Studying the control of gene expression in Leishmania: post-translational modification, non coding RNAs, cis-elements and gene amplification

Abstract

Our purpose is to produce and analyze sequence data of high-yield RNAs (RNA-Seq) in L. donovani in search of trans-activating regulatory elements, specifically non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are differentially expressed during the development stages of the parasite. The survival of the parasite in different hostile environments and the phenotypic variability between species, strains or mutants of a species may depend on the regulation of gene expression and ncRNAs can be agents of this regulation. Thus, recent discoveries about the roles played by small and long ncRNAs in eukaryotes, the gene expression control mode in Leishmania and the existence of new technologies for generating large amounts of data, such as RNA-Seq, make it appropriate to identify ncRNAs and investigate their possible modes of action and functions. The purpose of this proposal is to examine the repertoire of ncRNAs present in non-polisomal ribonucleoprotein particles of L. donovani to identify differentially expressed ncRNAs and investigate their function and mechanism of action. (AU)