title: Comparative characterization of microRNAs from the liver flukes Fasciola gigantica and F. hepatica.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression at the post-transcription level. The present study specifically explored and compared the miRNA expression profiles of F. gigantica and F. hepatica using an integrated sequencing and bioinformatics platform and quantitative real-time PCR. Nineteen and 16 miRNA candidates were identified from F. gigantica and F. hepatica, respectively. The two parasites shared 11 miRNAs, with 8 also showing similarity to miRNAs of Schistosoma japonicum. Another 8 miRNAs were identified as F. gigantica-specific and 5 as F. hepatica-specific, most of which were novel. Predicted target analysis with 11465 mRNA and EST sequences of F. hepatica and F. gigantica revealed that all of the miRNAs had more than one target, ranging from 2 to 398 with an average of 51 targets. Some functions of the predicted targets were only found in F. gigantica, such as "transcription regulator", while some others were only found in F. hepatica, such as "reproduction" and "response to stimulus", indicating the different metabolism and gene regulation patterns of the two parasites. The present study represents the first global comparative characterization of miRNA expression profiles of F. gigantica and F. hepatica, which has provided novel valuable resources for a better understanding of the two zoonotic trematodes.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China.
authors.forename: Min-Jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ai
authors.forename: Jing-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Alasdair J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Nisbet
authors.forename: Qing-You
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Mu-Xin
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dong-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xing-Quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D005209:Fasciola / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005211:Fascioliasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs