Investigation of differentially expressed non-coding RNAs in Leishmania donovani

• Grant number: 12/16749-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Effective date (Start): January 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): June 06, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Angela Kaysel Cruz
• Grantee: Ramon de Freitas Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Gene expression in Leishmania occurs at the post-transcriptional level. Nevertheless, the mecanisms that govern it are not fully comprehend particularly the roles of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) on post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression during the complex transition between parasite's developmental stages. The majority of the genome in eukaryotic organisms is transcribed, apparently in a developmentally regulated manner to produce large numbers of non-protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)that are antisense, intergenic or overlapping regions with protein-coding genes. In Angela Cruz's laboratory a recent investigation of a ncRNA candidate in L. major, named ODD3, revealed the phenotypic changes and one of its potential mRNA targets, which encodes a hypothetical protein (LmjF21.0725). The key objective of this project is to examine the repertoire of ncRNAs present in small ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) of L. donovani to provide evidence of the functional role of these ncRNAs in the regulation of gene expression during development of this human pathogen. We aim to evaluate (i) the profiles of differential expression of these ncRNAs among evolutionary stages, (ii) identify novel functional ncRNAs and (iii) investigate the molecular mechanisms of some ncRNAs differentially expressed in promastigotes and amastigotes.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CASTRO, FELIPE FREITAS; RUY, PATRICIA C.; ZEVIANI, KARMA NOGUEIRA; SANTOS, RAMON FREITAS; TOLEDO, JULIANO SIMOES; CRUZ, ANGELA KAYSEL. Evidence of putative non-coding RNAs from Leishmania untranslated regions. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, v. 214, p. 69-74, JUN 2017. (13/50219-9, 12/16749-8, 09/14184-0, 12/17025-3)