Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play diverse roles in biological process including developmental regulation and host-pathogen interactions. Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti), a blood-sucking mosquito, is the principal vector responsible for replication and transmission of arboviruses including dengue, zika, and chikungunya virus. Systematic identification and developmental characterisation of Ae. aegypti lncRNAs are still limited. We performed genome-wide identification of lncRNAs followed by developmental profiling of lncRNA expression in Ae. aegypti. We identified a total of 4,689 novel lncRNA transcripts, of which 2,064, 2,076, and 549 were intergenic, intronic, and antisense respectively. Ae. aegypti lncRNAs shared many of the characteristics with other species including low expression, low GC content, short in length, low conservation, and their expression tended to be correlated with neighbouring and antisense protein-coding genes. Subsets of lncRNAs showed evidence that they were maternally inherited, suggesting potential roles in early-stage embryos. Additionally, lncRNAs showed higher tendency to be expressed in developmental and temporal specific manner. Upon infection of Ae. aegypti cells with dengue virus serotype 1, we identified 2,335 differentially expressed transcripts, 957 of which were lncRNA transcripts. The systematic annotation, developmental profiling, and transcriptional response upon virus infection provide foundation for future investigation on the function of Ae. aegypti lncRNAs.
Systematic Identification of Long Noncoding RNAs in Immature and Mature Porcine Testes1