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Project

Identification and functional analysis of extracellular RNAs in insects.

Several non-coding transcript species constitute an as yet underexplored layer of regulatory complexity. Various types of regulatory RNAs indeed appear to interfere with gene expression at different control levels. In insects, the largest and most diverse class of animals, the RNAi response, which is believed to play a role in antiviral immunity, appears to vary among species and tissues. Some species display a cell-autonomous response to dsRNA, while others show a very potent systemic response indicating that the RNAi-signal is capable of spreading. Moreover, it has been shown that several microRNAs are implicated in the control of important developmental-physiological transitions, such as metamorphosis. In this project, we want to verify the hypothesis that RNA molecules present in the extracellular fluid may play a role in intercellular communication during these important processes.
Date:1 Oct 2015 →  30 Sep 2019
Keywords:Extracellular RNAs
Disciplines:Biophysics