Aspergillus fumigatus is a pathogenic filamentous fungus and is responsible for more infections worldwide than any other mould. Studies of the small non-coding RNA transcriptome of this fungus under a variety of different conditions and the subsequent generation of cDNA libraries from size selected small RNA species, identified several non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) within the fungal genome. The ncRNAs identified were further classified as small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) or novel ncRNAs. The expression of these ncRNAs was also shown to be influenced by developmental stages of the fungus and environmental conditions. Comparative genomics showed that the snoRNAs present within A. fumigatus are conserved across other strains of fungus. This study also identified several partial tRNA sequences within the cDNA libraries which corresponded to either the 5’ or 3’ halves of tRNA molecules. These partial tRNAs are thought to have been created by enonuclolytic cleavage within the anti-codon loop. It has been suggested that these partial tRNA stall protein synthesis however, further studies are required to determine their exact function. The table below summarised the type, genome location and corresponding target sites of the ncRNAs identified in A. fumigatus.
Non-Coding RNAs present in A. fumigatus Name Size Genome Location Target Type Accession number U1-1 132 Intergenic; Afu1g06980/Afu1g07000 snRNAAM921915 U1-2 132 Intergenic; Afu4g12490/Afu4g12500 snRNAAM921916 U5 99 Intergenic; Afu6g12670/Afu6g12680 snRNAAM921917 U6 50 Intergenic; Afu4g12500/Afu4g12520 Intergenic; Afu2g10150/Afu2g10160 snRNAAM921918 Afu-191 92 Intergenic; Afu1g10270/Afu1g10280 Gm75 in 5.8S and Am32 in U2 C/D box snoRNAAM921920 Afu-190 107 Intergenic; Afu4g11320/Afu4g11330 Gm557 in 18S C/D box snoRNAAM921921 Afu-198 130 Intergenic; Afu1g02700/Afu1g02680 Cm2856 and Um 2859 in 26S C/D box snoRNAAM921922 Afu-294 85 Intergenic; Afu1g09750/Afu1g09760 Cm1851 in 26S; Am43 in 5.8S C/D box snoRNAAM921923 Afu-264 103 Intergenic; Afu7g05290/Afu7g05300 Gm2770 and Gm2773 in 26S; C/D box snoRNAAM921924 Afu-277 100 Intergenic; Afu1g09740/Afu1g09760 Um2706 in 26S; Am97 in 18S; Cm47 in 5.8S C/D box snoRNAAM921925 Afu-188 84 Intergenic; Afu4g11310/Afu4g11320 Am25 and Um26 in 18S C/D box snoRNAAM921927 Afu-304 106 Intron 2 (sense); Afu1g09800 Cm2925 in 26S C/D box snoRNAAM921929 Afu-380 87 Intergenic; Afu4g06780/Afu4g06770 Um2701 in 26S C/D box snoRNAAM921930 Afu-513 129 Intergenic; Afu4g11310/Afu4g11320 Gm1338 and Gm3719 in 26S C/D box snoRNAAM921931 Afu-328 75 Intron 2 (sense); Afu6g04570 Gm2792 in 26S C/D box snoRNAAM921932 Afu-335 97 Intron 2 (sense); Afu1g04840 Cm2316 in 26S C/D box snoRNAAM921933 Afu-438 83 Intergenic; Afu2g15980/Afu2g15970 Am2877 in 26S C/D box snoRNAAM921934 Afu-455 92 Intergenic; Afu1g09760/Afu1g09740 Gm1122 in 18S C/D box snoRNAAM921935 Afu-40 90 Intergenic; Afu4g11310/Afu4g11320 C/D box snoRNAAM921936 Afu-514 105 Intergenic; Afu6g03830/Afu6g03840 C/D box snoRNAAM921937 Afu-515 89 Intergenic; Afu4g11310/Afu4g11320 C/D box snoRNAAM921938 Afu-199 79 Intron 1 (sense); Afu7g02320 C/D box snoRNAAM921939 Afu-298 93 Intergenic; Afu1g05080/Afu1g05100 C/D box snoRNAAM921940 Afu-300 88 Intergenic; Afu4g11310/Afu4g11320 C/D box snoRNAAM921941 Afu-215 24 Intergenic; Afu5g12870/Afu5g12880 C/D box snoRNAAM921942 Afu-511 164 Intergenic; Afu1g03400/Afu1g03410 C/D box snoRNAAM921943 Afu-210 24 Intron 2 (sense); Afu2g03610 C/D box snoRNAAM921944 Afu-265 23 Intergenic; Afu3g02340/Afu3g02370 C/D box snoRNAAM921945Afu-182219Intergenic; Afu4g07680/Afu4g07690novelAM921946Afu-202266Intergenic; Afu1g10420/Afu1g10430SRP RNAAM921947Afu-254163Intergenic; Afu7g04110/Afu7g04120novelAM921949Afu-203111Intron 1 (sense); Afu3g14240novelAM921950Afu-309318Intergenic; Afu4g10430/Afu4g10420novelAM921953
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