Bioinformatics Seminar
Time:
Venue: Na
11 December 2018
NaThe short message in milk: Comparative analysis of milk miRNA
Christophe LefevreWEHI Bioinformatics
Milk is essential for the survival of mammals and the evolutionary success of mammals can be in part attributed to the adoption of a diversity of lactation strategies in order to insure proper protection and nutrition of the neonate. Furthermore ; while breastfeeding is associated with benefits on intelligence and wealth later in life ; humans have also recently adapted their genome to digest milk during adulthood concomitant with animal domestication around 10 ;000 years ago. It is however only recently that sequencing technology has allowed the investigation of milk RNA ; revealing the secretion of miRNA in association with exosome like micro-vesicles. This has raised new questions on the biogenesis and functionality of these regulatory molecules in immune protection and signalling. Experiments profiling milk miRNA in a number of of mammalian species will be presented and integrated to analyse the evolution of milk miRNA secretion and discuss the potential of the approach for the study of milk function and lactation evolution.;;;;