Regulation of gene expression in Leishmania

The research activity of our group has been focused on molecular aspects of the protist Leishmania and the immune-pathology that the infection of this parasite causes. On the one hand, we are studying molecular processes associated with the peculiar mechanisms of gene expression in an organism in which transcriptional regulation is almost absent. On the other hand, our research activities are aimed to develop strategies to control leishmaniasis, a disease that continues affecting millions of people worldwide. By using massive sequencing techniques, we are studying the transcriptomes of several Leishmania species (and improving the genomic annotations) with the goal of identify both regulatory cis-elements, often found in the 3’ untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs, and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), as key players in the regulation of gene expression. Another objective is focused on the interactions between Leishmania and the mammalian immune system.