Profiles of LncRNAs expression in Schistosoma mansoni during intra- mammalian development

Abstract

Abstract Background Schistosomes infect over 200 million people, resulting in chronic disease and hundreds of thousands of deaths. It is believed that the complexity of the differentiation and developmental programs observed among the different developmental stages and in the environments where the parasite lives are influenced by the regulation of gene expression. In this scenario, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) would be key molecules. Recently, our research group identified a set of 170 new lncRNAs in Schistosoma mansoni, and 15 were experimentally analyzed. Continuing this investigation, we evaluated the expression of 47 of these lncRNAs in S. mansoni developmental stages, as well as in liver samples of a murine schistosomiasis model. Methods We experimentally analyze 47 S. mansoni lncRNAs, and the validated ones had their expression analyzed using RT-qPCR in samples of the definitive-host-related developmental stages of the worm: cercariae, schistosomula 3.5 h, adult worms, and eggs; as well as in liver samples of BALB/c mice infected (100 cercariae) and uninfected, collected 9 weeks post-infection. Putative target protein-coding genes expression and Gene Ontology were collected in WormBase Parasite. Results We demonstrate that 25 of the 47 lncRNAs analyzed were primarily expressed in adult worms. 20 of these also show to be differentially expressed among the developmental stages evaluated, demonstrating that these molecules probably play a role in stage-specific gene expression. We also detect the expression of 22 S. mansoni-specific lncRNAs host liver samples, suggesting the action in the host-pathogen relationship. Finally, we describe lncRNA–protein coding gene correlations that identify lncRNAs with prospective roles in gene regulation. Conclusions Our results show clear differential expression patterns of lncRNAs in host-dependent development stages of S. mansoni and ascribe potential functional roles in development based on predicted intracellular interactions as well as potential for being biomarkers.