1
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Overberg FA, Gompper G, Fedosov DA. Motion of microswimmers in cylindrical microchannels. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:3007-3020. [PMID: 38495021 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01480k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Biological and artificial microswimmers often have to propel through a variety of environments, ranging from heterogeneous suspending media to strong geometrical confinement. Under confinement, local flow fields generated by microswimmers, and steric and hydrodynamic interactions with their environment determine the locomotion. We propose a squirmer-like model to describe the motion of microswimmers in cylindrical microchannels, where propulsion is generated by a fixed surface slip velocity. The model is studied using an approximate analytical solution for cylindrical swimmer shapes, and by numerical hydrodynamics simulations for spherical and spheroidal shapes. For the numerical simulations, we employ the dissipative particle dynamics method for modelling fluid flow. Both the analytical model and simulations show that the propulsion force increases with increasing confinement. However, the swimming velocity under confinement remains lower than the swimmer speed without confinement for all investigated conditions. In simulations, different swimming modes (i.e. pusher, neutral, puller) are investigated, and found to play a significant role in the generation of propulsion force when a swimmer approaches a dead end of a capillary tube. Propulsion generation in confined systems is local, such that the generated flow field generally vanishes beyond the characteristic size of the swimmer. These results contribute to a better understanding of microswimmer force generation and propulsion under strong confinement, including the motion in porous media and in narrow channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian A Overberg
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Gompper
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Dmitry A Fedosov
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
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2
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Jentzsch J, Wunderlich H, Thein M, Bechthold J, Brehm L, Krauss SW, Weiss M, Ersfeld K. Microtubule polyglutamylation is an essential regulator of cytoskeletal integrity in Trypanosoma brucei. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs261740. [PMID: 38205672 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.261740] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Tubulin polyglutamylation, catalysed by members of the tubulin tyrosine ligase-like (TTLL) protein family, is an evolutionarily highly conserved mechanism involved in the regulation of microtubule dynamics and function in eukaryotes. In the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the microtubule cytoskeleton is essential for cell motility and maintaining cell shape. In a previous study, we showed that T. brucei TTLL6A and TTLL12B are required to regulate microtubule dynamics at the posterior cell pole. Here, using gene deletion, we show that the polyglutamylase TTLL1 is essential for the integrity of the highly organised microtubule structure at the cell pole, with a phenotype distinct from that observed in TTLL6A- and TTLL12B-depleted cells. Reduced polyglutamylation in TTLL1-deficient cells also leads to increased levels in tubulin tyrosination, providing new evidence for an interplay between the tubulin tyrosination and detyrosination cycle and polyglutamylation. We also show that TTLL1 acts differentially on specific microtubule doublets of the flagellar axoneme, although the absence of TTLL1 appears to have no measurable effect on cell motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Jentzsch
- Molecular Parasitology, Department of Biology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Hannes Wunderlich
- Experimental Physics I, Department of Physics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Marinus Thein
- Molecular Parasitology, Department of Biology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Julia Bechthold
- Molecular Parasitology, Department of Biology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Lucas Brehm
- Molecular Parasitology, Department of Biology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sebastian W Krauss
- Experimental Physics I, Department of Physics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiss
- Experimental Physics I, Department of Physics, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Klaus Ersfeld
- Molecular Parasitology, Department of Biology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
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3
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De Niz M, Frachon E, Gobaa S, Bastin P. Spatial confinement of Trypanosoma brucei in microfluidic traps provides a new tool to study free swimming parasites. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0296257. [PMID: 38134042 PMCID: PMC10745224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296257] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of African trypanosomiasis and is transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.). All stages of this extracellular parasite possess a single flagellum that is attached to the cell body and confers a high degree of motility. While several stages are amenable to culture in vitro, longitudinal high-resolution imaging of free-swimming parasites has been challenging, mostly due to the rapid flagellar beating that constantly twists the cell body. Here, using microfabrication, we generated various microfluidic devices with traps of different geometrical properties. Investigation of trap topology allowed us to define the one most suitable for single T. brucei confinement within the field of view of an inverted microscope while allowing the parasite to remain motile. Chips populated with V-shaped traps allowed us to investigate various phenomena in cultured procyclic stage wild-type parasites, and to compare them with parasites whose motility was altered upon knockdown of a paraflagellar rod component. Among the properties that we investigated were trap invasion, parasite motility, and the visualization of organelles labelled with fluorescent dyes. We envisage that this tool we have named "Tryp-Chip" will be a useful tool for the scientific community, as it could allow high-throughput, high-temporal and high-spatial resolution imaging of free-swimming T. brucei parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana De Niz
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Frachon
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biomaterials and Microfluidics Core Facility, Paris, France
| | - Samy Gobaa
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biomaterials and Microfluidics Core Facility, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1201, Paris, France
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4
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Reuter C, Hauf L, Imdahl F, Sen R, Vafadarnejad E, Fey P, Finger T, Jones NG, Walles H, Barquist L, Saliba AE, Groeber-Becker F, Engstler M. Vector-borne Trypanosoma brucei parasites develop in artificial human skin and persist as skin tissue forms. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7660. [PMID: 37996412 PMCID: PMC10667367 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43437-2] [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: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmission of Trypanosoma brucei by tsetse flies involves the deposition of the cell cycle-arrested metacyclic life cycle stage into mammalian skin at the site of the fly's bite. We introduce an advanced human skin equivalent and use tsetse flies to naturally infect the skin with trypanosomes. We detail the chronological order of the parasites' development in the skin by single-cell RNA sequencing and find a rapid activation of metacyclic trypanosomes and differentiation to proliferative parasites. Here we show that after the establishment of a proliferative population, the parasites enter a reversible quiescent state characterized by slow replication and a strongly reduced metabolism. We term these quiescent trypanosomes skin tissue forms, a parasite population that may play an important role in maintaining the infection over long time periods and in asymptomatic infected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Reuter
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM), University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Laura Hauf
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Imdahl
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Wuerzburg, Germany
- Core Unit Systems Medicine, Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Rituparno Sen
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Ehsan Vafadarnejad
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Fey
- Translational Center Regenerative Therapies, Fraunhofer ISC, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Finger
- Translational Center Regenerative Therapies, Fraunhofer ISC, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Nicola G Jones
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Heike Walles
- Translational Center Regenerative Therapies, Fraunhofer ISC, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Core Facility Tissue Engineering, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Lars Barquist
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Antoine-Emmanuel Saliba
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), Wuerzburg, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), Faculty of Medicine, Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Florian Groeber-Becker
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM), University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Translational Center Regenerative Therapies, Fraunhofer ISC, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Engstler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-Universitaet of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.
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5
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Machado H, Temudo A, Niz MD. The lymphatic system favours survival of a unique T. brucei population. Biol Open 2023; 12:bio059992. [PMID: 37870927 PMCID: PMC10651106 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059992] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei colonise and multiply in the blood vasculature, as well as in various organs of the host's body. Lymph nodes have been previously shown to harbour large numbers of parasites, and the lymphatic system has been proposed as a key site that allows T. brucei distribution through, and colonization of the mammalian body. However, visualization of host-pathogen interactions in the lymphatic system has never captured dynamic events with high spatial and temporal resolution throughout infection. In our work, we used a mixture of tools including intravital microscopy and ex vivo imaging to study T. brucei distribution in 20 sets of lymph nodes. We demonstrate that lymph node colonization by T. brucei is different across lymph node sets, with the most heavily colonised being the draining lymph nodes of main tissue reservoirs: the gonadal white adipose tissue and pancreas. Moreover, we show that the lymphatic vasculature is a pivotal site for parasite dispersal, and altering this colonization by blocking LYVE-1 is detrimental for parasite survival. Additionally, parasites within the lymphatic vasculature have unique morphological and behavioural characteristics, different to those found in the blood, demonstrating that across both types of vasculature, these environments are physically separated. Finally, we demonstrate that the lymph nodes and the lymphatic vasculature undergo significant alterations during T. brucei infection, resulting in oedema throughout the host's body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Machado
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - António Temudo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
- Bioimaging Unit, Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-028, Portugal
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6
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Shadrin KV, Pakhomova VG, Kryukova OV, Rupenko AP, Yaroslavtsev RN. Influence of oxygen uptake through the liver surface on the metabolism of ex vivo perfused liver during hypoxia. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130429. [PMID: 37532088 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130429] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
The low quality of transplants having undergone hypoxic injury can lead to postoperative complications. The aim of the present research is to estimate, by means of mathematical modeling, how the process of oxygen uptake through the liver surface influences the metabolism of ex vivo perfused liver under hypoxia. The value of oxygen uptake through the surface was established to depend on the degree of oxygenation of the perfusion medium. A decrease in the oxygenation of the perfusion medium resulted in a decreased oxygen uptake through the liver surface. Stoichiometric modeling of the liver metabolism shows that upon the decreased oxygenation of the perfusion medium more energy is required for the process of oxygen uptake through the surface even at a lower level as compared to the normal oxygen supply. The application of the Pareto optimality allows estimating the optimum distribution of the energy resources in liver under ex vivo conditions. Both upon the normal and decreased oxygenation of the perfusion medium, the phenomenon of "free competition" for the resource was observed, with the energy being optimally distributed among all the metabolic fluxes. Moreover, this energy is also spent on the accompanying processes, e.g. for the transport of interstitial fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- K V Shadrin
- Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Professor V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky Krasnoyarsk State Medical University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - V G Pakhomova
- Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - O V Kryukova
- Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - A P Rupenko
- Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - R N Yaroslavtsev
- Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, Federal Research Center KSC SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
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7
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Shimogawa MM, Wijono AS, Wang H, Zhang J, Sha J, Szombathy N, Vadakkan S, Pelayo P, Jonnalagadda K, Wohlschlegel J, Zhou ZH, Hill KL. FAP106 is an interaction hub for assembling microtubule inner proteins at the cilium inner junction. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5225. [PMID: 37633952 PMCID: PMC10460401 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40230-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Motility of pathogenic protozoa depends on flagella (synonymous with cilia) with axonemes containing nine doublet microtubules (DMTs) and two singlet microtubules. Microtubule inner proteins (MIPs) within DMTs influence axoneme stability and motility and provide lineage-specific adaptations, but individual MIP functions and assembly mechanisms are mostly unknown. Here, we show in the sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma brucei, that FAP106, a conserved MIP at the DMT inner junction, is required for trypanosome motility and functions as a critical interaction hub, directing assembly of several conserved and lineage-specific MIPs. We use comparative cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) and quantitative proteomics to identify MIP candidates. Using RNAi knockdown together with fitting of AlphaFold models into cryoET maps, we demonstrate that one of these candidates, MC8, is a trypanosome-specific MIP required for parasite motility. Our work advances understanding of MIP assembly mechanisms and identifies lineage-specific motility proteins that are attractive targets to consider for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M Shimogawa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Angeline S Wijono
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jiayan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Jihui Sha
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Natasha Szombathy
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Sabeeca Vadakkan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Paula Pelayo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Keya Jonnalagadda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - James Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Kent L Hill
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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8
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Glockzin K, Meek TD, Katzfuss A. Characterization of adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) activity in Trypanosoma brucei brucei: Only one of the two isoforms is kinetically active. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0009926. [PMID: 35104286 PMCID: PMC8836349 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a Neglected Tropical Disease endemic to 36 African countries, with approximately 70 million people currently at risk for infection. Current therapeutics are suboptimal due to toxicity, adverse side effects, and emerging resistance. Thus, both effective and affordable treatments are urgently needed. The causative agent of HAT is the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei ssp. Annotation of its genome confirms previous observations that T. brucei is a purine auxotroph. Incapable of de novo purine synthesis, these protozoan parasites rely on purine phosphoribosyltransferases to salvage purines from their hosts for the synthesis of purine monophosphates. Complete and accurate genome annotations in combination with the identification and characterization of the catalytic activity of purine salvage enzymes enables the development of target-specific therapies in addition to providing a deeper understanding of purine metabolism in T. brucei. In trypanosomes, purine phosphoribosyltransferases represent promising drug targets due to their essential and central role in purine salvage. Enzymes involved in adenine and adenosine salvage, such as adenine phosphoribosyltransferases (APRTs, EC 2.4.2.7), are of particular interest for their potential role in the activation of adenine and adenosine-based pro-drugs. Analysis of the T. brucei genome shows two putative aprt genes: APRT1 (Tb927.7.1780) and APRT2 (Tb927.7.1790). Here we report studies of the catalytic activity of each putative APRT, revealing that of the two T. brucei putative APRTs, only APRT1 is kinetically active, thereby signifying a genomic misannotation of Tb927.7.1790 (putative APRT2). Reliable genome annotation is necessary to establish potential drug targets and identify enzymes involved in adenine and adenosine-based pro-drug activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Glockzin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Thomas D. Meek
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TDM); (AK)
| | - Ardala Katzfuss
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (TDM); (AK)
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9
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Abstract
The parasite that causes African sleeping sickness can be transmitted from mammals to tsetse flies in two stages of its lifecycle, rather than one as was previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Guegan
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luisa Figueiredo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Lisboa, Portugal
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10
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Machado H, Bizarra-Rebelo T, Costa-Sequeira M, Trindade S, Carvalho T, Rijo-Ferreira F, Rentroia-Pacheco B, Serre K, Figueiredo LM. Trypanosoma brucei triggers a broad immune response in the adipose tissue. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009933. [PMID: 34525131 PMCID: PMC8476018 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adipose tissue is one of the major reservoirs of Trypanosoma brucei parasites, the causative agent of sleeping sickness, a fatal disease in humans. In mice, the gonadal adipose tissue (AT) typically harbors 2–5 million parasites, while most solid organs show 10 to 100-fold fewer parasites. In this study, we tested whether the AT environment responds immunologically to the presence of the parasite. Transcriptome analysis of T. brucei infected adipose tissue revealed that most upregulated host genes are involved in inflammation and immune cell functions. Histochemistry and flow cytometry confirmed an increasingly higher number of infiltrated macrophages, neutrophils and CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes upon infection. A large proportion of these lymphocytes effectively produce the type 1 effector cytokines, IFN-γ and TNF-α. Additionally, the adipose tissue showed accumulation of antigen-specific IgM and IgG antibodies as infection progressed. Mice lacking T and/or B cells (Rag2-/-, Jht-/-), or the signature cytokine (Ifng-/-) displayed a higher parasite load both in circulation and in the AT, demonstrating the key role of the adaptive immune system in both compartments. Interestingly, infections of C3-/- mice showed that while complement system is dispensable to control parasite load in the blood, it is necessary in the AT and other solid tissues. We conclude that T. brucei infection triggers a broad and robust immune response in the AT, which requires the complement system to locally reduce parasite burden. African trypanosomiasis is a neglected disease with significant socio-economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, a causative agent of African trypanosomiasis, can be found in the blood and extra-vascular spaces of the infected host. For an unknown reason, T. brucei accumulates in adipose tissue (AT) in very high numbers. Here we used a multidisciplinary approach to assess whether an immune response was mounted in AT during a T. brucei infection. We found that as infection progresses, a broad variety of immune cells and antibodies accumulate in the AT. We also found that this broad immune response is partially able to control parasite numbers in the AT. Our study provides evidence that T. brucei parasites present in the AT are subjected to immune surveillance. The reason why T. brucei accumulates to such a high extent in AT remains to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Machado
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tiago Bizarra-Rebelo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mariana Costa-Sequeira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Sandra Trindade
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Tânia Carvalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Filipa Rijo-Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States
| | - Barbara Rentroia-Pacheco
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Karine Serre
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- * E-mail: (KS); (LMF)
| | - Luisa M. Figueiredo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- * E-mail: (KS); (LMF)
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11
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Schuster S, Lisack J, Subota I, Zimmermann H, Reuter C, Mueller T, Morriswood B, Engstler M. Unexpected plasticity in the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei. eLife 2021; 10:66028. [PMID: 34355698 PMCID: PMC8448533 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomes cause sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. These unicellular parasites are transmitted by the bloodsucking tsetse fly. In the mammalian host’s circulation, proliferating slender stage cells differentiate into cell cycle-arrested stumpy stage cells when they reach high population densities. This stage transition is thought to fulfil two main functions: first, it auto-regulates the parasite load in the host; second, the stumpy stage is regarded as the only stage capable of successful vector transmission. Here, we show that proliferating slender stage trypanosomes express the mRNA and protein of a known stumpy stage marker, complete the complex life cycle in the fly as successfully as the stumpy stage, and require only a single parasite for productive infection. These findings suggest a reassessment of the traditional view of the trypanosome life cycle. They may also provide a solution to a long-lasting paradox, namely the successful transmission of parasites in chronic infections, despite low parasitemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Schuster
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jaime Lisack
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ines Subota
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Henriette Zimmermann
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Reuter
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Markus Engstler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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12
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Luzak V, López-Escobar L, Siegel TN, Figueiredo LM. Cell-to-Cell Heterogeneity in Trypanosomes. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:107-128. [PMID: 34228491 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-040821-012953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent developments in single-cell and single-molecule techniques have revealed surprising levels of heterogeneity among isogenic cells. These advances have transformed the study of cell-to-cell heterogeneity into a major area of biomedical research, revealing that it can confer essential advantages, such as priming populations of unicellular organisms for future environmental stresses. Protozoan parasites, such as trypanosomes, face multiple and often hostile environments, and to survive, they undergo multiple changes, including changes in morphology, gene expression, and metabolism. But why does only a subset of proliferative cells differentiate to the next life cycle stage? Why do only some bloodstream parasites undergo antigenic switching while others stably express one variant surface glycoprotein? And why do some parasites invade an organ while others remain in the bloodstream? Building on extensive research performed in bacteria, here we suggest that biological noise can contribute to the fitness of eukaryotic pathogens and discuss the importance of cell-to-cell heterogeneity in trypanosome infections. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Luzak
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 82152, Germany.,Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 82152, Germany
| | - Lara López-Escobar
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - T Nicolai Siegel
- Division of Experimental Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 82152, Germany.,Biomedical Center, Division of Physiological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich 82152, Germany
| | - Luisa M Figueiredo
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal;
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13
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Sinclair AN, Huynh CT, Sladewski TE, Zuromski JL, Ruiz AE, de Graffenried CL. The Trypanosoma brucei subpellicular microtubule array is organized into functionally discrete subdomains defined by microtubule associated proteins. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009588. [PMID: 34010336 PMCID: PMC8168904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are inherently dynamic cytoskeletal polymers whose length and organization can be altered to perform essential functions in eukaryotic cells, such as providing tracks for intracellular trafficking and forming the mitotic spindle. Microtubules can be bundled to create more stable structures that collectively propagate force, such as in the flagellar axoneme, which provides motility. The subpellicular microtubule array of the protist parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, is a remarkable example of a highly specialized microtubule bundle. It is comprised of a single layer of microtubules that are crosslinked to each other and to the overlying plasma membrane. The array microtubules appear to be highly stable and remain intact throughout the cell cycle, but very little is known about the pathways that tune microtubule properties in trypanosomatids. Here, we show that the subpellicular microtubule array is organized into subdomains that consist of differentially localized array-associated proteins at the array posterior, middle, and anterior. The array-associated protein PAVE1 stabilizes array microtubules at the cell posterior and is essential for maintaining its tapered shape. PAVE1 and the newly identified protein PAVE2 form a complex that binds directly to the microtubule lattice, demonstrating that they are a true kinetoplastid-specific MAP. TbAIR9, which localizes to the entirety of the subpellicular array, is necessary for maintaining the localization of array-associated proteins within their respective subdomains of the array. The arrangement of proteins within the array likely tunes the local properties of array microtubules and creates the asymmetric shape of the cell, which is essential for parasite viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy N. Sinclair
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Christine T. Huynh
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Thomas E. Sladewski
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Jenna L. Zuromski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for International Health Research, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Amanda E. Ruiz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for International Health Research, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Christopher L. de Graffenried
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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Krüger T, Maus K, Kreß V, Meyer-Natus E, Engstler M. Single-cell motile behaviour of [Formula: see text] in thin-layered fluid collectives. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2021; 44:37. [PMID: 33755816 PMCID: PMC7987620 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-021-00052-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
We describe a system for the analysis of an important unicellular eukaryotic flagellate in a confining and crowded environment. The parasite Trypanosoma brucei is arguably one of the most versatile microswimmers known. It has unique properties as a single microswimmer and shows remarkable adaptations (not only in motility, but prominently so), to its environment during a complex developmental cycle involving two different hosts. Specific life cycle stages show fascinating collective behaviour, as millions of cells can be forced to move together in extreme confinement. Our goal is to examine such motile behaviour directly in the context of the relevant environments. Therefore, for the first time, we analyse the motility behaviour of trypanosomes directly in a widely used assay, which aims to evaluate the parasites behaviour in collectives, in response to as yet unknown parameters. In a step towards understanding whether, or what type of, swarming behaviour of trypanosomes exists, we customised the assay for quantitative tracking analysis of motile behaviour on the single-cell level. We show that the migration speed of cell groups does not directly depend on single-cell velocity and that the system remains to be simplified further, before hypotheses about collective motility can be advanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Krüger
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Katharina Maus
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Verena Kreß
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Meyer-Natus
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Engstler
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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15
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Rijo-Ferreira F, Takahashi JS. Sleeping Sickness: A Tale of Two Clocks. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:525097. [PMID: 33134186 PMCID: PMC7562814 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.525097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleeping sickness is caused by a eukaryotic unicellular parasite known to infect wild animals, cattle, and humans. It causes a fatal disease that disrupts many rhythmic physiological processes, including daily rhythms of hormonal secretion, temperature regulation, and sleep, all of which are under circadian (24-h) control. In this review, we summarize research on sleeping sickness parasite biology and the impact it has on host health. We also consider the possible evolutionary advantages of sleep and circadian deregulation for the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Rijo-Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Joseph S Takahashi
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
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16
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Douglas RL, Haltiwanger BM, Albisetti A, Wu H, Jeng RL, Mancuso J, Cande WZ, Welch MD. Trypanosomes have divergent kinesin-2 proteins that function differentially in flagellum biosynthesis and cell viability. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs129213. [PMID: 32503938 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.129213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, has a flagellum that is crucial for motility, pathogenicity, and viability. In most eukaryotes, the intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery drives flagellum biogenesis, and anterograde IFT requires kinesin-2 motor proteins. In this study, we investigated the function of the two T. brucei kinesin-2 proteins, TbKin2a and TbKin2b, in bloodstream form trypanosomes. We found that, compared to kinesin-2 proteins across other phyla, TbKin2a and TbKin2b show greater variation in neck, stalk and tail domain sequences. Both kinesins contributed additively to flagellar lengthening. Silencing TbKin2a inhibited cell proliferation, cytokinesis and motility, whereas silencing TbKin2b did not. TbKin2a was localized on the flagellum and colocalized with IFT components near the basal body, consistent with it performing a role in IFT. TbKin2a was also detected on the flagellar attachment zone, a specialized structure that connects the flagellum to the cell body. Our results indicate that kinesin-2 proteins in trypanosomes play conserved roles in flagellar biosynthesis and exhibit a specialized localization, emphasizing the evolutionary flexibility of motor protein function in an organism with a large complement of kinesins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Douglas
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Brett M Haltiwanger
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna Albisetti
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Haiming Wu
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Robert L Jeng
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joel Mancuso
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - W Zacheus Cande
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Matthew D Welch
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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17
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Abstract
Motility analysis of microswimmers has long been limited to a few model cell types and broadly restricted by technical challenges of high-resolution in vivo microscopy. Recently, interdisciplinary interest in detailed analysis of the motile behavior of various species has gained momentum. Here we describe a basic protocol for motility analysis of an important, highly diverse group of eukaryotic flagellate microswimmers, using high spatiotemporal resolution videomicroscopy. Further, we provide a special, time-dependent tomographic approach for the proof of rotational locomotion of periodically oscillating microswimmers, using the same data. Taken together, the methods describe part of an integrative approach to generate decisive information on three-dimensional in vivo motility from standard two-dimensional videomicroscopy data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Krüger
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Theodor-Boveri-Institut, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Engstler
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Theodor-Boveri-Institut, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany.
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18
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Walker BJ, Wheeler RJ. High-speed multifocal plane fluorescence microscopy for three-dimensional visualisation of beating flagella. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs231795. [PMID: 31371486 PMCID: PMC6737910 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.231795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Analysis of flagellum and cilium beating in three dimensions (3D) is important for understanding cell motility, and using fluorescence microscopy to do so would be extremely powerful. Here, high-speed multifocal plane fluorescence microscopy, where the light path is split to visualise multiple focal planes simultaneously, was used to reconstruct Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania mexicana movement in 3D. These species are uniflagellate unicellular parasites for which motility is vital. It was possible to use either a fluorescent stain or a genetically-encoded fluorescent protein to visualise flagellum and cell movement at 200 Hz frame rates. This addressed two open questions regarding Trypanosoma and Leishmania flagellum beating, which contributes to their swimming behaviours: 1) how planar is the L. mexicana flagellum beat, and 2) what is the nature of flagellum beating during T. brucei 'tumbling'? We showed that L. mexicana has notable deviations from a planar flagellum beat, and that during tumbling the T. brucei flagellum bends the cell and beats only in the distal portion to achieve cell reorientation. This demonstrates high-speed multifocal plane fluorescence microscopy as a powerful tool for the analysis of beating flagella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Walker
- Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology, Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Richard J Wheeler
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, UK
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