RNomics of Eukaryotic Parasites

Coordinator:		Prof. Dr. Juergen Brosius
Institution:		Instititut fuer Experimentelle Pathologie, ZMBE, Universitaet Muenster
Homepage:		zmbe.uni-muenster.de/expath

Several systematic screens have been successful in the identification and characterization of a large number of small ncRNAs genes from model organisms including Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryotes. No efforts, thus far, had been directed towards small ncRNAs in eukaryotic pathogenic organisms. This subproject aims to identify and functionally characterize small non-protein coding RNAs from three significant human pathogens, Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Giardia lamblia. This includes investigations on the reaction of their host cells at the level of ncRNA expression. In order to facilitate experimentation with animal models, some of the small ncRNAs will have to be predicted or isolated from phylogenetically related organisms, such as Plasmodium berghei for in vivo studies in the mouse model. Subprojects II - IV are highly related and differ mainly by the type of pathogens. They are experimentally and conceptually interconnected and dependent on each other and all subprojects are highly dependent on sub-project I. The overall medically oriented goal is to elucidate the role of selected ncRNAs in disease and their exploitation as targets for RNA based diagnostic tests and, most importantly, as targets for antimcrobial agents.