biostudies-literatureUnknown7(10)Wang CRThe neglected blood flukes Orientobilharzia spp. belonging to the Platyhelminthes, infect animals in a number of countries of the world, and cause cercarial dermatitis in humans, as well as significant diseases and even death in economically-important animals. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are now considered to be a key mechanism of gene regulation. Herein, we investigated the global miRNA expression profile of adult O. turkestanicum using next-generation sequencing technology and real-time quantitative PCR, to gain further information on the role of these molecules in host invasion and the parasitic lifestyle of this species. A total of 13.48 million high quality reads were obtained out of 13.78 million raw sequencing reads, with 828 expressed miRNAs identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that thePloS onee47001https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC3468544biostudies-literatureCharacterization of microRNAs from Orientobilharzia turkestanicum, a neglected blood fluke of human and animal health significance.PMC3468544Nisbet AJZhu XQChang QCHuang SYZhou DHZou FCWang CRXu MJFu JHfalseCharacterization of microRNAs from Orientobilharzia turkestanicum, a neglected blood fluke of human and animal health significance.The neglected blood flukes Orientobilharzia spp. belonging to the Platyhelminthes, infect animals in a number of countries of the world, and cause cercarial dermatitis in humans, as well as significant diseases and even death in economically-important animals. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are now considered to be a key mechanism of gene regulation. Herein, we investigated the global miRNA expression profile of adult O. turkestanicum using next-generation sequencing technology and real-time quantitative PCR, to gain further information on the role of these molecules in host invasion and the parasitic lifestyle of this species. A total of 13.48 million high quality reads were obtained out of 13.78 million raw sequencing reads, with 828 expressed miRNAs identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the2012-01-01T00:00:00Z20122026-04-16T05:20:33.106Z2026-04-07T14:07:26.389ZS-EPMC34685442307169410.1371/journal.pone.0047001