Micro RNA expression profiles in peripheral blood cells of rats that were experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense and different Trypanosoma brucei subspecies

To identify miRNAs whose expression are differentially regulated during trypanosome infections a microarray targeting more than 600 rat miRNA was used to analyze the miRNA expression profiles between uninfected rats and animals infected by Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei s.l. The potential targets of dysregulated miRNAs as well as their biological pathways and functions were predicted using several bioinformatics software tools.Irrespective of the infecting trypanosome species, eight miRNAs (seven up- and one down-regulated) were dysregulated during infections. Moreover, other miRNAs were differentially regulated in rats infected by specific trypanosome species. Functional analyses of differentially regulated miRNAs indicated their involvement in diverse biological processes. Among these, transcription repressor activity, gene expression control as well as protein transporter activity were predominant. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of dysregulated miRNAs revealed their involvement in several biological pathways and disease conditions. This suggests possible modulation of such pathways following trypanosome infection; for example, the MAPK signaling pathway which is known to play vital roles in apoptosis, innate immune response and response to viral infections was highly affected. Axon guidance was equally highly impacted and may indicate a cross reactivity between pathogen proteins and guidance molecules representing one pathological mechanism as it has been observed with influenza HA. Furthermore, Ingenuity pathway analyses of dysregulated miRNAs and potential targets indicated strong association with inflammatory responses, cell death and survival as well as infectious diseases.The data generated here provide valuable information to understand the regulatory function of miRNAs during trypanosome infections. They improved our knowledge on host–parasite cross-talks and provide a framework for investigations to understand the development of trypanosomes in their hosts as well as the differences in the clinical and pathological evolutions of the disease.