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Updated: May 14, 2026

Studying Inherited Immunity in a Caenorhabditis elegans Model of Microsporidia Infection
Published on: April 6, 2022
microRNAs in parasites and parasite infection
Yadong Zheng1, Xuepeng Cai, Janette E Bradley
1State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province; Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute; CAAS; Lanzhou; Gansu, China; Key Lab of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province; Key Lab of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture; Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences; CAAS; Lanzhou; Gansu, China; School of Biology; University of Nottingham; Nottingham, UK.
Abstract:
miRNAs, a subclass of small regulatory RNAs, are present from ancient unicellular protozoans to parasitic helminths and parasitic arthropods. The miRNA-silencing mechanism appears, however, to be absent in a number of protozoan parasites. Protozoan miRNAs and components of their silencing machinery possess features different from other eukaryotes, providing some clues on the evolution of the RNA-induced silencing machinery. miRNA functions possibly associate with neoblast biology, development, physiology, infection and immunity of parasites. Parasite infection can alter host miRNA expression that can favor both parasite clearance and infection. miRNA pathways are, thus, a potential target for the therapeutic control of parasitic diseases.
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