Scholarship 23/04973-5 - Expressão gênica, Leishmania - BV FAPESP
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Study of non-coding RNAs transcribed from transcription initiation or termination regions in the genome of Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis

Grant number: 23/04973-5
Support Opportunities:Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
Start date until: July 01, 2023
End date until: December 31, 2024
Field of knowledge:Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
Principal Investigator:Angela Kaysel Cruz
Grantee:Brenda Nobile de Freitas
Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Parasites of the genus Leishmania spp are responsible for the complex of neglected tropical and subtropical diseases called leishmaniasis. In Brazil, Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is the main etiological agent of the tegumentary form of the disease. During its life cycle, the protozoan alternates between hostile and diverse environments : the digestive system of the insect vector and the phagocytic cells of the mammalian host. To survive, the parasite relies on a the peculiar genetic machinery of trypanosomatids, which provides agility in the modulation of gene expression as it is based mainly on post-transcriptional control mechanisms. This study aims to verify a putative regulatory role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) differentially expressed during the parasite's lifecycle, which are located in strand switch regions (SSRs), where converge (cSSRs) or diverge (dSSR) two contiguous polycistronic units. Four ncRNAs will be studied and the first step will be to validate the differential expression estimated by RNAseq RT-qPCR. From this, the effect of overexpression of these lncRNA will be investigated. Parental and overexpressing strains will be comparatively evaluated regarding the expression of genes positioned upstream and downstream of the respective SSRs. In addition, ncRNA-binding proteins will be identified, by pull-down assays followed by Mass Spectrometry and corresponding computational analysis. Thus, we will test the hypothesis that these DE lncRNAs may be cis regulatory elements involved in the regulation of the transcription of genes from the upstream and downstream SSRs.

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