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MicroRNAs of parasites: current status and future perspectives

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Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding small RNAs regulating gene expression in eukaryotes at the post-transcriptional level. The complex life cycles of parasites may require the ability to respond to environmental and developmental signals through miRNA-mediated gene expression. Over the past 17 years, thousands of miRNAs have been identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and other parasites. Here, we review the current status and potential functions of miRNAs in protozoan, helminths, and arthropods, and propose some perspectives for future studies.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported, in part, by grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant no. 2007CB513104), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 30972178), the National Special Research Program for Non-Profit Trades (Agriculture; Grant no. 200803017), the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (Grant no. IRT0723), National Key Technology R&D Program of China (Grant no. 2010BAD04B01), and “Gold Idea” Foundation of Institute of Military Veterinary, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (Grant no. YCX0901).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Military Veterinary, AMMS Key Laboratory of Jilin Province for Zoonosis Prevention and Control, 1068 Qinglong Road, Changchun, 130062, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China

    Quan Liu & Hongwei Gao

  2. Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA

    Wenbin Tuo

  3. Department of Parasitology, State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, CAAS, Lanzhou, 730046,, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China

    Xing-Quan Zhu

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  1. Quan Liu
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  2. Wenbin Tuo
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  3. Hongwei Gao
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  4. Xing-Quan Zhu
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Correspondence to Hongwei Gao or Xing-Quan Zhu.

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Liu, Q., Tuo, W., Gao, H. et al. MicroRNAs of parasites: current status and future perspectives. Parasitol Res 107, 501–507 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1927-6

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