Genome-Wide Analysis Reveals Key Genes and MicroRNAs Related to Pathogenic Mechanism in Wuchereria bancrofti

Abstract

Wuchereria bancrofti is a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause a neglected tropical disease called Lymphatic filariasis. However, the genome of W. bancrofti was not well studied, making novel drug development difficult. This study aims to identify microRNA, annotate protein function, and explore the pathogenic mechanism of W. bancrofti by genome-wide analysis. Novel miRNAs were identified by analysis of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from this parasite. Protein homology was obtained by a bidirectional best-hit strategy using BLAST. By an EST-based method, we identified 20 novel miRNAs in the genome. The AU content of these miRNAs ranged from 39.7% to 80.0%, with a mean of 52.9%. Among them, 14 miRNA homologs were present in mammal genomes, while six miRNA homologs were present in non-mammal genomes. By conducting a detailed sequence alignment using BLAST, we have successfully annotated the functions of 75 previously unannotated proteins, enhancing our understanding of the proteome and potentially revealing new targets for therapy. Homology distribution analysis indicated that a set of critical proteins were present in parasites and mosquitoes, but not present in mammals. By searching the literature, ten proteins were found to be involved in the pathogenic infection process of W. bancrofti. In addition, the miRNA–gene network analysis indicated that two pathogenic genes (CALR and HMGB2) are regulated by newly identified miRNAs. These genes were supposed to play key roles in the infection mechanism of W. bancrofti. In conclusion, our genome-wide analysis provided new clues for the prevention and treatment of W. bancrofti infection.