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Sato S, Dacher M, Kurumizaka H. Nucleosome Structures Built from Highly Divergent Histones: Parasites and Giant DNA Viruses. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:22. [PMID: 35997368 PMCID: PMC9396995 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6030022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotes, genomic DNA is bound with histone proteins and packaged into chromatin. The nucleosome, a fundamental unit of chromatin, regulates the accessibility of DNA to enzymes involved in gene regulation. During the past few years, structural analyses of chromatin architectures have been limited to evolutionarily related organisms. The amino acid sequences of histone proteins are highly conserved from humans to yeasts, but are divergent in the deeply branching protozoan groups, including human parasites that are directly related to human health. Certain large DNA viruses, as well as archaeal organisms, contain distant homologs of eukaryotic histone proteins. The divergent sequences give rise to unique and distinct nucleosome architectures, although the fundamental principles of histone folding and DNA contact are highly conserved. In this article, we review the structures and biophysical properties of nucleosomes containing histones from the human parasites Giardia lamblia and Leishmania major, and histone-like proteins from the Marseilleviridae amoeba virus family. The presented data confirm the sharing of the overall DNA compaction system among evolutionally distant species and clarify the deviations from the species-specific nature of the nucleosome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan; (S.S.); (M.D.)
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2
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In situ visualization of a simple bipartite kinetochore with a single microtubule attachment in Giardia intestinalis (Metamonada). Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Abstract
Giardia duodenalis captured the attention of Leeuwenhoek in 1681 while he was examining his own diarrheal stool, but, ironically, it did not really gain attention as a human pathogen until the 1960s, when outbreaks were reported. Key technological advances, including in vitro cultivation, genomic and proteomic databases, and advances in microscopic and molecular approaches, have led to an understanding that this is a eukaryotic organism with a reduced genome rather than a truly premitochondriate eukaryote. This has included the discovery of mitosomes (vestiges of mitochondria), a transport system with many of the features of the Golgi apparatus, and even evidence for a sexual or parasexual cycle. Cell biology approaches have led to a better understanding of how Giardia survives with two nuclei and how it goes through its life cycle as a noninvasive organism in the hostile environment of the lumen of the host intestine. Studies of its immunology and pathogenesis have moved past the general understanding of the importance of the antibody response in controlling infection to determining the key role of the Th17 response. This work has led to understanding of the requirement for a balanced host immune response that avoids the extremes of an excessive response with collateral damage or one that is unable to clear the organism. This understanding is especially important in view of the remarkable ranges of early manifestations, which range from asymptomatic to persistent diarrhea and weight loss, and longer-term sequelae that include growth stunting in children who had no obvious symptoms and a high frequency of postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
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Sato S, Takizawa Y, Hoshikawa F, Dacher M, Tanaka H, Tachiwana H, Kujirai T, Iikura Y, Ho CH, Adachi N, Patwal I, Flaus A, Kurumizaka H. Cryo-EM structure of the nucleosome core particle containing Giardia lamblia histones. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:8934-8946. [PMID: 34352093 PMCID: PMC8421212 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardia lamblia is a pathogenic unicellular eukaryotic parasite that causes giardiasis. Its genome encodes the canonical histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4, which share low amino acid sequence identity with their human orthologues. We determined the structure of the G. lamblia nucleosome core particle (NCP) at 3.6 Å resolution by cryo-electron microscopy. G. lamblia histones form a characteristic NCP, in which the visible 125 base-pair region of the DNA is wrapped in a left-handed supercoil. The acidic patch on the G. lamblia octamer is deeper, due to an insertion extending the H2B α1 helix and L1 loop, and thus cannot bind the LANA acidic patch binding peptide. The DNA and histone regions near the DNA entry-exit sites could not be assigned, suggesting that these regions are asymmetrically flexible in the G. lamblia NCP. Characterization by thermal unfolding in solution revealed that both the H2A–H2B and DNA association with the G. lamblia H3–H4 were weaker than those for human H3–H4. These results demonstrate the uniformity of the histone octamer as the organizing platform for eukaryotic chromatin, but also illustrate the unrecognized capability for large scale sequence variations that enable the adaptability of histone octamer surfaces and confer internal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Sato
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Takizawa
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Fumika Hoshikawa
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Mariko Dacher
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Hiroki Tanaka
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tachiwana
- Division of Cancer Biology, The Cancer Institute of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
| | - Tomoya Kujirai
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Yukari Iikura
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Cheng-Han Ho
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
| | - Naruhiko Adachi
- Structural Biology Research Center, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), 1-1 Oho, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
| | - Indu Patwal
- Center for Chromosome Biology, Biochemistry, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Andrew Flaus
- Center for Chromosome Biology, Biochemistry, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Hitoshi Kurumizaka
- Laboratory of Chromatin Structure and Function, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.,Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan
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5
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Lagunas-Rangel FA, Yee J, Bermúdez-Cruz RM. An update on cell division of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites. Microbiol Res 2021; 250:126807. [PMID: 34130067 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated protozoan that is responsible for many cases of diarrheal disease worldwide and is characterized by its great divergence from the model organisms commonly used in studies of basic cellular processes. The life cycle of Giardia involves an infectious cyst form and a proliferative and mobile trophozoite form. Each Giardia trophozoite has two nuclei and a complex microtubule cytoskeleton that consists of eight flagellar axonemes, basal bodies, the adhesive disc, the funis and the median body. Since the success of Giardia infecting other organisms depends on its ability to divide and proliferate efficiently, Giardia must coordinate its cell division to ensure the duplication and partitioning of both nuclei and the multiple cytoskeletal structures. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge about cell division and its regulation in this protist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Alejandro Lagunas-Rangel
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Mexico City, Mexico; Department of Neuroscience, Functional Pharmacology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Janet Yee
- Department of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, Canada
| | - Rosa María Bermúdez-Cruz
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Mexico City, Mexico.
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Park EA, Kim J, Shin MY, Park SJ. A polo-like kinase modulates cytokinesis and flagella biogenesis in Giardia lamblia. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:182. [PMID: 33789729 PMCID: PMC8011197 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04687-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polo-like kinases (PLKs) are conserved serine/threonine kinases that regulate the cell cycle. To date, the role of Giardia lamblia PLK (GlPLK) in cells has not been studied. Here, we report our investigation on the function of GlPLK to provide insight into the role of this PKL in Giardia cell division, especially during cytokinesis and flagella formation. METHODS To assess the function of GIPLK, Giardia trophozoites were treated with the PLK-specific inhibitor GW843286X (GW). Using a putative open reading frame for the PLK identified in the Giardia genomic database, we generated a transgenic Giardia expressing hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged GlPLK and used this transgenic for immunofluorescence assays (IFAs). GlPLK expression was knocked down using an anti-glplk morpholino to observe its effect on the number of nuclei number and length of flagella. Giardia cells ectopically expressing truncated GlPLKs, kinase domain + linker (GlPLK-KDL) or polo-box domains (GlPLK-PBD) were constructed for IFAs. Mutant GlPLKs at Lys51, Thr179 and Thr183 were generated by site-directed mutagenesis and then used for the kinase assay. To elucidate the role of phosphorylated GlPLK, the phosphorylation residues were mutated and expressed in Giardia trophozoites RESULTS: After incubating trophozoites with 5 μM GW, the percentage of cells with > 4 nuclei and longer caudal and anterior flagella increased. IFAs indicated that GlPLK was localized to basal bodies and flagella and was present at mitotic spindles in dividing cells. Morpholino-mediated GlPLK knockdown resulted in the same phenotypes as those observed in GW-treated cells. In contrast to Giardia expressing GlPLK-PBD, Giardia expressing GlPLK-KDL was defective in terms of GIPLK localization to mitotic spindles and had altered localization of the basal bodies in dividing cells. Kinase assays using mutant recombinant GlPLKs indicated that mutation at Lys51 or at both Thr179 and Thr183 resulted in loss of kinase activity. Giardia expressing these mutant GlPLKs also demonstrated defects in cell growth, cytokinesis and flagella formation. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that GlPLK plays a role in Giardia cell division, especially during cytokinesis, and that it is also involved in flagella formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ah Park
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology and Institute of Tropical Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Juri Kim
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology and Institute of Tropical Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Mee Young Shin
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology and Institute of Tropical Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Soon-Jung Park
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology and Institute of Tropical Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea.
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7
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Eukaryote-conserved histone post-translational modification landscape in Giardia duodenalis revealed by mass spectrometry. Int J Parasitol 2020; 51:225-239. [PMID: 33275945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Diarrheal disease caused by Giardia duodenalis is highly prevalent, causing over 200 million cases globally each year. The processes that drive parasite virulence, host immune evasion and transmission involve coordinated gene expression and have been linked to epigenetic regulation. Epigenetic regulatory systems are eukaryote-conserved, including in deep branching excavates such as Giardia, with several studies already implicating histone post-translational modifications in regulation of its pathogenesis and life cycle. However, further insights into Giardia chromatin dynamics have been hindered by a lack of site-specific knowledge of histone modifications. Using mass spectrometry, we have provided the first known molecular map of histone methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation modifications in Giardia core histones. We have identified over 50 previously unreported histone modifications including sites with established roles in epigenetic regulation, and co-occurring modifications indicative of post-translational modification crosstalk. These demonstrate conserved histone modifications in Giardia which are equivalent to many other eukaryotes, and suggest that similar epigenetic mechanisms are in place in this parasite. Further, we used sequence, domain and structural homology to annotate putative histone enzyme networks in Giardia, highlighting representative chromatin modifiers which appear sufficient for identified sites, particularly those from H3 and H4 variants. This study is to our knowledge the first and most comprehensive, complete and accurate view of Giardia histone post-translational modifications to date, and a substantial step towards understanding their associations in parasite development and virulence.
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Butenko A, Opperdoes FR, Flegontova O, Horák A, Hampl V, Keeling P, Gawryluk RMR, Tikhonenkov D, Flegontov P, Lukeš J. Evolution of metabolic capabilities and molecular features of diplonemids, kinetoplastids, and euglenids. BMC Biol 2020; 18:23. [PMID: 32122335 PMCID: PMC7052976 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-0754-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Euglenozoa are a protist group with an especially rich history of evolutionary diversity. They include diplonemids, representing arguably the most species-rich clade of marine planktonic eukaryotes; trypanosomatids, which are notorious parasites of medical and veterinary importance; and free-living euglenids. These different lifestyles, and particularly the transition from free-living to parasitic, likely require different metabolic capabilities. We carried out a comparative genomic analysis across euglenozoan diversity to see how changing repertoires of enzymes and structural features correspond to major changes in lifestyles. Results We find a gradual loss of genes encoding enzymes in the evolution of kinetoplastids, rather than a sudden decrease in metabolic capabilities corresponding to the origin of parasitism, while diplonemids and euglenids maintain more metabolic versatility. Distinctive characteristics of molecular machines such as kinetochores and the pre-replication complex that were previously considered specific to parasitic kinetoplastids were also identified in their free-living relatives. Therefore, we argue that they represent an ancestral rather than a derived state, as thought until the present. We also found evidence of ancient redundancy in systems such as NADPH-dependent thiol-redox. Only the genus Euglena possesses the combination of trypanothione-, glutathione-, and thioredoxin-based systems supposedly present in the euglenozoan common ancestor, while other representatives of the phylum have lost one or two of these systems. Lastly, we identified convergent losses of specific metabolic capabilities between free-living kinetoplastids and ciliates. Although this observation requires further examination, it suggests that certain eukaryotic lineages are predisposed to such convergent losses of key enzymes or whole pathways. Conclusions The loss of metabolic capabilities might not be associated with the switch to parasitic lifestyle in kinetoplastids, and the presence of a highly divergent (or unconventional) kinetochore machinery might not be restricted to this protist group. The data derived from the transcriptomes of free-living early branching prokinetoplastids suggests that the pre-replication complex of Trypanosomatidae is a highly divergent version of the conventional machinery. Our findings shed light on trends in the evolution of metabolism in protists in general and open multiple avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anzhelika Butenko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Fred R Opperdoes
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olga Flegontova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Horák
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Hampl
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Biocev, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Patrick Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Denis Tikhonenkov
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Russia
| | - Pavel Flegontov
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic. .,Present address: Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.
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Abstract
The function of many proteins is intrinsically related to their cellular location. Novel methods for ascertainment of the ultrastructural location of proteins have been introduced in recent years, but their implementation in protists has so far not been readily realized. Here, we present an optimized proximity labeling protocol using the APEX system in the salmon pathogen Spironucleus salmonicida. This protocol was also applicable to the human pathogen Giardia intestinalis. Both organisms required extraneous addition of hemin to the growth medium to enable detectable peroxidase activity. Further, we saw no inherent limitation in labeling efficiency coupled to the cellular compartment, as evident with some other proximity labeling systems. We anticipate that the APEX proximity labeling system might offer a great resource to establish the ultrastructural localization of proteins across genetically tractable protists but might require organism-specific labeling conditions. The diplomonads are a group of understudied eukaryotic flagellates whose most prominent member is the human pathogen Giardia intestinalis. Methods commonly used in other eukaryotic model systems often require special optimization in diplomonads due to the highly derived character of their cell biology. We have optimized a proximity labeling protocol using pea ascorbate peroxidase (APEX) as a reporter for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to enable the study of ultrastructural cellular details in diplomonads. Currently available TEM-compatible tags require light-induced activation (1, 2) or are inactive in many cellular compartments (3), while ascorbate peroxidase has not been shown to have those limitations. Here, we have optimized the in vivo activities of two versions of pea ascorbate peroxidase (APXW41F and APEX) using the diplomonad fish parasite Spironucleus salmonicida, a relative of G. intestinalis. We exploited the well-known peroxidase substrates, Amplex UltraRed and 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB), to validate the activity of the two tags and argue that APEX is the most stable version to use in Spironucleus salmonicida. Next, we fused APEX to proteins with established localization to evaluate the activity of APEX in different cellular compartments of the diplomonad cell and used Amplex UltraRed as well as antibodies along with superresolution microscopy to confirm the protein-APEX localization. The ultrastructural details of protein-APEX fusions were determined by TEM, and we observed marker activity in all cellular compartments tested when using the DAB substrate. Finally, we show that the optimized conditions established for S. salmonicida can be used in the related diplomonad G. intestinalis. IMPORTANCE The function of many proteins is intrinsically related to their cellular location. Novel methods for ascertainment of the ultrastructural location of proteins have been introduced in recent years, but their implementation in protists has so far not been readily realized. Here, we present an optimized proximity labeling protocol using the APEX system in the salmon pathogen Spironucleus salmonicida. This protocol was also applicable to the human pathogen Giardia intestinalis. Both organisms required extraneous addition of hemin to the growth medium to enable detectable peroxidase activity. Further, we saw no inherent limitation in labeling efficiency coupled to the cellular compartment, as evident with some other proximity labeling systems. We anticipate that the APEX proximity labeling system might offer a great resource to establish the ultrastructural localization of proteins across genetically tractable protists but might require organism-specific labeling conditions.
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Makki A, Rada P, Žárský V, Kereïche S, Kováčik L, Novotný M, Jores T, Rapaport D, Tachezy J. Triplet-pore structure of a highly divergent TOM complex of hydrogenosomes in Trichomonas vaginalis. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000098. [PMID: 30608924 PMCID: PMC6334971 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria originated from proteobacterial endosymbionts, and their transition to organelles was tightly linked to establishment of the protein import pathways. The initial import of most proteins is mediated by the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM). Although TOM is common to all forms of mitochondria, an unexpected diversity of subunits between eukaryotic lineages has been predicted. However, experimental knowledge is limited to a few organisms, and so far, it remains unsettled whether the triplet-pore or the twin-pore structure is the generic form of TOM complex. Here, we analysed the TOM complex in hydrogenosomes, a metabolically specialised anaerobic form of mitochondria found in the excavate Trichomonas vaginalis. We demonstrate that the highly divergent β-barrel T. vaginalis TOM (TvTom)40-2 forms a translocation channel to conduct hydrogenosomal protein import. TvTom40-2 is present in high molecular weight complexes, and their analysis revealed the presence of four tail-anchored (TA) proteins. Two of them, Tom36 and Tom46, with heat shock protein (Hsp)20 and tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains, can bind hydrogenosomal preproteins and most likely function as receptors. A third subunit, Tom22-like protein, has a short cis domain and a conserved Tom22 transmembrane segment but lacks a trans domain. The fourth protein, hydrogenosomal outer membrane protein 19 (Homp19) has no known homology. Furthermore, our data indicate that TvTOM is associated with sorting and assembly machinery (Sam)50 that is involved in β-barrel assembly. Visualisation of TvTOM by electron microscopy revealed that it forms three pores and has an unconventional skull-like shape. Although TvTOM seems to lack Tom7, our phylogenetic profiling predicted Tom7 in free-living excavates. Collectively, our results suggest that the triplet-pore TOM complex, composed of three conserved subunits, was present in the last common eukaryotic ancestor (LECA), while receptors responsible for substrate binding evolved independently in different eukaryotic lineages. The highly divergent outer membrane translocase (TOM) from the Trichomonas hydrogenosome (an organelle related to mitochondria) is composed of conserved core and lineage-specific subunits, and has an unconventional skull-like triplet-pore structure. Mitochondria carry out many vital functions in the eukaryotic cells, from energy metabolism to programmed cell death. These organelles descended from bacterial endosymbionts, and during their evolution, the cell established a mechanism to transport nuclear-encoded proteins into mitochondria. Embedded in the mitochondrial outer membrane is a molecular machine, known as the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) complex, that plays a key role in protein import and biogenesis of the organelle. Here, we provide evidence that the TOM complex of hydrogenosomes, a metabolically specialised anaerobic form of mitochondria in Trichomonas vaginalis, is composed of highly divergent core subunits and lineage-specific peripheral subunits. Despite the evolutionary distance, the T. vaginalis TOM (TvTOM) complex has a conserved triplet-pore structure but with a unique skull-like shape suggesting that the TOM in the early mitochondrion could have formed three pores. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the evolution and adaptation of protein import machinery in anaerobic forms of mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijith Makki
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Rada
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Žárský
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Sami Kereïche
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Kováčik
- Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marian Novotný
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tobias Jores
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Doron Rapaport
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
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11
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Lagunas-Rangel FA, Bermúdez-Cruz RM. Epigenetics in the early divergent eukaryotic Giardia duodenalis: An update. Biochimie 2019; 156:123-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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12
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Verma G, Surolia N. Centromere and its associated proteins-what we know about them in Plasmodium falciparum. IUBMB Life 2018; 70:732-742. [PMID: 29935010 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The complex life cycle of intracellular parasitic protozoans entails multiple rounds of DNA replication and mitosis followed by cytokinesis to release daughter parasites. To gain insights into mitotic events it is imperative to identify the biomarkers that constitute the chromosome segregation machinery in the parasite. Chromosomal loci called centromeres and their associated proteins play an essential role in accurate chromosome segregation. Although new information on the centromere-kinetochore proteins has been added to the existing pool of knowledge, a paucity of biomarkers for nuclear division prevents a global view of chromosome segregation mechanism in the malaria parasite. In Plasmodium falciparum, except CENH3 and CENP-C homologues, other centromere associated proteins responsible for centromere functions and kinetochore assembly are not known. The focus of this review is to summarize the current understanding on the centromere organization and its associated proteins in eukaryotes with the emerging information in P. falciparum. © 2018 IUBMB Life, 70(8):732-742, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Verma
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore, India.,W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Namita Surolia
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur, Bangalore, India
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13
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Simple and Complex Centromeric Satellites in Drosophila Sibling Species. Genetics 2018; 208:977-990. [PMID: 29305387 PMCID: PMC5844345 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.117.300620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Centromeres are the chromosomal sites of assembly for kinetochores, the protein complexes that attach to spindle fibers and mediate separation of chromosomes to daughter cells in mitosis and meiosis. In most multicellular organisms, centromeres comprise a single specific family of tandem repeats-often 100-400 bp in length-found on every chromosome, typically in one location within heterochromatin. Drosophila melanogaster is unusual in that the heterochromatin contains many families of mostly short (5-12 bp) tandem repeats, none of which appear to be present at all centromeres, and none of which are found only at centromeres. Although centromere sequences from a minichromosome have been identified and candidate centromere sequences have been proposed, the DNA sequences at native Drosophila centromeres remain unknown. Here we use native chromatin immunoprecipitation to identify the centromeric sequences bound by the foundational kinetochore protein cenH3, known in vertebrates as CENP-A. In D. melanogaster, these sequences include a few families of 5- and 10-bp repeats; but in closely related D. simulans, the centromeres comprise more complex repeats. The results suggest that a recent expansion of short repeats has replaced more complex centromeric repeats in D. melanogaster.
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14
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Erives AJ. Phylogenetic analysis of the core histone doublet and DNA topo II genes of Marseilleviridae: evidence of proto-eukaryotic provenance. Epigenetics Chromatin 2017; 10:55. [PMID: 29179736 PMCID: PMC5704553 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-017-0162-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While the genomes of eukaryotes and Archaea both encode the histone-fold domain, only eukaryotes encode the core histone paralogs H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. With DNA, these core histones assemble into the nucleosomal octamer underlying eukaryotic chromatin. Importantly, core histones for H2A and H3 are maintained as neofunctionalized paralogs adapted for general bulk chromatin (canonical H2 and H3) or specialized chromatin (H2A.Z enriched at gene promoters and cenH3s enriched at centromeres). In this context, the identification of core histone-like “doublets” in the cytoplasmic replication factories of the Marseilleviridae (MV) is a novel finding with possible relevance to understanding the origin of eukaryotic chromatin. Here, we analyze and compare the core histone doublet genes from all known MV genomes as well as other MV genes relevant to the origin of the eukaryotic replisome. Results Using different phylogenetic approaches, we show that MV histone domains encode obligate H2B-H2A and H4-H3 dimers of possible proto-eukaryotic origin. MV core histone moieties form sister clades to each of the four eukaryotic clades of canonical and variant core histones. This suggests that MV core histone moieties diverged prior to eukaryotic neofunctionalizations associated with paired linear chromosomes and variant histone octamer assembly. We also show that MV genomes encode a proto-eukaryotic DNA topoisomerase II enzyme that forms a sister clade to eukaryotes. This is a relevant finding given that DNA topo II influences histone deposition and chromatin compaction and is the second most abundant nuclear protein after histones. Conclusions The combined domain architecture and phylogenomic analyses presented here suggest that a primitive origin for MV histone genes is a more parsimonious explanation than horizontal gene transfers + gene fusions + sufficient divergence to eliminate relatedness to eukaryotic neofunctionalizations within the H2A and H3 clades without loss of relatedness to each of the four core histone clades. We thus suggest MV histone doublet genes and their DNA topo II gene possibly were acquired from an organism with a chromatinized replisome that diverged prior to the origin of eukaryotic core histone variants for H2/H2A.Z and H3/cenH3. These results also imply that core histones were utilized ancestrally in viral DNA compaction and/or protection from host endonucleases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13072-017-0162-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert J Erives
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242-1324, USA.
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15
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Salusso A, Zlocowski N, Mayol GF, Zamponi N, Rópolo AS. Histone methyltransferase 1 regulates the encystation process in the parasiteGiardia lamblia. FEBS J 2017; 284:2396-2409. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Agostina Salusso
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; INIMEC - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina
| | - Natacha Zlocowski
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; INIMEC - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina
| | - Gonzalo F. Mayol
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; INIMEC - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina
| | - Nahuel Zamponi
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; INIMEC - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina
| | - Andrea S. Rópolo
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; INIMEC - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina
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16
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van Hooff JJ, Tromer E, van Wijk LM, Snel B, Kops GJ. Evolutionary dynamics of the kinetochore network in eukaryotes as revealed by comparative genomics. EMBO Rep 2017. [PMID: 28642229 PMCID: PMC5579357 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201744102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During eukaryotic cell division, the sister chromatids of duplicated chromosomes are pulled apart by microtubules, which connect via kinetochores. The kinetochore is a multiprotein structure that links centromeres to microtubules, and that emits molecular signals in order to safeguard the equal distribution of duplicated chromosomes over daughter cells. Although microtubule‐mediated chromosome segregation is evolutionary conserved, kinetochore compositions seem to have diverged. To systematically inventory kinetochore diversity and to reconstruct its evolution, we determined orthologs of 70 kinetochore proteins in 90 phylogenetically diverse eukaryotes. The resulting ortholog sets imply that the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) possessed a complex kinetochore and highlight that current‐day kinetochores differ substantially. These kinetochores diverged through gene loss, duplication, and, less frequently, invention and displacement. Various kinetochore components co‐evolved with one another, albeit in different manners. These co‐evolutionary patterns improve our understanding of kinetochore function and evolution, which we illustrated with the RZZ complex, TRIP13, the MCC, and some nuclear pore proteins. The extensive diversity of kinetochore compositions in eukaryotes poses numerous questions regarding evolutionary flexibility of essential cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolien Je van Hooff
- Hubrecht Institute - KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Molecular Cancer Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eelco Tromer
- Hubrecht Institute - KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Leny M van Wijk
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Berend Snel
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Geert Jpl Kops
- Hubrecht Institute - KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Utrecht, The Netherlands .,Molecular Cancer Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Cancer Genomics Netherlands, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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17
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Evolutionary Lessons from Species with Unique Kinetochores. CENTROMERES AND KINETOCHORES 2017; 56:111-138. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-58592-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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18
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Carranza PG, Gargantini PR, Prucca CG, Torri A, Saura A, Svärd S, Lujan HD. Specific histone modifications play critical roles in the control of encystation and antigenic variation in the early-branching eukaryote Giardia lamblia. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2016; 81:32-43. [PMID: 27771437 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
During evolution, parasitic microorganisms have faced the challenges of adapting to different environments to colonize a variety of hosts. Giardia lamblia, a common cause of intestinal disease, has developed fascinating strategies to adapt both outside and inside its host's intestine, such as trophozoite differentiation into cyst and the switching of its major surface antigens. How gene expression is regulated during these adaptive processes remains undefined. Giardia lacks some typical eukaryotic features, like canonical transcription factors, linker histone H1, and complex promoter regions; suggesting that post-transcriptional and translational control of gene expression is essential for parasite survival. However, epigenetic factors may also play critical roles at the transcriptional level. Here, we describe the most common post-translational histone modifications; characterize enzymes involved in these reactions, and analyze their association with the Giardia's differentiation processes. We present evidence that NAD+-dependent and NAD+-independent histone deacetylases regulate encystation; however, a unique NAD+-independent histone deacetylase modulate antigenic switching. The rates of acetylation of H4K8 and H4K16 are critical for encystation, whereas a decrease in acetylation of H4K8 and methylation of H3K9 occur preferentially during antigenic variation. These results show the complexity of the mechanisms regulating gene expression in this minimalistic protozoan parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro G Carranza
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Pablo R Gargantini
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Argentina; Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Inmunología y Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIDIE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - César G Prucca
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alessandro Torri
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alicia Saura
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Argentina; Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Inmunología y Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIDIE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Staffan Svärd
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - Hugo D Lujan
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica de Córdoba, Argentina; Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Inmunología y Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIDIE), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina.
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19
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Markova K, Uzlikova M, Tumova P, Jirakova K, Hagen G, Kulda J, Nohynkova E. Absence of a conventional spindle mitotic checkpoint in the binucleated single-celled parasite Giardia intestinalis. Eur J Cell Biol 2016; 95:355-367. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
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20
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Gargantini PR, Serradell MDC, Ríos DN, Tenaglia AH, Luján HD. Antigenic variation in the intestinal parasite Giardia lamblia. Curr Opin Microbiol 2016; 32:52-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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21
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Drinnenberg IA, Henikoff S, Malik HS. Evolutionary Turnover of Kinetochore Proteins: A Ship of Theseus? Trends Cell Biol 2016; 26:498-510. [PMID: 26877204 PMCID: PMC4914419 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2016.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The kinetochore is a multiprotein complex that mediates the attachment of a eukaryotic chromosome to the mitotic spindle. The protein composition of kinetochores is similar across species as divergent as yeast and human. However, recent findings have revealed an unexpected degree of compositional diversity in kinetochores. For example, kinetochore proteins that are essential in some species have been lost in others, whereas new kinetochore proteins have emerged in other lineages. Even in lineages with similar kinetochore composition, individual kinetochore proteins have functionally diverged to acquire either essential or redundant roles. Thus, despite functional conservation, the repertoire of kinetochore proteins has undergone recurrent evolutionary turnover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines A Drinnenberg
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Current address: Chromatin Dynamics Unit, UMR2664, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Harmit S Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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22
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Tůmová P, Uzlíková M, Jurczyk T, Nohýnková E. Constitutive aneuploidy and genomic instability in the single-celled eukaryote Giardia intestinalis. Microbiologyopen 2016; 5:560-74. [PMID: 27004936 PMCID: PMC4985590 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardia intestinalis is an important single‐celled human pathogen. Interestingly, this organism has two equal‐sized transcriptionally active nuclei, each considered diploid. By evaluating condensed chromosome numbers and visualizing homologous chromosomes by fluorescent in situ hybridization, we determined that the Giardia cells are constitutively aneuploid. We observed karyotype inter‐and intra‐population heterogeneity in eight cell lines from two clinical isolates, suggesting constant karyotype evolution during in vitro cultivation. High levels of chromosomal instability and frequent mitotic missegregations observed in four cell lines correlated with a proliferative disadvantage and growth retardation. Other cell lines, although derived from the same clinical isolate, revealed a stable yet aneuploid karyotype. We suggest that both chromatid missegregations and structural rearrangements contribute to shaping the Giardia genome, leading to whole‐chromosome aneuploidy, unequal gene distribution, and a genomic divergence of the two nuclei within one cell. Aneuploidy in Giardia is further propagated without p53‐mediated cell cycle arrest and might have been a key mechanism in generating the genetic diversity of this human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavla Tůmová
- Department of Tropical Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Studnickova 7, Praha 2, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Magdalena Uzlíková
- Department of Tropical Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Studnickova 7, Praha 2, 12800, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Jurczyk
- Department of Probability and Mathematical Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Nohýnková
- Department of Tropical Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Studnickova 7, Praha 2, 12800, Czech Republic
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23
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Drinnenberg IA, deYoung D, Henikoff S, Malik HS. Recurrent loss of CenH3 is associated with independent transitions to holocentricity in insects. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 25247700 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03676.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation in all eukaryotes relies on centromeres, the chromosomal sites that recruit kinetochore proteins and mediate spindle attachment during cell division. The centromeric histone H3 variant, CenH3, is the defining chromatin component of centromeres in most eukaryotes, including animals, fungi, plants, and protists. In this study, using detailed genomic and transcriptome analyses, we show that CenH3 was lost independently in at least four lineages of insects. Each of these lineages represents an independent transition from monocentricity (centromeric determinants localized to a single chromosomal region) to holocentricity (centromeric determinants extended over the entire chromosomal length) as ancient as 300 million years ago. Holocentric insects therefore contain a CenH3-independent centromere, different from almost all the other eukaryotes. We propose that ancient transitions to holocentricity in insects obviated the need to maintain CenH3, which is otherwise essential in most eukaryotes, including other holocentrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines A Drinnenberg
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Dakota deYoung
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Harmit Singh Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
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24
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Drinnenberg IA, deYoung D, Henikoff S, Malik HS. Recurrent loss of CenH3 is associated with independent transitions to holocentricity in insects. eLife 2014; 3:e03676. [PMID: 25247700 PMCID: PMC4359364 DOI: 10.7554/elife.03676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Faithful chromosome segregation in all eukaryotes relies on centromeres, the chromosomal sites that recruit kinetochore proteins and mediate spindle attachment during cell division. The centromeric histone H3 variant, CenH3, is the defining chromatin component of centromeres in most eukaryotes, including animals, fungi, plants, and protists. In this study, using detailed genomic and transcriptome analyses, we show that CenH3 was lost independently in at least four lineages of insects. Each of these lineages represents an independent transition from monocentricity (centromeric determinants localized to a single chromosomal region) to holocentricity (centromeric determinants extended over the entire chromosomal length) as ancient as 300 million years ago. Holocentric insects therefore contain a CenH3-independent centromere, different from almost all the other eukaryotes. We propose that ancient transitions to holocentricity in insects obviated the need to maintain CenH3, which is otherwise essential in most eukaryotes, including other holocentrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines A Drinnenberg
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Dakota deYoung
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Steven Henikoff
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Harmit Singh Malik
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
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25
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Structural organization of very small chromosomes: study on a single-celled evolutionary distant eukaryote Giardia intestinalis. Chromosoma 2014; 124:81-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s00412-014-0486-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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26
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Vranych CV, Rivero MR, Merino MC, Mayol GF, Zamponi N, Maletto BA, Pistoresi-Palencia MC, Touz MC, Rópolo AS. SUMOylation and deimination of proteins: two epigenetic modifications involved in Giardia encystation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2014; 1843:1805-17. [PMID: 24751693 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2014.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Revised: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
SUMOylation, a posttranslational modification of proteins, has been recently described as vital in eukaryotic cells. In a previous work, we analyzed the role of SUMO protein and the genes encoding the putative enzymes of the SUMOylation pathway in the parasite Giardia lamblia. Although we observed several SUMOylated proteins, only the enzyme Arginine Deiminase (ADI) was confirmed as a SUMOylated substrate. ADI is involved in the survival of the parasite and, besides its role in ATP production, it also catalyzes the modification of arginine residues to citrulline in the cytoplasmic tail of surface proteins. During encystation, however, ADI translocates to the nuclei and downregulates the expression of the Cyst Wall Protein 2 (CWP2). In this work, we made site-specific mutation of the ADI SUMOylation site (Lys101) and observed that transgenic trophozoites did not translocate to the nuclei at the first steps of encystation but shuttled in the nuclei late during this process through classic nuclear localization signals. Inside the nuclei, ADI acts as a peptidyl arginine deiminase, being probably involved in the downregulation of CWPs expression and cyst wall formation. Our results strongly indicate that ADI plays a regulatory role during encystation in which posttranslational modifications of proteins are key players.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia V Vranych
- Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María R Rivero
- Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María C Merino
- Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo F Mayol
- Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Nahuel Zamponi
- Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Belkys A Maletto
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, CIBICI-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, UNC, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María C Pistoresi-Palencia
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, CIBICI-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, UNC, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María C Touz
- Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea S Rópolo
- Laboratorio de Microbiología e Inmunología, Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
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27
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Melters DP, Paliulis LV, Korf IF, Chan SWL. Holocentric chromosomes: convergent evolution, meiotic adaptations, and genomic analysis. Chromosome Res 2012; 20:579-93. [PMID: 22766638 DOI: 10.1007/s10577-012-9292-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In most eukaryotes, the kinetochore protein complex assembles at a single locus termed the centromere to attach chromosomes to spindle microtubules. Holocentric chromosomes have the unusual property of attaching to spindle microtubules along their entire length. Our mechanistic understanding of holocentric chromosome function is derived largely from studies in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, but holocentric chromosomes are found over a broad range of animal and plant species. In this review, we describe how holocentricity may be identified through cytological and molecular methods. By surveying the diversity of organisms with holocentric chromosomes, we estimate that the trait has arisen at least 13 independent times (four times in plants and at least nine times in animals). Holocentric chromosomes have inherent problems in meiosis because bivalents can attach to spindles in a random fashion. Interestingly, there are several solutions that have evolved to allow accurate meiotic segregation of holocentric chromosomes. Lastly, we describe how extensive genome sequencing and experiments in nonmodel organisms may allow holocentric chromosomes to shed light on general principles of chromosome segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniël P Melters
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Talbert PB, Ahmad K, Almouzni G, Ausió J, Berger F, Bhalla PL, Bonner WM, Cande WZ, Chadwick BP, Chan SWL, Cross GAM, Cui L, Dimitrov SI, Doenecke D, Eirin-López JM, Gorovsky MA, Hake SB, Hamkalo BA, Holec S, Jacobsen SE, Kamieniarz K, Khochbin S, Ladurner AG, Landsman D, Latham JA, Loppin B, Malik HS, Marzluff WF, Pehrson JR, Postberg J, Schneider R, Singh MB, Smith MM, Thompson E, Torres-Padilla ME, Tremethick DJ, Turner BM, Waterborg JH, Wollmann H, Yelagandula R, Zhu B, Henikoff S. A unified phylogeny-based nomenclature for histone variants. Epigenetics Chromatin 2012; 5:7. [PMID: 22650316 PMCID: PMC3380720 DOI: 10.1186/1756-8935-5-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone variants are non-allelic protein isoforms that play key roles in diversifying chromatin structure. The known number of such variants has greatly increased in recent years, but the lack of naming conventions for them has led to a variety of naming styles, multiple synonyms and misleading homographs that obscure variant relationships and complicate database searches. We propose here a unified nomenclature for variants of all five classes of histones that uses consistent but flexible naming conventions to produce names that are informative and readily searchable. The nomenclature builds on historical usage and incorporates phylogenetic relationships, which are strong predictors of structure and function. A key feature is the consistent use of punctuation to represent phylogenetic divergence, making explicit the relationships among variant subtypes that have previously been implicit or unclear. We recommend that by default new histone variants be named with organism-specific paralog-number suffixes that lack phylogenetic implication, while letter suffixes be reserved for structurally distinct clades of variants. For clarity and searchability, we encourage the use of descriptors that are separate from the phylogeny-based variant name to indicate developmental and other properties of variants that may be independent of structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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Abstract
The parabasalid protist Trichomonas vaginalis is a widespread parasite that affects humans, frequently causing vaginitis in infected women. Trichomonad mitosis is marked by the persistence of the nuclear membrane and the presence of an asymmetric extranuclear spindle with no obvious direct connection to the chromosomes. No centromeric markers have been described in T. vaginalis, which has prevented a detailed analysis of mitotic events in this organism. In other eukaryotes, nucleosomes of centromeric chromatin contain the histone H3 variant CenH3. The principal aim of this work was to identify a CenH3 homolog in T. vaginalis. We performed a screen of the T. vaginalis genome to retrieve sequences of canonical and variant H3 histones. Three variant histone H3 proteins were identified, and the subcellular localization of their epitope-tagged variants was determined. The localization of the variant TVAG_185390 could not be distinguished from that of the canonical H3 histone. The sequence of the variant TVAG_087830 closely resembled that of histone H3. The tagged protein colocalized with sites of active transcription, indicating that the variant TVAG_087830 represented H3.3 in T. vaginalis. The third H3 variant (TVAG_224460) was localized to 6 or 12 distinct spots at the periphery of the nucleus, corresponding to the number of chromosomes in G(1) phase and G(2) phase, respectively. We propose that this variant represents the centromeric marker CenH3 and thus can be employed as a tool to study mitosis in T. vaginalis. Furthermore, we suggest that the peripheral distribution of CenH3 within the nucleus results from the association of centromeres with the nuclear envelope throughout the cell cycle.
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Histone variants: making structurally and functionally divergent nucleosomes and linkers in chromatin. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11515-011-1127-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Dubin M, Fuchs J, Gräf R, Schubert I, Nellen W. Dynamics of a novel centromeric histone variant CenH3 reveals the evolutionary ancestral timing of centromere biogenesis. Nucleic Acids Res 2010; 38:7526-37. [PMID: 20675719 PMCID: PMC2995078 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkq664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The centromeric histone H3 variant (CenH3) serves to target the kinetochore to the centromeres and thus ensures correct chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. The Dictyostelium H3-like variant H3v1 was identified as the CenH3 ortholog. Dictyostelium CenH3 has an extended N-terminal domain with no similarity to any other known proteins and a histone fold domain at its C-terminus. Within the histone fold, α-helix 2 (α2) and an extended loop 1 (L1) have been shown to be required for targeting CenH3 to centromeres. Compared to other known and putative CenH3 histones, Dictyostelium CenH3 has a shorter L1, suggesting that the extension is not an obligatory feature. Through ChIP analysis and fluorescence microscopy of live and fixed cells, we provide here the first survey of centromere structure in amoebozoa. The six telocentric centromeres were found to mostly consist of all the DIRS-1 elements and to associate with H3K9me3. During interphase, the centromeres remain attached to the centrosome forming a single CenH3-containing cluster. Loading of Dictyostelium CenH3 onto centromeres occurs at the G2/prophase transition, in contrast to the anaphase/telophase loading of CenH3 observed in metazoans. This suggests that loading during G2/prophase is the ancestral eukaryotic mechanism and that anaphase/telophase loading of CenH3 has evolved more recently after the amoebozoa diverged from the animal linage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manu Dubin
- Department of Genetics, University Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Strasse 40, 34132 Kassel, Germany
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Abstract
Histones wrap DNA to form nucleosome particles that compact eukaryotic genomes. Variant histones have evolved crucial roles in chromosome segregation, transcriptional regulation, DNA repair, sperm packaging and other processes. 'Universal' histone variants emerged early in eukaryotic evolution and were later displaced for bulk packaging roles by the canonical histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4), the synthesis of which is coupled to DNA replication. Further specializations of histone variants have evolved in some lineages to perform additional tasks. Differences among histone variants in their stability, DNA wrapping, specialized domains that regulate access to DNA, and post-translational modifications, underlie the diverse functions that histones have acquired in evolution.
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Sonda S, Morf L, Bottova I, Baetschmann H, Rehrauer H, Caflisch A, Hakimi MA, Hehl AB. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate stage differentiation in the minimized protozoan Giardia lamblia. Mol Microbiol 2010; 76:48-67. [PMID: 20132448 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07062.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Histone modification is an important mechanism regulating both gene expression and the establishment and maintenance of cellular phenotypes during development. Regulation of histone acetylation via histone acetylases and deacetylases (HDACs) appears to be particularly crucial in determining gene expression patterns. In this study we explored the effect of HDAC inhibition on the life cycle of the human pathogen Giardia lamblia, a highly reduced parasitic protozoan characterized by minimized cellular processes. We found that the HDAC inhibitor FR235222 increased the level of histone acetylation and induced transcriptional regulation of approximately 2% of genes in proliferating and encysting parasites. In addition, our analyses showed that the levels of histone acetylation decreased during differentiation into cysts, the infective stage of the parasite. Importantly, FR235222 treatment during encystation reversed this histone hypo-acetylation and potently blocked the formation of cysts. These results provide the first direct evidence for epigenetic regulation of gene expression in this simple eukaryote. This suggests that regulation of histone acetylation is involved in the control of Giardia stage differentiation, and identifies epigenetic mechanisms as a promising target to prevent Giardia transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Sonda
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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35
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Carranza PG, Lujan HD. New insights regarding the biology of Giardia lamblia. Microbes Infect 2010; 12:71-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2009.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2009] [Accepted: 09/15/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Abstract
Giardia intestinalis, a common parasitic protist, possesses a complex microtubule cytoskeleton critical for cellular function and transitioning between the cyst and trophozoite life cycle stages. The giardial microtubule cytoskeleton is comprised of highly dynamic and stable structures. Novel microtubule structures include the ventral disc that is essential for the parasite's attachment to the intestinal villi to avoid peristalsis. The completed Giardia genome combined with new molecular genetic tools and live imaging will aid in the characterization and analysis of cytoskeletal dynamics in Giardia. Fundamental areas of giardial cytoskeletal biology remain to be explored and knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of cytoskeletal functioning is needed to better understand Giardia's unique biology and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Dawson
- Department of Microbiology, One Shields Avenue, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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37
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Abstract
The long polycistronic transcription units of trypanosomes do not appear to be demarcated by the usual DNA motifs that punctuate transcription in familiar eukaryotes. In this issue of Genes & Development, Siegel and colleagues (pp. 1063-1076) describe a system for the demarcation of trypanosome transcription units based on the deposition and turnover of histone variants rather than on the binding of transcription factors. Replication-independent incorporation of histone variants and destabilization of nucleosomes is an emerging theme at promoters of more familiar eukaryotes, and it now appears that this system is an evolutionarily conserved mode of transcriptional punctuation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B Talbert
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA.
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Dawson SC, Pham JK, House SA, Slawson EE, Cronembold D, Cande WZ. Stable transformation of an episomal protein-tagging shuttle vector in the piscine diplomonad Spironucleus vortens. BMC Microbiol 2008; 8:71. [PMID: 18445284 PMCID: PMC2386477 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-8-71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2007] [Accepted: 04/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diplomonads are common free-living inhabitants of anoxic aquatic environments and are also found as intestinal commensals or parasites of a wide variety of animals. Spironucleus vortens is a putatively commensal diplomonad of angelfish that grows to high cell densities in axenic culture. Genomic sequencing of S. vortens is in progress, yet little information is available regarding molecular and cellular aspects of S. vortens biology beyond descriptive ultrastructural studies. To facilitate the development of S. vortens as an additional diplomonad experimental model, we have constructed and stably transformed an episomal plasmid containing an enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) tag, an AU1 epitope tag, and a tandem affinity purification (TAP) tag. This construct also contains selectable antibiotic resistance markers for both S. vortens and E. coli. Results Stable transformants of S. vortens grew relatively rapidly (within 7 days) after electroporation and were maintained under puromycin selection for over 6 months. We expressed the enhanced GFP variant, eGFP, under transcriptional control of the S. vortens histone H3 promoter, and visually confirmed diffuse GFP expression in over 50% of transformants. Next, we generated a histone H3::GFP fusion using the S. vortens conventional histone H3 gene and its native promoter. This construct was also highly expressed in the majority of S. vortens transformants, in which the H3::GFP fusion localized to the chromatin in both nuclei. Finally, we used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of the episomal plasmid to show that the transformed plasmid localized to only one nucleus/cell and was present at roughly 10–20 copies per nucleus. Because S. vortens grows to high densities in laboratory culture, it is a feasible diplomonad from which to purify native protein complexes. Thus, we also included a TAP tag in the plasmid constructs to permit future tagging and subsequent purification of protein complexes by affinity chromatography via a two-step purification procedure. Conclusion Currently, progress in protistan functional and comparative genomics is hampered by the lack of free-living or commensal protists in axenic culture, as well as a lack of molecular genetic tools with which to study protein function in these organisms. This stable transformation protocol combined with the forthcoming genome sequence allows Spironucleus vortens to serve as a new experimental model for cell biological studies and for comparatively assessing protein functions in related diplomonads such as the human intestinal parasite, Giardia intestinalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Dawson
- Department of Microbiology, 255 Briggs Hall, One Shields Ave,, UC-Davis Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Cooper MA, Adam RD, Worobey M, Sterling CR. Population genetics provides evidence for recombination in Giardia. Curr Biol 2007; 17:1984-8. [PMID: 17980591 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2007.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2007] [Revised: 10/04/2007] [Accepted: 10/05/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Giardia lamblia (syn. Giardia intestinalis, Giardia duodenalis) is an enteric protozoan parasite with two nuclei, and it might be one of the earliest branching eukaryotes. However, the discovery of at least rudimentary forms of certain features, such as Golgi and mitochondria, has refuted the proposal that its emergence from the eukaryotic lineage predated the development of certain eukaryotic features. The recent recognition of many of the genes known to be required for meiosis in the genome has also cast doubt on the idea that Giardia is primitively asexual, but so far there has been no direct evidence of sexual reproduction in Giardia, and population data have suggested clonal reproduction. We did a multilocus sequence evaluation of the genotype A2 reference strain, JH, and five genotype A2 isolates from a highly endemic area in Peru. Loci from different chromosomes yielded significantly different phylogenetic trees, indicating that they do not share the same evolutionary history; within individual loci, tests for recombination yielded significant statistical support for meiotic recombination. These observations provide genetic data supportive of sexual reproduction in Giardia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarethe A Cooper
- Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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Davids BJ, Williams S, Lauwaet T, Palanca T, Gillin FD. Giardia lamblia aurora kinase: a regulator of mitosis in a binucleate parasite. Int J Parasitol 2007; 38:353-69. [PMID: 17964578 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2007.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2007] [Revised: 08/21/2007] [Accepted: 08/23/2007] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Giardia lamblia is a major cause of diarrhoeal disease worldwide. Since it has no known toxin, the ability of trophozoites to colonise the human small intestine is required for its pathogenesis. Mitosis in this protozoan parasite is a unique challenge because its two equivalent nuclei and complex cytoskeleton must be duplicated and segregated accurately. Giardial mitosis is a complex and rapid event that is poorly understood at the cellular and molecular levels. Higher eukaryotes have one to three members of the highly conserved Ser/Thr aurora kinase (AK) family that regulate key aspects of mitosis and cytokinesis. Giardia has a single AK orthologue (gAK) with 61% similarity to human AK A. In addition to the conserved active site residues, activation loop and destruction-box motifs characteristic of AKs, gAK contains a unique insert near the active site region. We epitope-tagged gAK at its C-terminus and expressed it under its own promoter. During interphase, gAK localises exclusively to the nuclei, but is not phosphorylated as shown by lack of staining with an antibody specific to phosphorylated AK A (pAK). In contrast, during mitosis pAK localises to the basal bodies/centrosomes and co-localises with tubulin to the spindle. During specific stages of mitosis, giardial pAK also localised dynamically to cytoskeletal structures unique to Giardia: the paraflagellar dense rods of the anterior flagella and the median body, whose functions are unknown, as well as to the parent attachment disc. Two AK inhibitors significantly decreased giardial growth and increased the numbers of cells arrested in cytokinesis. These inhibitors appeared to increase microtubule nucleation and cell-ploidy. Our data show that gAK is phosphorylated in mitosis and suggest that it plays an important role in the Giardia cell cycle. The pleiotropic localisation of AK suggests that it may co-ordinate the reorganisation and segregation of tubulin-containing structures in mitosis. We believe this is the first report of a signalling protein regulating cell division in Giardia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Davids
- Department of Pathology, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California at San Diego, 214 Dickinson Street, San Diego, CA 92103-8416, USA.
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Dawson SC, Sagolla MS, Mancuso JJ, Woessner DJ, House SA, Fritz-Laylin L, Cande WZ. Kinesin-13 regulates flagellar, interphase, and mitotic microtubule dynamics in Giardia intestinalis. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2007; 6:2354-64. [PMID: 17766466 PMCID: PMC2168246 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00128-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Microtubule depolymerization dynamics in the spindle are regulated by kinesin-13, a nonprocessive kinesin motor protein that depolymerizes microtubules at the plus and minus ends. Here we show that a single kinesin-13 homolog regulates flagellar length dynamics, as well as other interphase and mitotic dynamics in Giardia intestinalis, a widespread parasitic diplomonad protist. Both green fluorescent protein-tagged kinesin-13 and EB1 (a plus-end tracking protein) localize to the plus ends of mitotic and interphase microtubules, including a novel localization to the eight flagellar tips, cytoplasmic anterior axonemes, and the median body. The ectopic expression of a kinesin-13 (S280N) rigor mutant construct caused significant elongation of the eight flagella with significant decreases in the median body volume and resulted in mitotic defects. Notably, drugs that disrupt normal interphase and mitotic microtubule dynamics also affected flagellar length in Giardia. Our study extends recent work on interphase and mitotic kinesin-13 functioning in metazoans to include a role in regulating flagellar length dynamics. We suggest that kinesin-13 universally regulates both mitotic and interphase microtubule dynamics in diverse microbial eukaryotes and propose that axonemal microtubules are subject to the same regulation of microtubule dynamics as other dynamic microtubule arrays. Finally, the present study represents the first use of a dominant-negative strategy to disrupt normal protein function in Giardia and provides important insights into giardial microtubule dynamics with relevance to the development of antigiardial compounds that target critical functions of kinesins in the giardial life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Dawson
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California-Berkeley, 341 LSA Bldg., Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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