Project description:In animals, microRNAs frequently form families with related sequences. The functional relevance of miRNA families and the relative contribution of family members to target repression have remained, however, largely unexplored. Here, we used the C. elegans miR-58 miRNA family, comprised primarily of four highly abundant members: miR-58.1, miR-80, miR-81 and miR-82, as a model to investigate the redundancy of miRNA family members and their impact on target expression in an in vivo setting. RNA was extracted from different miR-58 family mutants (mir-58.1, mir-80; mir-58.1 and mir-80; mir-58.1; mir-81-82) and wild-type Bristol C. elegans strain at late L4 stage and submitted to small RNA profiling with Illumina HiSeq2000. The goal was to see whether miR-58 family members can compensate each other's expression.
Project description:In animals, microRNAs frequently form families with related sequences. The functional relevance of miRNA families and the relative contribution of family members to target repression have remained, however, largely unexplored. Here, we used the C. elegans miR-58 miRNA family, comprised primarily of four highly abundant members: miR-58.1, miR-80, miR-81 and miR-82, as a model to investigate the redundancy of miRNA family members and their impact on target expression in an in vivo setting. RNA was extracted from different miR-58 family mutants (mir-58.1, mir-80; mir-58.1 and mir-80; mir-58.1; mir-81-82) and wild-type Bristol C. elegans strain at late L4 stage and submitted to transcriptome sequencing with Illumina HiSeq2000. The goal was to compare miR-58 target RNA expression and system-wide perturbations across various samples.
Project description:In animals, microRNAs frequently form families with related sequences. The functional relevance of miRNA families and the relative contribution of family members to target repression have remained, however, largely unexplored. Here, we used the C. elegans miR-58 miRNA family, comprised primarily of four highly abundant members: miR-58.1, miR-80, miR-81 and miR-82, as a model to investigate the redundancy of miRNA family members and their impact on target expression in an in vivo setting.
Project description:In animals, microRNAs frequently form families with related sequences. The functional relevance of miRNA families and the relative contribution of family members to target repression have remained, however, largely unexplored. Here, we used the C. elegans miR-58 miRNA family, comprised primarily of four highly abundant members: miR-58.1, miR-80, miR-81 and miR-82, as a model to investigate the redundancy of miRNA family members and their impact on target expression in an in vivo setting.
Project description:microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA-molecules that influence translation by binding to the target gene mRNA. Many miRNAs are found in nested arrangements within introns, or exons, of larger protein-coding host genes. miRNAs and host genes in a nested arrangement are often transcribed simultaneously, which may indicate that both have similar functions. miRNAs have been implicated in regulating defense responses against pathogen infection in C. elegans and in mammals. Here, we asked if miRNAs in nested arrangements and their host genes are involved in the C. elegans response against infection with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). We performed miRNA sequencing and functional genetic analysis of miRNA and/or host gene in four nested arrangements. We identified mir-58.1 and mir-2 as negative regulators of C. elegans resistance to Bt infection. However, we did not find any miRNA/host gene pair in which both contribute to defense against Bt.
Project description:Inhibition of insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) represents a promising avenue for the treatment of mitochondrial diseases, although many of the molecular mechanisms underlying this beneficial effect remain elusive. Here, we investigate the proteomic landscape of Caenorhabditis elegans with severe mitochondrial deficiency in the context of insulin signaling inhibition.