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Graham ML, Li M, Gong AY, Deng S, Jin K, Wang S, Chen XM. Cryptosporidium parvum hijacks a host's long noncoding RNA U90926 to evade intestinal epithelial cell-autonomous antiparasitic defense. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1205468. [PMID: 37346046 PMCID: PMC10280636 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1205468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic apicomplexan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and other mucosal surfaces in humans. It is an important opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients and a leading cause of infectious diarrhea and diarrheal-related death in children worldwide. The intestinal epithelial cells provide the first line of defense against Cryptosporidium infection and play a central role in activating and regulating the host's antiparasitic response. Increasing evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in host-pathogen interactions and play a regulatory role in the pathogenesis of diseases but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. We previously identified a panel of host lncRNAs that are upregulated in murine intestinal epithelial cells following Cryptosporidium infection, including U90926. We demonstrate here that U90926 is acting in a pro-parasitic manner in regulating intestinal epithelial cell-autonomous antiparasitic defense. Inhibition of U90926 resulted in a decreased infection burden of the parasite while overexpression of U90926 showed an increase in infection burden in cultured murine intestinal epithelial cells. Induction of U90926 suppressed transcription of epithelial defense genes involved in controlling Cryptosporidium infection through epigenetic mechanisms. Specifically, transcription of Aebp1, which encodes the Aebp1 protein, a potent modulator of inflammation and NF-κB signaling, was suppressed by U90926. Gain- or loss-of-function of Aebp1 in the host's epithelial cells caused reciprocal alterations in the infection burden of the parasite. Interestingly, Cryptosporidium carries the Cryptosporidium virus 1 (CSpV1), a double-stranded (ds) RNA virus coding two dsRNA fragments, CSpV1-dsRdRp and CSpV1-dsCA. Both CSpV1-dsRdRp and CSpV1-dsCA can be delivered into infected cells as previously reported. We found that cells transfected with in vitro transcribed CSpV1-dsCA or CSpV1-dsRdRp displayed an increased level of U90926, suggesting that CSpV1 is involved in the upregulation of U90926 during Cryptosporidium infection. Our study highlights a new strategy by Cryptosporidium to hijack a host lncRNA to suppress epithelial cell-autonomous antiparasitic defense and allow for a robust infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion L. Graham
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Min Li
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Ai-Yu Gong
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Silu Deng
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Kehua Jin
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, China
| | - Shuhong Wang
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Xian-Ming Chen
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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Brandão YDO, Molento MB. A Systematic Review of Apicomplexa Looking into Epigenetic Pathways and the Opportunity for Novel Therapies. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020299. [PMID: 36839571 PMCID: PMC9963874 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Interest in host epigenetic changes during apicomplexan infections increased in the last decade, mainly due to the emergence of new therapies directed to these alterations. This review aims to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the publications related to host epigenetic changes during apicomplexan infections and to summarize the main studied pathways in this context, pointing out those that represent putative drug targets. We used four databases for the article search. After screening, 116 studies were included. The bibliometric analysis revealed that the USA and China had the highest number of relevant publications. The evaluation of the selected studies revealed that Toxoplasma gondii was considered in most of the studies, non-coding RNA was the most frequently reported epigenetic event, and host defense was the most explored pathway. These findings were reinforced by an analysis of the co-occurrence of keywords. Even though we present putative targets for repurposing epidrugs and ncRNA-based drugs in apicomplexan infections, we understand that more detailed knowledge of the hosts' epigenetic pathways is still needed before establishing a definitive drug target.
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Dhal AK, Panda C, Yun SIL, Mahapatra RK. An update on Cryptosporidium biology and therapeutic avenues. J Parasit Dis 2022; 46:923-939. [PMID: 35755159 PMCID: PMC9215156 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-022-01510-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium species has been identified as an important pediatric diarrheal pathogen in resource-limited countries, particularly in very young children (0–24 months). However, the only available drug (nitazoxanide) has limited efficacy and can only be prescribed in a medical setting to children older than one year. Many drug development projects have started to investigate new therapeutic avenues. Cryptosporidium’s unique biology is challenging for the traditional drug discovery pipeline and requires novel drug screening approaches. Notably, in recent years, new methods of oocyst generation, in vitro processing, and continuous three-dimensional cultivation capacities have been developed. This has enabled more physiologically pertinent research assays for inhibitor discovery. In a short time, many great strides have been made in the development of anti-Cryptosporidium drugs. These are expected to eventually turn into clinical candidates for cryptosporidiosis treatment in the future. This review describes the latest development in Cryptosporidium biology, genomics, transcriptomics of the parasite, assay development, and new drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajit Kumar Dhal
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - Chinmaya Panda
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - Soon-IL Yun
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea
- Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea
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Yin YL, Yang X, Zhao GH. Response to comments on our article (Yin YL et al., Parasit Vectors, 10.1186/s13071-021-04739-w) by Yuqing Wang and colleagues. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:484. [PMID: 34548103 PMCID: PMC8456634 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04996-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This letter responds to comments on our article (Yin YL et al., Parasit Vectors, 10.1186/s13071-021-04739-w) by Yuqing Wang and colleagues, who wrote a letter entitled "Microarray analysis of circular RNAs in HCT-8 cells infected with Cryptosporidium parvum" and discussed statistical procedures for microarray analysis during C. parvum infection. To further confirm our data, in this letter, a common R package for analyses of differentially expressed genes, namely DESeq2, with Benjamini-Hochberg correction, was used to analyze our microarray data and identified 26 significantly differentially expressed circRNAs using adjusted P value < 0.05 and | Log2 (fold change [FC]) | ≥ 1.0, including our circRNA ciRS-7 of interest. Therefore, the protocol for selecting circRNAs of interest for further study in our article is acceptable and did not affect the subsequent scientific findings in our article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ling Yin
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Guang-Hui Zhao
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Walters HA, Temesvari LA. Target acquired: transcriptional regulators as drug targets for protozoan parasites. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:599-611. [PMID: 33722681 PMCID: PMC8169582 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Protozoan parasites are single-celled eukaryotic organisms that cause significant human disease and pose a substantial health and socioeconomic burden worldwide. They are responsible for at least 1 million deaths annually. The treatment of such diseases is hindered by the ability of parasites to form latent cysts, develop drug resistance, or be transmitted by insect vectors. Additionally, these pathogens have developed complex mechanisms to alter host gene expression. The prevalence of these diseases is predicted to increase as climate change leads to the augmentation of ambient temperatures, insect ranges, and warm water reservoirs. Therefore, the discovery of novel treatments is necessary. Transcription factors lie at the junction of multiple signalling pathways in eukaryotes and aberrant transcription factor function contributes to the progression of numerous human diseases including cancer, diabetes, inflammatory disorders and cardiovascular disease. Transcription factors were previously thought to be undruggable. However, due to recent advances, transcription factors now represent appealing drug targets. It is conceivable that transcription factors, and the pathways they regulate, may also serve as targets for anti-parasitic drug design. Here, we review transcription factors and transcriptional modulators of protozoan parasites, and discuss how they may be useful in drug discovery. We also provide information on transcription factors that play a role in stage conversion of parasites, TATA box-binding proteins, and transcription factors and cofactors that participate with RNA polymerases I, II and III. We also highlight a significant gap in knowledge in that the transcription factors of some of parasites have been under-investigated. Understanding parasite transcriptional pathways and how parasites alter host gene expression will be essential in discovering innovative drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- H A Walters
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States; Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States
| | - L A Temesvari
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States; Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, United States.
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Abstract
Purpose of Review Cryptosporidium spp. (C. hominis and C. parvum) are a major cause of diarrhea-associated morbidity and mortality in young children globally. While C. hominis only infects humans, C. parvum is a zoonotic parasite that can be transmitted from infected animals to humans. There are no treatment or control measures to fully treat cryptosporidiosis or prevent the infection in humans and animals. Our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of Cryptosporidium-host interactions and the underlying factors that govern infectivity and disease pathogenesis is very limited. Recent Findings Recent development of genetics and new animal models of infection, along with progress in cell culture platforms to complete the parasite lifecycle in vitro, is greatly advancing the Cryptosporidium field. Summary In this review, we will discuss our current knowledge of host-parasite interactions and how genetic manipulation of Cryptosporidium and promising infection models are opening the doors towards an improved understanding of parasite biology and disease pathogenesis.
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Li J, Jin K, Li M, Mathy NW, Gong AY, Deng S, Martins GA, Sun M, Strauss-Soukup JK, Chen XM. A host cell long noncoding RNA NR_033736 regulates type I interferon-mediated gene transcription and modulates intestinal epithelial anti-Cryptosporidium defense. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009241. [PMID: 33481946 PMCID: PMC7857606 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The gastrointestinal epithelium guides the immune system to differentiate between commensal and pathogenic microbiota, which relies on intimate links with the type I IFN signal pathway. Epithelial cells along the epithelium provide the front line of host defense against pathogen infection in the gastrointestinal tract. Increasing evidence supports the regulatory potential of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in immune defense but their role in regulating intestinal epithelial antimicrobial responses is still unclear. Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite that infects intestinal epithelial cells, is an important opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients and a common cause of diarrhea in young children in developing countries. Recent advances in Cryptosporidium research have revealed a strong type I IFN response in infected intestinal epithelial cells. We previously identified a panel of host cell lncRNAs that are upregulated in murine intestinal epithelial cells following microbial challenge. One of these lncRNAs, NR_033736, is upregulated in intestinal epithelial cells following Cryptosporidium infection and displays a significant suppressive effect on type I IFN-controlled gene transcription in infected host cells. NR_033736 can be assembled into the ISGF3 complex and suppresses type I IFN-mediated gene transcription. Interestingly, upregulation of NR_033736 itself is triggered by the type I IFN signaling. Moreover, NR_033736 modulates epithelial anti-Cryptosporidium defense. Our data suggest that upregulation of NR_033736 provides negative feedback regulation of type I IFN signaling through suppression of type I IFN-controlled gene transcription, and consequently, contributing to fine-tuning of epithelial innate defense against microbial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Li
- Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Kehua Jin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, Hubei, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Nicholas W. Mathy
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Ai-Yu Gong
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Silu Deng
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Gislaine A. Martins
- Department of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Research Division of Immunology Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Mingfei Sun
- Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Juliane K. Strauss-Soukup
- Department of Chemistry, Creighton University College of Arts and Sciences, Omaha, NE, United States of America
| | - Xian-Ming Chen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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Cryptosporidium: host and parasite transcriptome in infection. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 58:138-145. [PMID: 33160225 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a waterborne gastrointestinal parasite that causes outbreaks of diarrheal disease worldwide. Despite the impact of this parasite on human health there are no effective drugs or vaccines. Transcriptomic data can provide insights into host-parasite interactions that lead to identification of targets for therapeutic interventions. However, for Cryptosporidium, interpreting transcriptomes has been challenging, in part due to the presence of multiple life cycle stages, the lack of appropriate host cells and the inability to culture the parasite through its complete life cycle. The recent improvements in cell culture and the ability to tag and isolate specific life cycle stages will radically improve transcriptomic data and advance our understanding of Cryptosporidium host-parasite interactions.
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Li Y, Baptista RP, Kissinger JC. Noncoding RNAs in Apicomplexan Parasites: An Update. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:835-849. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Liu TL, Fan XC, Li YH, Yuan YJ, Yin YL, Wang XT, Zhang LX, Zhao GH. Expression Profiles of mRNA and lncRNA in HCT-8 Cells Infected With Cryptosporidium parvum IId Subtype. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1409. [PMID: 30013528 PMCID: PMC6036261 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is one of the most important enteric protozoan pathogens, responsible for severe diarrhea in immunocompromised human and livestock. However, few effective agents were available for controlling this parasite. Accumulating evidences suggest that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) played key roles in many diseases through regulating the gene expression. Here, the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs were analyzed in HCT-8 cells infected with C. parvum IId subtype using microarray assay. A total of 821 lncRNAs and 1,349 mRNAs were differentially expressed in infected cells at 24 h post infection (pi). Of them, all five types of lncRNAs were identified, including 22 sense, 280 antisense, 312 intergenic, 44 divergent, 33 intronic lncRNAs, and 130 lncRNAs that were not found the relationship with mRNAs’ location. Additionally, real-time polymerase chain reactions of 10 lncRNAs and 10 mRNAs randomly selected were successfully confirmed the microarray results. The co-expression and target prediction analysis indicated that 27 mRNAs were cis-regulated by 29 lncRNAs and 109 were trans-regulated by 114 lncRNAs. These predicted targets were enriched in several pathways involved in the interaction between host and C. parvum, e.g., hedgehog signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, and tight junction, suggesting that these differentially expressed lncRNAs would play important regulating roles during the infection of C. parvum IId subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Li Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xian-Chen Fan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yun-Hui Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Ya-Jie Yuan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Yan-Ling Yin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Xue-Ting Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Long-Xian Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guang-Hui Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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