Mode-of-action and role of small non-coding RNAs in extracellular fluids of insects

In metazoans, as well as in many other eukaryotes, a very large portion of the genome does not seem to code for proteins and was therefore, until recently, believed to consist of ‘junk’ DNA. However, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing led to the discovery of a variety of ‘non-coding’ transcripts, which constitute an additional layer of regulatory complexity by interfering with gene expression. In insects, the most speciose group of animals, small non-coding RNAs are implicated in important biological processes, such as antiviral immunity, developmental physiology and regulation of genome stability. Recent data also demonstrated the presence of these molecules in insect hemolymph and in media of cultured insect cells. In this project we will study the role and mode-of-action of these extracellular small RNAs in insect physiology, with a focus on key developmental events and on RNA interference responses.

Keywords:small non-coding RNA, extracellular fluid, insect, RNA interference, postembryonic development

Disciplines:Animal cell and molecular biology