(A) A scheme of miRNA-mediated regulation of VSP expression in Giardia by the 5 identified miRNAs is shown. More than half of the VSP mRNAs (105) carry multiple miRNA target sites without redundancy. (B-K) Bindings of multiple miRNAs to various vsp genes. Each vsp gene shown here has the target site(s) for different miRNAs arranged in different manners, suggesting the complexity and diversity of regulation of VSP expression by miRNAs. (B) VSP-184 has the target sites for 4 of the 5 miRNAs at the 3′ end. (C-E) VSP-213, VSP-38 (AS8) and VSP-167 have target sites for 3 of the 5 miRNAs at the 3′ end. (F-K) VSP-124, VSP-130 (CRP136), VSP-296, VSP-16, VSP-134 and VSP-98.1 (VSP1267) are targeted by 2 of the 5 miRNAs with the corresponding target sites positioned in different ways.