Identification of microRNA in the protist Trichomonas vaginalis.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that have important regulatory roles in multicellular organisms. However, miRNA has never been identified experimentally in protist. Direct cloning of 438 expressed miRNA tags by microRNA serial analysis of gene expression from the parasitic protist Trichomonas vaginalis identified nine candidate miRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis of the corresponding genomic region revealed that these miRNA candidates contain a classical stem-loop-stem structure of pre-microRNAs. Analysis of the 20 nt long mature tva-miR-001 showed that it is an intergenic miRNA located at the scaffold DS113596. Tva-miR-001 was differentially expressed in the trophozoite, pseudocyst and amoeboid stages. Based on the experimental results of the present study, we provided solid evidence that protist possesses a miRNA regulating network comparable with multicellular organisms for the first time.
Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
Wei-Chen
WC
Lin
Sung-Chou
SC
Li
Wen-Chang
WC
Lin
Jyh-Wei
JW
Shin
Song-Nian
SN
Hu
Xiao-Min
XM
Yu
Ting-Yun
TY
Huang
Shih-Chieh
SC
Chen
Hua-Chien
HC
Chen
Shu-Jen
SJ
Chen
Po-Jung
PJ
Huang
Richie Ruei-Chi
RR
Gan
Cheng-Hsun
CH
Chiu
Petrus
P
Tang
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
D035683:MicroRNAs