microRNAs in Echinococcus spp.: characterization and future applications

CUCHER M; MACCHIAROLI N; PRADA L; MALDONADO L; KAMENETZKY L; ROSENZVIT M C

México DF

Congreso; 13 th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF PARASITOLOGY; 2014

International Society of Parasitology

microRNAs in Echinococcus spp.: characterization and future applications Cucher Marcela, Macchiaroli Natalia, Prada Laura Cecilia, Maldonado Lucas, Kamenetzky Laura, Rosenzvit Mara Cecilia IMPaM CONICET-UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina. BACKGROUND: Echinococcus spp. platyhelminth parasites are ethiological agents of hydatid disease affecting human and animal health worldwide. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate their particular characteristics of development may allow identifying new therapeutic targets. MicroRNAs are small silencing RNAs that impact eukaryotic development and are receiving growing attention as novel therapeutic and diagnosis targets. METHODS: We have employed high throughput small RNA sequencing to characterize the small RNAomes of Echinococcus spp. species/stages using available genomic information including the recently sequenced draft genome of Echinococcus canadensis G7. RESULTS: We have obtained up to 40 million reads per library with high percentage of genome mapping. Significant proportions of small RNA reads corresponded to microRNAs. The previously reported Echinococcus spp. microRNA catalog consisting of 20 miRNAs (Cucher et al, 2011) was expanded to 38 conserved and 3 new candidate microRNAs. Interestingly, one microRNA was present in the closely related Echinococcus granulosus G1 and E. canadensis G7 but absent from Echinococcus multilocularis. Expression analyses showed that some miRNAs were highly expressed in all the stages and species analysed. MicroRNAs differentially expressed between stages and species were also identified. Echinococcus spp. microRNA biogenesis showed particularities that could impact on targeted genes. No evidence of other canonical small silencing RNAs like piRNAs has been obtained so far. CONCLUSIONS: MicroRNAs are the principal small RNA silencing molecules in Echinococcus spp. The Echinococcus spp. small RNAome will be deposited in the FlatDB, a recently launched database of flatworm genetic data. The differential expression of microRNAs during life cycle suggests important roles in development. Highly expressed parasite microRNAs absent or divergent in mammal hosts were indentified and could be candidates for drug and diagnosis targeting.