Mitochondrial genome repositioning during the differentiation of the African trypanosome between life cycle forms is microtubule mediated

TbRab2p, a marker for the endoplasmic reticulum of Trypanosoma brucei, localises to the ERGIC in mammalian cells

The Rab family of small GTPases is a subset of the Ras superfamily. Rabs regulate the flux through individual steps of the intracellular membrane trafficking pathway, such as ER-to-Golgi transport, probably by controlling SNARE complex assembly. In Trypanosoma brucei a number of Rab proteins have been isolated by EST analysis; here we characterise one of these, TbRab2p (originally designated Trab1p), which is a member of the Ypt1p subfamily of Rab proteins. Recombinant TbRab2p is capable of hydrolysing GTP and is post-translationally modified in vitro by addition of a geranylgeranyl prenyl group, properties of an authentic Rab GTPase. Antibodies against recombinant TbRab2p show that in trypanosomes TbRab2p is localised primarily to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and colocalises with BiP in wild-type trypanosomes. Over expression of TbRab2p in procyclic form T. brucei results in a cell population having a 40-fold increase in TbRab2p expression. In these cells biosynthesis of procyclin, a secretory pathway glycoprotein, is decreased, accompanied by an increase in general protein biosynthesis, suggesting that excess TbRab2p affects ER function. Heterologous expression of TbRab2p in COS cells resulted in targeting to the pre-Golgi transport intermediate (ERGIC), indicating that the targeting information is conserved between mammals and trypanosomes. Clustal and phylogenetic analyses support assignment of TbRab2p as a Rab2 homologue. In addition, over expression of TbRab2p in trypanosomes results in membrane reorganisation and formation of opaque vesicular structures visible by phase contrast microscopy, consistent with accumulation of ER-derived vesicular structures in cells highly overexpressing TbRab2p. Ultrastructural examination by electron microscopy confirmed the presence of a tubulo-vesicular membrane bound compartment in close proximity to the cis-Golgi, probably equivalent to the ERGIC. TbRab2p is therefore a new ER/ERGIC marker for T. brucei.

Transformation of monomorphic Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream form trypomastigotes into procyclic forms at 37 degrees C by removing glucose from the culture medium

African trypanosomes have been shown previously to undergo efficient transformation from bloodstream forms to procyclic (insect dwelling) forms in vitro by adding citrate and/or cis-aconitate to the culture medium and lowering incubation temperature to 27 degrees C. In this paper, it is shown that strain 427 monomorphic bloodstream forms of Trypanosoma brucei grown in axenic culture at 37 degrees C can be transformed to procyclic forms by simply replacing the glucose carbon source in the culture medium with glycerol. The removal of glucose from the medium results in the loss of the variant surface glycoprotein, the acquisition of cell surface procyclic acidic repetitive protein, the synthesis of procyclic-specific glycosylphosphatidylinositol precursors and the acquisition of substantial resistance to salicyl hydroxamic acid and glycerol within 72 h. A procyclic-specific cytoskeletal protein, known to be a marker of the late stage of transformation, is fully expressed by 96 h but full trans-sialidase activity appears only after 18-30 days. The transformation process described here is slower and less efficient than that previously described for monomorphic trypanosomes, using citrate and/or cis-aconitate and temperature shift as triggers. However, the separation of the transformation process from these stimuli is significant and the effects of glucose deprivation described here may reflect some of the events that occur in vivo in the tsetse fly midgut, where glucose levels are known to be very low.

The role of proteolysis during differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei from the bloodstream to the procyclic form

The in vitro differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei from bloodstream to procyclic (insect) forms is accompanied by diminishing variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and increasing levels of procyclin and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). In this study, we examined the fate of several glycolytic enzymes of T. brucei during differentiation. We observed a down-regulation of glycosomal phosphoglycerate kinase (gPGK) during differentiation. In contrast, intracellular levels of glycosomal glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gGAPDH), aldolase (ALD), and phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI) remained unchanged during differentiation and apparently continued to be synthesized in the procyclic form. To determine the potential role of proteasomes and other proteases during the differentiation process, we tested the effect of lactacystin, a specific inhibitor of proteasome activity, and morpholinourea-Phe-homoPhe-benz-alpha-pyrone (P27), a selective inhibitor of cysteine proteases, on the in vitro differentiation of T. brucei. Cells differentiated normally in the presence of 1 microM lactacystin, which confirmed our previous observation that this differentiation does not require crossing any phase boundaries in the cell cycle (Mutomba and Wang, Mol Biochem Parasitol 1996;80:89-102). But the cells thus differentiated did not increase in number and retained gPGK. Cells differentiated under 2 microM P27 also proceeded at a normal rate but failed to multiply and retained gPGK. However, most of the differentiated cells under 2 microM P27 also retained VSG on the cell membrane surface and expressed higher levels of procyclin suggesting that a cysteine protease(s) may be involved in releasing VSG and partially reducing procyclin during differentiation. This cysteine protease(s) has been tentatively identified in the procyclic cells as a 48 kDa protein through labeling of cysteine protease(s) with a biotinylated P27 homolog K02 (morpholinourea-Phe-homoPhe-vinylsulfone).

The bloodstream differentiation-division of Trypanosoma brucei studied using mitochondrial markers

In the bloodstream of its mammalian host, the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei undergoes a life cycle stage differentiation from a long, slender form to a short, stumpy form. This involves three known major events: exit from a proliferative cell cycle, morphological change and mitochondrial biogenesis. Previously, models have been proposed accounting for these events (Matthews & Gull 1994a). Refinement of, and discrimination between, these models has been hindered by a lack of stage-regulated antigens useful as markers at the single-cell level. We have now evaluated a variety of cytological markers and applied them to investigate the coordination of phenotypic differentiation and cell cycle arrest. Our studies have focused on the differential expression of the mitochondrial enzyme dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase relative to the differentiation-division of bloodstream trypanosomes. The results implicate a temporal order of events: commitment, division, phenotypic differentiation.

Effects of aphidicolin and hydroxyurea on the cell cycle and differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms

The effects of aphidicolin (APH) and hydroxyurea (HU) on the cell cycle and differentiation of Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms were studied. APH (0.1 microgram ml-1) inhibited cell division, but did not inhibit DNA synthesis. Most of the cells were arrested in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, with each cell containing two kinetoplasts, but only one nucleus. Recovery of the arrested cells showed a 24-h lag period compared to controls. Higher concentrations of APH (1 and 10 micrograms ml-1) were required to inhibit DNA synthesis, but the cells failed to resume growth after removal of the drug. Incubation of cells with HU (7.5 micrograms ml-1) did not inhibit DNA synthesis, but arrested cells after duplicating both the kinetoplast and the nucleus. Recovery from drug arrest also showed a 24-h lag period. We therefore conclude that neither APH nor HU arrests T. brucei at the G1/S phase boundary as anticipated. The mechanisms of cell cycle arrest by APH and HU are not through inhibition of DNA synthesis, but rather through unidentified pathways, leading to growth arrest prior to nuclear division and cytokinesis respectively. Since the arrested cells do not resume normal development immediately following drug removal, APH and HU should be regarded as unsuitable agents for synchronizing T. brucei bloodstream forms. T. brucei bloodstream forms arrested with either APH or HU differentiated normally into procyclic forms in vitro, indicating that a cycle of cell division is not required for initiation of differentiation, and that the process can be initiated and completed when cells are arrested at the G2/M and M/G1 phase boundaries.