Small non-coding RNAs have predicted roles in reproductive biology and transposable element regulation in the parasitic worm Strongyloides venezuelensis

Dominika Lastik; Asuka Kounosu; Mehmet Dayi; Akemi Yoshida; Kieran Reynolds; Vicky L Hunt; Taisei Kikuchi

doi:10.1038/s41598-025-01968-2

Small non-coding RNAs have predicted roles in reproductive biology and transposable element regulation in the parasitic worm Strongyloides venezuelensis

Dominika Lastik, Asuka Kounosu, Mehmet Dayi, Akemi Yoshida, Kieran Reynolds, Vicky L Hunt, Taisei Kikuchi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Strongyloides spp. has a unique life cycle that alternates between a parasitic generation that reproduces through mitotic parthenogenesis and a dioecious free-living sexually reproducing generation. Adult females from these two generations are genetically identical, making them an informative model to identify molecular differences between parasitic and free-living lifestyles and understand different reproductive strategies. We investigated the expression of small RNAs (sRNAs) that are either enriched for a 5' monophosphate modification (5'pN) or are 5' modification-independent, across five life cycle stages of the rodent parasite Strongyloides venezuelensis. We identified miRNAs and small-interfering RNAs expressed by S. venezuelensis that are predicted to target and regulate the expression of protein-coding genes and transposable elements (TEs). Three previously unreported classes of sRNA were identified: (1) 25Gs with a putative role in reproduction in adult females, (2) tRNA-derived 24-28 nt sRNAs (tsRNAs) which are predicted to target TEs in free-living females, and (3) 5'pN-enriched 26-29Cs with 5' CGAATCC and 3' TTT motifs expressed in parasitic females. We also confirmed that S. venezuelensis expresses the 27G class of sRNAs involved in TE regulation, which was previously identified in the rodent parasite Strongyloides ratti. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the role of sRNAs in reproductive biology and parasitism.

Original language	English
Article number	20608
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	15
Issue number	1
Early online date	1 Jul 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01968-2
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2025

Data Availability Statement

All sequence data from the genome projects have been deposited at INSDC under the BioProject accession PRJDB13089.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all members of Parasite Systems Biology lab for their critical comments and technical supports. Computations were partially performed on the NIG supercomputer at ROIS National Institute of Genetics.

Funding

VLH was funded by a Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (PE16024) and a Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (211227/Z/18/Z). TK was funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI Grant Numbers 19H03212 and 17KT0013, and JST CREST Grant Number JPMJCR18S7 and JPMJCR23B1. For the purpose of Open Access, the author has applied a CC BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.

Keywords

Animals
Strongyloides/genetics
DNA Transposable Elements/genetics
RNA, Small Untranslated/genetics
Female
Reproduction/genetics
Life Cycle Stages/genetics
RNA, Helminth/genetics
MicroRNAs/genetics
Gene Expression Regulation

Access to Document

10.1038/s41598-025-01968-2Licence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{8c3726c39fd540658bbc473e899f254b,

title = "Small non-coding RNAs have predicted roles in reproductive biology and transposable element regulation in the parasitic worm Strongyloides venezuelensis",

abstract = "The gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Strongyloides spp. has a unique life cycle that alternates between a parasitic generation that reproduces through mitotic parthenogenesis and a dioecious free-living sexually reproducing generation. Adult females from these two generations are genetically identical, making them an informative model to identify molecular differences between parasitic and free-living lifestyles and understand different reproductive strategies. We investigated the expression of small RNAs (sRNAs) that are either enriched for a 5' monophosphate modification (5'pN) or are 5' modification-independent, across five life cycle stages of the rodent parasite Strongyloides venezuelensis. We identified miRNAs and small-interfering RNAs expressed by S. venezuelensis that are predicted to target and regulate the expression of protein-coding genes and transposable elements (TEs). Three previously unreported classes of sRNA were identified: (1) 25Gs with a putative role in reproduction in adult females, (2) tRNA-derived 24-28 nt sRNAs (tsRNAs) which are predicted to target TEs in free-living females, and (3) 5'pN-enriched 26-29Cs with 5' CGAATCC and 3' TTT motifs expressed in parasitic females. We also confirmed that S. venezuelensis expresses the 27G class of sRNAs involved in TE regulation, which was previously identified in the rodent parasite Strongyloides ratti. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the role of sRNAs in reproductive biology and parasitism.",

keywords = "Animals, Strongyloides/genetics, DNA Transposable Elements/genetics, RNA, Small Untranslated/genetics, Female, Reproduction/genetics, Life Cycle Stages/genetics, RNA, Helminth/genetics, MicroRNAs/genetics, Gene Expression Regulation",

author = "Dominika Lastik and Asuka Kounosu and Mehmet Dayi and Akemi Yoshida and Kieran Reynolds and Hunt, {Vicky L} and Taisei Kikuchi",

year = "2025",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/s41598-025-01968-2",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

journal = "Scientific Reports",

issn = "2045-2322",

publisher = "Nature Research",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Small non-coding RNAs have predicted roles in reproductive biology and transposable element regulation in the parasitic worm Strongyloides venezuelensis

AU - Lastik, Dominika

AU - Kounosu, Asuka

AU - Dayi, Mehmet

AU - Yoshida, Akemi

AU - Reynolds, Kieran

AU - Hunt, Vicky L

AU - Kikuchi, Taisei

PY - 2025/7/1

Y1 - 2025/7/1

N2 - The gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Strongyloides spp. has a unique life cycle that alternates between a parasitic generation that reproduces through mitotic parthenogenesis and a dioecious free-living sexually reproducing generation. Adult females from these two generations are genetically identical, making them an informative model to identify molecular differences between parasitic and free-living lifestyles and understand different reproductive strategies. We investigated the expression of small RNAs (sRNAs) that are either enriched for a 5' monophosphate modification (5'pN) or are 5' modification-independent, across five life cycle stages of the rodent parasite Strongyloides venezuelensis. We identified miRNAs and small-interfering RNAs expressed by S. venezuelensis that are predicted to target and regulate the expression of protein-coding genes and transposable elements (TEs). Three previously unreported classes of sRNA were identified: (1) 25Gs with a putative role in reproduction in adult females, (2) tRNA-derived 24-28 nt sRNAs (tsRNAs) which are predicted to target TEs in free-living females, and (3) 5'pN-enriched 26-29Cs with 5' CGAATCC and 3' TTT motifs expressed in parasitic females. We also confirmed that S. venezuelensis expresses the 27G class of sRNAs involved in TE regulation, which was previously identified in the rodent parasite Strongyloides ratti. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the role of sRNAs in reproductive biology and parasitism.

AB - The gastrointestinal parasitic nematode Strongyloides spp. has a unique life cycle that alternates between a parasitic generation that reproduces through mitotic parthenogenesis and a dioecious free-living sexually reproducing generation. Adult females from these two generations are genetically identical, making them an informative model to identify molecular differences between parasitic and free-living lifestyles and understand different reproductive strategies. We investigated the expression of small RNAs (sRNAs) that are either enriched for a 5' monophosphate modification (5'pN) or are 5' modification-independent, across five life cycle stages of the rodent parasite Strongyloides venezuelensis. We identified miRNAs and small-interfering RNAs expressed by S. venezuelensis that are predicted to target and regulate the expression of protein-coding genes and transposable elements (TEs). Three previously unreported classes of sRNA were identified: (1) 25Gs with a putative role in reproduction in adult females, (2) tRNA-derived 24-28 nt sRNAs (tsRNAs) which are predicted to target TEs in free-living females, and (3) 5'pN-enriched 26-29Cs with 5' CGAATCC and 3' TTT motifs expressed in parasitic females. We also confirmed that S. venezuelensis expresses the 27G class of sRNAs involved in TE regulation, which was previously identified in the rodent parasite Strongyloides ratti. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the role of sRNAs in reproductive biology and parasitism.

KW - Animals

KW - Strongyloides/genetics

KW - DNA Transposable Elements/genetics

KW - RNA, Small Untranslated/genetics

KW - Female

KW - Reproduction/genetics

KW - Life Cycle Stages/genetics

KW - RNA, Helminth/genetics

KW - MicroRNAs/genetics

KW - Gene Expression Regulation

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-025-01968-2

DO - 10.1038/s41598-025-01968-2

M3 - Article

C2 - 40593876

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 15

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

IS - 1

M1 - 20608

ER -

Small non-coding RNAs have predicted roles in reproductive biology and transposable element regulation in the parasitic worm Strongyloides venezuelensis

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this