Table 1. miRNAs and/or RNA-induced silencing machinery in parasites.
| Species | Approacha | Num of miRNAs | Main RISC componentsb | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Protozoanc |
|
|
|
|
| Plasmodium falciparum |
Ex |
No |
No |
2
|
| Trypanosoma brucei |
Com |
1,162 |
Yes |
3
,
69
|
| Trypanosoma congolense |
- |
ND |
Yes |
3
|
| Trypanosoma cruzi |
- |
ND |
Yes |
3
,
27
|
| Trypanosoma gambiense |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Trypanosoma vivax |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Leishmania major |
- |
ND |
Yes/Pseudogene |
|
| Leishmania infantum |
- |
ND |
Yes/Pseudogene |
|
| Leishmania braziliensis |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Leishmania mexicana |
- |
ND |
Yes/Pseudogene |
|
| Leishmania tarentolae |
- |
ND |
Yes (TriTrypDB) |
|
| Leishmania braziliensis |
- |
ND |
Yes |
3
|
| Cryptosporidium spp |
- |
ND |
No |
3
|
| Theileria spp |
- |
ND |
No |
3
|
| Babesia bovis |
- |
ND |
No |
3
|
| Eimeria tenella |
- |
ND |
No |
3
|
| Giardia lamblia |
Ex |
4 |
Yes |
22
|
| Neospora caninum |
- |
ND |
Yes |
|
| Giardia intestinalis |
Ex |
10 |
Yes |
3
,
49
|
| Trichomonas vaginalis |
Ex |
11 |
Yes |
3
,
49
|
| Entamoeba histolytica |
Com |
17 |
Yes |
3
,
78
|
| Toxoplasma gondii |
Ex |
35 |
Yes |
3
,
30
|
|
Trematode |
|
|
|
|
| Clonorchis sinensis |
Ex/Com |
62,518 |
- |
79
|
| Schistosoma mansoni |
Ex |
5 |
Yes |
58
,
59
|
| Schistosoma japonicum |
Ex |
55 |
Yes |
80
|
|
Nematode |
|
|
|
|
| Bursaphelenchus xylophilus |
Ex |
810 |
- |
61
|
| Brugia malayi |
Ex/Com |
32 |
Yes |
81
|
| Hemonchus contortus |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Globodera pallida |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Trichuris trichiura |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Onchocerca volvulus |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Strongyloides ratti |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Trichuris muris |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Nippostrongylus brasiliensis |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
| Heligmosomoides polygyrus |
- |
ND |
Yes (GenePool) |
|
|
Cestode |
|
|
|
|
| Echinococcus multilocularis |
Ex |
22 |
Yes (sanger) |
82
|
| Echinococcus granulosus |
- |
23 |
Yes (sanger) |
82
|
| Hymenolepis microstoma |
- |
ND |
Yes (sanger) |
|
|
Arthropod |
|
|
|
|
| Pediculus humanus humanus |
Com |
57 |
Yes (VectorBase) |
83
|
| Acyrthosiphon pisum |
Com |
163 |
Yes |
84
|
| Ixodes scapularis | Ex | 34 | Yes (VectorBase) | 85 |
a miRNAs are identified experimentally (Ex) or computationally (Com) or both (Ex/Com);
b Argonaute or Dicer or both are present in species indicated. Argonaute homolog(s) in parasitic nematodes, cestodes and arthropods were searched using C. elegans Argonaute (ABA18180) in the databases shown in brackets;
c Drosha homolog(s) in protozoans were searched using C. elegans Drosha (NP_001122460) and there were no hits with an e value > 10−10. Due to the fact that protozoan Drosha homologs may be highly heterogeneous in an amino acid level, it can’t be ruled out the possibility of factor(s) that are functionally similar to Drosha;
d Our unpublished data;
ND, not determined; -, not applicable; ?, unclear.