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Menezes AP, Murillo AM, de Castro CG, Bellini NK, Tosi LRO, Thiemann OH, Elias MC, Silber AM, da Cunha JPC. Navigating the boundaries between metabolism and epigenetics in trypanosomes. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:682-695. [PMID: 37349193 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.05.010] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic marks enable cells to acquire new biological features that favor their adaptation to environmental changes. These marks are chemical modifications on chromatin-associated proteins and nucleic acids that lead to changes in the chromatin landscape and may eventually affect gene expression. The chemical tags of these epigenetic marks are comprised of intermediate cellular metabolites. The number of discovered associations between metabolism and epigenetics has increased, revealing how environment influences gene regulation and phenotype diversity. This connection is relevant to all organisms but underappreciated in digenetic parasites, which must adapt to different environments as they progress through their life cycles. This review speculates and proposes associations between epigenetics and metabolism in trypanosomes, which are protozoan parasites that cause human and livestock diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Menezes
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular - Instituto Butantan, São Paulo-SP, Brazil; Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Milena Murillo
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tryps - LabTryps, Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
| | - Camila Gachet de Castro
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular - Instituto Butantan, São Paulo-SP, Brazil; Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natalia Karla Bellini
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular - Instituto Butantan, São Paulo-SP, Brazil; Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria Carolina Elias
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular - Instituto Butantan, São Paulo-SP, Brazil; Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ariel Mariano Silber
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tryps - LabTryps, Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo-SP, Brazil.
| | - Julia Pinheiro Chagas da Cunha
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular - Instituto Butantan, São Paulo-SP, Brazil; Centro de Toxinas, Resposta Imune e Sinalização Celular (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil.
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2
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Rosón JN, Vitarelli MDO, Costa-Silva HM, Pereira KS, Pires DDS, Lopes LDS, Cordeiro B, Kraus AJ, Cruz KNT, Calderano SG, Fragoso SP, Siegel TN, Elias MC, da Cunha JPC. H2B.V demarcates divergent strand-switch regions, some tDNA loci, and genome compartments in Trypanosoma cruzi and affects parasite differentiation and host cell invasion. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1009694. [PMID: 35180281 PMCID: PMC8893665 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone variants play a crucial role in chromatin structure organization and gene expression. Trypanosomatids have an unusual H2B variant (H2B.V) that is known to dimerize with the variant H2A.Z generating unstable nucleosomes. Previously, we found that H2B.V protein is enriched in tissue-derived trypomastigote (TCT) life forms, a nonreplicative stage of Trypanosoma cruzi, suggesting that this variant may contribute to the differences in chromatin structure and global transcription rates observed among parasite life forms. Here, we performed the first genome-wide profiling of histone localization in T. cruzi using epimastigotes and TCT life forms, and we found that H2B.V was preferentially located at the edges of divergent transcriptional strand switch regions, which encompass putative transcriptional start regions; at some tDNA loci; and between the conserved and disrupted genome compartments, mainly at trans-sialidase, mucin and MASP genes. Remarkably, the chromatin of TCT forms was depleted of H2B.V-enriched peaks in comparison to epimastigote forms. Interactome assays indicated that H2B.V associated specifically with H2A.Z, bromodomain factor 2, nucleolar proteins and a histone chaperone, among others. Parasites expressing reduced H2B.V levels were associated with higher rates of parasite differentiation and mammalian cell infectivity. Taken together, H2B.V demarcates critical genomic regions and associates with regulatory chromatin proteins, suggesting a scenario wherein local chromatin structures associated with parasite differentiation and invasion are regulated during the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Nunes Rosón
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Escola Paulista de Medicina–UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcela de Oliveira Vitarelli
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Héllida Marina Costa-Silva
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kamille Schmitt Pereira
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Biology of Trypanosomatids, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - David da Silva Pires
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leticia de Sousa Lopes
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Barbara Cordeiro
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amelie J. Kraus
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Munich, Germany
- Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitäat in Munch, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Navarro Tozzi Cruz
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone Guedes Calderano
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Stenio Perdigão Fragoso
- Department of Bioprocesses and Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular and Systems Biology of Trypanosomatids, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - T. Nicolai Siegel
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, Munich, Germany
- Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitäat in Munch, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Carolina Elias
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Julia Pinheiro Chagas da Cunha
- Laboratory of Cell Cycle, Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Butantan Institute, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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3
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Picchi-Constante GFA, Guerra-Slompo EP, Tahira AC, Alcantara MV, Amaral MS, Ferreira AS, Batista M, Batista CM, Goldenberg S, Verjovski-Almeida S, Zanchin NIT. Metacyclogenesis defects and gene expression hallmarks of histone deacetylase 4-deficient Trypanosoma cruzi cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21671. [PMID: 34737385 PMCID: PMC8569148 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01080-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi—the causative agent of Chagas disease—like other kinetoplastids, relies mostly on post-transcriptional mechanisms for regulation of gene expression. However, trypanosomatids undergo drastic changes in nuclear architecture and chromatin structure along their complex life cycle which, combined with a remarkable set of reversible histone post-translational modifications, indicate that chromatin is also a target for control of gene expression and differentiation signals in these organisms. Chromatin-modifying enzymes have a direct impact on gene expression programs and DNA metabolism. In this work, we have investigated the function of T. cruzi histone deacetylase 4 (TcHDAC4). We show that, although TcHDAC4 is not essential for viability, metacyclic trypomastigote TcHDAC4 null mutants show a thin cell body and a round and less condensed nucleus located very close to the kinetoplast. Sixty-four acetylation sites were quantitatively evaluated, which revealed H2AT85ac, H4K10ac and H4K78ac as potential target sites of TcHDAC4. Gene expression analyses identified three chromosomes with overrepresented regions of differentially expressed genes in the TcHDAC4 knockout mutant compared with the wild type, showing clusters of either up or downregulated genes. The adjacent chromosomal location of some of these genes indicates that TcHDAC4 participates in gene expression regulation during T. cruzi differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ana Carolina Tahira
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | | | - Murilo Sena Amaral
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | | | - Michel Batista
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, 81350-010, Brazil
| | | | - Samuel Goldenberg
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Sergio Verjovski-Almeida
- Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
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4
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de Almeida RF, Fernandes M, de Godoy LMF. An updated map of Trypanosoma cruzi histone post-translational modifications. Sci Data 2021; 8:93. [PMID: 33767201 PMCID: PMC7994815 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-021-00818-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and other eukaryotes, histone post-translational modifications (hPTMs) play an essential role in the epigenetic control of gene expression. In trypanosomatid parasites, conversely, gene regulation occurs mainly at the post-transcriptional level. However, our group has recently shown that hPTMs are abundant and varied in Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas Disease, signaling for possible conserved epigenetic functions. Here, we applied an optimized mass spectrometry-based proteomic workflow to provide a high-confidence comprehensive map of hPTMs, distributed in all canonical, variant and linker histones of T. cruzi. Our work expands the number of known T. cruzi hPTMs by almost 2-fold, representing the largest dataset of hPTMs available to any trypanosomatid to date, and can be used as a basis for functional studies on the dynamic regulation of chromatin by epigenetic mechanisms and the selection of candidates for the development of epigenetic drugs against trypanosomatids. Measurement(s) | histone_modification | Technology Type(s) | mass spectrometry • nanoflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry • Data-Dependent Acquisition | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Trypanosoma cruzi |
Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.13491165
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5
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Lima ARJ, de Araujo CB, Bispo S, Patané J, Silber AM, Elias MC, da Cunha JPC. Nucleosome landscape reflects phenotypic differences in Trypanosoma cruzi life forms. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009272. [PMID: 33497423 PMCID: PMC7864430 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi alternates between replicative and nonreplicative life forms, accompanied by a shift in global transcription levels and by changes in the nuclear architecture, the chromatin proteome and histone posttranslational modifications. To gain further insights into the epigenetic regulation that accompanies life form changes, we performed genome-wide high-resolution nucleosome mapping using two T. cruzi life forms (epimastigotes and cellular trypomastigotes). By combining a powerful pipeline that allowed us to faithfully compare nucleosome positioning and occupancy, more than 125 thousand nucleosomes were mapped, and approximately 20% of them differed between replicative and nonreplicative forms. The nonreplicative forms have less dynamic nucleosomes, possibly reflecting their lower global transcription levels and DNA replication arrest. However, dynamic nucleosomes are enriched at nonreplicative regulatory transcription initiation regions and at multigenic family members, which are associated with infective-stage and virulence factors. Strikingly, dynamic nucleosome regions are associated with GO terms related to nuclear division, translation, gene regulation and metabolism and, notably, associated with transcripts with different expression levels among life forms. Finally, the nucleosome landscape reflects the steady-state transcription expression: more abundant genes have a more deeply nucleosome-depleted region at putative 5' splice sites, likely associated with trans-splicing efficiency. Taken together, our results indicate that chromatin architecture, defined primarily by nucleosome positioning and occupancy, reflects the phenotypic differences found among T. cruzi life forms despite the lack of a canonical transcriptional control context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R. J. Lima
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Christiane B. de Araujo
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Saloe Bispo
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José Patané
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ariel M. Silber
- Laboratory of Biochemistry of Tryps–LaBTryps, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - M. Carolina Elias
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail: (MCE); (JPCC)
| | - Julia P. C. da Cunha
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail: (MCE); (JPCC)
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6
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de Lima LP, Poubel SB, Yuan ZF, Rosón JN, Vitorino FNDL, Holetz FB, Garcia BA, da Cunha JPC. Improvements on the quantitative analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi histone post translational modifications: Study of changes in epigenetic marks through the parasite's metacyclogenesis and life cycle. J Proteomics 2020; 225:103847. [PMID: 32480077 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosome histone N-terminal sequences are very divergent from the other eukaryotes, although they are still decorated by post-translational modifications (PTMs). Here, we used a highly robust workflow to analyze histone PTMs in the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi using mass spectrometry-based (MS-based) data-independent acquisition (DIA). We adapted the workflow for the analysis of the parasite's histone sequences by modifying the software EpiProfile 2.0, improving peptide and PTM quantification accuracy. This workflow could now be applied to the study of 141 T. cruzi modified histone peptides, which we used to investigate the dynamics of histone PTMs along the metacyclogenesis and the life cycle of T. cruzi. Global levels of histone acetylation and methylation fluctuates along metacyclogenesis, however most critical differences were observed between parasite life forms. More than 66 histone PTM changes were detected. Strikingly, the histone PTM pattern of metacyclic trypomastigotes is more similar to epimastigotes than to cellular trypomastigotes. Finally, we highlighted changes at the H4 N-terminus and at H3K76 discussing their impact on the trypanosome biology. Altogether, we have optimized a workflow easily applicable to the analysis of histone PTMs in T. cruzi and generated a dataset that may shed lights on the role of chromatin modifications in this parasite. SIGNIFICANCE: Trypanosomes are unicellular parasites that have divergent histone sequences, no chromosome condensation and a peculiar genome/gene regulation. Genes are transcribed from divergent polycistronic regions and post-transcriptional gene regulation play major role on the establishment of transcripts and protein levels. In this regard, the fact that their histones are decorated with multiple PTMs raises interesting questions about their role. Besides, this digenetic organism must adapt to different environments changing its metabolism accordingly. As metabolism and epigenetics are closely related, the study of histone PTMs in trypanosomes may enlighten this strikingly, and not yet fully understood, interplay. From a biomedical perspective, the comprehensive study of molecular mechanisms associated to the metacyclogenesis process is essential to create better strategies for controlling Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loyze P de Lima
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Saloe Bispo Poubel
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Instituto Carlos Chagas, FIOCRUZ, Rua Algacyr Munhoz Mader, 3775. CIC, Curitiba, PR 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Zuo-Fei Yuan
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Juliana Nunes Rosón
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Francisca Nathalia de Luna Vitorino
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabiola Barbieri Holetz
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, FIOCRUZ, Rua Algacyr Munhoz Mader, 3775. CIC, Curitiba, PR 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Julia Pinheiro Chagas da Cunha
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling (CeTICS), Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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7
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Picchi GFA, Zulkievicz V, Krieger MA, Zanchin NT, Goldenberg S, de Godoy LMF. Post-translational Modifications of Trypanosoma cruzi Canonical and Variant Histones. J Proteome Res 2017; 16:1167-1179. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanessa Zulkievicz
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Parana, Curitiba, Paraná 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Marco A. Krieger
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Parana, Curitiba, Paraná 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Nilson T. Zanchin
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Parana, Curitiba, Paraná 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Samuel Goldenberg
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Parana, Curitiba, Paraná 81350-010, Brazil
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8
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Leandro de Jesus TC, Calderano SG, Vitorino FNDL, Llanos RP, Lopes MDC, de Araújo CB, Thiemann OH, Reis MDS, Elias MC, Chagas da Cunha JP. Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Replicative and Nonreplicative Forms Reveals Important Insights into Chromatin Biology of Trypanosoma cruzi. Mol Cell Proteomics 2016; 16:23-38. [PMID: 27852749 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m116.061200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin associated proteins are key regulators of many important processes in the cell. Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoa flagellate that causes Chagas disease, alternates between replicative and nonreplicative forms accompanied by a shift on global transcription levels and by changes in its chromatin architecture. Here, we investigated the T. cruzi chromatin proteome using three different protocols and compared it between replicative (epimastigote) and nonreplicative (trypomastigote) forms by high-resolution mass spectrometry. More than 2000 proteins were identified and quantified both in chromatin and nonchromatin extracts. Besides histones and other known nuclear proteins, trypanosomes chromatin also contains metabolic (mainly from carbohydrate pathway), cytoskeleton and many other proteins with unknown functions. Strikingly, the two parasite forms differ greatly regarding their chromatin-associated factors composition and amount. Although the nucleosome content is the same for both life forms (as seen by MNase digestion), the remaining proteins were much less detected in nonreplicative forms, suggesting that they have a naked chromatin. Proteins associated to DNA proliferation, such as PCNA, RPA, and DNA topoisomerases were exclusively found in the chromatin of replicative stages. On the other hand, the nonreplicative stages have an enrichment of a histone H2B variant. Furthermore, almost 20% of replicative stages chromatin-associated proteins are expressed in nonreplicative forms, but located at nonchromatin space. We identified different classes of proteins including phosphatases and a Ran-binding protein, that may shuttle between chromatin and nonchromatin space during differentiation. Seven proteins, including those with unknown functions, were selected for further validation. We confirmed their location in chromatin and their differential expression, using Western blotting assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Our results indicate that the replicative state in trypanosomes involves an increase of chromatin associated proteins content. We discuss in details, the qualitative and quantitative implication of this chromatin set in trypanosome chromatin biology. Because trypanosomes are early-branching organisms, this data can boost our understanding of chromatin-associated processes in other cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Cristina Leandro de Jesus
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil.,§Departamento de Física e Informática, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Carlos, SP, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Simone Guedes Calderano
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil.,¶Laboratório de Parasitologia, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Francisca Nathalia de Luna Vitorino
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Pariona Llanos
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Mariana de Camargo Lopes
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Christiane Bezerra de Araújo
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Otavio Henrique Thiemann
- §Departamento de Física e Informática, Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Carlos, SP, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Marcelo da Silva Reis
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina Elias
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Julia Pinheiro Chagas da Cunha
- From the ‡Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular - Center of Toxins, Immune-Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, 05503-900, Brazil;
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Di Renzo MA, Laverrière M, Schenkman S, Wehrendt DP, Tellez-Iñón MT, Potenza M. Characterization of TcCYC6 from Trypanosoma cruzi, a gene with homology to mitotic cyclins. Parasitol Int 2016; 65:196-204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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de Jesus TCL, Nunes VS, Lopes MDC, Martil DE, Iwai LK, Moretti NS, Machado FC, de Lima-Stein ML, Thiemann OH, Elias MC, Janzen C, Schenkman S, da Cunha JPC. Chromatin Proteomics Reveals Variable Histone Modifications during the Life Cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:2039-51. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Cristina Leandro de Jesus
- Laboratório
Especial de Ciclo Celular, Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell
Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
- Departamento
de Física e Informática, Instituto de Física
de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Carlos, São Paulo 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Santana Nunes
- Departamento
de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Mariana de Camargo Lopes
- Laboratório
Especial de Ciclo Celular, Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell
Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Daiana Evelin Martil
- Departamento
de Física e Informática, Instituto de Física
de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Carlos, São Paulo 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Leo Kei Iwai
- Laboratório
Especial de Ciclo Celular, Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell
Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Nilmar Silvio Moretti
- Departamento
de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Fabrício Castro Machado
- Departamento
de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Mariana L. de Lima-Stein
- Departamento
de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Otavio Henrique Thiemann
- Departamento
de Física e Informática, Instituto de Física
de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Carlos, São Paulo 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Maria Carolina Elias
- Laboratório
Especial de Ciclo Celular, Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell
Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Christian Janzen
- Department
of Cell and Developmental Biology, Theodor-Boveri-Institute at the
Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97070 Germany
| | - Sergio Schenkman
- Departamento
de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Julia Pinheiro Chagas da Cunha
- Laboratório
Especial de Ciclo Celular, Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell
Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
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11
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Colchicine treatment reversibly blocks cytokinesis but not mitosis in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes. Parasitol Res 2014; 114:641-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-4227-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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12
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Marchini FK, de Godoy LMF, Batista M, Kugeratski FG, Krieger MA. Towards the phosphoproteome of trypanosomatids. Subcell Biochem 2014; 74:351-378. [PMID: 24264253 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The identification and localization of protein phosphorylation sites provide clues to what proteins or pathways might be activated in a given condition, helping to improve our understanding about signaling networks. Advances in strategies for enrichment of phosphorylated peptides/proteins, mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation, and specific MS techniques for identification and quantification of post-translational modifications have allowed for large-scale mapping of phosphorylation sites, promoting the field of phosphoproteomics. The great promise of phosphoproteomics is to unravel the dynamics of signaling networks, a layer of the emerging field of systems biology. Until a few years ago only a small number of phosphorylation sites had been described. Following large-scale trends, recent phosphoproteomic studies have reported the mapping of thousands of phosphorylation sites in trypanosomatids. However, quantitative information about the regulation of such sites in different conditions is still lacking. In this chapter, we provide a historical overview of phosphoproteomic studies for trypanosomatids and discuss some challenges and perspectives in the field.
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13
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Povelones ML, Gluenz E, Dembek M, Gull K, Rudenko G. Histone H1 plays a role in heterochromatin formation and VSG expression site silencing in Trypanosoma brucei. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1003010. [PMID: 23133390 PMCID: PMC3486875 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The African sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma brucei evades the host immune system through antigenic variation of its variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. Although the T. brucei genome contains ∼1500 VSGs, only one VSG is expressed at a time from one of about 15 subtelomeric VSG expression sites (ESs). For antigenic variation to work, not only must the vast VSG repertoire be kept silent in a genome that is mainly constitutively transcribed, but the frequency of VSG switching must be strictly controlled. Recently it has become clear that chromatin plays a key role in silencing inactive ESs, thereby ensuring monoallelic expression of VSG. We investigated the role of the linker histone H1 in chromatin organization and ES regulation in T. brucei. T. brucei histone H1 proteins have a different domain structure to H1 proteins in higher eukaryotes. However, we show that they play a key role in the maintenance of higher order chromatin structure in bloodstream form T. brucei as visualised by electron microscopy. In addition, depletion of histone H1 results in chromatin becoming generally more accessible to endonucleases in bloodstream but not in insect form T. brucei. The effect on chromatin following H1 knock-down in bloodstream form T. brucei is particularly evident at transcriptionally silent ES promoters, leading to 6–8 fold derepression of these promoters. T. brucei histone H1 therefore appears to be important for the maintenance of repressed chromatin in bloodstream form T. brucei. In particular H1 plays a role in downregulating silent ESs, arguing that H1-mediated chromatin functions in antigenic variation in T. brucei. Trypanosoma brucei causes African sleeping sickness, endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Bloodstream form T. brucei is covered with a dense coat of variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). Only one VSG is expressed at a time out of a vast repertoire of ∼1500 VSGs. The active VSG is transcribed in a telomeric VSG expression site (ES), and VSG switching allows immune evasion. Exactly how monoallelic exclusion of VSG ESs operates, and how switching between ESs is mediated remains mysterious, although epigenetics and chromatin structure clearly play a major role. The linker histone H1 is thought to orchestrate higher order chromatin structure in eukaryotes, but its exact function is unclear. We investigated the role of histone H1 in the regulation of antigenic variation in T. brucei. We show that histone H1 is associated with chromatin and is required for higher order chromatin structure. Depletion of histone H1 results in derepression of silent VSG ES promoters, indicating that H1-mediated chromatin functions in antigenic variation in T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L. Povelones
- Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Gluenz
- The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marcin Dembek
- Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Gull
- The Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gloria Rudenko
- Division of Cell and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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14
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Lozano E, Barrera P, Tonn C, Nieto M, Sartor T, Sosa MA. The effect of the diterpene 5-epi-icetexone on the cell cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitol Int 2012; 61:275-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2011] [Revised: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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15
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Schenkman S, Pascoalino BDS, Nardelli SC. Nuclear structure of Trypanosoma cruzi. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2011; 75:251-83. [PMID: 21820560 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-385863-4.00012-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The presence of nucleus in living organisms characterizes the Eukaryote domain. The nucleus compartmentalizes the genetic material surrounded by a double membrane called nuclear envelope. The nucleus has been observed since the advent of the light microscope, and sub-compartments such as nucleoli, diverse nuclear bodies and condensed chromosomes have been later recognized, being part of highly organized and dynamic structure. The significance and function of such organization has increased with the understanding of transcription, replication, DNA repair, recombination processes. It is now recognized as consequence of adding complexity and regulation in more complex eukaryotic cells. Here we provide a description of the actual stage of knowledge of the nuclear structure of Trypanosoma cruzi. As an early divergent eukaryote, it presents unique and/or reduced events of DNA replication, transcription and repair as well as RNA processing and transport to the cytosol. Nevertheless, it shows peculiar structure changes accordingly to the cell cycle and stage of differentiation. T. cruzi proliferates only as epimastigote and amastigote stages, and when these forms differentiate in trypomastigote forms, their cell cycle is arrested. This arrested stage is capable of invading mammalian cells and of surviving harsh conditions, such as the gut of the insect vector and mammalian macrophages. Transcription and replication decrease during transformation in trypomastigotes implicating large alterations in the nuclear structure. Recent evidences also suggest that T. cruzi nucleus respond to oxidative and nutritional stresses. Due to the phylogenetic proximity with other well-known trypanosomes, such as Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major, they are expected to have similar nuclear organization, although differences are noticed due to distinct life cycles, cellular organizations and the specific adaptations for surviving in different host environments. Therefore, the general features of T. cruzi nuclear structure regarding unique characteristics of this protozoan parasite will be described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Schenkman
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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16
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Tonelli RR, Augusto LDS, Castilho BA, Schenkman S. Protein synthesis attenuation by phosphorylation of eIF2α is required for the differentiation of Trypanosoma cruzi into infective forms. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27904. [PMID: 22114724 PMCID: PMC3218062 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2011] [Accepted: 10/27/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas' disease is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the unicellular protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It is transmitted to humans by triatomine bugs where T. cruzi multiplies and differentiates in the digestive tract. The differentiation of proliferative and non-infective epimastigotes into infective metacyclic trypomastigotes (metacyclogenesis) can be correlated to nutrient exhaustion in the gut of the insect vector. In vitro, metacyclic-trypomastigotes can be obtained when epimastigotes are submitted to nutritional stress suggesting that metacyclogenesis is triggered by nutrient starvation. The molecular mechanism underlying such event is not understood. Here, we investigated the role of one of the key signaling responses elicited by nutritional stress in all other eukaryotes, the inhibition of translation initiation by the phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), during the in vitro differentiation of T. cruzi. Monospecific antibodies that recognize the phosphorylated Tc-eIF2α form were generated and used to demonstrate that parasites subjected to nutritional stress show increased levels of Tc-eIF2α phosphorylation. This was accompanied by a drastic inhibition of global translation initiation, as determined by polysomal profiles. A strain of T. cruzi overexpressing a mutant Tc-eIF2α, incapable of being phosphorylated, showed a block on translation initiation, indicating that such a nutritional stress in trypanosomatids induces the conserved translation inhibition response. In addition, Tc-eIF2α phosphorylation is critical for parasite differentiation since the overexpression of the mutant eIF2α in epimastigotes abolished metacyclogenesis. This work defines the role of eIF2α phosphorylation as a key step in T. cruzi differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata R Tonelli
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
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17
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Marchini FK, de Godoy LMF, Rampazzo RCP, Pavoni DP, Probst CM, Gnad F, Mann M, Krieger MA. Profiling the Trypanosoma cruzi phosphoproteome. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25381. [PMID: 21966514 PMCID: PMC3178638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2011] [Accepted: 09/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein phosphorylation is a reversible post-translational modification essential for the regulation of several signal transduction pathways and biological processes in the living cell. Therefore, the identification of protein phosphorylation sites is crucial to understand cell signaling control at the molecular level. Based on mass spectrometry, recent studies have reported the large-scale mapping of phosphorylation sites in various eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, little is known about the impact of phosphorylation in protozoan parasites. To in depth characterize the phosphoproteome of Trypanosoma cruzi, a parasite of the Kinetoplastida class, protein samples from cells at different phases of the metacyclogenesis – differentiation process of the parasites from non-infective epimastigotes to infective metacyclic trypomastigotes - were enriched for phosphopeptides using TiO2 chromatography and analyzed on an LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. In total, 1,671 proteins were identified, including 753 phosphoproteins, containing a total of 2,572 phosphorylation sites. The distribution of phosphorylated residues was 2,162 (84.1%) on serine, 384 (14.9%) on threonine and 26 (1.0%) on tyrosine. Here, we also report several consensus phosphorylation sequence motifs and as some of these conserved groups have enriched biological functions, we can infer the regulation by protein kinases of this functions. To our knowledge, our phosphoproteome is the most comprehensive dataset identified until now for Kinetoplastida species. Here we also were able to extract biological information and infer groups of sites phosphorylated by the same protein kinase. To make our data accessible to the scientific community, we uploaded our study to the data repositories PHOSIDA, Proteome Commons and TriTrypDB enabling researchers to access information about the phosphorylation sites identified here.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lyris M. F. de Godoy
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Florian Gnad
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Matthias Mann
- Department of Proteomics and Signal Transduction, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Marco A. Krieger
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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18
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Regulation of gene expression in protozoa parasites. J Biomed Biotechnol 2010; 2010:726045. [PMID: 20204171 PMCID: PMC2830571 DOI: 10.1155/2010/726045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2009] [Revised: 11/10/2009] [Accepted: 01/08/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections with protozoa parasites are associated with high burdens of morbidity and mortality across the developing world. Despite extensive efforts to control the transmission of these parasites, the spread of populations resistant to drugs and the lack of effective vaccines against them contribute to their persistence as major public health problems. Parasites should perform a strict control on the expression of genes involved in their pathogenicity, differentiation, immune evasion, or drug resistance, and the comprehension of the mechanisms implicated in that control could help to develop novel therapeutic strategies. However, until now these mechanisms are poorly understood in protozoa. Recent investigations into gene expression in protozoa parasites suggest that they possess many of the canonical machineries employed by higher eukaryotes for the control of gene expression at transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and epigenetic levels, but they also contain exclusive mechanisms. Here, we review the current understanding about the regulation of gene expression in Plasmodium sp., Trypanosomatids, Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis.
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19
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Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is defined as the mechanism through which double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) triggers degradation of homologous transcripts. Besides providing an invaluable tool to downregulate gene expression in a variety of organisms, it is now evident that RNAi acts beyond the cytoplasm and is involved in a variety of gene-silencing phenomena in the nucleus. In the present work we review the current status of the knowledge about RNAi in protozoan parasites that belong to the Trypanosoma genus and have medical relevance. While RNAi was first discovered in Trypanosoma brucei, it became evident that other members of the same genus of organisms, namely Trypanosoma cruzi, does not possess RNAi, probably due to the lack of Ago protein analogs in their genomes. We will discuss the genome organization of Trypanosoma cruzi and propose that the absence of both RNAi and gene promoters is symptomatic of alternative epigenetic controls in this parasite orchestrated by parasite-host interactions. Whereas in Trypanosoma brucei, RNAi and other epigenetic controls dictate alternative transcriptional programs critical for virulence.
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20
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Elias MC, Nardelli SC, Schenkman S. Chromatin and nuclear organization in Trypanosoma cruzi. Future Microbiol 2009; 4:1065-74. [DOI: 10.2217/fmb.09.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A total of 100 years have passed since the discovery of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas’ disease. Since its discovery, the molecular and cellular biology of this early divergent eukaryote, as well as its interactions with the mammalian and insect hosts, has progressed substantially. It is now clear that this parasite presents unique mechanisms controlling gene expression, DNA replication, cell cycle and differentiation, generating several morphological forms that are adapted to survive in different hosts. In recent years, the relationship between the chromatin structure and nuclear organization with the unusual transcription, splicing, DNA replication and DNA repair mechanisms have been investigated in T. cruzi. This article reviews the relevant aspects of these mechanisms in relation to chromatin and nuclear organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sheila Cristina Nardelli
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Botucatu 862 8a, 04023-062 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sergio Schenkman
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Botucatu 862 8a, 04023-062 São Paulo, Brazil
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21
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Nakayasu ES, Gaynor MR, Sobreira TJP, Ross JA, Almeida IC. Phosphoproteomic analysis of the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi at the epimastigote stage. Proteomics 2009; 9:3489-506. [PMID: 19579231 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200800874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, which affects millions of people in Latin America and has become a public health concern in the United States and areas of Europe. The possibility that kinase inhibitors represent novel anti-parasitic agents is currently being explored. However, fundamental understanding of the cell-signaling networks requires the detailed analysis of the involved phosphorylated proteins. Here, we have performed a comprehensive MS-based phosphorylation mapping of phosphoproteins from T. cruzi epimastigote forms. Our LC-MS/MS, dual-stage fragmentation, and multistage activation analysis has identified 237 phosphopeptides from 119 distinct proteins. Furthermore, 220 phosphorylation sites were unambiguously mapped: 148 on serine, 57 on threonine, and 8 on tyrosine. In addition, immunoprecipitation and Western blotting analysis confirmed the presence of at least seven tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in T. cruzi. The identified phosphoproteins were subjected to Gene Ontology, InterPro, and BLAST analysis, and categorized based on their role in cell structure, motility, transportation, metabolism, pathogenesis, DNA/RNA/protein turnover, and signaling. Taken together, our phosphoproteomic data provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms governed by protein kinases and phosphatases in T. cruzi. We discuss the potential roles of the identified phosphoproteins in parasite physiology and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernesto S Nakayasu
- The Border Biomedical Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
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22
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Nett IRE, Martin DMA, Miranda-Saavedra D, Lamont D, Barber JD, Mehlert A, Ferguson MAJ. The phosphoproteome of bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei, causative agent of African sleeping sickness. Mol Cell Proteomics 2009; 8:1527-38. [PMID: 19346560 PMCID: PMC2716717 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m800556-mcp200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent
of human African sleeping sickness and related animal diseases, and it has over
170 predicted protein kinases. Protein phosphorylation is a key regulatory
mechanism for cellular function that, thus far, has been studied in
T.brucei principally through putative kinase mRNA knockdown
and observation of the resulting phenotype. However, despite the relatively
large kinome of this organism and the demonstrated essentiality of several
T. brucei kinases, very few specific phosphorylation sites
have been determined in this organism. Using a gel-free, phosphopeptide
enrichment-based proteomics approach we performed the first large scale
phosphorylation site analyses for T.brucei. Serine, threonine,
and tyrosine phosphorylation sites were determined for a cytosolic protein
fraction of the bloodstream form of the parasite, resulting in the
identification of 491 phosphoproteins based on the identification of 852 unique
phosphopeptides and 1204 phosphorylation sites. The phosphoproteins detected in
this study are predicted from their genome annotations to participate in a wide
variety of biological processes, including signal transduction, processing of
DNA and RNA, protein synthesis, and degradation and to a minor extent in
metabolic pathways. The analysis of phosphopeptides and phosphorylation sites
was facilitated by in-house developed software, and this automated approach was
validated by manual annotation of spectra of the kinase subset of proteins.
Analysis of the cytosolic bloodstream form T. brucei kinome
revealed the presence of 44 phosphorylated protein kinases in our data set that
could be classified into the major eukaryotic protein kinase groups by applying
a multilevel hidden Markov model library of the kinase catalytic domain.
Identification of the kinase phosphorylation sites showed conserved
phosphorylation sequence motifs in several kinase activation segments,
supporting the view that phosphorylation-based signaling is a general and
fundamental regulatory process that extends to this highly divergent lower
eukaryote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle R E Nett
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
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23
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Deterding LJ, Bunger MK, Banks GC, Tomer KB, Archer TK. Global changes in and characterization of specific sites of phosphorylation in mouse and human histone H1 Isoforms upon CDK inhibitor treatment using mass spectrometry. J Proteome Res 2008; 7:2368-79. [PMID: 18416567 DOI: 10.1021/pr700790a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Global changes in the phosphorylation state of human H1 isoforms isolated from UL3 cells have been investigated using mass spectrometry. Relative changes in H1 phosphorylation between untreated cells and cells treated with dexamethasone or various CDK inhibitors were determined. The specific cyclin-dependent kinase consensus sites of phosphorylation on the histone H1 isoforms that show changes in phosphorylation were also investigated. Three sites of phosphorylation on histone H1.4 isoforms have been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leesa J Deterding
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, P.O. Box 12233, RTP, North Carolina 27709, USA.
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24
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Histone H1 of Trypanosoma cruzi is concentrated in the nucleolus region and disperses upon phosphorylation during progression to mitosis. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2008; 7:560-8. [PMID: 18281601 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00460-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of histone H1 is intimately related to the cell cycle progression in higher eukaryotes, reaching maximum levels during mitosis. We have previously shown that in the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which does not condense chromatin during mitosis, histone H1 is phosphorylated at a single cyclin-dependent kinase site. By using an antibody that recognizes specifically the phosphorylated T. cruzi histone H1 site, we have now confirmed that T. cruzi histone H1 is also phosphorylated in a cell cycle-dependent manner. Differently from core histones, the bulk of nonphosphorylated histone H1 in G(1) and S phases of the cell cycle is concentrated in the central regions of the nucleus, which contains the nucleolus and less densely packed chromatin. When cells pass G(2), histone H1 becomes phosphorylated and starts to diffuse. At the onset of mitosis, histone H1 phosphorylation is maximal and found in the entire nuclear space. As permeabilized parasites preferentially lose phosphorylated histone H1, we conclude that this modification promotes its release from less condensed and nucleolar chromatin after G(2).
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25
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Fernández Villamil SH, Baltanás R, Alonso GD, Vilchez Larrea SC, Torres HN, Flawiá MM. TcPARP: A DNA damage-dependent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase from Trypanosoma cruzi. Int J Parasitol 2007; 38:277-87. [PMID: 17936287 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2007.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2007] [Revised: 07/26/2007] [Accepted: 08/06/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a nuclear enzyme present in most eukaryotes and has been involved in processes such as DNA repair and gene expression. The poly(ADP-ribose) polymer (PAR) is mainly catabolised by poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase. Here, we describe the cloning and characterisation of a PARP from Trypanosoma cruzi (TcPARP). The recombinant enzyme (Mr=65) required DNA for catalytic activity and it was strongly enhanced by nicked DNA. Histones purified from T. cruzi increased TcPARP activity and the covalent attachment of [32P]ADP-ribose moieties to histones was demonstrated. TcPARP required no magnesium or any other metal ion cofactor for its activity. The enzyme was inhibited by 3-aminobenzamide, nicotinamide, theophylline and thymidine but not by menadione. We demonstrated an automodification reaction of TcPARP, and that the removal of attached PAR from this protein resulted in an increase of its activity. The enzyme was expressed in all parasite stages (amastigotes, epimastigotes and trypomastigotes). When T. cruzi epimastigotes were exposed to DNA-damaging agents such as hydrogen peroxide or beta-lapachone, PAR drastically increased in the nucleus, thus confirming PAR synthesis in vivo and suggesting a physiological role for PARP in trypanosomatid DNA repair signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia H Fernández Villamil
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas,Universidad de Buenos Aires, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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26
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Horn D. Introducing histone modification in trypanosomes. Trends Parasitol 2007; 23:239-42. [PMID: 17433777 PMCID: PMC3828116 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2007.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2006] [Revised: 02/26/2007] [Accepted: 03/28/2007] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear DNA is wrapped around histones. Vigorous research over the past decade has established a central role for histone post-translational modification in controlling the DNA-protein interactions that are required for successful growth and propagation. Recent work now provides a description of acetylated and methylated residues in the divergent trypanosome core histones. Future studies should provide insights into the genomic distribution of each modification and their roles in growth and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Horn
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK.
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Schenkman S, da Cunha JPC. Response to Horn: Introducing histone modifications in trypanosomes. Trends Parasitol 2007; 23:242-3. [PMID: 17459774 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2007.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2006] [Revised: 02/21/2007] [Accepted: 04/10/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Schenkman
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Rua Botucatu, 04023-062 São Paulo, Brazil.
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Teixeira ARL, Nascimento RJ, Sturm NR. Evolution and pathology in chagas disease--a review. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2007; 101:463-91. [PMID: 17072450 DOI: 10.1590/s0074-02762006000500001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2006] [Accepted: 06/07/2006] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi acute infections often go unperceived, but one third of chronically infected individuals die of Chagas disease, showing diverse manifestations affecting the heart, intestines, and nervous systems. A common denominator of pathology in Chagas disease is the minimal rejection unit, whereby parasite-free target host cells are destroyed by immune system mononuclear effectors cells infiltrates. Another key feature stemming from T. cruzi infection is the integration of kDNA minicircles into the vertebrate host genome; horizontal transfer of the parasite DNA can undergo vertical transmission to the progeny of mammals and birds. kDNA integration-induced mutations can enter multiple loci in diverse chromosomes, generating new genes, pseudo genes and knock-outs, and resulting in genomic shuffling and remodeling over time. As a result of the juxtaposition of kDNA insertions with host open reading frames, novel chimeric products may be generated. Germ line transmission of kDNA-mutations determined the appearance of lesions in birds that are indistinguishable from those seen in Chagas disease patients. The production of tissue lesions showing typical minimal rejection units in birds' refractory to T. cruzi infection is consistent with the hypothesis that autoimmunity, likely triggered by integration-induced phenotypic alterations, plays a major role in the pathogenesis of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio R L Teixeira
- Laboratório de Pesquisa Multidisciplinar em Doença de Chagas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasilia, Caixa Postal 04536, 70919-970 Brasilia,-DF, Brasil.
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da Cunha JPC, Nakayasu ES, de Almeida IC, Schenkman S. Post-translational modifications of Trypanosoma cruzi histone H4. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2006; 150:268-77. [PMID: 17010453 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2006.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2006] [Revised: 08/02/2006] [Accepted: 08/28/2006] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Histone tails provide sites for a variety of post-translational modifications implicated in the control of gene expression and chromatin assembly. As both histones and control of gene expression in trypanosomes are highly divergent compared to most eukaryotes, post-translational modifications of Trypanosoma cruzi histones were investigated. After in vivo incubation of live parasites with radiolabeled precursors, histone H4 mainly incorporates [(3)H]-acetyl, and to a lesser extent [(3)H]-methyl residues. In contrast, histone H3 preferentially incorporates [(3)H]-methyl residues. The modifications of histone H4 were further characterized by mass spectrometry. MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS analysis revealed that peptides from histone H4 amino-terminus, obtained by either endoproteinase Glu-C or endoproteinase Arg-C digestion, contain isoforms with 14 and 42Da additions, suggesting the presence of simultaneous acetylations and/or methylations. Tandem mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that the N-terminal alanine is methylated, and lysine residues at positions 4, 10, 14 and 57 are acetylated; lysine at position 18 is mono-methylated, while arginine at position 53 is dimethylated. Immunoblotting analyses using specific antibodies raised against synthetic and acetylated peptides of T. cruzi histone H4 indicate that lysine 4 is acetylated in the majority of histone H4, while other acetylations at the N-terminus portion of histone H4 are less abundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Pinheiro Chagas da Cunha
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Botucatu 862 8(a), 04023-062 São Paulo, Brazil
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Smirlis D, Bisti SN, Xingi E, Konidou G, Thiakaki M, Soteriadou KP. Leishmania histone H1 overexpression delays parasite cell-cycle progression, parasite differentiation and reduces Leishmania infectivity in vivo. Mol Microbiol 2006; 60:1457-73. [PMID: 16796681 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2006.05205.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Episomal expression of Leishmania histone H1 sense mRNAs in Leishmania major promastigotes was found previously to result in overexpression of this molecule and to reduce parasite infectivity in vitro. Herein, we evaluated the in vivo infectivity of these transfectants, in BALB/c mice, and showed that it is dramatically reduced. No lesions were observed in this group of mice and this was associated with an extremely low number of parasites both in the footpad and in the draining lymph nodes. Interestingly, the transfectants-reduced infectivity was associated with a delay in their cell-cycle progression and differentiation to axenic amastigotes, assessed in vitro. Therefore, the dramatic reduction in their infectivity may be attributed to the above-mentioned phenotypic modifications. As the metazoan linker histone H1(0) homologue is known to delay cell-cycle progression in mammalian cells we investigated whether its Leishmania counterpart, which possesses homology to its C-terminal region, when expressed in mammalian cells may also affect their cell-cycle progression. It was thus shown that Leishmania histone H1 expressed in COS7 and NIH 3T3 cells, delays cell-cycle progression in these cells too. The latter strengthens the phenotype observed in Leishmania and provides evidence that critical functions of histone H1 molecules are conserved throughout evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina Smirlis
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Bas. Sofias Avenue, 115 21 Athens, Greece
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Naula C, Parsons M, Mottram JC. Protein kinases as drug targets in trypanosomes and Leishmania. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2005; 1754:151-9. [PMID: 16198642 PMCID: PMC1452262 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2005.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2005] [Revised: 08/08/2005] [Accepted: 08/10/2005] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases represent promising drug targets for a number of human and animal diseases. The recent completion of the sequenced genomes of three human-infective trypanosomatid protozoa, Leishmania major, Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi, has allowed the kinome for each parasite to be defined as 179, 156 and 171 eukaryotic protein kinases respectively, that is about one third of the human complement. The analysis revealed that the trypanosomatids lack members of the receptor-linked or cytosolic tyrosine kinase families, but have an abundance of STE and CMGC family protein kinases likely to be involved in regulating cell cycle control, differentiation and response to stress during their complex life-cycles. In this review, we examine the prospects for exploiting differences between parasite and mammalian protein kinases to develop novel anti-parasitic chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Naula
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, The Anderson College, 56 Dumbarton Road, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G11 6NU, UK
| | - Marilyn Parsons
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 307 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle, WA, 98109 USA
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195 USA
| | - Jeremy C. Mottram
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, The Anderson College, 56 Dumbarton Road, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G11 6NU, UK
- *Corresponding author:
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