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Shinde AP, Kučerová J, Dacks JB, Tachezy J. The retromer and retriever systems are conserved and differentially expanded in parabasalids. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261949. [PMID: 38884339 PMCID: PMC11267458 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Early endosomes sort transmembrane cargo either for lysosomal degradation or retrieval to the plasma membrane or the Golgi complex. Endosomal retrieval in eukaryotes is governed by the anciently homologous retromer or retriever complexes. Each comprises a core tri-protein subcomplex, membrane-deformation proteins and interacting partner complexes, together retrieving a variety of known cargo proteins. Trichomonas vaginalis, a sexually transmitted human parasite, uses the endomembrane system for pathogenesis. It has massively and selectively expanded its endomembrane protein complement, the evolutionary path of which has been largely unexplored. Our molecular evolutionary study of retromer, retriever and associated machinery in parabasalids and its free-living sister lineage of Anaeramoeba demonstrates specific expansion of the retromer machinery, contrasting with the retriever components. We also observed partial loss of the Commander complex and sorting nexins in Parabasalia but complete retention in Anaeramoeba. Notably, we identified putative parabasalid sorting nexin analogs. Finally, we report the first retriever protein localization in a non-metazoan group along with retromer protein localization in T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Prakash Shinde
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, 25242 Vestec, Czech Republic
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Biological Sciences,University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
| | - Jitka Kučerová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, 25242 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Joel Bryan Dacks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Department of Biological Sciences,University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G3, Canada
- Women and Children's Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Centre for Life's Origins and Evolution, Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, Darwin Building, 99-105 Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, 25242 Vestec, Czech Republic
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Barnett MJ, Pinheiro J, Keown JR, Biboy J, Gray J, Lucinescu IW, Vollmer W, Hirt RP, Simoes-Barbosa A, Goldstone DC. NlpC/P60 peptidoglycan hydrolases of Trichomonas vaginalis have complementary activities that empower the protozoan to control host-protective lactobacilli. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011563. [PMID: 37585473 PMCID: PMC10461829 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a human protozoan parasite that causes trichomoniasis, a prevalent sexually transmitted infection. Trichomoniasis is accompanied by a shift to a dysbiotic vaginal microbiome that is depleted of lactobacilli. Studies on co-cultures have shown that vaginal bacteria in eubiosis (e.g. Lactobacillus gasseri) have antagonistic effects on T. vaginalis pathogenesis, suggesting that the parasite might benefit from shaping the microbiome to dysbiosis (e.g. Gardnerella vaginalis among other anaerobes). We have recently shown that T. vaginalis has acquired NlpC/P60 genes from bacteria, expanding them to a repertoire of nine TvNlpC genes in two distinct clans, and that TvNlpCs of clan A are active against bacterial peptidoglycan. Here, we expand this characterization to TvNlpCs of clan B. In this study, we show that the clan organisation of NlpC/P60 genes is a feature of other species of Trichomonas, and that Histomonas meleagridis has sequences related to one clan. We characterized the 3D structure of TvNlpC_B3 alone and with the inhibitor E64 bound, probing the active site of these enzymes for the first time. Lastly, we demonstrated that TvNlpC_B3 and TvNlpC_B5 have complementary activities with the previously described TvNlpCs of clan A and that exogenous expression of these enzymes empower this mucosal parasite to take over populations of vaginal lactobacilli in mixed cultures. TvNlpC_B3 helps control populations of L. gasseri, but not of G. vaginalis, which action is partially inhibited by E64. This study is one of the first to show how enzymes produced by a mucosal protozoan parasite may contribute to a shift on the status of a microbiome, helping explain the link between trichomoniasis and vaginal dysbiosis. Further understanding of this process might have significant implications for treatments in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Barnett
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jully Pinheiro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jeremy R. Keown
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jacob Biboy
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Gray
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P. Hirt
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - David C. Goldstone
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
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3
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Rivera-Rivas LA, Arroyo R. Iron restriction increases the expression of a cytotoxic cysteine proteinase TvCP2 by a novel mechanism of tvcp2 mRNA alternative polyadenylation in Trichomonas vaginalis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2023; 1866:194935. [PMID: 37011833 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis TvCP2 (TVAG_057000) is a cytotoxic cysteine proteinase (CP) expressed under iron-limited conditions. This work aimed to identify one of the mechanisms of tvcp2 gene expression regulation by iron at the posttranscriptional level. We checked tvcp2 mRNA stability under both iron-restricted (IR) and high iron (HI) conditions in the presence of actinomycin D. Greater stability of the tvcp2 mRNA under the IR than in HI conditions was observed, as expected. In silico analysis of the 3' regulatory region showed the presence of two putative polyadenylation signals in the tvcp2 transcript. By 3'-RACE assays, we demonstrated the existence of two isoforms of the tvcp2 mRNA with different 3'-UTR that resulted in more TvCP2 protein under IR than in HI conditions detected by WB assays. Additionally, we searched for homologs of the trichomonad polyadenylation machinery by an in silico analysis in the genome database, TrichDB. 16 genes that encode proteins that could be part of the trichomonad polyadenylation machinery were found. qRT-PCR assays showed that most of these genes were positively regulated by iron. Thus, our results show the presence of alternative polyadenylation as a novel iron posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism in T. vaginalis for the tvcp2 gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Alberto Rivera-Rivas
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Rossana Arroyo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Mexico City, Mexico.
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4
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Hsu HM, Yang YY, Huang YH, Chu CH, Tu TJ, Wu YT, Chiang CJ, Yang SB, Hsu DK, Liu FT, Tai JH. Distinct features of the host-parasite interactions between nonadherent and adherent Trichomonas vaginalis isolates. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011016. [PMID: 36595499 PMCID: PMC9810166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytoadherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to human vaginal epithelial cells (hVECs) was previously shown to involve surface lipoglycans and several reputed adhesins on the parasite. Herein, we report some new observations on the host-parasite interactions of adherent versus nonadherent T. vaginalis isolates to hVECs. The binding of the TH17 adherent isolate to hVECs exhibited an initial discrete phase followed by an aggregation phase inhibited by lactose. T. vaginalis infection immediately induced surface expression of galectin-1 and -3, with extracellular amounts in the spent medium initially decreasing and then increasing thereafter over the next 60 min. Extracellular galectin-1 and -3 were detected on the parasite surface but only the TH17 adherent isolate could uptake galectin-3 via the lysosomes. Only the adherent isolate could morphologically transform from the round-up flagellate with numerous transient protrusions into a flat amoeboid form on contact with the solid surface. Cytochalasin D challenge revealed that actin organization was essential to parasite morphogenesis and cytoadherence. Real-time microscopy showed that parasite exploring and anchoring on hVECs via the axostyle may be required for initial cytoadherence. Together, the parasite cytoskeleton behaviors may collaborate with cell surface adhesion molecules for cytoadherence. The nonadherent isolate migrated faster than the adherent isolate, with motility transiently increasing in the presence of hVECs. Meanwhile, differential histone acetylation was detected between the two isolates. Also, TH17 without Mycoplasma symbiosis suggests that symbiont might not determine TH17 innate cytoadherence. Our findings regarding distinctive host-parasite interactions of the isolates may provide novel insights into T. vaginalis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Ming Hsu
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
| | - Yen-Yu Yang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Hsin Huang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hsin Chu
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Jui Tu
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ting Wu
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- High School Talent Student in Life Science Project at Academia Sinica and Taipei Municipal Chenggong High School, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chu-Jen Chiang
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- High School Talent Student in Life Science Project at Academia Sinica and Taipei Municipal Chenggong High School, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Bing Yang
- Division of Neuroscience, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Daniel K. Hsu
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Fu-Tong Liu
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California, United States of America
| | - Jung-Hsiang Tai
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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Innovative Hybrid-Alignment Annotation Method for Bioinformatics Identification and Functional Verification of a Novel Nitric Oxide Synthase in Trichomonas vaginalis. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081210. [PMID: 36009837 PMCID: PMC9404748 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Both the annotation and identification of genes in pathogenic parasites remain challenging. As a survival factor, nitric oxide (NO) has been proven to be synthesized in Trichomonas vaginalis (TV). However, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has not yet been annotated in the TV genome. By aligning whole coding sequences of TV against a thousand sequences of known proteins from other organisms via the Smith–Waterman and Needleman–Wunsch algorithms, we developed a witness-to-suspect strategy to identify incorrectly annotated genes in TV. A novel NOS of TV (TV NOS) with a high witness-to-suspect ratio, which was originally annotated as a hydrogenase in the NCBI database, was successfully identified. We then performed in silico modeling of the protein structure and the molecular docking of all cofactors (NADPH, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), heme and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)), cloned the gene, expressed and purified the protein, and ultimately performed mass spectrometry analysis and enzymatic activity assays. We clearly showed that although the predicted structure of TV NOS is not similar to that of NOS proteins of other species, all cofactor-binding motifs can interact with their ligands with high affinities. Most importantly, the purified protein is a functional NOS, as it has a high enzymatic activity for generating NO in vitro. This study provides an innovative approach to identify incorrectly annotated genes. Abstract Both the annotation and identification of genes in pathogenic parasites are still challenging. Although, as a survival factor, nitric oxide (NO) has been proven to be synthesized in Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) has not yet been annotated in the TV genome. We developed a witness-to-suspect strategy to identify incorrectly annotated genes in TV via the Smith–Waterman and Needleman–Wunsch algorithms through in-depth and repeated alignment of whole coding sequences of TV against thousands of sequences of known proteins from other organisms. A novel NOS of TV (TV NOS), which was annotated as hydrogenase in the NCBI database, was successfully identified; this TV NOS had a high witness-to-suspect ratio and contained all the NOS cofactor-binding motifs (NADPH, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), heme and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) motifs). To confirm this identification, we performed in silico modeling of the protein structure and cofactor docking, cloned the gene, expressed and purified the protein, performed mass spectrometry analysis, and ultimately performed an assay to measure enzymatic activity. Our data showed that although the predicted structure of the TV NOS protein was not similar to the structure of NOSs of other species, all cofactor-binding motifs could interact with their ligands with high affinities. We clearly showed that the purified protein had high enzymatic activity for generating NO in vitro. This study provides an innovative approach to identify incorrectly annotated genes in TV and highlights a novel NOS that might serve as a virulence factor of TV.
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Lorenzo-Benito S, Rivera-Rivas LA, Sánchez-Ayala L, Ortega-López J, Montes-Flores O, Talamás-Lara D, Arroyo R. Omics Analyses of Trichomonas vaginalis Actin and Tubulin and Their Participation in Intercellular Interactions and Cytokinesis. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13061067. [PMID: 35741829 PMCID: PMC9222396 DOI: 10.3390/genes13061067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Actin and tubulin proteins from Trichomonas vaginalis are crucial for morphogenesis and mitosis. This parasite has 10 and 11 genes coding bonafide actin and tubulin proteins, respectively. Hence, the goal of this work was to analyze these actin and tubulin genes, their expression at the mRNA and protein levels, and their parasite localization in intercellular interaction and cytokinesis. Representative bonafide actin (tvact1) and tubulin (tvtubα1) genes were cloned into and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant proteins TvACT1r and TvTUBα1r were affinity purified and used as antigens to produce polyclonal antibodies. These antibodies were used in 1DE and 2DE WB and indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA). By IFA, actin was detected as a ring on the periphery of ameboid, ovoid, and cold-induced cyst-like parasites, on pseudopods of amoeboid parasites, and in cytoplasmic extensions (filopodia) in cell–cell interactions. Tubulin was detected in the axostyle, flagellum, undulating membrane, and paradesmose during mitosis. Paradesmose was observed by IFA mainly during cytokinesis. By scanning electron microscopy, a tubulin-containing nanotubular structure similar to the tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) was also detected in the last stage of cytokinesis. In conclusion, actin and tubulin are multigene families differentially expressed that play important roles in intercellular interactions and cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Lorenzo-Benito
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN #2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City CP 07360, Mexico; (S.L.-B.); (L.A.R.-R.); (L.S.-A.); (D.T.-L.)
| | - Luis Alberto Rivera-Rivas
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN #2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City CP 07360, Mexico; (S.L.-B.); (L.A.R.-R.); (L.S.-A.); (D.T.-L.)
| | - Lizbeth Sánchez-Ayala
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN #2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City CP 07360, Mexico; (S.L.-B.); (L.A.R.-R.); (L.S.-A.); (D.T.-L.)
| | - Jaime Ortega-López
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, CINVESTAV-IPN. Av. IPN #2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City CP 07360, Mexico; (J.O.-L.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Octavio Montes-Flores
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, CINVESTAV-IPN. Av. IPN #2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City CP 07360, Mexico; (J.O.-L.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Daniel Talamás-Lara
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN #2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City CP 07360, Mexico; (S.L.-B.); (L.A.R.-R.); (L.S.-A.); (D.T.-L.)
| | - Rossana Arroyo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN #2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City CP 07360, Mexico; (S.L.-B.); (L.A.R.-R.); (L.S.-A.); (D.T.-L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-55-5747-3342
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7
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Manny AR, Hetzel CA, Mizani A, Nibert ML. Discovery of a Novel Species of Trichomonasvirus in the Human Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis Using Transcriptome Mining. Viruses 2022; 14:548. [PMID: 35336955 PMCID: PMC8953718 DOI: 10.3390/v14030548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common non-viral cause of sexually transmitted infections globally. Infection by this protozoan parasite results in the clinical syndrome trichomoniasis, which manifests as an inflammatory disease with acute and chronic consequences. Half or more isolates of this parasite are themselves infected with one or more dsRNA viruses that can exacerbate the inflammatory syndrome. At least four distinct viruses have been identified in T. vaginalis to date, constituting species Trichomonas vaginalis virus 1 through Trichomonas vaginalis virus 4 in genus Trichomonasvirus. Despite the global prevalence of these viruses, few complete coding sequences have been reported. We conducted viral sequence mining in publicly available transcriptomes across 60 RNA-Seq accessions representing at least 13 distinct T. vaginalis isolates. The results led to sequence assemblies for 27 novel trichomonasvirus strains across all four recognized species. Using a strategy of de novo sequence assembly followed by taxonomic classification, we additionally discovered six strains of a newly identified fifth species, for which we propose the name Trichomonas vaginalis virus 5, also in genus Trichomonasvirus. These additional strains exhibit high sequence identity to each other, but low sequence identity to strains of the other four species. Phylogenetic analyses corroborate the species-level designations. These results substantially increase the number of trichomonasvirus genome sequences and demonstrate the utility of mining publicly available transcriptomes for virus discovery in a critical human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin R. Manny
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (A.R.M.); (C.A.H.); (A.M.)
- Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Carrie A. Hetzel
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (A.R.M.); (C.A.H.); (A.M.)
- Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Arshan Mizani
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (A.R.M.); (C.A.H.); (A.M.)
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Max L. Nibert
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (A.R.M.); (C.A.H.); (A.M.)
- Program in Virology, Division of Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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8
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Oxygen levels are key to understanding "Anaerobic" protozoan pathogens with micro-aerophilic lifestyles. Adv Microb Physiol 2021; 79:163-240. [PMID: 34836611 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Publications abound on the physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of "anaerobic" protozoal parasites as usually grown under "anaerobic" culture conditions. The media routinely used are poised at low redox potentials using techniques that remove O2 to "undetectable" levels in sealed containers. However there is growing understanding that these culture conditions do not faithfully resemble the O2 environments these organisms inhabit. Here we review for protists lacking oxidative energy metabolism, the oxygen cascade from atmospheric to intracellular concentrations and relevant methods of measurements of O2, some well-studied parasitic or symbiotic protozoan lifestyles, their homeodynamic metabolic and redox balances, organism-drug-oxygen interactions, and the present and future prospects for improved drugs and treatment regimes.
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9
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Identification of potential inhibitors of Trichomonas vaginalis iron-containing superoxide dismutase by computer-aided drug design approach. Struct Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11224-021-01766-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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10
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Peixoto JF, dos Santos DG, Ribeiro L, de Oliveira VSC, Nunes-da-Fonseca R, Nepomuceno-Silva JL. Establishment of suitable reference genes for studying relative gene expression during the transition from trophozoites to cyst-like stages and first evidences of stress-induced expression of meiotic genes in Trichomonas vaginalis. Parasitology 2021; 148:934-946. [PMID: 33827719 PMCID: PMC11010144 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021000585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasite of the human urogenital tract and the causative agent of trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease of worldwide importance. This parasite is usually found as a motile flagellated trophozoite. However, when subjected to stressful microenvironmental conditions, T. vaginalis trophozoites can differentiate into peculiar cyst-like stages, which exhibit notable physiological resistance to unfavourable conditions. Although well documented in morphological and proteomic terms, patterns of gene expression changes involved in the cellular differentiation into cyst-like stages are mostly unknown. The real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is recognized as a sensitive and accurate method for quantification of gene expression, providing fluorescence-based data that are proportional to the amount of a target RNA. However, the reliability of relative expression studies depends on the validation of suitable reference genes, which RNAs exhibit a minimum of variation between tested conditions. Here, we attempt to determine suitable reference genes to be used as controls of invariant expression during cold-induced in vitro differentiation of T. vaginalis trophozoites into cyst-like forms. Furthermore, we reveal that the mRNA from the meiotic recombinase Dmc1 is upregulated during this process, indicating that cryptic sexual events may take place in cyst-like stages of T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Figueiredo Peixoto
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda (LIBHM), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé/RJ, Brazil
| | - Daniele Graças dos Santos
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda (LIBHM), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé/RJ, Brazil
| | - Lupis Ribeiro
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais (LICM), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé/RJ, Brazil
| | - Vitor Silva Cândido de Oliveira
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda (LIBHM), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé/RJ, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Nunes-da-Fonseca
- Laboratório Integrado de Ciências Morfofuncionais (LICM), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé/RJ, Brazil
| | - José Luciano Nepomuceno-Silva
- Laboratório Integrado de Bioquímica Hatisaburo Masuda (LIBHM), Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade (NUPEM/UFRJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé/RJ, Brazil
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11
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Lizarraga A, Muñoz D, Strobl-Mazzulla PH, de Miguel N. Toward incorporating epigenetics into regulation of gene expression in the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:959-967. [PMID: 33599017 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is an extracellular parasite that colonizes the human urogenital tract, causing a highly prevalent sexually transmitted infection. The parasite must change its transcriptional profile in order to establish and maintain infection. However, few core regulatory elements and transcription factors have been identified to date and little is known about other mechanisms that may control these rapid changes in gene expression during parasite infection. In the last years, epigenetic mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression have been gaining major attention in this parasite. In this review, we summarize and discuss the major advances of the last few years with regard to epigenetics (DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, and histone variants) in the parasite T. vaginalis. These studies can shed light into our current understanding of this parasite's biology with far-reaching implications for the prognosis and treatment of trichomoniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayelen Lizarraga
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Daniela Muñoz
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Pablo H Strobl-Mazzulla
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Natalia de Miguel
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
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Unveiling the role of EVs in anaerobic parasitic protozoa. Mol Immunol 2021; 133:34-43. [PMID: 33621941 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The anaerobic or microaerophilic protozoan parasites such as the enteric human pathogens Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Blastocystis hominis and urogenital tract parasites Trichomonas vaginalis are able to survival in an environment with oxygen deprivation. Despite living in hostile environments these pathogens adopted different strategies to survive within the hosts. Among them, the release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) has become an active endeavor in the study of pathogenesis for these parasites. EVs are heterogenous, membrane-limited structures that have played important roles in cellular communication, transferring information through cargo and modulating the immune system of the host. In this review, we described several aspects of the recently characterized EVs of the anaerobic protozoa, including their role in adhesion, modulation of the immune response and omics analysis to understand the potential of these EVs in the pathogenesis of these diseases caused by anaerobic parasites.
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Byadgi O, Marroni F, Dirks R, Massimo M, Volpatti D, Galeotti M, Beraldo P. Transcriptome Analysis of Amyloodinium ocellatum Tomonts Revealed Basic Information on the Major Potential Virulence Factors. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11111252. [PMID: 33114415 PMCID: PMC7692099 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The ectoparasite protozoan Amyloodinium ocellatum (AO) is the etiological agent of amyloodiniosis in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) (ESB). There is a lack of information about basic molecular data on AO biology and its interaction with the host. Therefore, de novo transcriptome sequencing of AO tomonts was performed. AO trophonts were detached from infested ESB gills, and quickly becoming early tomonts were purified by Percoll® density gradient. Tomont total RNA was processed and quality was assessed immediately. cDNA libraries were constructed using TruSeq® Stranded mRNA kit and sequenced using Illumina sequencer. CLC assembly was used to generate the Transcriptome assembly of AO tomonts. Out of 48,188 contigs, 56.12% belong to dinophyceae wherein Symbiodinium microadriaticum had 94.61% similarity among dinophyceae. Functional annotations of contigs indicated that 12,677 had associated GO term, 9005 with KEGG term. The contigs belonging to dinophyceae resulted in the detection of several peptidases. A BLAST search for known virulent factors from the virulence database resulted in hits to Rab proteins, AP120, Ribosomal phosphoprotein, Heat-shock protein70, Casein kinases, Plasmepsin IV, and Brucipain. Hsp70 and casein kinase II alpha were characterized in-silico. Altogether, these results provide a reference database in understanding AO molecular biology, aiding to the development of novel diagnostics and future vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omkar Byadgi
- Section of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (M.M.); (D.V.); (M.G.); (P.B.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0432-558197
| | - Fabio Marroni
- Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italy;
- IGA Technology Services, Via Jacopo Linussio, 51, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Ron Dirks
- Future Genomics Technologies B.V, 2333 Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Michela Massimo
- Section of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (M.M.); (D.V.); (M.G.); (P.B.)
| | - Donatella Volpatti
- Section of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (M.M.); (D.V.); (M.G.); (P.B.)
| | - Marco Galeotti
- Section of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (M.M.); (D.V.); (M.G.); (P.B.)
| | - Paola Beraldo
- Section of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences (DI4A), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy; (M.M.); (D.V.); (M.G.); (P.B.)
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Adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to SiHa Cells is Inhibited by Diphenyleneiodonium. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8101570. [PMID: 33066000 PMCID: PMC7600062 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8101570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial adhesion is critical for parasitic infection and colonization of host cells. To study the host–parasite interaction in vitro, we established a flow cytometry-based assay to measure the adherence of Trichomonas vaginalis to epithelial cell line SiHa. SiHa cells and T. vaginalis were detected as clearly separated, quantifiable populations by flow cytometry. We found that T. vaginalis attached to SiHa cells as early as 30 min after infection and the binding remained stable up to several hours, allowing for analysis of drug treatment efficacy. Importantly, NADPH oxidase inhibitor DPI treatment induced the detachment of T. vaginalis from SiHa cells in a dose-dependent manner without affecting host cell viability. Thus, this study may provide an understanding for the potential development of therapies against T. vaginalis and other parasite infections.
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15
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Nievas YR, Lizarraga A, Salas N, Cóceres VM, Miguel N. Extracellular vesicles released by anaerobic protozoan parasites: Current situation. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13257. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yesica Romina Nievas
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET‐UNSAM Chascomús Argentina
| | - Ayelen Lizarraga
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET‐UNSAM Chascomús Argentina
| | - Nehuen Salas
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET‐UNSAM Chascomús Argentina
| | - Verónica Mabel Cóceres
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET‐UNSAM Chascomús Argentina
| | - Natalia Miguel
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), CONICET‐UNSAM Chascomús Argentina
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Adenine DNA methylation, 3D genome organization, and gene expression in the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13033-13043. [PMID: 32461362 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917286117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted parasite that colonizes the human urogenital tract causing infections that range from asymptomatic to highly inflammatory. Recent works have highlighted the importance of histone modifications in the regulation of transcription and parasite pathogenesis. However, the nature of DNA methylation in the parasite remains unexplored. Using a combination of immunological techniques and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), we analyzed the abundance of DNA methylation in strains with differential pathogenicity demonstrating that N6-methyladenine (6mA), and not 5-methylcytosine (5mC), is the main DNA methylation mark in T. vaginalis Genome-wide distribution of 6mA reveals that this mark is enriched at intergenic regions, with a preference for certain superfamilies of DNA transposable elements. We show that 6mA in T. vaginalis is associated with silencing when present on genes. Interestingly, bioinformatics analysis revealed the presence of transcriptionally active or repressive intervals flanked by 6mA-enriched regions, and results from chromatin conformation capture (3C) experiments suggest these 6mA flanked regions are in close spatial proximity. These associations were disrupted when parasites were treated with the demethylation activator ascorbic acid. This finding revealed a role for 6mA in modulating three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure and gene expression in this divergent member of the Excavata.
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17
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Auletta S, Caravan W, Persaud JK, Thuilot SF, Brown DG, Parkin DW, Stockman BJ. Discovery of Ligand-Efficient Scaffolds for the Design of Novel Trichomonas vaginalis Uridine Nucleoside Ribohydrolase Inhibitors Using Fragment Screening. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:16226-16232. [PMID: 31592163 PMCID: PMC6777076 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b02472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Trichomoniasis is caused by the parasitic protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis. The increasing prevalence of strains resistant to the current 5-nitroimidazole treatments creates the need for novel therapies. T. vaginalis cannot synthesize purine and pyrimidine rings and requires salvage pathway enzymes to obtain them from host nucleosides. The uridine nucleoside ribohydrolase was screened using an 19F NMR-based activity assay against a 2000-compound fragment diversity library. Several series of inhibitors were identified including scaffolds based on acetamides, cyclic ureas or ureas, pyridines, and pyrrolidines. A number of potent singleton compounds were identified, as well. Eighteen compounds with IC50 values of 20 μM or lower were identified, including some with ligand efficiency values of 0.5 or greater. Detergent and jump-dilution counter screens validated all scaffold classes as target-specific, reversible inhibitors. Identified scaffolds differ substantially from 5-nitroimidazoles. Medicinal chemistry using the structure-activity relationship emerging from the fragment hits is being pursued to discover nanomolar inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Auletta
- Department
of Chemistry, Adelphi University, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, Unites States
| | - Wagma Caravan
- Department
of Chemistry, Adelphi University, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, Unites States
| | - Julia K. Persaud
- Department
of Chemistry, Adelphi University, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, Unites States
| | - Samantha F. Thuilot
- Department
of Chemistry, Adelphi University, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, Unites States
| | - Dean G. Brown
- Hit
Discovery, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech
Unit, AstraZeneca, 35
Gatehouse Drive, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - David W. Parkin
- Department
of Chemistry, Adelphi University, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, Unites States
| | - Brian J. Stockman
- Department
of Chemistry, Adelphi University, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530, Unites States
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Zimorski V, Mentel M, Tielens AGM, Martin WF. Energy metabolism in anaerobic eukaryotes and Earth's late oxygenation. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:279-294. [PMID: 30935869 PMCID: PMC6856725 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotes arose about 1.6 billion years ago, at a time when oxygen levels were still very low on Earth, both in the atmosphere and in the ocean. According to newer geochemical data, oxygen rose to approximately its present atmospheric levels very late in evolution, perhaps as late as the origin of land plants (only about 450 million years ago). It is therefore natural that many lineages of eukaryotes harbor, and use, enzymes for oxygen-independent energy metabolism. This paper provides a concise overview of anaerobic energy metabolism in eukaryotes with a focus on anaerobic energy metabolism in mitochondria. We also address the widespread assumption that oxygen improves the overall energetic state of a cell. While it is true that ATP yield from glucose or amino acids is increased in the presence of oxygen, it is also true that the synthesis of biomass costs thirteen times more energy per cell in the presence of oxygen than in anoxic conditions. This is because in the reaction of cellular biomass with O2, the equilibrium lies very far on the side of CO2. The absence of oxygen offers energetic benefits of the same magnitude as the presence of oxygen. Anaerobic and low oxygen environments are ancient. During evolution, some eukaryotes have specialized to life in permanently oxic environments (life on land), other eukaryotes have remained specialized to low oxygen habitats. We suggest that the Km of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase of 0.1-10 μM for O2, which corresponds to about 0.04%-4% (avg. 0.4%) of present atmospheric O2 levels, reflects environmental O2 concentrations that existed at the time that the eukaryotes arose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Zimorski
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Marek Mentel
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, 851 04, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Aloysius G M Tielens
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - William F Martin
- Institute of Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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19
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Handrich MR, Garg SG, Sommerville EW, Hirt RP, Gould SB. Characterization of the BspA and Pmp protein family of trichomonads. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:406. [PMID: 31426868 PMCID: PMC6701047 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3660-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Trichomonas vaginalis is a human-infecting trichomonad and as such the best studied and the only for which the full genome sequence is available considering its parasitic lifestyle, T. vaginalis encodes an unusually high number of proteins. Many gene families are massively expanded and some genes are speculated to have been acquired from prokaryotic sources. Among the latter are two gene families that harbour domains which share similarity with proteins of Bacteroidales/Spirochaetales and Chlamydiales: the BspA and the Pmp proteins, respectively. Results We sequenced the transcriptomes of five trichomonad species and screened for the presence of BspA and Pmp domain-containing proteins and characterized individual candidate proteins from both families in T. vaginalis. Here, we demonstrate that (i) BspA and Pmp domain-containing proteins are universal to trichomonads, but specifically expanded in T. vaginalis; (ii) in line with a concurrent expansion of the endocytic machinery, there is a high number of BspA and Pmp proteins which carry C-terminal endocytic motifs; and (iii) both families traffic through the ER and have the ability to increase adhesion performance in a non-virulent T. vaginalis strain and Tetratrichomonas gallinarum by a so far unknown mechanism. Conclusions Our results initiate the functional characterization of these two broadly distributed protein families and help to better understand the origin and evolution of BspA and Pmp domains in trichomonads. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3660-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria R Handrich
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sriram G Garg
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ewen W Sommerville
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Robert P Hirt
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Sven B Gould
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Rada P, Kellerová P, Verner Z, Tachezy J. Investigation of the Secretory Pathway inTrichomonas vaginalisArgues against a Moonlighting Function of Hydrogenosomal Enzymes. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2019; 66:899-910. [DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Petr Rada
- Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University, BIOCEV Průmyslová 595 Vestec 25242 Czech Republic
| | - Pavlína Kellerová
- Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University, BIOCEV Průmyslová 595 Vestec 25242 Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Verner
- Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University, BIOCEV Průmyslová 595 Vestec 25242 Czech Republic
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Department of Parasitology Faculty of Science Charles University, BIOCEV Průmyslová 595 Vestec 25242 Czech Republic
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A Novel Cadherin-like Protein Mediates Adherence to and Killing of Host Cells by the Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00720-19. [PMID: 31088924 PMCID: PMC6520450 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00720-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis, a prevalent sexually transmitted parasite, adheres to and induces cytolysis of human mucosal epithelial cells. We have characterized a hypothetical protein, TVAG_393390, with predicted tertiary structure similar to that of mammalian cadherin proteins involved in cell-cell adherence. TVAG_393390, renamed cadherin-like protein (CLP), contains a calcium-binding site at a position conserved in cadherins. CLP is surface localized, and its mRNA and protein levels are significantly upregulated upon parasite adherence to host cells. To test the roles of CLP and its calcium-binding dependency during host cell adherence, we first demonstrated that wild-type CLP (CLP) binds calcium with a high affinity, whereas the calcium-binding site mutant protein (CLP-mut) does not. CLP and CLP-mut constructs were then used to overexpress these proteins in T. vaginalis Parasites overexpressing CLP have ∼3.5-fold greater adherence to host cells than wild-type parasites, and this increased adherence is ablated by mutating the calcium-binding site. Additionally, competition with recombinant CLP decreased parasite binding to host cells. We also found that overexpression of CLP induced parasite aggregation which was further enhanced in the presence of calcium, whereas CLP-mut overexpression did not affect aggregation. Lastly, parasites overexpressing wild-type CLP induced killing of host cells ∼2.35-fold, whereas parasites overexpressing CLP-mut did not have this effect. These analyses describe the first parasitic CLP and demonstrate a role for this protein in mediating parasite-parasite and host-parasite interactions. T. vaginalis CLP may represent convergent evolution of a parasite protein that is functionally similar to the mammalian cell adhesion protein cadherin, which contributes to parasite pathogenesis.IMPORTANCE The adherence of pathogens to host cells is critical for colonization of the host and establishing infection. Here we identify a protein with no known function that is more abundant on the surface of parasites that are better at binding host cells. To interrogate a predicted function of this protein, we utilized bioinformatic protein prediction programs which allowed us to uncover the first cadherin-like protein (CLP) found in a parasite. Cadherin proteins are conserved metazoan proteins with central roles in cell-cell adhesion, development, and tissue structure maintenance. Functional characterization of this CLP from the unicellular parasite Trichomonas vaginalis demonstrated that the protein mediates both parasite-parasite and parasite-host adherence, which leads to an enhanced killing of host cells by T. vaginalis Our findings demonstrate the presence of CLPs in unicellular pathogens and identify a new host cell binding protein family in a human-infective parasite.
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22
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Stairs CW, Kokla A, Ástvaldsson Á, Jerlström-Hultqvist J, Svärd S, Ettema TJG. Oxygen induces the expression of invasion and stress response genes in the anaerobic salmon parasite Spironucleus salmonicida. BMC Biol 2019; 17:19. [PMID: 30823887 PMCID: PMC6397501 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0634-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Spironucleus salmonicida is an anaerobic parasite that can cause systemic infections in Atlantic salmon. Unlike other diplomonad parasites, such as the human pathogen Giardia intestinalis, Spironucleus species can infiltrate the blood stream of their hosts eventually colonizing organs, skin and gills. How this presumed anaerobe can persist and invade oxygenated tissues, despite having a strictly anaerobic metabolism, remains elusive. Results To investigate how S. salmonicida response to oxygen stress, we performed RNAseq transcriptomic analyses of cells grown in the presence of oxygen or antioxidant-free medium. We found that over 20% of the transcriptome is differentially regulated in oxygen (1705 genes) and antioxidant-depleted (2280 genes) conditions. These differentially regulated transcripts encode proteins related to anaerobic metabolism, cysteine and Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, as well as a large number of proteins of unknown function. S. salmonicida does not encode genes involved in the classical elements of oxygen metabolism (e.g., catalases, superoxide dismutase, glutathione biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation). Instead, we found that genes encoding bacterial-like oxidoreductases were upregulated in response to oxygen stress. Phylogenetic analysis revealed some of these oxygen-responsive genes (e.g., nadh oxidase, rubrerythrin, superoxide reductase) are rare in eukaryotes and likely derived from lateral gene transfer (LGT) events into diplomonads from prokaryotes. Unexpectedly, we observed that many host evasion- and invasion-related genes were also upregulated under oxidative stress suggesting that oxygen might be an important signal for pathogenesis. Conclusion While oxygen is toxic for related organisms, such as G. intestinalis, we find that oxygen is likely a gene induction signal for host invasion- and evasion-related pathways in S. salmonicida. These data provide the first molecular evidence for how S. salmonicida could tolerate oxic host environments and demonstrate how LGT can have a profound impact on the biology of anaerobic parasites. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12915-019-0634-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Anna Kokla
- Present Address: Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Almas Allé 5, BioCentrum, room D-444, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ásgeir Ástvaldsson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jon Jerlström-Hultqvist
- Present Address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Staffan Svärd
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Wundenberg T, Nalaskowski MM, Löser B, Fanick W, Hackl T, Fürnkranz U, Rehbach C, Lin H, Mayr GW. A novel 6-pyrophosphorylating IP6 kinase (IP6-6K) discovered in the protozoon Trichomonas vaginalis. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2019; 227:53-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Pinheiro J, Biboy J, Vollmer W, Hirt RP, Keown JR, Artuyants A, Black MM, Goldstone DC, Simoes-Barbosa A. The Protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis Targets Bacteria with Laterally Acquired NlpC/P60 Peptidoglycan Hydrolases. mBio 2018; 9:e01784-18. [PMID: 30538181 PMCID: PMC6299479 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01784-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The human eukaryotic pathogen Trichomonas vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, a prevalent sexually transmitted infection. This extracellular protozoan is intimately associated with the human vaginal mucosa and microbiota, but key aspects of the complex interactions between the parasite and the vaginal bacteria remain elusive. We report that T. vaginalis has acquired, by lateral gene transfer from bacteria, genes encoding peptidoglycan hydrolases of the NlpC/P60 family. Two of the T. vaginalis enzymes were active against bacterial peptidoglycan, retaining the active-site fold and specificity as dl-endopeptidases. The endogenous NlpC/P60 genes are transcriptionally upregulated in T. vaginalis in the presence of bacteria. The overexpression of an exogenous copy enables the parasite to outcompete bacteria from mixed cultures, consistent with the biochemical activity of the enzyme. Our study results highlight the relevance of the interactions of this eukaryotic pathogen with bacteria, a poorly understood aspect of the biology of this important human parasite.IMPORTANCETrichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan of the human urogenital tract that causes trichomoniasis, a very common sexually transmitted disease. Despite residing extracellularly and in close association with the vaginal bacteria (i.e., the microbiota), very little is known about the nature of the parasite-bacterium interactions. Our study showed that this parasite had acquired genes from bacteria which retained their original function. They produce active enzymes capable of degrading peptidoglycan, a unique polymer of the bacterial cell envelope, helping the parasite to outcompete bacteria in mixed cultures. This study was the first to show that a laterally acquired group of genes enables a eukaryotic mucosal pathogen to control bacterial population. We highlight the importance of understanding the interactions between pathogens and microbiota, as the outcomes of these interactions are increasingly understood to have important implications on health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jully Pinheiro
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jacob Biboy
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Waldemar Vollmer
- Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P Hirt
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy R Keown
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Moyra M Black
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - David C Goldstone
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland, New Zealand
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Wang SE, Amir AS, Nguyen T, Poole AM, Simoes-Barbosa A. Spliceosomal introns in Trichomonas vaginalis revisited. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:607. [PMID: 30482228 PMCID: PMC6260720 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3196-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The human protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis is an organism of interest for understanding eukaryotic evolution. Despite having an unusually large genome and a rich gene repertoire among protists, spliceosomal introns in T. vaginalis appear rare: only 62 putative introns have been annotated in this genome, and little or no experimental evidence exists to back up these predictions. Results This study revisited the 62 annotated introns of T. vaginalis derived from the genome sequencing plus previous publications. After experimental validation and a new genome-wide search, we confirmed the presence of introns in 32 genes and 18 others were concluded to be intronless. Sequence analyses classified the validated introns into two types, based on distinctive features such as length and conservation of splice site motifs. Conclusions Our study provides an updated list of intron-containing genes in the genome of T. vaginalis. Our findings suggests the existence of two intron ‘families’ spread among T. vaginalis protein-coding genes. Additional studies are needed to understand the functional separation of these two classes of introns and to assess the existence of further introns in the T. vaginalis genome. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3196-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqi E Wang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Abdul S Amir
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tai Nguyen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anthony M Poole
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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26
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Dias-Lopes G, Wiśniewski JR, de Souza NP, Vidal VE, Padrón G, Britto C, Cuervo P, De Jesus JB. In-Depth Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Trophozoites and Pseudocysts of Trichomonas vaginalis. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:3704-3718. [PMID: 30239205 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.8b00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a sexually transmitted anaerobic parasite that infects humans causing trichomoniasis, a common and ubiquitous sexually transmitted disease. The life cycle of this parasite possesses a trophozoite form without a cystic stage. However, the presence of nonproliferative and nonmotile, yet viable and reversible spherical forms with internalized flagella, denominated pseudocysts, has been commonly observed for this parasite. To understand the mechanisms involved in the formation of pseudocysts, we performed a mass spectrometry-based high-throughput quantitative proteomics study using a label-free approach and functional assays by biochemical and flow cytometric methods. We observed that the morphological transformation of trophozoite to pseudocysts is coupled to (i) a metabolic shift toward a less glycolytic phenotype; (ii) alterations in the abundance of hydrogenosomal iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) assembly machinery; (iii) increased abundance of regulatory particles of the ubiquitin-proteasome system; (iv) significant alterations in proteins involved in adhesion and cytoskeleton reorganization; and (v) arrest in G2/M phase associated with alterations in the abundance of regulatory proteins of the cell cycle. These data demonstrate that pseudocysts experience important physiological and structural alterations for survival under unfavorable environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacek R Wiśniewski
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction , Max-Planck-Institute for Biochemistry , 82152 Martinsried , Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - José Batista De Jesus
- Departamento de Medicina , Universidade Federal de São João del Rei , 36301-160 São João del Rei , Minas Gerais Brazil
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27
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Leitsch D, Williams CF, Hrdý I. Redox Pathways as Drug Targets in Microaerophilic Parasites. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:576-589. [PMID: 29807758 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The microaerophilic parasites Entamoeba histolytica, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Giardia lamblia jointly cause hundreds of millions of infections in humans every year. Other microaerophilic parasites such as Tritrichomonas foetus and Spironucleus spp. pose a relevant health problem in veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, vaccines against these pathogens are unavailable, but their microaerophilic lifestyle opens opportunities for specifically developed chemotherapeutics. In particular, their high sensitivity towards oxygen can be exploited by targeting redox enzymes. This review focusses on the redox pathways of microaerophilic parasites and on drugs, either already in use or currently in the state of development, which target these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Leitsch
- Institute for Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology, and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - Catrin F Williams
- School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Hrdý
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
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Bradic M, Warring SD, Tooley GE, Scheid P, Secor WE, Land KM, Huang PJ, Chen TW, Lee CC, Tang P, Sullivan SA, Carlton JM. Genetic Indicators of Drug Resistance in the Highly Repetitive Genome of Trichomonas vaginalis. Genome Biol Evol 2018. [PMID: 28633446 PMCID: PMC5522705 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis, the most common nonviral sexually transmitted parasite, causes ∼283 million trichomoniasis infections annually and is associated with pregnancy complications and increased risk of HIV-1 acquisition. The antimicrobial drug metronidazole is used for treatment, but in a fraction of clinical cases, the parasites can become resistant to this drug. We undertook sequencing of multiple clinical isolates and lab derived lines to identify genetic markers and mechanisms of metronidazole resistance. Reduced representation genome sequencing of ∼100 T. vaginalis clinical isolates identified 3,923 SNP markers and presence of a bipartite population structure. Linkage disequilibrium was found to decay rapidly, suggesting genome-wide recombination and the feasibility of genetic association studies in the parasite. We identified 72 SNPs associated with metronidazole resistance, and a comparison of SNPs within several lab-derived resistant lines revealed an overlap with the clinically resistant isolates. We identified SNPs in genes for which no function has yet been assigned, as well as in functionally-characterized genes relevant to drug resistance (e.g., pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase). Transcription profiles of resistant strains showed common changes in genes involved in drug activation (e.g., flavin reductase), accumulation (e.g., multidrug resistance pump), and detoxification (e.g., nitroreductase). Finally, we identified convergent genetic changes in lab-derived resistant lines of Tritrichomonas foetus, a distantly related species that causes venereal disease in cattle. Shared genetic changes within and between T. vaginalis and Tr. foetus parasites suggest conservation of the pathways through which adaptation has occurred. These findings extend our knowledge of drug resistance in the parasite, providing a panel of markers that can be used as a diagnostic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Bradic
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York
| | - Sally D Warring
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York
| | - Grace E Tooley
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York
| | - Paul Scheid
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York
| | - William E Secor
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GE
| | - Kirkwood M Land
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
| | - Po-Jung Huang
- Bioinformatics Center/Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Wen Chen
- Bioinformatics Center/Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ching Lee
- Bioinformatics Center/Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Petrus Tang
- Bioinformatics Center/Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Steven A Sullivan
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York
| | - Jane M Carlton
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York
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29
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Štáfková J, Rada P, Meloni D, Žárský V, Smutná T, Zimmann N, Harant K, Pompach P, Hrdý I, Tachezy J. Dynamic secretome of Trichomonas vaginalis: Case study of β-amylases. Mol Cell Proteomics 2018; 17:304-320. [PMID: 29233912 PMCID: PMC5795393 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra117.000434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The secretion of virulence factors by parasitic protists into the host environment plays a fundamental role in multifactorial host-parasite interactions. Several effector proteins are known to be secreted by Trichomonas vaginalis, a human parasite of the urogenital tract. However, a comprehensive profiling of the T. vaginalis secretome remains elusive, as do the mechanisms of protein secretion. In this study, we used high-resolution label-free quantitative MS to analyze the T. vaginalis secretome, considering that secretion is a time- and temperature-dependent process, to define the cutoff for secreted proteins. In total, we identified 2 072 extracellular proteins, 89 of which displayed significant quantitative increases over time at 37 °C. These 89 bona fide secreted proteins were sorted into 13 functional categories. Approximately half of the secreted proteins were predicted to possess transmembrane helixes. These proteins mainly include putative adhesins and leishmaniolysin-like metallopeptidases. The other half of the soluble proteins include several novel potential virulence factors, such as DNaseII, pore-forming proteins, and β-amylases. Interestingly, current bioinformatic tools predicted the secretory signal in only 18% of the identified T. vaginalis-secreted proteins. Therefore, we used β-amylases as a model to investigate the T. vaginalis secretory pathway. We demonstrated that two β-amylases (BA1 and BA2) are transported via the classical endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi pathways, and in the case of BA1, we showed that the protein is glycosylated with multiple N-linked glycans of Hex5HexNAc2 structure. The secretion was inhibited by brefeldin A but not by FLI-06. Another two β-amylases (BA3 and BA4), which are encoded in the T. vaginalis genome but absent from the secretome, were targeted to the lysosomal compartment. Collectively, under defined in vitro conditions, our analysis provides a comprehensive set of constitutively secreted proteins that can serve as a reference for future comparative studies, and it provides the first information about the classical secretory pathway in this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Petr Rada
- From the ‡Department of Parasitology
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Petr Pompach
- §Institute of Biotechnology CAS, v. v. i., BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
- ¶Department of Biochemistry, Charles University, Faculty of Science, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Hrdý
- From the ‡Department of Parasitology
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30
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Janssen BD, Chen YP, Molgora BM, Wang SE, Simoes-Barbosa A, Johnson PJ. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene modification and gene knock out in the human-infective parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:270. [PMID: 29321601 PMCID: PMC5762654 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18442-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The sexually-transmitted parasite Trichomonas vaginalis infects ~1/4 billion people worldwide. Despite its prevalence and myriad adverse outcomes of infection, the mechanisms underlying T. vaginalis pathogenesis are poorly understood. Genetic manipulation of this single-celled eukaryote has been hindered by challenges presented by its complex, repetitive genome and inefficient methods for introducing DNA (i.e. transfection) into the parasite. Here, we have developed methods to increase transfection efficiency using nucleofection, with the goal of efficiently introducing multiple DNA elements into a single T. vaginalis cell. We then created DNA constructs required to express several components essential to drive CRISPR/Cas9-mediated DNA modification: guide RNA (gRNA), the Cas9 endonuclease, short oligonucleotides and large, linearized DNA templates. Using these technical advances, we have established CRISPR/Cas9-mediated repair of mutations in genes contained on circular DNA plasmids harbored by the parasite. We also engineered CRISPR/Cas9 directed homologous recombination to delete (i.e. knock out) two non-essential genes within the T. vaginalis genome. This first report of the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in T. vaginalis greatly expands the ability to manipulate the genome of this pathogen and sets the stage for testing of the role of specific genes in many biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Janssen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yi-Pei Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Brenda M Molgora
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shuqi E Wang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Patricia J Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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31
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Westrop GD, Wang L, Blackburn GJ, Zhang T, Zheng L, Watson DG, Coombs GH. Metabolomic profiling and stable isotope labelling of Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus reveal major differences in amino acid metabolism including the production of 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid, cystathionine and S-methylcysteine. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189072. [PMID: 29267346 PMCID: PMC5739422 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus are pathogens that parasitise, respectively, human and bovine urogenital tracts causing disease. Using LC-MS, reference metabolomic profiles were obtained for both species and stable isotope labelling with D-[U-13C6] glucose was used to analyse central carbon metabolism. This facilitated a comparison of the metabolic pathways of T. vaginalis and T. foetus, extending earlier targeted biochemical studies. 43 metabolites, whose identities were confirmed by comparison of their retention times with authentic standards, occurred at more than 3-fold difference in peak intensity between T. vaginalis and T. foetus. 18 metabolites that were removed from or released into the medium during growth also showed more than 3-fold difference between the species. Major differences were observed in cysteine and methionine metabolism in which homocysteine, produced as a bi-product of trans-methylation, is catabolised by methionine γ-lyase in T. vaginalis but converted to cystathionine in T. foetus. Both species synthesise methylthioadenosine by an unusual mechanism, but it is not used as a substrate for methionine recycling. T. vaginalis also produces and exports high levels of S-methylcysteine, whereas only negligible levels were found in T. foetus which maintains significantly higher intracellular levels of cysteine. 13C-labeling confirmed that both cysteine and S-methylcysteine are synthesised by T. vaginalis; S-methylcysteine can be generated by recombinant T. vaginalis cysteine synthase using phosphoserine and methanethiol. T. foetus contained higher levels of ornithine and citrulline than T. vaginalis and exported increased levels of putrescine, suggesting greater flux through the arginine dihydrolase pathway. T. vaginalis produced and exported hydroxy acid derivatives of certain amino acids, particularly 2-hydroxyisocaproic acid derived from leucine, whereas negligible levels of these metabolites occurred in T. foetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth D. Westrop
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Lijie Wang
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tong Zhang
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Liang Zheng
- Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - David G. Watson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Graham H. Coombs
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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Mazumdar R, Endler L, Monoyios A, Hess M, Bilic I. Establishment of a de novo Reference Transcriptome of Histomonas meleagridis Reveals Basic Insights About Biological Functions and Potential Pathogenic Mechanisms of the Parasite. Protist 2017; 168:663-685. [DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Puente-Rivera J, Villalpando JL, Villalobos-Osnaya A, Vázquez-Carrillo LI, León-Ávila G, Ponce-Regalado MD, López-Camarillo C, Elizalde-Contreras JM, Ruiz-May E, Arroyo R, Alvarez-Sánchez ME. The 50 kDa metalloproteinase TvMP50 is a zinc-mediated Trichomonas vaginalis virulence factor. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2017; 217:32-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Fang YK, Chien KY, Huang KY, Cheng WH, Ku FM, Lin R, Chen TW, Huang PJ, Chiu CH, Tang P. Responding to a Zoonotic Emergency with Multi-omics Research: Pentatrichomonas hominis Hydrogenosomal Protein Characterization with Use of RNA Sequencing and Proteomics. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2017; 20:662-669. [PMID: 27828770 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2016.0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Pentatrichomonas hominis is an anaerobic flagellated protist that colonizes the large intestine of a number of mammals, including cats, dogs, nonhuman primates, and humans. The wide host range of this organism is alarming and suggests a rising zoonotic emergency. However, knowledge on in-depth biology of this protist is still limited. Similar to the human pathogen, Trichomonas vaginalis, P. hominis possesses hydrogenosomes instead of mitochondria. Studies in T. vaginalis indicated that hydrogenosome is essential for cell survival and associated with numerous pivotal biological functions, including drug resistance. To further decipher the biology of this important organelle, we undertook proteomic research in P. hominis hydrogenosomes. Lacking a decoded P. hominis genome, we utilized an RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data set generated from P. hominis axenic culture as the reference for proteome analysis. Using this in-house reference data set and mass spectrometry (MS), we identified 442 putative hydrogenosomal proteins. Interestingly, the composition of the P. hominis hydrogenosomal proteins is very similar to that of T. vaginalis, but proteins such as Hmp36, Pam16, Pam18, and Isd11 are absent based on both MS and the RNA-seq. Our data underscore that P. hominis expresses different homologs of multiple gene families from T. vaginalis. To the best of our knowledge, we present here the first hydrogenosome proteome in a protist other than T. vaginalis that offers crucial new scholarship for global health, therapeutics, diagnostics, and veterinary medicine research. In addition, the research strategy used here using RNA sequencing and proteomics might inform future multi-omics research in other understudied organisms without decoded genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Kai Fang
- 1 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan .,2 Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Yi Chien
- 3 Proteomics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Yang Huang
- 2 Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hung Cheng
- 1 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan .,2 Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Mann Ku
- 2 Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Rose Lin
- 2 Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Wen Chen
- 4 Bioinformatics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Po-Jung Huang
- 4 Bioinformatics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsun Chiu
- 5 Molecular Infectious Diseases Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Petrus Tang
- 1 Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan .,2 Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan .,4 Bioinformatics Core Laboratory, Chang Gung University , Taoyuan, Taiwan .,5 Molecular Infectious Diseases Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital , Taoyuan, Taiwan
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Cheng WH, Huang KY, Huang PJ, Lee CC, Yeh YM, Ku FM, Lin R, Cheng ML, Chiu CH, Tang P. γ-Carboxymuconolactone decarboxylase: a novel cell cycle-related basal body protein in the early branching eukaryote Trichomonas vaginalis. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:443. [PMID: 28950916 PMCID: PMC5615479 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2381-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND γ-Carboxymuconolactone decarboxylase (CMD) participates in the β-ketoadipate pathway, which catalyzes aromatic compounds to produce acetyl- or succinyl-CoA, in prokaryotes and yeast. Our previous study demonstrated that expression of a CMD homologue that contains two signatures (dualCMD) is negatively regulated by iron in Trichomonas vaginalis. However, we were not able to identify the components of the β-ketoadipate pathway in the parasite's genome. These observations prompted us to investigate the biological functions of this novel CMD homologue in T. vaginalis. METHODS The specific anti-TvCMD1 antibody was generated, and the expression of TvCMD1 in T. vaginalis cultured under iron-rich and iron-deficient were evaluated. Phylogenetic, metabolomic and substrate induction (protocatechuate and benzoate) analysis were conducted to clarify the function of dualCMD in trichomonad cells. Subcellular localization of TvCMD1 was observed by confocal microscopy. The cell cycle-related role of TvCMD1 was assessed by treating cells with G2/M inhibitor nocodazole. RESULTS We confirmed that T. vaginalis is not able to catabolize the aromatic compounds benzoate and protocatechuate, which are known substrates of the β-ketoadipate pathway. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, we found that TvCMD1 is spatially associated with the basal body, a part of the cytoskeletal organizing center in T. vaginalis. TvCMD1 accumulated upon treatment with the G2/M inhibitor nocodazole. Additionally, TvCMD1 was expressed and transported to/from the basal body during cytokinesis, suggesting that TvCMD1 plays a role in cell division. CONCLUSION We demonstrated that TvCMD1 is unlikely to participate in the β-ketoadipate pathway and demonstrated that it is a novel basal body-localizing (associated) protein. This model sheds light on the importance of genes that are acquired laterally in the coevolution of ancient protists, which surprisingly functions in cell cycle regulation of T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Hung Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Yang Huang
- Graduate Institute of Pathology and Parasitology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Po-Jung Huang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Bioinformatics Core Laboratory, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Ching Lee
- Department and Graduate Institute of Computer Science and Information Engineering, College of Engineering, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Ming Yeh
- Bioinformatics Core Laboratory, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Fu-Man Ku
- Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Rose Lin
- Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Ling Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsun Chiu
- Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Petrus Tang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Bioinformatics Core Laboratory, Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
- Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan
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Pachano T, Nievas YR, Lizarraga A, Johnson PJ, Strobl-Mazzulla PH, de Miguel N. Epigenetics regulates transcription and pathogenesis in the parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. Cell Microbiol 2017; 19:e12716. [PMID: 28054438 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted parasite that colonizes the human urogenital tract. Infections range from asymptomatic to highly inflammatory, depending on the host and the parasite strain. Different T. vaginalis strains vary greatly in their adherence and cytolytic capacities. These phenotypic differences might be attributed to differentially expressed genes as a consequence of extra-genetic variation, such as epigenetic modifications. In this study, we explored the role of histone acetylation in regulating gene transcription and pathogenesis in T. vaginalis. Here, we show that histone 3 lysine acetylation (H3KAc) is enriched in nucleosomes positioned around the transcription start site of active genes (BAP1 and BAP2) in a highly adherent parasite strain; compared with the low acetylation abundance in contrast to that observed in a less-adherent strain that expresses these genes at low levels. Additionally, exposition of less-adherent strain with a specific histone deacetylases inhibitor, trichostatin A, upregulated the transcription of BAP1 and BAP2 genes in concomitance with an increase in H3KAc abundance and chromatin accessibility around their transcription start sites. Moreover, we demonstrated that the binding of initiator binding protein, the transcription factor responsible for the initiation of transcription of ~75% of known T. vaginalis genes, depends on the histone acetylation state around the metazoan-like initiator to which initiator binding protein binds. Finally, we found that trichostatin A treatment increased parasite aggregation and adherence to host cells. Our data demonstrated for the first time that H3KAc is a permissive histone modification that functions to mediate both transcription and pathogenesis of the parasite T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Pachano
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Yesica R Nievas
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Ayelen Lizarraga
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Patricia J Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Pablo H Strobl-Mazzulla
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Natalia de Miguel
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (IIB-INTECH), CONICET-UNSAM, Chascomús, Argentina
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The Glycolytic Enzyme Triosephosphate Isomerase of Trichomonas vaginalis Is a Surface-Associated Protein Induced by Glucose That Functions as a Laminin- and Fibronectin-Binding Protein. Infect Immun 2016; 84:2878-94. [PMID: 27481251 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00538-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Triosephosphate isomerase of Trichomonas vaginalis (TvTIM) is a 27-kDa cytoplasmic protein encoded by two genes, tvtim1 and tvtim2, that participates in glucose metabolism. TvTIM is also localized to the parasite surface. Thus, the goal of this study was to identify the novel functions of the surface-associated TvTIM in T. vaginalis and to assess the effect of glucose as an environmental factor that regulates its expression and localization. Reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) showed that the tvtim genes were differentially expressed in response to glucose concentration. tvtim1 was overexpressed under glucose-restricted (GR) conditions, whereas tvtim2 was overexpressed under glucose-rich, or high-glucose (HG), conditions. Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence assays also showed that glucose positively affected the amount and surface localization of TvTIM in T. vaginalis Affinity ligand assays demonstrated that the recombinant TvTIM1 and TvTIM2 proteins bound to laminin (Lm) and fibronectin (Fn) but not to plasminogen. Moreover, higher levels of adherence to Lm and Fn were detected in parasites grown under HG conditions than in those grown under GR conditions. Furthermore, pretreatment of trichomonads with an anti-TvTIMr polyclonal antibody or pretreatment of Lm- or Fn-coated wells with both recombinant proteins (TvTIM1r and TvTIM2r) specifically reduced the binding of live parasites to Lm and Fn in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, T. vaginalis was exposed to different glucose concentrations during vaginal infection of women with trichomoniasis. Our data indicate that TvTIM is a surface-associated protein under HG conditions that mediates specific binding to Lm and Fn as a novel virulence factor of T. vaginalis.
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Preisner H, Karin EL, Poschmann G, Stühler K, Pupko T, Gould SB. The Cytoskeleton of Parabasalian Parasites Comprises Proteins that Share Properties Common to Intermediate Filament Proteins. Protist 2016; 167:526-543. [PMID: 27744090 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Certain protist lineages bear cytoskeletal structures that are germane to them and define their individual group. Trichomonadida are excavate parasites united by a unique cytoskeletal framework, which includes tubulin-based structures such as the pelta and axostyle, but also other filaments such as the striated costa whose protein composition remains unknown. We determined the proteome of the detergent-resistant cytoskeleton of Tetratrichomonas gallinarum. 203 proteins with homology to Trichomonas vaginalis were identified, which contain significantly more long coiled-coil regions than control protein sets. Five candidates were shown to associate with previously described cytoskeletal structures including the costa and the expression of a single T. vaginalis protein in T. gallinarum induced the formation of accumulated, striated filaments. Our data suggests that filament-forming proteins of protists other than actin and tubulin share common structural properties with metazoan intermediate filament proteins, while not being homologous. These filament-forming proteins might have evolved many times independently in eukaryotes, or simultaneously in a common ancestor but with different evolutionary trajectories downstream in different phyla. The broad variety of filament-forming proteins uncovered, and with no homologs outside of the Trichomonadida, once more highlights the diverse nature of eukaryotic proteins with the ability to form unique cytoskeletal filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harald Preisner
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Eli Levy Karin
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Gereon Poschmann
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory (MPL), BMFZ, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kai Stühler
- Molecular Proteomics Laboratory (MPL), BMFZ, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tal Pupko
- Department of Cell Research and Immunology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Sven B Gould
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Menezes CB, Frasson AP, Tasca T. Trichomoniasis - are we giving the deserved attention to the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide? MICROBIAL CELL 2016; 3:404-419. [PMID: 28357378 PMCID: PMC5354568 DOI: 10.15698/mic2016.09.526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
ETIOLOGY Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiologic agent of trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the world. Transmission: Trichomoniasis is transmitted by sexual intercourse and transmission via fomites is rare. Epidemiology, incidence and prevalence: The WHO estimates an incidence of 276 million new cases each year and prevalence of 187 million of infected individuals. However, the infection is not notifiable. Pathology/Symptomatology: The T. vaginalis infection results in a variety of clinical manifestations - in most cases the patients are asymptomatic, but some may develop signs typically associated to the disease. Importantly, the main issue concerning trichomoniasis is its relationship with serious health consequences such as cancer, adverse pregnancy outcomes, infertility, and HIV acquisition. Molecular mechanisms of infection: To achieve success in parasitism trichomonads develop a complex process against the host cells that includes dependent- and independent-contact mechanisms. This multifactorial pathogenesis includes molecules such as soluble factors, secreted proteinases, adhesins, lipophosphoglycan that culminate in cytoadherence and cytotoxicity against the host cells. Treatment and curability: The treatment with metronidazole or tinidazole is recommended; however, cure failures remain problematic due to noncompliance, reinfection and/or lack of treatment of sexual partners, inaccurate diagnosis, or drug resistance. Therefore, new therapeutic alternatives are urgently needed. Protection: Strategies for protection including sexual behavior, condom usage, and therapy have not contributed to the decrease on disease prevalence, pointing to the need for innovative approaches. Vaccine development has been hampered by the lack of long-lasting humoral immunity associated to the absence of good animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Braz Menezes
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Amanda Piccoli Frasson
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Tiana Tasca
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Barratt J, Gough R, Stark D, Ellis J. Bulky Trichomonad Genomes: Encoding a Swiss Army Knife. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:783-797. [PMID: 27312283 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The trichomonads are a remarkably successful lineage of ancient, predominantly parasitic protozoa. Recent molecular analyses have revealed extensive duplication of certain genetic loci in trichomonads. Consequently, their genomes are exceptionally large compared to other parasitic protozoa. Retention of these large gene expansions across different trichomonad families raises the question: do these duplications afford an advantage? Many duplicated genes are linked to the parasitic lifestyle and some are regulated differently to their paralogues, suggesting they have acquired new functions. It is proposed that these large genomes encode a Swiss army knife of sorts, packed with a multitude of tools for use in many different circumstances. This may have bestowed trichomonads with the extraordinary versatility that has undoubtedly contributed to their success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Barratt
- I3 Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia; School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia.
| | - Rory Gough
- I3 Institute, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia; School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia
| | - Damien Stark
- Division of Microbiology, Sydpath, St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - John Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Broadway, NSW, Australia
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Abstract
The microaerophilic protist parasite Trichomonas vaginalis is occurring globally and causes infections in the urogenital tract in humans, a condition termed trichomoniasis. In fact, trichomoniasis is the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted disease with more than 250 million people infected every year. Although trichomoniasis is not life threatening in itself, it can be debilitating and increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, HIV infection, and, possibly, neoplasias in the prostate and the cervix. Apart from its role as a pathogen, T. vaginalis is also a fascinating organism with a surprisingly large genome for a parasite, i. e. larger than 160 Mb, and a physiology adapted to its microaerophilic lifestyle. In particular, the hydrogenosome, a mitochondria-derived organelle that produces hydrogen, has attracted much interest in the last few decades and rendered T. vaginalis a model organism for eukaryotic evolution. This review will give a succinct overview of the major advances in the T. vaginalis field in the last few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Leitsch
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Bern, University of Bern, Längassstrasse, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
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Nývltová E, Smutná T, Tachezy J, Hrdý I. OsmC and incomplete glycine decarboxylase complex mediate reductive detoxification of peroxides in hydrogenosomes of Trichomonas vaginalis. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2016; 206:29-38. [PMID: 26794804 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Osmotically inducible protein (OsmC) and organic hydroperoxide resistance protein (Ohr) are small, thiol-dependent peroxidases that comprise a family of prokaryotic protective proteins central to the defense against deleterious effects of organic hydroperoxides, which are reactive molecules that are formed during interactions between the host immune system and pathogens. Trichomonas vaginalis, a sexually transmitted parasite of humans, possesses OsmC homologues in its hydrogenosomes, anaerobic mitochondrial organelles that harbor enzymes and pathways that are sensitive to oxidative damage. The glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC), which consists of four proteins (i.e., L, H, P and T), is in eukaryotes exclusively mitochondrial enzymatic system that catalyzes oxidative decarboxylation and deamination of glycine. However, trichomonad hydrogenosomes contain only the L and H proteins, whose physiological functions are unknown. Here, we found that the hydrogenosomal L and H proteins constitute a lipoate-dependent redox system that delivers electrons from reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) to OsmC for the reductive detoxification of peroxides. Our searches of genome databases revealed that, in addition to prokaryotes, homologues of OsmC/Ohr family proteins with predicted mitochondrial localization are present in various eukaryotic lineages. Therefore, we propose that the novel OsmC-GDC-based redox system may not be limited to T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Nývltová
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tamara Smutná
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Hrdý
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Abstract
The world health organization currently recognizes diarrhoeal diseases as a significant cause of death in children globally. Protozoan parasites such as Giardia and Entamoeba that thrive in the oxygen-deprived environment of the human gut are common etiological agents of diarrhoea. In the urogenital tract of humans, the anaerobic protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis is notorious as the most common non-viral, sexually transmitted pathogen. Even with high medical impact, our understanding of anaerobic parasite physiology is scarce and as a result, treatment choices are limited. Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are invaluable tools as genetically encoded protein tags for advancing knowledge of cellular function. These FP tags emit fluorescent colours and once attached to a protein of interest, allow tracking of parasite proteins in the dynamic cellular space. Application of green FPs-like FPs in anaerobic protozoans is hindered by their oxygen dependency. In this review, we examine aspects of anaerobic parasite biology that clash with physio-chemical properties of FPs and limit their use as live-parasite protein tags. We expose novel FPs, such as miniSOG that do not require oxygen for signal production. The potential use of novel FPs has the opportunity to leverage the anaerobe parasitologist toolkit to that of aerobe parasitologist.
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44
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Transcriptional profiling of Giardia intestinalis in response to oxidative stress. Int J Parasitol 2015; 45:925-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Figueroa-Angulo EE, Calla-Choque JS, Mancilla-Olea MI, Arroyo R. RNA-Binding Proteins in Trichomonas vaginalis: Atypical Multifunctional Proteins. Biomolecules 2015; 5:3354-95. [PMID: 26703754 PMCID: PMC4693282 DOI: 10.3390/biom5043354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Iron homeostasis is highly regulated in vertebrates through a regulatory system mediated by RNA-protein interactions between the iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) that interact with an iron responsive element (IRE) located in certain mRNAs, dubbed the IRE-IRP regulatory system. Trichomonas vaginalis, the causal agent of trichomoniasis, presents high iron dependency to regulate its growth, metabolism, and virulence properties. Although T. vaginalis lacks IRPs or proteins with aconitase activity, possesses gene expression mechanisms of iron regulation at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. However, only one gene with iron regulation at the transcriptional level has been described. Recently, our research group described an iron posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism in the T. vaginalis tvcp4 and tvcp12 cysteine proteinase mRNAs. The tvcp4 and tvcp12 mRNAs have a stem-loop structure in the 5'-coding region or in the 3'-UTR, respectively that interacts with T. vaginalis multifunctional proteins HSP70, α-Actinin, and Actin under iron starvation condition, causing translation inhibition or mRNA stabilization similar to the previously characterized IRE-IRP system in eukaryotes. Herein, we summarize recent progress and shed some light on atypical RNA-binding proteins that may participate in the iron posttranscriptional regulation in T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa E Figueroa-Angulo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
| | - Jaeson S Calla-Choque
- Laboratorio de Inmunopatología en Neurocisticercosis, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Urb. Ingeniería, S.M.P., Lima 15102, Peru.
| | - Maria Inocente Mancilla-Olea
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
| | - Rossana Arroyo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, CP 07360 México, D.F., Mexico.
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Frasson AP, Dos Santos O, Meirelles LC, Macedo AJ, Tasca T. Five putative nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase genes are expressed in Trichomonas vaginalis. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2015; 363:fnv221. [PMID: 26590960 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnv221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan that parasitizes the human urogenital tract causing trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease. The parasite has unique genomic characteristics such as a large genome size and expanded gene families. Ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase) is an enzyme responsible for hydrolyzing nucleoside tri- and diphosphates and has already been biochemically characterized in T. vaginalis. Considering the important role of this enzyme in the production of extracellular adenosine for parasite uptake, we evaluated the gene expression of five putative NTPDases in T. vaginalis. We showed that all five putative TvNTPDase genes (TvNTPDase1-5) were expressed by both fresh clinical and long-term grown isolates. The amino acid alignment predicted the presence of the five crucial apyrase conserved regions, transmembrane domains, signal peptides, phosphorylation and catalytic sites. Moreover, a phylogenetic analysis showed that TvNTPDase sequences make up a clade with NTPDases intracellularly located. Biochemical NTPDase activity (ATP and ADP hydrolysis) is responsive to the serum-restrictive conditions and the gene expression of TvNTPDases was mostly increased, mainly TvNTPDase2 and TvNTPDase4, although there was not a clear pattern of expression among them. In summary, the present report demonstrates the gene expression patterns of predicted NTPDases in T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Piccoli Frasson
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 2752, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Odelta Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 2752, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lúcia Collares Meirelles
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 2752, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alexandre José Macedo
- Laboratório de Diversidade Microbiana, Faculdade de Farmácia e Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 2752, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tiana Tasca
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Parasitologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga 2752, 90610-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To integrate a selection of the most recent data on Trichomonas vaginalis origins, molecular cell biology and T. vaginalis interactions with the urogenital tract microbiota with trichomoniasis symptoms and clinical management. RECENT FINDINGS Transcriptomics and proteomics datasets are accumulating, facilitating the identification and prioritization of key target genes to study T. vaginalis pathobiology. Proteins involved in host sensing and cytoskeletal plasticity during T. vaginalis amoeboid transformation were identified. T. vaginalis was shown to secrete exosomes and a macrophage migration inhibitory factor-like protein that both influence host-parasite interactions. T. vaginalis co-infections with Mycoplasma species and viruses were shown to modulate the inflammatory responses, whereas T. vaginalis interactions with various Lactobacillus species inhibit parasite interactions with human cells. T. vaginalis infections were also shown to be associated with bacterial vaginosis. A broader range of health sequelae is also becoming apparent. Diagnostics for both women and men based on the molecular approaches are being refined, in particular for men. SUMMARY New developments in the molecular and cellular basis of T. vaginalis pathobiology combined with data on the urogenital tract microbiota and immunology have enriched our knowledge on human-microbe interactions that will contribute to increasing our capacity to prevent and treat T. vaginalis and other sexually transmitted infections.
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Novel insights into the molecular events linking to cell death induced by tetracycline in the amitochondriate protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:6891-903. [PMID: 26303799 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01779-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis colonizes the human urogenital tract and causes trichomoniasis, the most common nonviral sexually transmitted disease. Currently, 5-nitroimidazoles are the only recommended drugs for treating trichomoniasis. However, increased resistance of the parasite to 5-nitroimidazoles has emerged as a highly problematic public health issue. Hence, it is essential to identify alternative chemotherapeutic agents against refractory trichomoniasis. Tetracycline (TET) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic with activity against several protozoan parasites, but the mode of action of TET in parasites remains poorly understood. The in vitro effect of TET on the growth of T. vaginalis was examined, and the mode of cell death was verified by various apoptosis-related assays. Next-generation sequencing-based RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to elucidate the transcriptome of T. vaginalis in response to TET. We show that TET has a cytotoxic effect on both metronidazole (MTZ)-sensitive and -resistant T. vaginalis isolates, inducing some features resembling apoptosis. RNA-seq data reveal that TET significantly alters the transcriptome via activation of specific pathways, such as aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and carbohydrate metabolism. Functional analyses demonstrate that TET disrupts the hydrogenosomal membrane potential and antioxidant system, which concomitantly elicits a metabolic shift toward glycolysis, suggesting that the hydrogenosomal function is impaired and triggers cell death. Collectively, we provide in vitro evidence that TET is a potential alternative therapeutic choice for treating MTZ-resistant T. vaginalis. The in-depth transcriptomic signatures in T. vaginalis upon TET treatment presented here will shed light on the signaling pathways linking to cell death in amitochondriate organisms.
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49
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Cheng WH, Huang KY, Huang PJ, Hsu JH, Fang YK, Chiu CH, Tang P. Nitric oxide maintains cell survival of Trichomonas vaginalis upon iron depletion. Parasit Vectors 2015. [PMID: 26205151 PMCID: PMC4513698 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1000-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Iron plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Trichomonas vaginalis, the causative agent of highly prevalent human trichomoniasis. T. vaginalis resides in the vaginal region, where the iron concentration is constantly changing. Hence, T. vaginalis must adapt to variations in iron availability to establish and maintain an infection. The free radical signaling molecules reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have been proven to participate in iron deficiency in eukaryotes. However, little is known about the roles of these molecules in iron-deficient T. vaginalis. Methods T. vaginalis cultured in iron-rich and -deficient conditions were collected for all experiments in this study. Next generation RNA sequencing was conducted to investigate the impact of iron on transcriptome of T. vaginalis. The cell viabilities were monitored after the trophozoites treated with the inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) synthase (L-NG-monomethyl arginine, L-NMMA) and proteasome (MG132). Hydrogenosomal membrane potential was measured using JC-1 staining. Results We demonstrated that NO rather than ROS accumulates in iron-deficient T. vaginalis. The level of NO was blocked by MG132 and L-NMMA, indicating that NO production is through a proteasome and arginine dependent pathway. We found that the inhibition of proteasome activity shortened the survival of iron-deficient cells compared with untreated iron-deficient cells. Surprisingly, the addition of arginine restored both NO level and the survival of proteasome-inhibited cells, suggesting that proteasome-derived NO is crucial for cell survival under iron-limited conditions. Additionally, NO maintains the hydrogenosomal membrane potential, a determinant for cell survival, emphasizing the cytoprotective effect of NO on iron-deficient T. vaginalis. Collectively, we determined that NO produced by the proteasome prolonged the survival of iron-deficient T. vaginalis via maintenance of the hydrogenosomal functions. Conclusion The findings in this study provide a novel role of NO in adaptation to iron-deficient stress in T. vaginalis and shed light on a potential therapeutic strategy for trichomoniasis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1000-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Hung Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Kuo-Yang Huang
- Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Jung Huang
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Bioinformatics Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Jo-Hsuan Hsu
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Kai Fang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Hsun Chiu
- Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Petrus Tang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Regulation and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Bioinformatics Center, Chang Gung University, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. .,Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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Ravaee R, Ebadi P, Hatam G, Vafafar A, Ghahramani Seno MM. Synthetic siRNAs effectively target cystein protease 12 and α-actinin transcripts in Trichomonas vaginalis. Exp Parasitol 2015; 157:30-4. [PMID: 26134763 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The flagellated protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) causes trichomoniasis, a reproductive tract infection, in humans. Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. In addition to direct consequences such as infertility and abortion, there are indications that trichomoniasis favours development of prostate cancer and it has also been associated with increased risk of spreading human immunodeficiency virus and papillomavirus infections. Reports from around the world show that the rate of drug resistance in T. vaginalis is increasing, and therefore new therapeutic approaches have to be developed. Studying molecular biology of T. vaginalis will be quite helpful in identifying new drugable targets. RNAi is a powerful technique which allows biologist to specifically target gene products (i.e. mRNA) helping them in unravelling gene functions and biology of systems. However, due to lack of some parts of the required intrinsic RNAi machinery, the RNAi system is not functional in all orders of life. Here, by using synthetic siRNAs targeting two genes, i.e. α-actinin and cystein protease 12 (cp12), we demonstrate T. vaginalis cells are amenable to RNAi experiments conducted by extrinsic siRNAs. Electroporation of siRNAs targeting α-actinin or cp12 into T. vaginalis cells resulted in, respectively, 48-67% and 33-72% downregulation of the cognate transcripts compared to the T. vaginalis cells received siRNAs targeting GL2 luciferase as a control. This finding is helpful in that it demonstrates the potential of using extrinsically induced RNAi in studies on molecular biology of T. vaginalis such as those aiming at identifying new drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Ravaee
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Parimah Ebadi
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Hatam
- Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Arghavan Vafafar
- Department of Parasitology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Ghahramani Seno
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran; Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.
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