RNAi-Mediated Specific Gene Silencing as a Tool for the Discovery of New Drug Targets in Giardia lamblia; Evaluation Using the NADH Oxidase Gene.

ABSTRACT: The microaerophilic protozoan Giardia lamblia is the agent causing giardiasis, an intestinal parasitosis of worldwide distribution. Different pharmacotherapies have been employed against giardiasis; however, side effects in the host and reports of drug resistant strains generate the need to develop new strategies that identify novel biological targets for drug design. To support this requirement, we have designed and evaluated a vector containing a cassette for the synthesis of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), which can silence expression of a target gene through the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. Small silencing RNAs were detected and quantified in transformants expressing dsRNA by a stem-loop RT-qPCR approach. The results showed that, in transformants expressing dsRNA of 100-200 base pairs

SUBMITTER: Marcial-Quino J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5704216 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature