test (P<0.05). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate miR-21 and miR-103a in toxocariasis, which shed light on the fundamental role of it as a biomarker and diagnostic tool. However, due to the changes in expression of these miRNAs were not vast to be used as biomarkers in diagnosis. Despite of that the changes in the expression of these miRNAs were not vast but they could serve as novel promising biomarkers for diagnosis of toxocariasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Raissi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Eshrat Bigom Kia
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Rahimi Foroushani
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasrin Sohrabi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Bagher Rokni
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Zibaei
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.,Evidence-Based Phytotherapy and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
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Abstract
Small RNAs are important regulators of gene expression. They were first identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, but it is now apparent that the main small RNA silencing pathways are functionally conserved across diverse organisms. Availability of genome data for an increasing number of parasitic nematodes has enabled bioinformatic identification of small RNA sequences. Expression of these in different lifecycle stages is revealed by small RNA sequencing and microarray analysis. In this review we describe what is known of the three main small RNA classes in parasitic nematodes – microRNAs (miRNAs), Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) – and their proposed functions. miRNAs regulate development in C. elegans and the temporal expression of parasitic nematode miRNAs suggest modulation of target gene levels as parasites develop within the host. miRNAs are also present in extracellular vesicles released by nematodes in vitro, and in plasma from infected hosts, suggesting potential regulation of host gene expression. Roles of piRNAs and siRNAs in suppressing target genes, including transposable elements, are also reviewed. Recent successes in RNAi-mediated gene silencing, and application of small RNA inhibitors and mimics will continue to advance understanding of small RNA functions within the parasite and at the host–parasite interface.
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Quintana JF, Kumar S, Ivens A, Chow FWN, Hoy AM, Fulton A, Dickinson P, Martin C, Taylor M, Babayan SA, Buck AH. Comparative analysis of small RNAs released by the filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis in vitro and in vivo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007811. [PMID: 31770367 PMCID: PMC6903752 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The release of small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) has been reported in parasitic nematodes, trematodes and cestodes of medical and veterinary importance. However, little is known regarding the diversity and composition of sRNAs released by different lifecycle stages and the portion of sRNAs that persist in host tissues during filarial infection. This information is relevant to understanding potential roles of sRNAs in parasite-to-host communication, as well as to inform on the location within the host and time point at which they can be detected. Methodology and principal findings We have used small RNA (sRNA) sequencing analysis to identify sRNAs in replicate samples of the excretory-secretory (ES) products of developmental stages of the filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis in vitro and compare this to the parasite-derived sRNA detected in host tissues. We show that all L. sigmodontis developmental stages release RNAs in vitro, including ribosomal RNA fragments, 5’-derived tRNA fragments (5’-tRFs) and, to a lesser extent, microRNAs (miRNAs). The gravid adult females (gAF) produce the largest diversity and abundance of miRNAs in the ES compared to the adult males or microfilariae. Analysis of sRNAs detected in serum and macrophages from infected animals reveals that parasite miRNAs are preferentially detected in vivo, compared to their low levels in the ES products, and identifies miR-92-3p and miR-71-5p as L. sigmodontis miRNAs that are stably detected in host cells in vivo. Conclusions Our results suggest that gravid adult female worms secrete the largest diversity of extracellular sRNAs compared to adult males or microfilariae. We further show differences in the parasite sRNA biotype distribution detected in vitro versus in vivo. We identify macrophages as one reservoir for parasite sRNA during infection, and confirm the presence of parasite miRNAs and tRNAs in host serum during patent infection. Lymphatic and visceral filariasis, as well as loiasis and onchocerciasis, are parasitic infections caused by filarial nematodes that can cause extensive and diverse clinical manifestations, including edemas of the lower limbs and visual impairment. These parasites successfully maintain a crosstalk with the immune system of their host and one potential mediator of this communication is extracellular small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) released by the parasite. However, little is known of the mechanisms of sRNA export, how the exported sRNAs differ between lifecycle stages, and how the parasite microenvironment (e.g. in vitro vs. in vivo) contributes to the composition of sRNAs that can be detected. In this report, we show that all the developmental stages of the filarial parasite Litomosoides sigmodontis release sRNAs, which include tRNA fragments and miRNAs, in vitro. A subset of the miRNAs are differentially represented in the ES products between adult stages (males and gravid females) and larval stages (microfilariae) in vitro, however all of the miRNAs detected in serum or macrophages in vivo are present in the ES from all life stages. We show that the parasite-derived miRNAs are protected from degradation in vitro and are stable in vivo, as they are readily detectable in the serum of infected jirds. Several parasite miRNAs are also detected within macrophages purified from infected hosts, consistent with parasite RNAs having a yet unidentified functional role in host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F. Quintana
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sujai Kumar
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alasdair Ivens
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Franklin W. N. Chow
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anna M. Hoy
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Fulton
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Dickinson
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Coralie Martin
- Unite Molecules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245), Sorbonne Universites, Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, CP52, Paris, France
| | - Matthew Taylor
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Simon A. Babayan
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Amy H. Buck
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Chamnanchanunt S, Svasti S, Fucharoen S, Umemura T. Neglected Tropical Diseases: The Potential Application of microRNAs for Monitoring NTDs in the Real World. Microrna 2019; 9:41-48. [PMID: 31218967 DOI: 10.2174/2211536608666190620104308] [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: 12/25/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a common health problem and require an efficient campaign to be eradicated from tropical countries. Almost a million people die of NTDs every year in the world, and almost forty percent of the patients are under 20 years. Mass Drug Administration (MDA) is an effective tool for eradication of this health condition. However, a monitoring system is required to evaluate treatment-response and early detection of the re-emerging NTD. The relevance of current tests depends on good quality of the specimen. Thus, new molecular methods with high sensitivity and specificity are required. In this review, we focus on microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers of NTDs through a narrative review on human research. We searched for reliable search engines using a systematical literature review algorithm and included studies that fit the criterion. Five NTDs (lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, and trachoma) were set as our target diseases. Later on, the data were extracted and classified as monitoring response and early detection. Four miRNAs were studied in filariasis as a monitoring response. There were 12 miRNAs related to onchocerciasis infection, and 6 miRNAs with schistosomiasis infection. Six miRNAs showed a link to soil-transmitted helminths. Only 3 miRNAs correlated with trachoma infection. In conclusion, circulating miR is a less invasive and promising approach to evaluate NTDs. Further field study may translate those candidate miRs to clinical application of the prevention and control of NTDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supat Chamnanchanunt
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Saovaros Svasti
- Thalassemia Research Center, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Suthat Fucharoen
- Thalassemia Research Center, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Tsukuru Umemura
- Department of Medical Technology and Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, Ohkawa, Japan.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kouhoukai Takagi Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
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8
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Small RNAome sequencing delineates the small RNA landscape of pluripotent adult stem cells in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. GENOMICS DATA 2017; 14:114-125. [PMID: 29124009 PMCID: PMC5671611 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Small noncoding RNAs play a pivotal role in the regulation of gene expression, and are key regulators of animal development. Freshwater planarian exhibits an extraordinary ability to regenerate any missing body parts, representing an emerging model for studying mechanism underlying stem cell regulation and tissue regeneration. Here, we utilized next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify small RNAs that are expressed in planarian adult stem cells, and are implicated in tissue regeneration. We profiled microRNAs (miRNAs), piwi-interacting RNA (piRNAs), small rDNA-derived RNAs (srRNAs) and endogenous interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs) population from size 18–30 nt, measured the expression of 244 conserved miRNAs, and identified 41 novel miRNAs and 64 novel endo-siRNAs. Expression profiling analyses revealed that most piRNAs and srRNAs are up-regulated during regeneration, and that the most abundantly expressed srRNAs are from 5.8s and 28s rRNA. Furthermore, a target prediction method was adopted to investigate the anti-correlation of small RNAs and mRNA expression. We built up a gene regulatory network based on the genes that are targeted by dynamically changed small RNAs. These results expand the known small RNA repertoire in planarian, and provide valuable insights and a rich resource for understanding the small RNAs landscape in stem cell-mediated regeneration.
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9
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Bennuru S, O'Connell EM, Drame PM, Nutman TB. Mining Filarial Genomes for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targets. Trends Parasitol 2017; 34:80-90. [PMID: 29031509 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Filarial infections of humans cause some of the most important neglected tropical diseases. The global efforts for eliminating filarial infections by mass drug administration programs may require additional tools (safe macrofilaricidal drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic biomarkers). The accurate and sensitive detection of viable parasites is essential for diagnosis and for surveillance programs. Current community-wide treatment modalities do not kill the adult filarial worms effectively; hence, there is a need to identify and develop safe macrofilaricidal drugs. High-throughput sequencing, mass spectroscopy methods and advances in computational biology have greatly accelerated the discovery process. Here, we describe post-genomic developments toward the identification of diagnostic biomarkers and drug targets for the filarial infection of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasisekhar Bennuru
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Elise M O'Connell
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Papa M Drame
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas B Nutman
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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10
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Quintana JF, Babayan SA, Buck AH. Small RNAs and extracellular vesicles in filarial nematodes: From nematode development to diagnostics. Parasite Immunol 2017; 39. [PMID: 27748953 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to communicate with their hosts in order to survive and successfully establish an infection. The transfer of RNA within extracellular vesicles (EVs) has recently been described as a mechanism that could contribute to this communication in filarial nematodes. It has been shown that these EVs are loaded with several types of RNAs, including microRNAs, leading to the hypothesis that parasites could actively use these molecules to manipulate host gene expression and to the exciting prospect that these pathways could result in new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Here, we review the literature on the diverse RNAi pathways that operate in nematodes and more specifically our current knowledge of extracellular RNA (exRNA) and EVs derived from filarial nematodes in vitro and within their hosts. We further detail some of the issues and questions related to the capacity of RNA-mediated communication to function in parasite-host interactions and the ability of exRNA to enable us to distinguish and detect different nematode parasites in their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Quintana
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - S A Babayan
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - A H Buck
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research and Centre for Immunity, Infection & Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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11
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Lagatie O, Batsa Debrah L, Debrah A, Stuyver LJ. Plasma-derived parasitic microRNAs have insufficient concentrations to be used as diagnostic biomarker for detection of Onchocerca volvulus infection or treatment monitoring using LNA-based RT-qPCR. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:1013-1022. [PMID: 28111713 PMCID: PMC5313568 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5382-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
River blindness, caused by infection with the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus, is a neglected tropical disease affecting millions of people. There is a clear need for diagnostic tools capable of identifying infected patients, but that can also be used for monitoring disease progression and treatment efficacy. Plasma-derived parasitic microRNAs have been suggested as potential candidates for such diagnostic tools. We have investigated whether these parasitic microRNAs are present in sufficient quantity in plasma of Onchocerca-infected patients to be used as a diagnostic biomarker for detection of O. volvulus infection or treatment monitoring. Plasma samples were collected from different sources (23 nodule-positive individuals and 20 microfilaridermic individuals), microRNAs (miRNAs) were extracted using Qiagen miRNeasy kit, and a set of 17 parasitic miRNAs was evaluated on these miRNA extracts using miRCURY Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) Universal RT microRNA PCR system. Of the 17 miRNAs evaluated, only 7 miRNAs were found to show detectable signal in a number of samples: bma-miR-236-1, bma-miR-71, ov-miR71-22nt, ov-miR-71-23nt, ov-miR-100d, ov-bantam-a, and ov-miR-87-3p. Subsequent melting curve analysis, however, indicated that the signals observed for ov-miR-71 variants and ov-miR-87-3p are non-specific. The other miRNAs only showed positive signal in one or few samples with Cq values just below the cutoff. Our data indicate that parasitic miRNAs are not present in circulation at a sufficiently high level to be used as biomarker for O. volvulus infection or treatment monitoring using LNA-based RT-qPCR analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Lagatie
- Janssen Diagnostics, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.
| | - Linda Batsa Debrah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Alex Debrah
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lieven J Stuyver
- Janssen Diagnostics, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
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12
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Lagatie O, Njumbe Ediage E, Batsa Debrah L, Diels L, Nolten C, Vinken P, Debrah A, Dillen L, Silber S, Stuyver LJ. Evaluation of the diagnostic potential of urinary N-Acetyltyramine-O,β-glucuronide (NATOG) as diagnostic biomarker for Onchocerca volvulus infection. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:302. [PMID: 27216752 PMCID: PMC4877973 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1582-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness is one of the neglected tropical diseases affecting millions of people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and is caused by the filarial nematode Onchocerca volvulus. Efforts to eliminate this disease are ongoing and are based on mass drug administration programs with the microfilaricide ivermectin. In order to monitor the efficacy of these programs, there is an unmet need for diagnostic tools capable of identifying infected patients. We have investigated the diagnostic potential of urinary N-acetyltyramine-O,β-glucuronide (NATOG), which is a promising O. volvulus specific biomarker previously identified by urine metabolome analysis. Methods A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was used to assess the stability characteristics of NATOG and to evaluate the levels of NATOG in study samples. An LC-fluorescence method was also developed. Results Stability characteristics of NATOG were investigated and shown to be ideally suited for use in tropical settings. Also, an easy and more accessible method based on liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection was developed and shown to have the necessary sensitivity (limit of quantification 1 μM). Furthermore, we have evaluated the levels of NATOG in a population of 98 nodule-positive individuals from Ghana with no or low levels of microfilaria in the skin and compared them with the levels observed in different control groups (endemic controls (n = 50), non-endemic controls (n = 18) and lymphatic filariasis (n = 51). Only a few (5 %) of nodule-positive individuals showed an increased level (> 10 μM) of NATOG and there was no statistical difference between the nodule-positive individuals and the control groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions Results of the present study indicate the limited potential of NATOG as a diagnostic biomarker for O. volvulus infection in amicrofilaridermic individuals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1582-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Lagatie
- Janssen Diagnostics, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.
| | | | - Linda Batsa Debrah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Luc Diels
- Bioanalysis, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Christ Nolten
- Neuroscience, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Petra Vinken
- Toxicology, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Alex Debrah
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lieve Dillen
- Bioanalysis, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Steven Silber
- Janssen Global Public Health, Janssen R&D, 12 W Sunset Ave, Philadelphia, PA, 19118, USA
| | - Lieven J Stuyver
- Janssen Diagnostics, Janssen R&D, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
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Identification and characterization of microRNAs in the plant parasitic root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita using deep sequencing. Funct Integr Genomics 2016; 16:127-42. [PMID: 26743520 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-015-0472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Revised: 11/21/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita is among the most damaging plant-parasitic pests of several crops including cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and tomato (Lycopersicon escultentum). Recently, a genome has become available for M. incognita, which greatly facilitates investigation of the interactions between M. incognita and its plant hosts at the molecular level and enables formation of hypotheses concerning development at the cellular level. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNA molecules that serve as endogenous gene regulators. They regulate many biological processes including reproduction, the sequencing of morphological development, and potentially of parasitism as well. Certain miRNAs regulate fundamental metabolism pathways and stress responses in M. incognita. Since a list of miRNAs has not been generated for M. incognita, we employed a bioinformatics tool called mirDeepFinder to identify miRNAs from the small RNA database of M. incognita (GSM611102) that was generated from deep sequencing. A total of 254 conserved miRNAs belonging to 161 miRNA families were identified, as were 35 novel miRNAs belonging to 31 families. The 16 most commonly found miRNAs in order of abundance were min-miR-100a, min-miR-124, min-miR-71a, min-miR-1, min-miR-228, min-miR-92, min-miR-72, min-miR-49b, min-miR-58, min-miR-252, min-miR-lin-4, min-miR-87, min-miR-2a, min-miR-34a, min-miR-50a, and min-miR-279a. The length of the pre-miRNAs varied greatly from 50 to 197 nt, with an average of 88 ± 39 nt. The average minimal folding free energy (MFE) and MFE index (MFEI) of the identified miRNAs were -30.3 Kcal/mol and 0.92, respectively, indicating that these miRNAs can readily fold into a typical hairpin secondary structure.
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Cai P, Gobert GN, McManus DP. MicroRNAs in Parasitic Helminthiases: Current Status and Future Perspectives. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:71-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Wang Y, Mao Z, Yan J, Cheng X, Liu F, Xiao L, Dai L, Luo F, Xie B. Identification of MicroRNAs in Meloidogyne incognita Using Deep Sequencing. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133491. [PMID: 26241472 PMCID: PMC4524723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs play important regulatory roles in eukaryotic lineages. In this paper, we employed deep sequencing technology to sequence and identify microRNAs in M. incognita genome, which is one of the important plant parasitic nematodes. We identified 102 M. incognita microRNA genes, which can be grouped into 71 nonredundant miRNAs based on mature sequences. Among the 71 miRANs, 27 are known miRNAs and 44 are novel miRNAs. We identified seven miRNA clusters in M. incognita genome. Four of the seven clusters, miR-100/let-7, miR-71-1/miR-2a-1, miR-71-2/miR-2a-2 and miR-279/miR-2b are conserved in other species. We validated the expressions of 5 M. incognita microRNAs, including 3 known microRNAs (miR-71, miR-100b and let-7) and 2 novel microRNAs (NOVEL-1 and NOVEL-2), using RT-PCR. We can detect all 5 microRNAs. The expression levels of four microRNAs obtained using RT-PCR were consistent with those obtained by high-throughput sequencing except for those of let-7. We also examined how M. incognita miRNAs are conserved in four other nematodes species: C. elegans, A. suum, B. malayi and P. pacificus. We found that four microRNAs, miR-100, miR-92, miR-279 and miR-137, exist only in genomes of parasitic nematodes, but do not exist in the genomes of the free living nematode C. elegans. Our research created a unique resource for the research of plant parasitic nematodes. The candidate microRNAs could help elucidate the genomic structure, gene regulation, evolutionary processes, and developmental features of plant parasitic nematodes and nematode-plant interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunsheng Wang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, PR China
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, CAAS, Beijing, PR China
- * E-mail: (YW); (BX)
| | - Zhenchuan Mao
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, CAAS, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jin Yan
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, PR China
| | - Xinyue Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Feng Liu
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, CAAS, Beijing, PR China
| | - Luo Xiao
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, PR China
| | - Liangying Dai
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology and Control of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, PR China
| | - Feng Luo
- School of Computing, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Bingyan Xie
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, CAAS, Beijing, PR China
- * E-mail: (YW); (BX)
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Liu C, Voronin D, Poole CB, Bachu S, Rogers MB, Jin J, Ghedin E, Lustigman S, McReynolds LA, Unnasch TR. Functional analysis of microRNA activity in Brugia malayi. Int J Parasitol 2015; 45:579-83. [PMID: 26004246 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The complement of the Brugia malayi microRNA-71 was inserted into the 3' untranslated region of a reporter plasmid, resulting in a decrease in reporter activity. Mutation of the seed sequence restored activity. Insertion of the 3' untranslated regions from two algorithm-predicted putative target genes into the reporter resulted in a similar decrease in activity; mutation of the predicted target sequences restored activity. These experiments demonstrate that B. malayi microRNA targets may be predicted using current algorithms and describe a functional assay to confirm predicted targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canhui Liu
- Global Health Infectious Disease Research Program, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Suite 304, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Denis Voronin
- New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Saheed Bachu
- New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Matthew B Rogers
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Children's Hospital, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Jingmin Jin
- New England Biolabs, 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938-2723, USA
| | - Elodie Ghedin
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, Global Institute of Public Health, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Sara Lustigman
- New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, 310 East 67th Street, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | - Thomas R Unnasch
- Global Health Infectious Disease Research Program, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Blvd, Suite 304, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
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17
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Winter AD, Gillan V, Maitland K, Emes RD, Roberts B, McCormack G, Weir W, Protasio AV, Holroyd N, Berriman M, Britton C, Devaney E. A novel member of the let-7 microRNA family is associated with developmental transitions in filarial nematode parasites. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:331. [PMID: 25896062 PMCID: PMC4428239 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1536-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Filarial nematodes are important pathogens in the tropics transmitted to humans via the bite of blood sucking arthropod vectors. The molecular mechanisms underpinning survival and differentiation of these parasites following transmission are poorly understood. microRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate target mRNAs and we set out to investigate whether they play a role in the infection event. Results microRNAs differentially expressed during the early post-infective stages of Brugia pahangi L3 were identified by microarray analysis. One of these, bpa-miR-5364, was selected for further study as it is upregulated ~12-fold at 24 hours post-infection, is specific to clade III nematodes, and is a novel member of the let-7 family, which are known to have key developmental functions in the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Predicted mRNA targets of bpa-miR-5364 were identified using bioinformatics and comparative genomics approaches that relied on the conservation of miR-5364 binding sites in the orthologous mRNAs of other filarial nematodes. Finally, we confirmed the interaction between bpa-miR-5364 and three of its predicted targets using a dual luciferase assay. Conclusions These data provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms underpinning the transmission of third stage larvae of filarial nematodes from vector to mammal. This study is the first to identify parasitic nematode mRNAs that are verified targets of specific microRNAs and demonstrates that post-transcriptional control of gene expression via stage-specific expression of microRNAs may be important in the success of filarial infection. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1536-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Winter
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Victoria Gillan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Kirsty Maitland
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Richard D Emes
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK. .,Advanced Data Analysis Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
| | - Brett Roberts
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Gillian McCormack
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - William Weir
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Anna V Protasio
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK.
| | - Nancy Holroyd
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK.
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, UK.
| | - Collette Britton
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
| | - Eileen Devaney
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
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Cucher M, Macchiaroli N, Kamenetzky L, Maldonado L, Brehm K, Rosenzvit MC. High-throughput characterization of Echinococcus spp. metacestode miRNomes. Int J Parasitol 2015; 45:253-67. [PMID: 25659494 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Echinococcosis is a worldwide zoonosis of great public health concern, considered a neglected disease by the World Health Organisation. The cestode parasites Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s. l.) and Echinococcus multilocularis are the main aetiological agents. In the intermediate host, these parasites display particular developmental traits that lead to different patterns of disease progression. In an attempt to understand the causes of these differences, we focused on the analysis of microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding regulatory RNAs with major roles in development of animals and plants. In this work, we analysed the small RNA expression pattern of the metacestode, the stage of sanitary relevance, and provide a detailed description of Echinococcus miRNAs. Using high-throughput small RNA sequencing, we believe that we have carried out the first experimental identification of miRNAs in E. multilocularis and have expanded the Echinococcus miRNA catalogue to 38 miRNA genes, including one miRNA only present in E. granulosus s. l. Our findings show that although both species share the top five highest expressed miRNAs, 13 are differentially expressed, which could be related to developmental differences. We also provide evidence that uridylation is the main miRNA processing mechanism in Echinococcus spp. These results provide detailed information on Echinococcus miRNAs, which is the first step in understanding their role in parasite biology and disease establishment and/or progression, and their future potential use as drug or diagnostic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Cucher
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Natalia Macchiaroli
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Laura Kamenetzky
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas Maldonado
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Klaus Brehm
- Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mara Cecilia Rosenzvit
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Luck AN, Evans CC, Riggs MD, Foster JM, Moorhead AR, Slatko BE, Michalski ML. Concurrent transcriptional profiling of Dirofilaria immitis and its Wolbachia endosymbiont throughout the nematode life cycle reveals coordinated gene expression. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:1041. [PMID: 25433394 PMCID: PMC4289336 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-1041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Dirofilaria immitis, or canine heartworm, is a filarial nematode parasite that infects dogs and other mammals worldwide. Current disease control relies on regular administration of anthelmintic preventives, however, relatively poor compliance and evidence of developing drug resistance could warrant alternative measures against D. immitis and related human filarial infections be taken. As with many other filarial nematodes, D. immitis contains Wolbachia, an obligate bacterial endosymbiont thought to be involved in providing certain critical metabolites to the nematode. Correlations between nematode and Wolbachia transcriptomes during development have not been examined. Therefore, we detailed the developmental transcriptome of both D. immitis and its Wolbachia (wDi) in order to gain a better understanding of parasite-endosymbiont interactions throughout the nematode life cycle. Results Over 215 million single-end 50 bp reads were generated from total RNA from D. immitis adult males and females, microfilariae (mf) and third and fourth-stage larvae (L3 and L4). We critically evaluated the transcriptomes of the various life cycle stages to reveal sex-biased transcriptional patterns, as well as transcriptional differences between larval stages that may be involved in larval maturation. Hierarchical clustering revealed both D. immitis and wDi transcriptional activity in the L3 stage is clearly distinct from other life cycle stages. Interestingly, a large proportion of both D. immitis and wDi genes display microfilarial-biased transcriptional patterns. Concurrent transcriptome sequencing identified potential molecular interactions between parasite and endosymbiont that are more prominent during certain life cycle stages. In support of metabolite provisioning between filarial nematodes and Wolbachia, the synthesis of the critical metabolite, heme, by wDi appears to be synchronized in a stage-specific manner (mf-specific) with the production of heme-binding proteins in D. immitis. Conclusions Our integrated transcriptomic study has highlighted interesting correlations between Wolbachia and D. immitis transcription throughout the life cycle and provided a resource that may be used for the development of novel intervention strategies, not only for the treatment and prevention of D. immitis infections, but of other closely related human parasites as well. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-1041) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Michelle L Michalski
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI 54901, USA.
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20
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Chang SH, Tang P, Lai CH, Kuo ML, Wang LC. Identification and characterisation of microRNAs in young adults of Angiostrongylus cantonensis via a deep-sequencing approach. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2014; 108:699-706. [PMID: 24037191 PMCID: PMC3970689 DOI: 10.1590/0074-0276108062013005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an important causative agent of
eosinophilic meningitis and eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that participate in a wide range of
biological processes. This study employed a deep-sequencing approach to study
miRNAs from young adults of A. cantonensis. Based on 16,880,456
high-quality reads, 252 conserved mature miRNAs including 10 antisense miRNAs
that belonging to 90 families, together with 10 antisense miRNAs were identified
and characterised. Among these sequences, 53 miRNAs from 25 families displayed
50 or more reads. The conserved miRNA families were divided into four groups
according to their phylogenetic distribution and a total of nine families
without any members showing homology to other nematodes or adult worms were
identified. Stem-loop real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of
aca-miR-1-1 and aca-miR-71-1 demonstrated that their level of expression
increased dramatically from infective larvae to young adults and then decreased
in adult worms, with the male worms exhibiting significantly higher levels of
expression than female worms. These findings provide information related to the
regulation of gene expression during the growth, development and pathogenesis of
young adults of A. cantonensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Hsin Chang
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, TaoyuanCounty, Taiwan
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21
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Detection of circulating parasite-derived microRNAs in filarial infections. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2971. [PMID: 25033073 PMCID: PMC4102413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Filarial nematodes cause chronic and profoundly debilitating diseases in both humans and animals. Applications of novel technology are providing unprecedented opportunities to improve diagnosis and our understanding of the molecular basis for host-parasite interactions. As a first step, we investigated the presence of circulating miRNAs released by filarial nematodes into the host bloodstream. miRNA deep-sequencing combined with bioinformatics revealed over 200 mature miRNA sequences of potential nematode origin in Dirofilaria immitis-infected dog plasma in two independent analyses, and 21 in Onchocerca volvulus-infected human serum. Total RNA obtained from D. immitis-infected dog plasma was subjected to stem-loop RT-qPCR assays targeting two detected miRNA candidates, miR-71 and miR-34. Additionally, Brugia pahangi-infected dog samples were included in the analysis, as these miRNAs were previously detected in extracts prepared from this species. The presence of miR-71 and miR-34 discriminated infected samples (both species) from uninfected samples, in which no specific miRNA amplification occurred. However, absolute miRNA copy numbers were not significantly correlated with microfilaraemia for either parasite. This may be due to the imprecision of mf counts to estimate infection intensity or to miRNA contributions from the unknown number of adult worms present. Nonetheless, parasite-derived circulating miRNAs are found in plasma or serum even for those species that do not live in the bloodstream. Filarial parasites commonly infect humans and animals, especially in tropical settings. The strongly debilitating panel of diseases they cause in humans contributes to an entrenched cycle of poverty. For efficient treatment strategies, reliable diagnostic tests are necessary. We investigated the potential of parasite-derived microRNAs (miRNAs; short non-coding RNA molecules present in eukaryotes) as biomarkers of infection. Using deep-sequencing technologies and bioinformatics, we identified over two-hundred mature miRNA candidates of nematode origin in plasma from Dirofilaria immitis-infected dogs. Similarly, we discovered twenty-one miRNA candidates predicted to be released by Onchocerca volvulus in infected human sera. We developed two RT-qPCR assays for the detection of D. immitis miR-71 and miR-34 in dog plasma that discriminated infected from uninfected samples. We demonstrated the presence of filarial miRNAs in host blood, regardless of localization in their respective hosts, and suggest that they are suitable targets for detection by RT-qPCR.
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Poole CB, Gu W, Kumar S, Jin J, Davis PJ, Bauche D, McReynolds LA. Diversity and expression of microRNAs in the filarial parasite, Brugia malayi. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96498. [PMID: 24824352 PMCID: PMC4019659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human filarial parasites infect an estimated 120 million people in 80 countries worldwide causing blindness and the gross disfigurement of limbs and genitals. An understanding of RNA-mediated regulatory pathways in these parasites may open new avenues for treatment. Toward this goal, small RNAs from Brugia malayi adult females, males and microfilariae were cloned for deep-sequencing. From ∼30 million sequencing reads, 145 miRNAs were identified in the B. malayi genome. Some microRNAs were validated using the p19 RNA binding protein and qPCR. B. malayi miRNAs segregate into 99 families each defined by a unique seed sequence. Sixty-one of the miRNA families are highly conserved with homologues in arthropods, vertebrates and helminths. Of those miRNAs not highly conserved, homologues of 20 B. malayi miRNA families were found in vertebrates. Nine B. malayi miRNA families appear to be filarial-specific as orthologues were not found in other organisms. The miR-2 family is the largest in B. malayi with 11 members. Analysis of the sequences shows that six members result from a recent expansion of the family. Library comparisons found that 1/3 of the B. malayi miRNAs are differentially expressed. For example, miR-71 is 5–7X more highly expressed in microfilariae than adults. Studies suggest that in C.elegans, miR-71 may enhance longevity by targeting the DAF-2 pathway. Characterization of B. malayi miRNAs and their targets will enhance our understanding of their regulatory pathways in filariads and aid in the search for novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine B. Poole
- Division of RNA Biology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Parasitology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Weifeng Gu
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Division of Parasitology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jingmin Jin
- Division of RNA Biology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Paul J. Davis
- Division of Parasitology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - David Bauche
- Division of RNA Biology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Larry A. McReynolds
- Division of RNA Biology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Division of Parasitology, New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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microRNAs of parasitic helminths - Identification, characterization and potential as drug targets. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2014; 4:85-94. [PMID: 25057458 PMCID: PMC4095049 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2014.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2014] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Importance of microRNAs in helminth post-transcriptional gene regulation is reviewed. Increasing helminth miRNA data are available from deep sequencing. Some miRNAs are helminth-specific, many are novel to each species. miRNAs may regulate parasite and host gene expression. Uptake of miRNA inhibitors and mimics is feasible for functional analysis.
microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation. They were first identified in the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, where the miRNAs lin-4 and let-7 were shown to be essential for regulating correct developmental progression. The sequence of let-7 was subsequently found to be conserved in higher organisms and changes in expression of let-7, as well as other miRNAs, are associated with certain cancers, indicating important regulatory roles. Some miRNAs have been shown to have essential functions, but the roles of many are currently unknown. With the increasing availability of genome sequence data, miRNAs have now been identified from a number of parasitic helminths, by deep sequencing of small RNA libraries and bioinformatic approaches. While some miRNAs are widely conserved in a range of organisms, others are helminth-specific and many are novel to each species. Here we review the potential roles of miRNAs in regulating helminth development, in interacting with the host environment and in development of drug resistance. Use of fluorescently-labeled small RNAs demonstrates uptake by parasites, at least in vitro. Therefore delivery of miRNA inhibitors or mimics has potential to alter miRNA activity, providing a useful tool for probing the roles of miRNAs and suggesting novel routes to therapeutics for parasite control.
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Hoogstrate SW, Volkers RJ, Sterken MG, Kammenga JE, Snoek LB. Nematode endogenous small RNA pathways. WORM 2014; 3:e28234. [PMID: 25340013 PMCID: PMC4205135 DOI: 10.4161/worm.28234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Revised: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of small RNA silencing pathways has greatly extended our knowledge of gene regulation. Small RNAs have been presumed to play a role in every field of biology because they affect many biological processes via regulation of gene expression and chromatin remodeling. Most well-known examples of affected processes are development, fertility, and maintenance of genome stability. Here we review the role of the three main endogenous small RNA silencing pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans: microRNAs, endogenous small interfering RNAs, and PIWI-interacting RNAs. After providing an entry-level overview on how these pathways function, we discuss research on other nematode species providing insight into the evolution of these small RNA pathways. In understanding the differences between the endogenous small RNA pathways and their evolution, a more comprehensive picture is formed of the functions and effects of small RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rita Jm Volkers
- Laboratory of Nematology; Wageningen University; Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark G Sterken
- Laboratory of Nematology; Wageningen University; Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan E Kammenga
- Laboratory of Nematology; Wageningen University; Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - L Basten Snoek
- Laboratory of Nematology; Wageningen University; Wageningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Zhao FR, Su S, Zhou DH, Zhou P, Xu TC, Zhang LQ, Cao N, Qi WB, Zhang GH, Li SJ. Comparative analysis of microRNAs from the lungs and trachea of dogs (Canis familiaris) infected with canine influenza virus. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2013; 21:367-74. [PMID: 24333372 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Revised: 11/02/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding small RNAs of 18-22-nucleotides in length that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. The objective of this study was to examine the differences in the miRNA expression profiles of the lungs and trachea of beagle dogs infected with canine influenza virus (CIV). Total RNA was isolated from lung and trachea tissues of beagle dogs infected and non-infected with H3N2 CIV at 4 dpi. A total of 41,512,315 and 39,107,475 reads were obtained from the lung and trachea, respectively. Out of a total 288 dog miRNAs available in miRBase, 227 and 236 miRNAs were detected in the infected (Fg) and the non-infected lungs (Fc), respectively, whereas 242 miRNAs were detected in both the infected (Qg) and the non-infected trachea (Qc). From these, 34 and 45 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the lungs and trachea between the infected and non-infected dogs, respectively. More miRNAs were highly expressed in the non-infected tissues than in the infected tissues. miR-143 was the most abundantly expressed miRNA in the four samples, followed by let-7. In total, 252, 234, 196 and 235 novel miRNAs were identified in the Fc, Fg, Qc, and Qg groups, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first study examining the miRNA gene expression in CIV infected dogs using the Solexa sequencing approach. We have revealed the existence of a large number miRNAs that are affected by CIV infection as well as identified some potentially new miRNAs. These findings will help us better understand the host-CIV interaction and its relationship to pathogenesis, as well as contribute to the prevention and control of CIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Rong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shuo Su
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong-Hui Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, People's Republic of China
| | - Pei Zhou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting-Chuan Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang-Quan Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Cao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Bao Qi
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Gui-Hong Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China
| | - Shou-Jun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510642, People's Republic of China.
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Abstract
In the last decade, many diverse RNAi (RNA interference) pathways have been discovered that mediate gene silencing at epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The diversity of RNAi pathways is inherently linked to the evolution of Ago (Argonaute) proteins, the central protein component of RISCs (RNA-induced silencing complexes). An increasing number of diverse Agos have been identified in different species. The functions of most of these proteins are not yet known, but they are generally assumed to play roles in development, genome stability and/or protection against viruses. Recent research in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has expanded the breadth of RNAi functions to include transgenerational epigenetic memory and, possibly, environmental sensing. These functions are inherently linked to the production of secondary siRNAs (small interfering RNAs) that bind to members of a clade of WAGOs (worm-specific Agos). In the present article, we review briefly what is known about the evolution and function of Ago proteins in eukaryotes, including the expansion of WAGOs in nematodes. We postulate that the rapid evolution of WAGOs enables the exceptional functional plasticity of nematodes, including their capacity for parasitism.
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A deep analysis of the small non-coding RNA population in Schistosoma japonicum eggs. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64003. [PMID: 23691136 PMCID: PMC3653858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Schistosoma japonicum is a parasitic flatworm that causes zoonotic schistosomiasis. The typical outcome of schistosomiasis is hepatic granuloma and fibrosis, which is primarily induced by soluble egg-derived antigens. Although schistosomal eggs represent an important pathogenic stage to the host, the biology of this critical stage is largely unknown. We previously investigated the expression profiles of sncRNAs during different developmental stages of this parasite. However, using small RNA extracted from egg-deposited liver tissues generated limited information about sncRNAs in eggs. Here, we characterized the complete small RNAome in this stage of the parasite after optimization of RNA purification. Methodology and Principal Findings A library, SjE, was constructed with the small RNA extracted from S. japonicum eggs and subjected to high-throughput sequencing. The data were depicted by comprehensive bioinformatic analysis to explore the expression features of sncRNAs in the egg stage. MicroRNAs accounted for about one quarter of the total small RNA population in this stage, with a strongly biased expression pattern of certain miRNA family members. Sja-miR-71, sja-miR-71-5p, and sja-miR-36-3p were suggested to play important roles in embryo development. A panel of transfer RNA fragments (tRFs) precisely processed from the 5′ end of mature tRNAs was identified for the first time, which represented a strong egg stage-biased expression. The tRNA-Ala derived small RNAs were the most highly expressed Sj-tRFs in eggs. Further, the expression of siRNAs from 29 types of well-defined transposable elements (TEs) was observed to be relatively stable among different developmental stages. Conclusions and Significance In this study, we characterized the sncRNA profile in the egg stage of S. japonicum. Featured expression of sncRNAs, especially the tRNA-derived small RNAs, was identified, which was further compared with that of other developmental stages. These novel findings would facilitate a deeper understanding of the biology of schistosomal parasites.
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Abstract
miRNAs, a subclass of small regulatory RNAs, are present from ancient unicellular protozoans to parasitic helminths and parasitic arthropods. The miRNA-silencing mechanism appears, however, to be absent in a number of protozoan parasites. Protozoan miRNAs and components of their silencing machinery possess features different from other eukaryotes, providing some clues on the evolution of the RNA-induced silencing machinery. miRNA functions possibly associate with neoblast biology, development, physiology, infection and immunity of parasites. Parasite infection can alter host miRNA expression that can favor both parasite clearance and infection. miRNA pathways are, thus, a potential target for the therapeutic control of parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadong Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province; Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute; CAAS; Lanzhou; Gansu, China; Key Lab of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province; Key Lab of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture; Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences; CAAS; Lanzhou; Gansu, China; School of Biology; University of Nottingham; Nottingham, UK
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Fu Y, Lan J, Wu X, Yang D, Zhang Z, Nie H, Hou R, Zhang R, Zheng W, Xie Y, Yan N, Yang Z, Wang C, Luo L, Liu L, Gu X, Wang S, Peng X, Yang G. Identification of Dirofilaria immitis miRNA using illumina deep sequencing. Vet Res 2013; 44:3. [PMID: 23331513 PMCID: PMC3598945 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The heartworm Dirofilaria immitis is the causative agent of cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis in dogs and cats, which also infects a wide range of wild mammals and humans. The complex life cycle of D. immitis with several developmental stages in its invertebrate mosquito vectors and its vertebrate hosts indicates the importance of miRNA in growth and development, and their ability to regulate infection of mammalian hosts. This study identified the miRNA profiles of D. immitis of zoonotic significance by deep sequencing. A total of 1063 conserved miRNA candidates, including 68 anti-sense miRNA (miRNA*) sequences, were predicted by computational methods and could be grouped into 808 miRNA families. A significant bias towards family members, family abundance and sequence nucleotides was observed. Thirteen novel miRNA candidates were predicted by alignment with the Brugia malayi genome. Eleven out of 13 predicted miRNA candidates were verified by using a PCR-based method. Target genes of the novel miRNA candidates were predicted by using the heartworm transcriptome dataset. To our knowledge, this is the first report of miRNA profiles in D. immitis, which will contribute to a better understanding of the complex biology of this zoonotic filarial nematode and the molecular regulation roles of miRNA involved. Our findings may also become a useful resource for small RNA studies in other filarial parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Fu
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, 625014, Ya'an, China.
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Abstract
Toxocara canis has extraordinary abilities to survive for many years in the tissues of diverse vertebrate species, as well as to develop to maturity in the intestinal tract of its definitive canid host. Human disease is caused by larval stages invading musculature, brain and the eye, and immune mechanisms appear to be ineffective at eliminating the infection. Survival of T. canis larvae can be attributed to two molecular strategies evolved by the parasite. Firstly, it releases quantities of 'excretory-secretory' products which include lectins, mucins and enzymes that interact with and modulate host immunity. For example, one lectin (CTL-1) is very similar to mammalian lectins, required for tissue inflammation, suggesting that T. canis may interfere with leucocyte extravasation into infected sites. The second strategy is the elaboration of a specialised mucin-rich surface coat; this is loosely attached to the parasite epicuticle in a fashion that permits rapid escape when host antibodies and cells adhere, resulting in an inflammatory reaction around a newly vacated focus. The mucins have been characterised as bearing multiple glycan side-chains, consisting of a blood-group-like trisaccharide with one or two O-methylation modifications. Both the lectins and these trisaccharides are targeted by host antibodies, with anti-lectin antibodies showing particular diagnostic promise. Antibodies to the mono-methylated trisaccharide appear to be T. canis-specific, as this epitope is not found in the closely related Toxocara cati, but all other antigenic determinants are very similar between the two species. This distinction may be important in designing new and more accurate diagnostic tests. Further tools to control toxocariasis could also arise from understanding the molecular cues and steps involved in larval development. In vitro-cultivated larvae express high levels of four mRNAs that are translationally silenced, as the proteins they encode are not detectable in cultured larvae. However, these appear to be produced once the parasite has entered the mammalian host, as they are recognised by specific antibodies in infected patients. Elucidating the function of these genes, or analysing if micro-RNA translational silencing suppresses production of the proteins, may point towards new drug targets for tissue-phase parasites in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick M Maizels
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, United Kingdom.
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Scott AL, Ghedin E, Nutman TB, McReynolds LA, Poole CB, Slatko BE, Foster JM. Filarial and Wolbachia genomics. Parasite Immunol 2012; 34:121-9. [PMID: 22098559 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2011.01344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Filarial nematode parasites, the causative agents for a spectrum of acute and chronic diseases including lymphatic filariasis and river blindness, threaten the well-being and livelihood of hundreds of millions of people in the developing regions of the world. The 2007 publication on a draft assembly of the 95-Mb genome of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi- representing the first helminth parasite genome to be sequenced - has been followed in rapid succession by projects that have resulted in the genome sequencing of six additional filarial species, seven nonfilarial nematode parasites of animals and nearly 30 plant parasitic and free-living species. Parallel to the genomic sequencing, transcriptomic and proteomic projects have facilitated genome annotation, expanded our understanding of stage-associated gene expression and provided a first look at the role of epigenetic regulation of filarial genomes through microRNAs. The expansion in filarial genomics will also provide a significant enrichment in our knowledge of the diversity and variability in the genomes of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia leading to a better understanding of the genetic principles that govern filarial-Wolbachia mutualism. The goal here is to provide an overview of the trends and advances in filarial and Wolbachia genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Scott
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MA 21205, USA.
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Abstract
The increase of bodyplan complexity in early bilaterian evolution is correlates with the advent and diversification of microRNAs. These small RNAs guide animal development by regulating temporal transitions in gene expression involved in cell fate choices and transitions between pluripotency and differentiation. One of the two known microRNAs whose origins date back before the bilaterian ancestor is mir-100. In Bilateria, it appears stably associated in polycistronic transcripts with let-7 and mir-125, two key regulators of development. In vertebrates, these three microRNA families have expanded to form a complex system of developmental regulators. In this contribution, we disentangle the evolutionary history of the let-7 locus, which was restructured independently in nematodes, platyhelminths, and deuterostomes. The foundation of a second let-7 locus in the common ancestor of vertebrates and urochordates predates the vertebrate-specific genome duplications, which then caused a rapid expansion of the let-7 family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Hertel
- Bioinformatics Group, Department of Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Winter AD, Weir W, Hunt M, Berriman M, Gilleard JS, Devaney E, Britton C. Diversity in parasitic nematode genomes: the microRNAs of Brugia pahangi and Haemonchus contortus are largely novel. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:4. [PMID: 22216965 PMCID: PMC3282659 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Accepted: 01/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in regulating post-transcriptional gene expression and are essential for development in the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and in higher organisms. Whether microRNAs are involved in regulating developmental programs of parasitic nematodes is currently unknown. Here we describe the the miRNA repertoire of two important parasitic nematodes as an essential first step in addressing this question. Results The small RNAs from larval and adult stages of two parasitic species, Brugia pahangi and Haemonchus contortus, were identified using deep-sequencing and bioinformatic approaches. Comparative analysis to known miRNA sequences reveals that the majority of these miRNAs are novel. Some novel miRNAs are abundantly expressed and display developmental regulation, suggesting important functional roles. Despite the lack of conservation in the miRNA repertoire, genomic positioning of certain miRNAs within or close to specific coding genes is remarkably conserved across diverse species, indicating selection for these associations. Endogenous small-interfering RNAs and Piwi-interacting (pi)RNAs, which regulate gene and transposon expression, were also identified. piRNAs are expressed in adult stage H. contortus, supporting a conserved role in germline maintenance in some parasitic nematodes. Conclusions This in-depth comparative analysis of nematode miRNAs reveals the high level of divergence across species and identifies novel sequences potentially involved in development. Expression of novel miRNAs may reflect adaptations to different environments and lifestyles. Our findings provide a detailed foundation for further study of the evolution and function of miRNAs within nematodes and for identifying potential targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Winter
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
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Liu X, Song Y, Lu H, Tang B, Piao X, Hou N, Peng S, Jiang N, Yin J, Liu M, Chen Q. Transcriptome of small regulatory RNAs in the development of the zoonotic parasite Trichinella spiralis. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26448. [PMID: 22096484 PMCID: PMC3212509 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Trichinella spiralis is a parasite with unique features. It is a multicellular organism but with an intracellular parasitization and development stage. T. spiralis is the helminthic pathogen that causes zoonotic trichinellosis and afflicts more than 10 million people worldwide, whereas the parasite's biology, especially the developmental regulation is largely unknown. In other organisms, small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNA) and small interfering RNAs (siRNA) execute post-transcriptional regulation by translational repression or mRNA degradation, and a large number of miRNAs have been identified in diverse species. In T. spiralis, the profile of small non-coding RNAs and their function remains poorly understood. Methodology and Principal Findings Here, the transcriptional profiles of miRNA and siRNA in three developmental stages of T. spiralis in the rat host were investigated, and compared by high-throughput cDNA sequencing technique (“RNA-seq”). 5,443,641 unique sequence tags were obtained. Of these, 21 represented conserved miRNAs related to 13 previously identified metazoan miRNA families and 213 were novel miRNAs so far unique to T. spiralis. Some of these miRNAs exhibited stage-specific expression. Expression of miRNAs was confirmed in three stages of the life cycle by qRT-PCR and northern blot analysis. In addition, endogenous siRNAs (endo-siRNAs) were found mainly derived from natural antisense transcripts (NAT) and transposable elements (TE) in the parasite. Conclusions and Significance We provide evidence for the presence of miRNAs and endo-siRNAs in T. spiralis. The miRNAs accounted for the major proportion of the small regulatory RNA population of T. spiralis, while fewer endogenous siRNAs were found. The finding of stage-specific expression patterns of the miRNAs in different developmental stages of T. spiralis suggests that miRNAs may play important roles in parasite development. Our data provide a basis for further understanding of the molecular regulation and functional evolution of miRNAs in parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanxia Song
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Biological Therapy Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Huijun Lu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Bin Tang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xianyu Piao
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Hou
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Peng
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jigang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mingyuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- * E-mail: (QC); (ML)
| | - Qijun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (QC); (ML)
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Wang J, Czech B, Crunk A, Wallace A, Mitreva M, Hannon GJ, Davis RE. Deep small RNA sequencing from the nematode Ascaris reveals conservation, functional diversification, and novel developmental profiles. Genome Res 2011; 21:1462-77. [PMID: 21685128 PMCID: PMC3166831 DOI: 10.1101/gr.121426.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2011] [Accepted: 06/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells express several classes of small RNAs that regulate gene expression and ensure genome maintenance. Endogenous siRNAs (endo-siRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) mainly control gene and transposon expression in the germline, while microRNAs (miRNAs) generally function in post-transcriptional gene silencing in both somatic and germline cells. To provide an evolutionary and developmental perspective on small RNA pathways in nematodes, we identified and characterized known and novel small RNA classes through gametogenesis and embryo development in the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum and compared them with known small RNAs of Caenorhabditis elegans. piRNAs, Piwi-clade Argonautes, and other proteins associated with the piRNA pathway have been lost in Ascaris. miRNAs are synthesized immediately after fertilization in utero, before pronuclear fusion, and before the first cleavage of the zygote. This is the earliest expression of small RNAs ever described at a developmental stage long thought to be transcriptionally quiescent. A comparison of the two classes of Ascaris endo-siRNAs, 22G-RNAs and 26G-RNAs, to those in C. elegans, suggests great diversification and plasticity in the use of small RNA pathways during spermatogenesis in different nematodes. Our data reveal conserved characteristics of nematode small RNAs as well as features unique to Ascaris that illustrate significant flexibility in the use of small RNAs pathways, some of which are likely an adaptation to Ascaris' life cycle and parasitism. The transcriptome assembly has been submitted to NCBI Transcriptome Shotgun Assembly Sequence Database(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/TSA.html) under accession numbers JI163767–JI182837 and JI210738–JI257410.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Benjamin Czech
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, HHMI, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Amanda Crunk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Adam Wallace
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- Genetics and Genome Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63108, USA
| | - Gregory J. Hannon
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, HHMI, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA
| | - Richard E. Davis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
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Cucher M, Prada L, Mourglia-Ettlin G, Dematteis S, Camicia F, Asurmendi S, Rosenzvit M. Identification of Echinococcus granulosus microRNAs and their expression in different life cycle stages and parasite genotypes. Int J Parasitol 2011; 41:439-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2010.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2010] [Revised: 11/10/2010] [Accepted: 11/12/2010] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Identification and characterization of microRNAs in Trichinella spiralis by comparison with Brugia malayi and Caenorhabditis elegans. Parasitol Res 2011; 109:553-8. [PMID: 21327987 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-011-2283-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2011] [Accepted: 02/01/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Trichinella spiralis is an important zoonotic nematode causing trichinellosis which is associated with human diseases such as malaise, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea, and constipation. microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in the regulation of gene expression. The objective of the present study was to examine the miRNA expression profile of the larvae of T. spiralis by Solexa deep sequencing combined with stem-loop real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. T. spiralis larvae were collected from the skeletal muscle of naturally infected pigs in Henan province, China, by artificial digestion using pepsin. The specific identity of the T. spiralis larvae was confirmed by PCR amplification and subsequent sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA. A total of 17,851,693 reads with 2,773,254 unique reads were obtained. Eleven conserved miRNAs from 115 unique xsmall RNAs (sRNAs) and 12 conserved miRNAs from 130 unique sRNAs were found by BLAST analysis against the known miRNAs of Caenorhabditis elegans ( ftp://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/genomes/Caenorhabditis_elegans ) and Brugia malayi dataset ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genomeprj?Db=genomeprj&cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=9549 ) in miRBase, respectively. One novel miRNA with 12 precursors were identified and certified using the reference genome of B. malayi, while no novel miRNA was found when using the reference genome of C. elegans. Nucleotide bias analysis showed that the uracil was the prominent nucleotide, particularly at the 1st, 6th, 18th, and 23th positions, which were almost at the beginning, middle, and the end of the conserved miRNAs. The identification and characterization of T. spiralis miRNAs provides a new resource to study regulation of genes and their networks in T. spiralis.
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Huang QX, Cheng XY, Mao ZC, Wang YS, Zhao LL, Yan X, Ferris VR, Xu RM, Xie BY. MicroRNA discovery and analysis of pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus by deep sequencing. PLoS One 2010; 5:e13271. [PMID: 20967259 PMCID: PMC2953492 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2010] [Accepted: 09/07/2010] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are considered to be very important in regulating the growth, development, behavior and stress response in animals and plants in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is an important invasive plant parasitic nematode in Asia. To have a comprehensive knowledge about miRNAs of the nematode is necessary for further in-depth study on roles of miRNAs in the ecological adaptation of the invasive species. METHODS AND FINDINGS Five small RNA libraries were constructed and sequenced by Illumina/Solexa deep-sequencing technology. A total of 810 miRNA candidates (49 conserved and 761 novel) were predicted by a computational pipeline, of which 57 miRNAs (20 conserved and 37 novel) encoded by 53 miRNA precursors were identified by experimental methods. Ten novel miRNAs were considered to be species-specific miRNAs of B. xylophilus. Comparison of expression profiles of miRNAs in the five small RNA libraries showed that many miRNAs exhibited obviously different expression levels in the third-stage dispersal juvenile and at a cold-stressed status. Most of the miRNAs exhibited obviously down-regulated expression in the dispersal stage. But differences among the three geographic libraries were not prominent. A total of 979 genes were predicted to be targets of these authentic miRNAs. Among them, seven heat shock protein genes were targeted by 14 miRNAs, and six FMRFamide-like neuropeptides genes were targeted by 17 miRNAs. A real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the mRNA expression levels of target genes. CONCLUSIONS Basing on the fact that a negative correlation existed between the expression profiles of miRNAs and the mRNA expression profiles of their target genes (hsp, flp) by comparing those of the nematodes at a cold stressed status and a normal status, we suggested that miRNAs might participate in ecological adaptation and behavior regulation of the nematode. This is the first description of miRNAs in plant parasitic nematodes. The results provide a useful resource for further in-depth study on molecular regulation and evolution of miRNAs in plant parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Xing Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Yue Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhen-Chuan Mao
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yun-Sheng Wang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
| | - Li-Lin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Yan
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Virginia R. Ferris
- Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Ru-Mei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bing-Yan Xie
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Dalzell JJ, Warnock ND, Stevenson MA, Mousley A, Fleming CC, Maule AG. Short interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of drosha and pasha in undifferentiated Meloidogyne incognita eggs leads to irregular growth and embryonic lethality. Int J Parasitol 2010; 40:1303-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2010.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2010] [Revised: 03/23/2010] [Accepted: 03/24/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Devaney E, Winter AD, Britton C. microRNAs: a role in drug resistance in parasitic nematodes? Trends Parasitol 2010; 26:428-33. [PMID: 20541972 PMCID: PMC2930248 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2010.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2010] [Revised: 05/17/2010] [Accepted: 05/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Drug resistance in parasitic nematodes is an increasing problem worldwide, with resistance reported to all three commonly used classes of anthelmintics. Most studies to date have sought to correlate the resistant phenotype with genotypic changes in putative target molecules. Although this approach has identified mutations in several relevant genes, resistance might result from a complex interaction of different factors. Here we propose an alternative mechanism underlying the development of drug resistance based on functional differences in microRNA activity in resistant parasites. microRNAs play an important role in resistance to chemotherapeutic agents in many tumour cells and here we discuss whether they might also be involved in anthelmintic resistance in parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Devaney
- Parasitology Group, Division of Veterinary Infection and Immunity, Institute for Comparative Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK.
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