Non-coding RNA and the complex regulation of the trypanosome life cycle

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of African sleeping sickness and the wasting disease, nagana, in cattle. The parasite is transmitted to the mammalian host by the bite of a tsetse fly. These parasites lack transcriptional regulation, and their gene expression is mainly regulated post-transcriptionally. Changes in the transcriptome and proteome suggest that mRNA stability and translation regulation operate to control cycling between the hosts. The review discusses the small RNome of T. brucei, and the potential involvement of these molecules in shaping the adaptation of the parasites to their hosts.