Poster Display
Medical, Urban, and Veterinary Entomology
Doeun Lee (she/her/hers)
Ph.D student
Seoul National University
Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea
Gang Chan Lee
Seoul National University
Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea
SI Hyeock Lee
Seoul National University
Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea
Juhyeon Kim
Assistant Professor
Seoul National University
Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, Republic of Korea
The body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus), a vector of bacterial pathogens, is an obligate ectoparasite of humans. In this study, we conducted microRNA (miRNA) profiling of body lice and human blood to elucidate the physiological function control through cross-species molecules between parasite and host. Using miRNA sequencing, we identified 105 miRNAs in body lice: 45 matched previously reported sequences, and 60 were novel. Notably, we detected 118 human-origin miRNAs in the body lice. The persistence of these blood-derived miRNAs was examined by comparing body lice at 0-and 6-hours post-blood feeding and the blood they ingested. Our findings indicate the potential for molecular interplay between body lice and their human hosts. The functional analysis of these miRNAs is ongoing.