Comparative expression profile of microRNAs in Anopheles anthropophagus midgut after blood-feeding and Plasmodium infection. Issue 1 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Wenquan; Hao, Zhenhua; Huang, Liyang; Chen, Lingzi; Wei, Qimei; Cai, Liya; Liang, Shaohui
• Is Part Of: Parasites & vectors. Volume 10:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 11
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: MicroRNA (miRNA) -- Anopheles anthropophagus -- Midgut -- Blood-feeding -- Plasmodium infection; Parasitism -- Periodicals; Parasites -- Periodicals; Vector-pathogen relationships -- Periodicals; Animals as carriers of disease -- Periodicals; Insects as carriers of disease -- Periodicals; 616.96
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2027-6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1756-3305

Abstract

Abstract Background Anopheles anthropophagus is one of the major vectors of malaria in Asia. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in cell development and differentiation as well as in the cellular response to stress and infection. In a former study, we have investigated the global miRNA profiles in relation to sex inAn. anthropophagus. However, the miRNAs contributing to the blood-feeding and infection withPlasmodium are still unknown. Methods High-throughput sequencing was performed to identify miRNA profiles ofAn. anthropophagus midguts after blood-feeding andPlasmodium infection. The expression patterns of miRNA in different midgut libraries were compared based on transcripts per million reads (TPM), and further confirmed by Northern blots. Target prediction and pathway analysis were carried out to investigate the role of regulated miRNAs in blood-feeding andPlasmodium infection. Results We identified 67 known and 21 novel miRNAs in all three libraries (sugar-feeding, blood-feeding andPlasmodium infection) inAn. anthropophagus midguts. Comparing with the sugar-feeding, the experssion of nine (6 known and 3 novel) and ten (9 known and 1 novel) miRNAs were significantly upregulated and downregulated respectively after blood-feeding (P < 0.05, fold change ≥ 2 and TPM ≥ 10).Plasmodium infection induced the expression of thirteen (9 known and 4 novel) and eleven (9 known and 2 novel) miRNAs significantly upregulated and downregulated, respectively, compared with blood-feeding. The representative upregulated miR-92a in blood-feeding and downregulated miR-275 inPlasmodium infection were further confirmed by Northern Blot. Putative targets of these regulated miRNAs were further investigated and classified into their pathways. Conclusions This study suggests that miRNAs are involved in the blood-feeding andPlasmodium infection inAn. anthropophagus midgut. Further studies of the function of these differential expressed miRNAs will facilitate in better understanding of mosquito biology and anti-parasite immunity.