PRJDB2604
The short non-coding transcriptome of the  protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi
The pathway for RNA interference is wide-spread in metazoans  and participates in numerous cellular tasks, from gene silencing to  chromatin remodeling and protection against retrotransposition. The  unicellular eukaryote Trypanosoma cruzi is missing the canonical RNAi  pathway and is unable to induce RNAi related processes. To further  understand alternative RNA pathways operating in this organism, we have  performed deep sequencing and genome-wide analyses of a size fractioned  cDNA library (16-61 nt) from the epimastigote life stage. Deep  sequencing generated 582,243 short sequences of which 91% could be  aligned with the genome sequence. 95-98% of the aligned data (depending  on the haplotype) corresponded to small RNAs derived from tRNAs, rRNAs,  snRNAs and snoRNAs. The largest class consisted of tRNA-derived small  RNAs which were primarily originating from the 3A???A??A???????? end of tRNAs, followed  by small RNAs derived from rRNA. The remaining sequences revealed the  presence of 92 novel transcribed loci, of which 79 did not show homology  to known RNA classes. none provided