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Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite, the etiologic agent of Neosporosis—a common cause of abortion in cattle worldwide. Herd level prevalence of Neosporosis could be as high as 90%. However, there is no approved treatment and vaccines available for Neosporosis. MicroRNA (miRNA) based prophylaxis and therapeutics could be options for Neosporosis in cattle and other animals. The current study aimed to investigate the genome of Neospora caninum to identify and characterize the conserved miRNAs through Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) dependent homology search. A total of 1,041 mature miRNAs of reference organisms were employed against 336 non-redundant ESTs available in the genome of Neospora caninum. The study predicted one putative miRNA "nca-miR-9388-5p" of 19 nucleotides with MFEI value -1.51 kcal/mol and (A + U) content% 72.94% corresponding with its pre-miRNA. A comprehensive search for specific gene targets was performed and discovered 16 potential genes associated with different protozoal physiological functions. Significantly, the gene "Protein phosphatase" was found responsible for the virulence of Neospora caninum. The other genes were accounted for gene expression, vesicular transport, cell signaling, cell proliferation, DNA repair mechanism, and different developmental stages of the protozoon. Therefore, this study finding will provide pivotal information to future aspirants upon Bovine Neosporosis. It will also serve as the baseline information for further studies of the bioinformatics approach to identify other protozoal miRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium parvum, a predominant causal agent of a fatal zoonotic protozoan diarrhoeal disease called cryptosporidiosis, bears a worldwide public health concern for childhood mortality and poses a key threat to the dairy and water industries. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small but powerful posttranscriptional gene silencing RNA molecules, regulate a variety of molecular, biological, and cellular processes in animals and plants. As to the present date, there is a paucity of information regarding miRNAs of C. parvum ; hence, this study was used to identify miRNAs in the organism using a comprehensible expressed sequence tag–based homology search approach consisting of a series of computational screening process from the identification of putative miRNA candidates to the functional annotation of the important gene targets in C. parvum. The results revealed a conserved miRNA that targeted 487 genes in the model organism (Drosophila melanogaste r) and 85 genes in C. parvum, of which 11 genes had direct involvements in several crucial virulence factors such as environmental oocyst protection, excystation, locomotion, adhesion, invasion, stress protection, intracellular growth, and survival. Besides, 20 genes showed their association with various major pathways dedicated for the ribosomal biosynthesis, DNA repair, transportation, protein production, gene expression, cell cycle, cell proliferation, development, immune response, differentiation, and nutrient metabolism of the organism in the host. Thus, this study provides a strong evidence of great impact of identified miRNA on the biology, virulence, and pathogenesis of C. parvum. Furthermore, the study suggests that the detected miRNA could be a potential epigenomic tool for controlling the protozoon through silencing those virulent and pathway-related target genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]