title: Comparative transcriptome analysis of small noncoding RNAs in different stages of Trypanosoma brucei.
abstract: Trypanosoma brucei, a pathogen of human and domestic animals, is an early evolved parasitic protozoan with a complex life cycle. Most genes of this parasite are post-transcriptionally regulated. However, the mechanisms and the molecules involved remain largely unknown. We have deep-sequenced the small RNAs of two life stages of this parasite--the bloodstream form and the procyclic form. Our results show that the small RNAs of T. brucei could derive from multiple sources, including NATs (natural antisense transcripts), tRNAs, and rRNAs. Most of these small RNAs in the two stages were found to share uniform characteristics. However, our results demonstrate that their variety and expression show significant differences between different stages, indicating possible functional differentiation. Dicer-knockdown evidence further proved that some of the small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) could regulate the expression of genes. Based on the genome-wide analysis of the small RNAs in the two stages of T. brucei, our results not only provide evidence to study their differentiation but also shed light on questions regarding the origins and evolution of small RNA-based mechanisms in early eukaryotes.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yan-Zi
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Jian-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jian-You
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jun-Zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Zhao-Rong
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Lun
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Ayala
authors.forename: Liang-Hu
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Qu
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D019295:Computational Biology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012343:RNA, Transfer / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D058727:RNA, Small Untranslated; D012343:RNA, Transfer; D043244:Ribonuclease III
keywords: Trypanosoma brucei; comparative transcriptome; high-throughput data analysis; small noncoding RNA