1
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Rodrigues MV, de França DA, Rossini BC, da Silva RJ, Júnior JPA. Pathogenesis of Experimental Infection of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with Nucleospora Braziliensis Pathology and Proteomic of Microsporidia. Acta Parasitol 2024:10.1007/s11686-024-00889-w. [PMID: 39162926 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-024-00889-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
The recent discovery of disease caused by Nucleospora braziliensis in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is important as it has highlighted the high prevalence of infection and associated mortality in cultured fish. Thus, this study conducted an experimental infection of this microsporidium to evaluate pathological alterations and conduct proteomic analysis. For pathological observation, samples of brain, eyes, gall bladder, gut, heart, kidney, liver, muscle, skin, spleen, and stomach tissue, were collected, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed for proteomic analysis. The most prevalent lesions were brownish color of the liver, gill filament fusion, gut ischemia, hemorrhage of the lips and fins, hepatomegaly, spleen atrophy, splenomegaly, and stomach congestion. The most common microscopic lesions were degeneration, hemorrhage, and inflammation in the brain, gills, gut, kidney, liver, muscle, spleen, and stomach. The digested peptides were identified by LC-MS/MS and the intersection of each group showed that in the spleen there were 121 exclusive proteins in the infected sample and 252 in the control, while in the kidney, 129 proteins were identified in the infected specimen compared to 83 in the control. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the proteome profile of O. niloticus kidney and spleen tissue in response to infection with N. braziliensis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Danilo Alves de França
- Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Public Health, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Cesar Rossini
- Biotechnology Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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2
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Huang Q, Hu W, Meng X, Chen J, Pan G. Nosema bombycis: A remarkable unicellular parasite infecting insects. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2024:e13045. [PMID: 39095558 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.13045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia are opportunistic fungal-like pathogens that cause microsporidiosis, which results in significant economic losses and threatens public health. Infection of domesticated silkworms by the microsporidium Nosema bombycis causes pébrine disease, for which this species of microsporidia has received much attention. Research has been conducted extensively on this microsporidium over the past few decades to better understand its infection, transmission, host-parasite interaction, and detection. Several tools exist to study this species including the complete genome sequence of N. bombycis. In addition to the understanding of N. bombycis being important for the silkworm industry, this species has become a model organism for studying microsporidia. Research on biology of N. bombycis will contribute to the development of knowledge regarding microsporidia and potential antimicrosporidia drugs. Furthermore, this will provide insight into the molecular evolution and functioning of other fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wanying Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xianzhi Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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3
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Tang L, Sabi MM, Fu M, Guan J, Wang Y, Xia T, Zheng K, Qu H, Han B. Host cell manipulation by microsporidia secreted effectors: Insights into intracellular pathogenesis. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2024:e13029. [PMID: 39030770 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia are prolific producers of effector molecules, encompassing both proteins and nonproteinaceous effectors, such as toxins, small RNAs, and small peptides. These secreted effectors play a pivotal role in the pathogenicity of microsporidia, enabling them to subvert the host's innate immunity and co-opt metabolic pathways to fuel their own growth and proliferation. However, the genomes of microsporidia, despite falling within the size range of bacteria, exhibit significant reductions in both structural and physiological features, thereby affecting the repertoire of secretory effectors to varying extents. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding how microsporidia modulate host cells through the secretion of effectors, highlighting current challenges and proposed solutions in deciphering the complexities of microsporidial secretory effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Tang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Musa Makongoro Sabi
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Ming Fu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Jingyu Guan
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Yongliang Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Tian Xia
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Kai Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
| | - Hongnan Qu
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Shandong University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Bing Han
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Ji'nan, Shandong, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Shandong University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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4
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Parrella P, Elikan AB, Snow JW. Pathogen- and host-directed pharmacologic strategies for control of Vairimorpha (Nosema) spp. infection in honey bees. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2024:e13026. [PMID: 38572630 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites of the Fungal Kingdom that cause widespread infections in nature, with important effects on invertebrates involved in food production systems. The two microsporidian species Vairimorpha (Nosema) ceranae (and the less common Vairimorpha (Nosema) apis) can cause individual disease in honey bees and contribute to colony collapse. The efficacy, safety, and availability of fumagillin, the only drug currently approved to treat microsporidia infection in bees, is uncertain. In this review, we will discuss some of the most promising alternative strategies for the mitigation of Vairimorpha spp. with an emphasis on infection by V. ceranae, now the dominant species infecting bees. We will focus on pharmacologic interventions where the mechanism of action is known and examine both pathogen-directed and host-directed approaches. As limiting toxicity to host cells has been especially emphasized in treating bees that are already facing numerous stressors, strategies that disrupt pathogen-specific targets may be especially advantageous. Therefore, efforts to increase the knowledge and tools for facilitating the discovery of such targets and pharmacologic agents directed against them should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parker Parrella
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Jonathan W Snow
- Department of Biology, Barnard College, New York, New York, USA
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Senderskiy IV, Dolgikh VV, Ismatullaeva DA, Mirzakhodjaev BA, Nikitina AP, Pankratov DL. Treatment of Microsporidium Nosema bombycis Spores with the New Antiseptic M250 Helps to Avoid Bacterial and Fungal Contamination of Infected Cultures without Affecting Parasite Polar Tube Extrusion. Microorganisms 2024; 12:154. [PMID: 38257981 PMCID: PMC10819227 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are a group of widespread eukaryotic spore-forming intracellular parasites of great economic and scientific importance. Since microsporidia cannot be cultured outside of a host cell, the search for new antimicrosporidian drugs requires an effective antiseptic to sterilize microsporidian spores to infect cell lines. Here, we show that a new polyhexamethylene guanidine derivative M250, which is active against fungi and bacteria at a concentration of 0.5-1 mg/L, is more than 1000 times less effective against spores of the microsporidium Nosema bombycis, a highly virulent pathogen of the silkworm Bombyx mori (LC50 is 0.173%). Treatment of N. bombycis spores that were isolated non-sterilely from silkworm caterpillars with 0.1% M250 solution does not reduce the rate of spore polar tube extrusion. However, it completely prevents contamination of the Sf-900 III cell culture medium by microorganisms in the presence of antibiotics. The addition of untreated spores to the medium results in contamination, whether antibiotics are present or not. Since 0.1% M250 does not affect spore discharging, this compound may be promising for preventing bacterial and fungal contamination of microsporidia-infected cell cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V. Senderskiy
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Podbelsky Chausse 3, 196608 Saint-Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Viacheslav V. Dolgikh
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Podbelsky Chausse 3, 196608 Saint-Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Diloram A. Ismatullaeva
- Scientific Research Institute of Sericulture, Ipakchi Str. 1, Tashkent 100069, Uzbekistan; (D.A.I.); (B.A.M.)
| | - Bakhtiyar A. Mirzakhodjaev
- Scientific Research Institute of Sericulture, Ipakchi Str. 1, Tashkent 100069, Uzbekistan; (D.A.I.); (B.A.M.)
| | - Anastasiia P. Nikitina
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Pavlov First Saint-Petersburg State Medical University, L’vaTolstogo Str. 6-8, 197022 Saint-Petersburg, Russia; (A.P.N.); (D.L.P.)
| | - Danil L. Pankratov
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, Pavlov First Saint-Petersburg State Medical University, L’vaTolstogo Str. 6-8, 197022 Saint-Petersburg, Russia; (A.P.N.); (D.L.P.)
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6
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Hacker C, Sendra K, Keisham P, Filipescu T, Lucocq J, Salimi F, Ferguson S, Bhella D, MacNeill SA, Embley M, Lucocq J. Biogenesis, inheritance, and 3D ultrastructure of the microsporidian mitosome. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202201635. [PMID: 37903625 PMCID: PMC10618108 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
During the reductive evolution of obligate intracellular parasites called microsporidia, a tiny remnant mitochondrion (mitosome) lost its typical cristae, organellar genome, and most canonical functions. Here, we combine electron tomography, stereology, immunofluorescence microscopy, and bioinformatics to characterise mechanisms of growth, division, and inheritance of this minimal mitochondrion in two microsporidia species (grown within a mammalian RK13 culture-cell host). Mitosomes of Encephalitozoon cuniculi (2-12/cell) and Trachipleistophora hominis (14-18/nucleus) displayed incremental/non-phasic growth and division and were closely associated with an organelle identified as equivalent to the fungal microtubule-organising centre (microsporidian spindle pole body; mSPB). The mitosome-mSPB association was resistant to treatment with microtubule-depolymerising drugs nocodazole and albendazole. Dynamin inhibitors (dynasore and Mdivi-1) arrested mitosome division but not growth, whereas bioinformatics revealed putative dynamins Drp-1 and Vps-1, of which, Vps-1 rescued mitochondrial constriction in dynamin-deficient yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe). Thus, microsporidian mitosomes undergo incremental growth and dynamin-mediated division and are maintained through ordered inheritance, likely mediated via binding to the microsporidian centrosome (mSPB).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Hacker
- https://ror.org/02wn5qz54 School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Kacper Sendra
- Biosciences Institute, The Medical School, Catherine Cookson Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Priyanka Keisham
- https://ror.org/02wn5qz54 School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Teodora Filipescu
- https://ror.org/02wn5qz54 School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - James Lucocq
- Department of Surgery, Dundee Medical School Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK
| | - Fatemeh Salimi
- https://ror.org/02wn5qz54 School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Sophie Ferguson
- https://ror.org/02wn5qz54 School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - David Bhella
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Stuart A MacNeill
- https://ror.org/02wn5qz54 School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Martin Embley
- Biosciences Institute, Centre for Bacterial Cell Biology, Baddiley-Clark Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John Lucocq
- https://ror.org/02wn5qz54 School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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7
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Thomé PC, Irisarri I, Wolinska J, Monaghan MT, Strassert JFH. Single-cell genomics reveals new rozellid lineages and supports their sister relationship to Microsporidia. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230398. [PMID: 38087939 PMCID: PMC10716661 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Rozellomycota has been proposed for a group of early-branching holomycotan lineages representing obligate parasites and hyperparasites of zoosporic fungi, oomycotes or phytoplankton. Given their predominantly intracellular lifestyle, rozellids are typically known from environmental ribosomal DNA data, except for the well-studied Rozella species. To date, the phylogenetic relationship between rozellids and microsporidians (Microsporidia) is not fully understood and most reliable hypotheses are based on phylogenomic analyses that incorporate the only publicly available rozellid genome of Rozella allomycis. Here, we provide genomic data of three new rozellid lineages obtained by single-cell sequencing from environmental samples and show with a phylogenomic approach that rozellids form a monophyletic group that is sister to microsporidians, corroborating the previously proposed phylum Rozellomycota. Whereas no mitochondrial genes coding for the respiratory Complex I could be found, we discovered a gene coding for a nucleotide phosphate transporter in one of the three draft genomes. The scattered absence of Complex I genes and scattered presence of nucleotide transporter genes across diverse microsporidian and rozellid lineages suggest that these adaptations to a parasitic lifestyle, which reduce the parasite's capability to synthesize ATP but enables it to steal ATP from its host, evolved independently in microsporidians and rozellids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline C. Thomé
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Iker Irisarri
- Section Phylogenomics, Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research, Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum of Nature Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Justyna Wolinska
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael T. Monaghan
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
- Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jürgen F. H. Strassert
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
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Novák LVF, Treitli SC, Pyrih J, Hałakuc P, Pipaliya SV, Vacek V, Brzoň O, Soukal P, Eme L, Dacks JB, Karnkowska A, Eliáš M, Hampl V. Genomics of Preaxostyla Flagellates Illuminates the Path Towards the Loss of Mitochondria. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1011050. [PMID: 38060519 PMCID: PMC10703272 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The notion that mitochondria cannot be lost was shattered with the report of an oxymonad Monocercomonoides exilis, the first eukaryote arguably without any mitochondrion. Yet, questions remain about whether this extends beyond the single species and how this transition took place. The Oxymonadida is a group of gut endobionts taxonomically housed in the Preaxostyla which also contains free-living flagellates of the genera Trimastix and Paratrimastix. The latter two taxa harbour conspicuous mitochondrion-related organelles (MROs). Here we report high-quality genome and transcriptome assemblies of two Preaxostyla representatives, the free-living Paratrimastix pyriformis and the oxymonad Blattamonas nauphoetae. We performed thorough comparisons among all available genomic and transcriptomic data of Preaxostyla to further decipher the evolutionary changes towards amitochondriality, endobiosis, and unstacked Golgi. Our results provide insights into the metabolic and endomembrane evolution, but most strikingly the data confirm the complete loss of mitochondria for all three oxymonad species investigated (M. exilis, B. nauphoetae, and Streblomastix strix), suggesting the amitochondriate status is common to a large part if not the whole group of Oxymonadida. This observation moves this unique loss to 100 MYA when oxymonad lineage diversified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukáš V. F. Novák
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Université de Bretagne Occidentale, CNRS, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, IUEM, Plouzané, France
| | - Sebastian C. Treitli
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
- RG Insect Gut Microbiology and Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Jan Pyrih
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Paweł Hałakuc
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | - Shweta V. Pipaliya
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vojtěch Vacek
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Brzoň
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Soukal
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Laura Eme
- Ecology, Systematics, and Evolution Unit, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Orsay, France
| | - Joel B. Dacks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Anna Karnkowska
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Eliáš
- University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Hampl
- Charles University, Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
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9
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Thepmanee O, Munkongwongsiri N, Prachumwat A, Saksmerprome V, Jitrakorn S, Sritunyalucksana K, Vanichviriyakit R, Chanarat S, Jaroenlak P, Itsathitphaisarn O. Molecular and cellular characterization of four putative nucleotide transporters from the shrimp microsporidian Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP). Sci Rep 2023; 13:20008. [PMID: 37974017 PMCID: PMC10654386 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47114-8] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites that lost several enzymes required in energy production. The expansion of transporter families in these organisms enables them to hijack ATP from hosts. In this study, nucleotide transporters of the microsporidian Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP), which causes slow growth in economically valuable Penaeus shrimp, were characterized. Analysis of the EHP genome suggested the presence of four putative nucleotide transporter genes, namely EhNTT1, EhNTT2, EhNTT3, and EhNTT4. Sequence alignment revealed four charged amino acids that are conserved in previously characterized nucleotide transporters. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that EhNTT1, 3, and 4 were derived from one horizontal gene transfer event, which was independent from that of EhNTT2. Localization of EhNTT1 and EhNTT2 using immunofluorescence analysis revealed positive signals within the envelope of developing plasmodia and on mature spores. Knockdown of EhNTT2 by double administration of sequence specific double-stranded RNA resulted in a significant reduction in EHP copy numbers, suggesting that EhNTT2 is crucial for EHP replication in shrimp. Taken together, the insight into the roles of NTTs in microsporidian proliferation can provide the biological basis for the development of alternative control strategies for microsporidian infection in shrimp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orawan Thepmanee
- Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Natthinee Munkongwongsiri
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Yothi Office, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Anuphap Prachumwat
- Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Yothi Office, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Vanvimon Saksmerprome
- Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Pathum Thani, Klong Neung, Klong Luang, 12120, Thailand
| | - Sarocha Jitrakorn
- Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Pathum Thani, Klong Neung, Klong Luang, 12120, Thailand
| | - Kallaya Sritunyalucksana
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Yothi Office, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Rapeepun Vanichviriyakit
- Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Sittinan Chanarat
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Protein and Enzyme Technology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd. , Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Pattana Jaroenlak
- Center of Excellence for Molecular Biology and Genomics of Shrimp, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Rd., Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.
| | - Ornchuma Itsathitphaisarn
- Center of Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp), Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama VI Rd., Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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10
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Byrne KL, Szeligowski RV, Shen H. Phylogenetic Analysis Guides Transporter Protein Deorphanization: A Case Study of the SLC25 Family of Mitochondrial Metabolite Transporters. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1314. [PMID: 37759714 PMCID: PMC10526428 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Homology search and phylogenetic analysis have commonly been used to annotate gene function, although they are prone to error. We hypothesize that the power of homology search in functional annotation depends on the coupling of sequence variation to functional diversification, and we herein focus on the SoLute Carrier (SLC25) family of mitochondrial metabolite transporters to survey this coupling in a family-wide manner. The SLC25 family is the largest family of mitochondrial metabolite transporters in eukaryotes that translocate ligands of different chemical properties, ranging from nucleotides, amino acids, carboxylic acids and cofactors, presenting adequate experimentally validated functional diversification in ligand transport. Here, we combine phylogenetic analysis to profile SLC25 transporters across common eukaryotic model organisms, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio, to Homo sapiens, and assess their sequence adaptations to the transported ligands within individual subfamilies. Using several recently studied and poorly characterized SLC25 transporters, we discuss the potentials and limitations of phylogenetic analysis in guiding functional characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L. Byrne
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
- Yale College, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Richard V. Szeligowski
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Hongying Shen
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
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11
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Huang Q, Chen J, Lv Q, Long M, Pan G, Zhou Z. Germination of Microsporidian Spores: The Known and Unknown. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:774. [PMID: 37504762 PMCID: PMC10381864 DOI: 10.3390/jof9070774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are a large group of mysterious obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasites. The microsporidian spore can survive in the absence of nutrients for years under harsh conditions and germinate within seconds under the stimulation of environmental changes like pH and ions. During germination, microsporidia experience an increase in intrasporal osmotic pressure, which leads to an influx of water into the spore, followed by swelling of the polaroplasts and posterior vacuole, which eventually fires the polar filament (PF). Infectious sporoplasm was transported through the extruded polar tube (PT) and delivered into the host cell. Despite much that has been learned about the germination of microsporidia, there are still several major questions that remain unanswered, including: (i) There is still a lack of knowledge about the signaling pathways involved in spore germination. (ii) The germination of spores is not well understood in terms of its specific energetics. (iii) Limited understanding of how spores germinate and how the nucleus and membranes are rearranged during germination. (iv) Only a few proteins in the invasion organelles have been identified; many more are likely undiscovered. This review summarizes the major resolved and unresolved issues concerning the process of microsporidian spore germination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyuan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qing Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Pollinator Insect of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China
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12
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McCormick EC, Cohen OR, Dolezal AG, Sadd BM. Consequences of microsporidian prior exposure for virus infection outcomes and bumble bee host health. Oecologia 2023:10.1007/s00442-023-05394-x. [PMID: 37284861 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05394-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Host-parasite interactions do not occur in a vacuum, but in connected multi-parasite networks that can result in co-exposures and coinfections of individual hosts. These can affect host health and disease ecology, including disease outbreaks. However, many host-parasite studies examine pairwise interactions, meaning we still lack a general understanding of the influence of co-exposures and coinfections. Using the bumble bee Bombus impatiens, we study the effects of larval exposure to a microsporidian Nosema bombi, implicated in bumble bee declines, and adult exposure to Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV), an emerging infectious disease from honey bee parasite spillover. We hypothesize that infection outcomes will be modified by co-exposure or coinfection. Nosema bombi is a potentially severe, larval-infecting parasite, and we predict that prior exposure will result in decreased host resistance to adult IAPV infection. We predict double parasite exposure will also reduce host tolerance of infection, as measured by host survival. Although our larval Nosema exposure mostly did not result in viable infections, it partially reduced resistance to adult IAPV infection. Nosema exposure also negatively affected survival, potentially due to a cost of immunity in resisting the exposure. There was a significant negative effect of IAPV exposure on survivorship, but prior Nosema exposure did not alter this survival outcome, suggesting increased tolerance given the higher IAPV infections in the bees previously exposed to Nosema. These results again demonstrate that infection outcomes can be non-independent when multiple parasites are present, even when exposure to one parasite does not result in a substantial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse C McCormick
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA
| | - Olivia R Cohen
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA
| | - Adam G Dolezal
- School of Integrated Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Ben M Sadd
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, 61790, USA.
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13
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Žárský V, Karnkowska A, Boscaro V, Trznadel M, Whelan TA, Hiltunen-Thorén M, Onut-Brännström I, Abbott CL, Fast NM, Burki F, Keeling PJ. Contrasting outcomes of genome reduction in mikrocytids and microsporidians. BMC Biol 2023; 21:137. [PMID: 37280585 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01635-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intracellular symbionts often undergo genome reduction, losing both coding and non-coding DNA in a process that ultimately produces small, gene-dense genomes with few genes. Among eukaryotes, an extreme example is found in microsporidians, which are anaerobic, obligate intracellular parasites related to fungi that have the smallest nuclear genomes known (except for the relic nucleomorphs of some secondary plastids). Mikrocytids are superficially similar to microsporidians: they are also small, reduced, obligate parasites; however, as they belong to a very different branch of the tree of eukaryotes, the rhizarians, such similarities must have evolved in parallel. Since little genomic data are available from mikrocytids, we assembled a draft genome of the type species, Mikrocytos mackini, and compared the genomic architecture and content of microsporidians and mikrocytids to identify common characteristics of reduction and possible convergent evolution. RESULTS At the coarsest level, the genome of M. mackini does not exhibit signs of extreme genome reduction; at 49.7 Mbp with 14,372 genes, the assembly is much larger and gene-rich than those of microsporidians. However, much of the genomic sequence and most (8075) of the protein-coding genes code for transposons, and may not contribute much of functional relevance to the parasite. Indeed, the energy and carbon metabolism of M. mackini share several similarities with those of microsporidians. Overall, the predicted proteome involved in cellular functions is quite reduced and gene sequences are extremely divergent. Microsporidians and mikrocytids also share highly reduced spliceosomes that have retained a strikingly similar subset of proteins despite having reduced independently. In contrast, the spliceosomal introns in mikrocytids are very different from those of microsporidians in that they are numerous, conserved in sequence, and constrained to an exceptionally narrow size range (all 16 or 17 nucleotides long) at the shortest extreme of known intron lengths. CONCLUSIONS Nuclear genome reduction has taken place many times and has proceeded along different routes in different lineages. Mikrocytids show a mix of similarities and differences with other extreme cases, including uncoupling the actual size of a genome with its functional reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtečh Žárský
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Anna Karnkowska
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Vittorio Boscaro
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada.
| | - Morelia Trznadel
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Thomas A Whelan
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Markus Hiltunen-Thorén
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ioana Onut-Brännström
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, 0562, Oslo, Norway
| | - Cathryn L Abbott
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 6N7, Canada
| | - Naomi M Fast
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada
| | - Fabien Burki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, BC, Canada.
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14
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Walters EA, Bojko J, Crowley CE, Gandy RL, Martin CW, Shea CP, Bateman KS, Stentiford GD, Behringer DC. Salinity and temperature affect the symbiont profile and host condition of Florida USA blue crabs Callinectes sapidus. J Invertebr Pathol 2023; 198:107930. [PMID: 37148998 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2023.107930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Subtropical Florida blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, exhibit differing life history traits compared to their temperate counterparts, likely influencing symbiont infection dynamics. Little information exists for Florida C. sapidus symbiont profiles, their distribution among various habitats, and influence on crab condition. Using histopathology, genomics, and transmission electron microscopy, we describe the first symbiont profiles for Florida C. sapidus occupying freshwater to marine habitats. Twelve symbiont groups were identified from 409 crabs including ciliophorans, digenean, microsporidian, Haplosporidia, Hematodinium sp., Nematoda, filamentous bacteria, gregarine, Callinectes sapidus nudivirus, Octolasmis sp., Cambarincola sp., and putative microcell. Overall, 78% of C. sapidus were documented with one or more symbiont groups demonstrating high infection rates in wild populations. Environmental variables water temperature and salinity explained 48% of the variation in symbiont groups among Florida habitats, and salinity was positively correlated with C. sapidus symbiont diversity. This suggests freshwater C. sapidus possess fewer symbionts and represent healthier individuals compared to saltwater populations. Crab condition was examined using the reflex action mortality predictor (RAMP) to determine if reflex impairment could be linked to symbiont prevalence. Symbionts were found positively correlated with crab condition, and impaired crabs were more likely to host symbionts, demonstrating symbiont inclusion may boost predictive ability of the RAMP application. The microsporidian symbiont group had a particularly strong effect on C. sapidus reflex response, and impairment was on average 1.57 times higher compared to all other symbiont groups. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering full symbiont profiles and their associations with a spatially and temporally variable environment to fully assess C. sapidus population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Walters
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA.
| | - Jamie Bojko
- National Horizons Centre, Teesside University, Darlington, DL1 1HG, United Kingdom; School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, United Kingdom
| | - Claire E Crowley
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA
| | - Ryan L Gandy
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA
| | - Charles W Martin
- Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, Alabama, 36528
| | - Colin P Shea
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, 33701, USA
| | - Kelly S Bateman
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), The Nothe, Dorset, United Kingdom
| | - Grant D Stentiford
- International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health, Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), The Nothe, Dorset, United Kingdom
| | - Donald C Behringer
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA; Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32653, USA
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15
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Manzi F, Schlösser P, Owczarz A, Wolinska J. Polystyrene nanoplastics differentially influence the outcome of infection by two microparasites of the host Daphnia magna. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220013. [PMID: 36744559 PMCID: PMC9900706 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The accumulation of micro- and nanoplastic particles in freshwater bodies has given rise to much concern regarding their potential adverse effects on aquatic biota. Beyond their known effects on single species, recent experimental evidence suggests that host-parasite interactions can also be affected by environmental concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics. However, investigating the effects of contaminants in simplified infection settings (i.e. one host, one parasite) may understate their ecological relevance, considering that co-infections are common in nature. We exposed the cladoceran Daphnia magna to a fungal parasite of the haemolymph (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) and a gut microsporidium (Ordospora colligata), either in single or co-infection. In addition, Daphnia were raised individually in culture media containing 0, 5 or 50 mg l-1 of polystyrene nanoplastic beads (100 nm). Only few infections were successful at the higher nanoplastic concentration, due to increased mortality of the host. While no significant effect of the low concentration was detected on the microsporidium, the proportion of hosts infected by the fungal parasite increased dramatically, leading to more frequent co-infections under nanoplastic exposure. These results indicate that nanoplastics can affect the performance of distinct pathogens in diverging ways, with the potential to favour parasite coexistence in a common zooplanktonic host. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease ecology and evolution in a changing world'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Manzi
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Paula Schlösser
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany,Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Agata Owczarz
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Justyna Wolinska
- Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 12587 Berlin, Germany,Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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16
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Sokolova YY, Rogers HA, Lively JA. Microsporidia Ameson earli sp. n. and A. michaelis (Sprague 1965) infecting blue crabs Callinectes sapidus from shedding facilities in Louisiana. J Invertebr Pathol 2023; 196:107866. [PMID: 36436573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
During a survey for pathogens and commensals of blue crabs in commercial soft shell shedding facilities in Louisiana, we discovered an occurrence of microsporidiosis in two of forty examined crabs. Judging from spore shape and size, tissue tropism and external signs of muscle pathology, the causative agent of infections was identified as Ameson michaelis, a muscle-infecting species that has been repeatedly detected in populations of Callinectes sapidus in Louisiana since 1965. However, retrospective ultrastructural examination revealed that in one of Ameson-infected crabs, infection was caused by a parasite with ultrastructural characters not completely compliant with the ones of A. michaelis. The major difference was the absence of microtubule-like appendages attached to the exospore, typical of A. michaelis and other Ameson spp. SSUrDNA-inferred pairwise evolutionary distances between the novel species and other Ameson spp. ranged from 0.006 to 0.051; it was 0.039 in the case of A. michaelis. Hence, we describe here a new species in the genus Ameson, and name it after Prof. Earl Weidner, our colleague and friend, an outstanding microsporidiologist and the author of pioneer papers on the ultrastructure and physiology of A. michaelis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya Y Sokolova
- Insitute of Cytology RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia; Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
| | - Holly A Rogers
- Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Julie A Lively
- Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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17
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Berbeć E, Migdał P, Cebrat M, Roman A, Murawska A. Honeybee age and inoculum concentration as factors affecting the development of Nosema ceranae infection. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2121009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- E. Berbeć
- Bee Division, Department of Environment, Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - P. Migdał
- Bee Division, Department of Environment, Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - M. Cebrat
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - A. Roman
- Bee Division, Department of Environment, Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - A. Murawska
- Bee Division, Department of Environment, Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
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18
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Dolgikh VV, Senderskiy IV, Timofeev SA, Zhuravlyov VS, Dolgikh AV, Seliverstova EV, Ismatullaeva DA, Mirzakhodjaev BA. Construction of scFv Antibodies against the Outer Loops of the Microsporidium Nosema bombycis ATP/ADP-Transporters and Selection of the Fragment Efficiently Inhibiting Parasite Growth. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315307. [PMID: 36499634 PMCID: PMC9738396 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional sanitation practices remain the main strategy for controlling Bombyx mori infections caused by microsporidia Nosema bombycis. This actualizes the development of new approaches to increase the silkworm resistance to this parasite. Here, we constructed a mouse scFv library against the outer loops of N. bombycis ATP/ADP carriers and selected nine scFv fragments to the transporter, highly expressed in the early stages of the parasite intracellular growth. Expression of selected scFv genes in Sf9 cells, their infection with different ratios of microsporidia spores per insect cell, qPCR analysis of N. bombycis PTP2 and Spodoptera frugiperda COXI transcripts in 100 infected cultures made it possible to select the scFv fragment most effectively inhibiting the parasite growth. Western blot analysis of 42 infected cultures with Abs against the parasite β-tubulin confirmed its inhibitory efficiency. Since the VL part of this scFv fragment was identified as a human IgG domain retained from the pSEX81 phagemid during library construction, its VH sequence should be a key antigen-recognizing determinant. Along with the further selection of new recombinant Abs, this suggests the searching for its natural mouse VL domain or "camelization" of the VH fragment by introducing cysteine and hydrophilic residues, as well as the randomization of its CDRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viacheslav V. Dolgikh
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Podbelsky Chausse 3, 196608 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-921-351-6383
| | - Igor V. Senderskiy
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Podbelsky Chausse 3, 196608 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergej A. Timofeev
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Podbelsky Chausse 3, 196608 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir S. Zhuravlyov
- All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, Podbelsky Chausse 3, 196608 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexandra V. Dolgikh
- All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology, Podbelsky Chausse 3, 196608 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena V. Seliverstova
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Thorez 44, 194223 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
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19
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Sendra KM, Watson AK, Kozhevnikova E, Moore AL, Embley TM, Hirt RP. Inhibition of mitosomal alternative oxidase causes lifecycle arrest of early-stage Trachipleistophora hominis meronts during intracellular infection of mammalian cells. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1011024. [PMID: 36538568 PMCID: PMC9767352 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitosomes are highly reduced forms of mitochondria which have lost two of the 'defining' features of the canonical organelle, the mitochondrial genome, and the capacity to generate energy in the form of ATP. Mitosomes are found in anaerobic protists and obligate parasites and, in most of the studied organisms, have a conserved function in the biosynthesis of iron-sulfur clusters (ISC) that are indispensable cofactors of many essential proteins. The genomes of some mitosome-bearing human pathogenic Microsporidia encode homologues of an alternative oxidase (AOX). This mitochondrial terminal respiratory oxidase is absent from the human host, and hence is a potential target for the development of new antimicrobial agents. Here we present experimental evidence for the mitosomal localization of AOX in the microsporidian Trachipleistophora hominis and demonstrate that it has an important role during the parasite's life cycle progression. Using a recently published methodology for synchronising T. hominis infection of mammalian cell lines, we demonstrated specific inhibition of T. hominis early meront growth and replication by an AOX inhibitor colletochlorin B. Treatment of T. hominis-infected host cells with the drug also inhibited re-infection by newly formed dispersive spores. Addition of the drug during the later stages of the parasite life cycle, when our methods suggest that AOX is not actively produced and T. hominis mitosomes are mainly active in Fe/S cluster biosynthesis, had no inhibitory effects on the parasites. Control experiments with the AOX-deficient microsporidian species Encephalitozoon cuniculi, further demonstrated the specificity of inhibition by the drug. Using the same methodology, we demonstrate effects of two clinically used anti-microsporidian drugs albendazole and fumagillin on the cell biology and life cycle progression of T. hominis infecting mammalian host cells. In summary, our results reveal that T. hominis mitosomes have an active role to play in the progression of the parasite life cycle as well as an important role in the biosynthesis of essential Fe/S clusters. Our work also demonstrates that T. hominis is a useful model for testing the efficacy of therapeutic agents and for studying the physiology and cell biology of microsporidian parasites growing inside infected mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacper M. Sendra
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew K. Watson
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anthony L. Moore
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - T. Martin Embley
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P. Hirt
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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20
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Embley TM. It Took Me a While to Figure out What Science I Really Wanted to Do. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6799702. [PMID: 36332002 PMCID: PMC9635634 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- T Martin Embley
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University , England NE24HH , United Kingdom
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21
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Down-Regulation of Lipid Metabolism in the Hepatopancreas of Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei upon Light and Heavy Infection of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei: A Comparative Proteomic Study. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911574. [PMID: 36232879 PMCID: PMC9570011 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is the pathogen of hepatopancreatic microsporidiosis (HPM) in shrimp. The diseased shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei exhibits a slow growth syndrome, which causes severe economic losses. Herein, 4D label-free quantitative proteomics was employed to analyze the hepatopancreas of L. vannamei with a light (EHPptp2 < 103 copies/50 ng hpDNA, L group) and heavy (EHPptp2 > 104 copies/50 ng hpDNA, H group) load of EHP to better understand the pathogenesis of HPM. Exactly 786 (L group) and 1056 (H group) differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) versus the EHP-free (C group) control were mainly clustered to lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and energy production processing. Compared with the L group, the H group exhibited down-regulation significantly in lipid metabolism, especially in the elongation and degradation of fatty acid, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid, metabolism of α-linolenic acid, sphingolipid, and glycerolipid, as well as juvenile hormone (JH) degradation. Expression pattern analysis showed that the degree of infection was positively correlated with metabolic change. About 479 EHP proteins were detected in infected shrimps, including 95 predicted transporters. These findings suggest that EHP infection induced the consumption of storage lipids and the entire down-regulation of lipid metabolism and the coupling energy production, in addition to the hormone metabolism disorder. These were ultimately responsible for the stunted growth.
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22
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Hu YW, Wang SH, Tang Y, Xie GQ, Ding YJ, Xu QY, Tang B, Zhang L, Wang SG. Suppression of yolk formation, oviposition and egg quality of locust (Locusta migratoria manilensis) infected by Paranosema locustae. Front Immunol 2022; 13:848267. [PMID: 35935997 PMCID: PMC9352533 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.848267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Locusta migratoria manilensis is one of the most important agricultural pests in China. The locust has high fecundity and consumes large quantities of food, causing severe damage to diverse crops such as corn, sorghum, and rice. Immunity against pathogens and reproductive success are two important components of individual fitness, and many insects have a trade-off between reproduction and immunity when resources are limited, which may be an important target for pest control. In this study, adult females L. migratoria manilensis were treated with different concentrations (5 × 106 spores/mL or 2 × 107 spores/mL) of the entomopathogenic fungus Paranosema locustae. Effects of input to immunity on reproduction were studied by measuring feeding amount, enzyme activity, vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) production, ovary development, and oviposition amount. When infected by P. locustae, feeding rate and phenol oxidase and lysozyme activities increased, mRNA expression of Vg and VgR genes decreased, and yolk deposition was blocked. Weight of ovaries decreased, with significant decreases in egg, length and weight.Thus, locusts used nutritive input required for reproduction to resist invasion by microsporidia. This leads to a decrease in expression of Vg and VgR genes inhibited ovarian development, and greatly decreased total fecundity. P. locustae at 2 × 107 spores/mL had a more obvious inhibitory effect on the ovarian development in migratory locusts. This study provides a detailed trade-off between reproduction and immune input of the female, which provides a reliable basis to find pest targets for biological control from those trade-off processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Wen Hu
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shao-Hua Wang
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ya Tang
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guo-Qiang Xie
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Juan Ding
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Ye Xu
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Bin Tang
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Long Zhang
- Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shi-Gui Wang
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory of Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Shi-Gui Wang,
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23
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Shi X, Reinstadler B, Shah H, To TL, Byrne K, Summer L, Calvo SE, Goldberger O, Doench JG, Mootha VK, Shen H. Combinatorial GxGxE CRISPR screen identifies SLC25A39 in mitochondrial glutathione transport linking iron homeostasis to OXPHOS. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2483. [PMID: 35513392 PMCID: PMC9072411 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30126-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The SLC25 carrier family consists of 53 transporters that shuttle nutrients and co-factors across mitochondrial membranes. The family is highly redundant and their transport activities coupled to metabolic state. Here, we use a pooled, dual CRISPR screening strategy that knocks out pairs of transporters in four metabolic states - glucose, galactose, OXPHOS inhibition, and absence of pyruvate - designed to unmask the inter-dependence of these genes. In total, we screen 63 genes in four metabolic states, corresponding to 2016 single and pair-wise genetic perturbations. We recover 19 gene-by-environment (GxE) interactions and 9 gene-by-gene (GxG) interactions. One GxE interaction hit illustrates that the fitness defect in the mitochondrial folate carrier (SLC25A32) KO cells is genetically buffered in galactose due to a lack of substrate in de novo purine biosynthesis. GxG analysis highlights a buffering interaction between the iron transporter SLC25A37 (A37) and the poorly characterized SLC25A39 (A39). Mitochondrial metabolite profiling, organelle transport assays, and structure-guided mutagenesis identify A39 as critical for mitochondrial glutathione (GSH) import. Functional studies reveal that A39-mediated glutathione homeostasis and A37-mediated mitochondrial iron uptake operate jointly to support mitochondrial OXPHOS. Our work underscores the value of studying family-wide genetic interactions across different metabolic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojian Shi
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bryn Reinstadler
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hardik Shah
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tsz-Leung To
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Katie Byrne
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Luanna Summer
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sarah E Calvo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Olga Goldberger
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Vamsi K Mootha
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hongying Shen
- Cellular and Molecular Physiology Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Systems Biology Institute, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT, USA.
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24
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de Albuquerque NRM, Haag KL, Fields PD, Cabalzar A, Ben-Ami F, Pombert JF, Ebert D. A new microsporidian parasite, Ordospora pajunii sp. nov (Ordosporidae), of Daphnia longispina highlights the value of genomic data for delineating species boundaries. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12902. [PMID: 35279911 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Speciation is a complex and continuous process that makes the delineation of species boundaries a challenging task in particular in species with little morphological differentiation, such as parasites. In this case, the use of genomic data is often necessary, such as for the intracellular Microsporidian parasites. Here we characterize the genome of a gut parasite of the cladoceran Daphnia longispina (isolate FI-F-10), which we propose as a new species within the genus Ordospora: O. pajunii sp. nov (Ordosporidae). FI-F-10 closest relative, O. colligata is only found in D. magna. Both microsporidian species share several morphological features. Although it is not possible to estimate divergence times for Microsporidia due to the lack of fossil records and accelerated evolutionary rates, we base our proposal on the phylogenomic and genomic distances between both microsporidian lineages. Phylogenomic reconstruction shows that FI-F-10 forms an early diverging branch basal to the cluster that contains all known O. colligata strains. Whole-genome comparisons show that FI-F-10 presents a greater divergence at the sequence level than observed among O. colligata strains, and its genomic Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) values against O. colligata are beyond the intra-specific range previously established for yeast and prokaryotes. Our data confirm that the ANI metrics are useful for fine genetic divergence calibration across Microsporidia taxa. In combination with phylogenetic and ecological data, genome-based metrics provide a powerful approach to delimitate species boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia R M de Albuquerque
- Department of Genetics and Post-Graduation Program of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Karen L Haag
- Department of Genetics and Post-Graduation Program of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Peter D Fields
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, Basel University, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Cabalzar
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, Basel University, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Frida Ben-Ami
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jean-François Pombert
- Department of Biology, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3105 S Dearborn St, Chicago, IL, 60616, USA
| | - Dieter Ebert
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, Basel University, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
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25
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Nicholson D, Salamina M, Panek J, Helena-Bueno K, Brown CR, Hirt RP, Ranson NA, Melnikov SV. Adaptation to genome decay in the structure of the smallest eukaryotic ribosome. Nat Commun 2022; 13:591. [PMID: 35105900 PMCID: PMC8807834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28281-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of microbial parasites involves the counterplay between natural selection forcing parasites to improve and genetic drifts forcing parasites to lose genes and accumulate deleterious mutations. Here, to understand how this counterplay occurs at the scale of individual macromolecules, we describe cryo-EM structure of ribosomes from Encephalitozoon cuniculi, a eukaryote with one of the smallest genomes in nature. The extreme rRNA reduction in E. cuniculi ribosomes is accompanied with unparalleled structural changes, such as the evolution of previously unknown molten rRNA linkers and bulgeless rRNA. Furthermore, E. cuniculi ribosomes withstand the loss of rRNA and protein segments by evolving an ability to use small molecules as structural mimics of degenerated rRNA and protein segments. Overall, we show that the molecular structures long viewed as reduced, degenerated, and suffering from debilitating mutations possess an array of compensatory mechanisms that allow them to remain active despite the extreme molecular reduction. Many parasitic organisms contain molecular structures that are drastically smaller than analogous structures in non-parasitic organisms. Here the authors describe a cryo-EM structure of the ribosome from E. cuniculi that reveals that it compensated rRNA truncations by evolving the ability to use small molecules as ribosomal building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nicholson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Marco Salamina
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Johan Panek
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Karla Helena-Bueno
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Charlotte R Brown
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Robert P Hirt
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Neil A Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sergey V Melnikov
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK. .,Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK.
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26
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Williams BAP, Williams TA, Trew J. Comparative Genomics of Microsporidia. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2022; 114:43-69. [PMID: 35543998 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-93306-7_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The microsporidia are a phylum of intracellular parasites that represent the eukaryotic cell in a state of extreme reduction, with genomes and metabolic capabilities embodying eukaryotic cells in arguably their most streamlined state. Over the past 20 years, microsporidian genomics has become a rapidly expanding field starting with sequencing of the genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi, one of the first ever sequenced eukaryotes, to the current situation where we have access to the data from over 30 genomes across 20+ genera. Reaching back further in evolutionary history, to the point where microsporidia diverged from other eukaryotic lineages, we now also have genomic data for some of the closest known relatives of the microsporidia such as Rozella allomycis, Metchnikovella spp. and Amphiamblys sp. Data for these organisms allow us to better understand the genomic processes that shaped the emergence of the microsporidia as a group. These intensive genomic efforts have revealed some of the processes that have shaped microsporidian cells and genomes including patterns of genome expansions and contractions through gene gain and loss, whole genome duplication, differential patterns of invasion and purging of transposable elements. All these processes have been shown to occur across short and longer time scales to give rise to a phylum of parasites with dynamic genomes with a diversity of sizes and organisations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tom A Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jahcub Trew
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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27
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Sequential infection of Daphnia magna by a gut microsporidium followed by a haemolymph yeast decreases transmission of both parasites. Parasitology 2021; 148:1566-1577. [PMID: 35060463 PMCID: PMC8564772 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021001384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Over the course of seasonal epidemics, populations of susceptible hosts may encounter a wide variety of parasites. Parasite phenology affects the order in which these species encounter their hosts, leading to sequential infections, with potentially strong effects on within-host growth and host population dynamics. Here, the cladoceran Daphnia magna was exposed sequentially to a haemolymph-infecting yeast (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) and a gut microsporidium (Ordospora colligata), with experimental treatments reflecting two possible scenarios of parasite succession. The effects of single and co-exposure were compared on parasite infectivity, spore production and the overall virulence experienced by the host. We show that neither parasite benefited from coinfection; instead, when hosts encountered Ordospora, followed by Metschnikowia, higher levels of host mortality contributed to an overall decrease in the transmission of both parasites. These results showcase an example of sequential infections generating unilateral priority effects, in which antagonistic interactions between parasites can alleviate the intensity of infection and coincide with maladaptive levels of damage inflicted on the host.
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28
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Romesberg FE. Creation, Optimization, and Use of Semi-Synthetic Organisms that Store and Retrieve Increased Genetic Information. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167331. [PMID: 34710400 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
With few exceptions, natural proteins are built from only 20 canonical (proteogenic) amino acids which limits the functionality and accordingly the properties they can possess. Genetic code expansion, i.e. the creation of codons and the machinery needed to assign them to non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs), promises to enable the discovery of proteins with novel properties that are otherwise difficult or impossible to obtain. One approach to expanding the genetic code is to expand the genetic alphabet via the development of unnatural nucleotides that pair to form an unnatural base pair (UBP). Semi-synthetic organisms (SSOs), i.e. organisms that stably maintain the UBP, transcribe its component nucleotides into RNA, and use it to translate proteins, would have available to them new codons and the anticodons needed to assign them to ncAAs. This review summarizes the development of a family of UBPs, their use to create SSOs, and the optimization and application of the SSOs to produce candidate therapeutic proteins with improved properties that are now undergoing evaluation in clinical trials.
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29
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Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogens identified ∼150 years ago as the cause of pébrine, an economically important infection in silkworms. There are about 220 genera and 1,700 species of microsporidia, which are classified based on their ultrastructural features, developmental cycle, host-parasite relationship, and molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that microsporidia are related to the fungi, being grouped with the Cryptomycota as a basal branch or sister group to the fungi. Microsporidia can be transmitted by food and water and are likely zoonotic, as they parasitize a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. Infection in humans occurs in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient hosts, e.g., in patients with organ transplantation, patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and patients receiving immune modulatory therapy such as anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody. Clusters of infections due to latent infection in transplanted organs have also been demonstrated. Gastrointestinal infection is the most common manifestation; however, microsporidia can infect virtually any organ system, and infection has resulted in keratitis, myositis, cholecystitis, sinusitis, and encephalitis. Both albendazole and fumagillin have efficacy for the treatment of various species of microsporidia; however, albendazole has limited efficacy for the treatment of Enterocytozoon bieneusi. In addition, immune restoration can lead to resolution of infection. While the prevalence rate of microsporidiosis in patients with AIDS has fallen in the United States, due to the widespread use of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), infection continues to occur throughout the world and is still seen in the United States in the setting of cART if a low CD4 count persists.
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30
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Huang Q, Wu ZH, Li WF, Guo R, Xu JS, Dang XQ, Ma ZG, Chen YP, Evans JD. Genome and Evolutionary Analysis of Nosema ceranae: A Microsporidian Parasite of Honey Bees. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:645353. [PMID: 34149635 PMCID: PMC8206274 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.645353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia comprise a phylum of single cell, intracellular parasites and represent the earliest diverging branch in the fungal kingdom. The microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae primarily infects honey bee gut epithelial cells, leading to impaired memory, suppressed host immune responses and colony collapse under certain circumstances. As the genome of N. ceranae is challenging to assembly due to very high genetic diversity and repetitive region, the genome was re-sequenced using long reads. We present a robust 8.8 Mbp genome assembly of 2,280 protein coding genes, including a high number of genes involved in transporting nutrients and energy, as well as drug resistance when compared with sister species Nosema apis. We also describe the loss of the critical protein Dicer in approximately half of the microsporidian species, giving new insights into the availability of RNA interference pathway in this group. Our results provided new insights into the pathogenesis of N. ceranae and a blueprint for treatment strategies that target this parasite without harming honey bees. The unique infectious apparatus polar filament and transportation pathway members can help to identify treatments to control this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Huang
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Beekeeping, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhi Hao Wu
- Honeybee Research Institute, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Honeybee Biology and Beekeeping, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wen Feng Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Guo
- College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jin Shan Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiao Qun Dang
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zheng Gang Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Ping Chen
- US Department of Agriculture-Aricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Jay D Evans
- US Department of Agriculture-Aricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States
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31
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Mathur V, Wakeman KC, Keeling PJ. Parallel functional reduction in the mitochondria of apicomplexan parasites. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2920-2928.e4. [PMID: 33974849 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Gregarines are an early-diverging lineage of apicomplexan parasites that hold many clues into the origin and evolution of the group, a remarkable transition from free-living phototrophic algae into obligate parasites of animals.1 Using single-cell transcriptomics targeting understudied lineages to complement available sequencing data, we characterized the mitochondrial metabolic repertoire across the tree of apicomplexans. In contrast to the large suite of proteins involved in aerobic respiration in well-studied parasites like Toxoplasma or Plasmodium,2 we find that gregarine trophozoites have significantly reduced energy metabolism: most lack respiratory complexes III and IV, and some lack the electron transport chains (ETCs) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle entirely. Phylogenomic analyses show that these reductions took place several times in parallel, resulting in a functional range from fully aerobic organelles to extremely reduced "mitosomes" restricted to Fe-S cluster biosynthesis. The mitochondrial genome has also been lost repeatedly: in species with severe functional reduction simply by gene loss but in one species with a complete ETC by relocating cox1 to the nuclear genome. Severe functional reduction of mitochondria is generally associated with structural reduction, resulting in small, nondescript mitochondrial-related organelles (MROs).3 By contrast, gregarines retain distinctive mitochondria with tubular cristae, even the most functionally reduced cases that also lack genes associated with cristae formation. Overall, the parallel, severe reduction of gregarine mitochondria expands the diversity of organisms that contain MROs and further emphasizes the role of parallel transitions in apicomplexan evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Mathur
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Kevin C Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Hu N, Dong ZQ, Long JQ, Zheng N, Hu CW, Wu Q, Chen P, Lu C, Pan MH. Transcriptome analysis reveals changes in silkworm energy metabolism during Nosema bombycis infection. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 174:104809. [PMID: 33838710 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2021.104809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Energy metabolism is important for the proliferation of microsporidia in infected host cells, but there is limited information on the host response. The energy metabolism response of silkworm (Bombyx mori) to microsporidia may help manage Nosema bombycis infections. We analyzed differentially expressed genes in the B.mori midgut transcriptome at two significant time points of microsporidia infection. A total of 1448 genes were up-regulated, while 315 genes were down-regulated. A high proportion of genes were involved in the phosphatidylinositol signaling system, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and glycerolipid metabolism at 48 h post infection (h p.i.), and a large number of genes were involved in the TCA cycle and protein processing at 120 h p.i. These results showed that the early stages of microsporidia infection affected the basic metabolism and biosynthesis processes of the silkworm. Knockout of Bm_nscaf2860_46 (Bombyx mori isocitrate dehydrogenase, BmIDH) and Bm_nscaf3027_062 (Bombyx mori hexokinase, BmHXK) reduced the production of ATP and inhibited microsporidia proliferation. Host fatty acid degradation, glycerol metabolism, glycolysis pathway, and TCA cycle response to microsporidia infection were also analyzed, and their importance to microsporidia proliferation was verified. These results increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in N. bombycis infection and provide new insights for research on microsporidia control. IMPORTANCE: Nosema bombycis can be vertically transmitted in silkworm eggs. The traditional prevention and control strategies for microsporidia are difficult and time-consuming, and this is a problem in silkworm culture. Research has mainly focused on host gene functions related to microsporidia infection and host immune responses after microsporidia infection. Little is known about the metabolic changes occurring in the host after infection. Understanding the metabolic changes in the silkworm host could aid in the recognition of host genes important for microsporidia infection and growth. We analyzed host metabolic changes and the main participating pathways at two time points after microsporidia infection and screened the microsporidia-dependent host energy metabolism genes BmIDH and BmHXK. The results revealed genes that are important for the proliferation of Nosema bombycis. These results illustrate how microsporidia hijack the host genome for their growth and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhan-Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Jiang-Qiong Long
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Ning Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Cong-Wu Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Peng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing 400716, China.
| | - Min-Hui Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chongqing 400716, China.
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33
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Park E, Poulin R. Revisiting the phylogeny of microsporidia. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:855-864. [PMID: 33891934 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Canonical microsporidians are a group of obligate intracellular parasites of a wide range of hosts comprising ~1,300 species of >220 genera. Microsporidians are related to fungi, and many characterised and uncharacterized groups closely related to them have been discovered recently, filling the knowledge gaps between them. These groups assigned to the superphylum Opisthosporidia have provided several important insights into the evolution of diverse intracellular parasitic lineages within the tree of eukaryotes. The most studied among opisthosporidians, canonical microsporidians, were known to science more than 160 years ago, however, the classification of canonical Microsporidia has been challenging due to common morphological homoplasy, and accelerated evolutionary rates. Instead of morphological characters, ssrRNA sequences have been used as the primary data for the classification of canonical microsporidians. Previous studies have produced a useful backbone of the microsporidian phylogeny, but provided only some nodal support, causing some confusion. Here, we reconstructed phylogenetic trees of canonical microsporidians using Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood inferences. We included rRNA sequences of 126 described/named genera, by far the broadest taxon coverage to date. Overall, our trees show similar topology and recovered four of the five main clades demonstrated in previous studies (Clades 1, 3, 4 and 5). Family level clades were well resolved within each major clade, but many were discordant with the recently revised classification. Therefore, revision and some reshuffling, especially within and between Clades 1 and 3 are required. We also reconstructed phylogenetic trees of Opisthosporidia to better integrate the evolutionary history of canonical microsporidians in a broader context. We discuss several traits shared only by canonical microsporidians that may have contributed to their striking ecological success in diverse metazoans. More targeted studies on the neglected host groups will be of value for a better understanding of the evolutionary history of these interesting intracellular parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunji Park
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.
| | - Robert Poulin
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
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Tecle E, Chhan CB, Franklin L, Underwood RS, Hanna-Rose W, Troemel ER. The purine nucleoside phosphorylase pnp-1 regulates epithelial cell resistance to infection in C. elegans. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009350. [PMID: 33878133 PMCID: PMC8087013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal epithelial cells are subject to attack by a diverse array of microbes, including intracellular as well as extracellular pathogens. While defense in epithelial cells can be triggered by pattern recognition receptor-mediated detection of microbe-associated molecular patterns, there is much to be learned about how they sense infection via perturbations of host physiology, which often occur during infection. A recently described host defense response in the nematode C. elegans called the Intracellular Pathogen Response (IPR) can be triggered by infection with diverse natural intracellular pathogens, as well as by perturbations to protein homeostasis. From a forward genetic screen, we identified the C. elegans ortholog of purine nucleoside phosphorylase pnp-1 as a negative regulator of IPR gene expression, as well as a negative regulator of genes induced by extracellular pathogens. Accordingly, pnp-1 mutants have resistance to both intracellular and extracellular pathogens. Metabolomics analysis indicates that C. elegans pnp-1 likely has enzymatic activity similar to its human ortholog, serving to convert purine nucleosides into free bases. Classic genetic studies have shown how mutations in human purine nucleoside phosphorylase cause immunodeficiency due to T-cell dysfunction. Here we show that C. elegans pnp-1 acts in intestinal epithelial cells to regulate defense. Altogether, these results indicate that perturbations in purine metabolism are likely monitored as a cue to promote defense against epithelial infection in the nematode C. elegans. All life requires purine nucleotides. However, obligate intracellular pathogens are incapable of generating their own purine nucleotides and thus have evolved strategies to steal these nucleotides from host cells in order to support their growth and replication. Using the small roundworm C. elegans, we show that infection with natural obligate intracellular pathogens is impaired by loss of pnp-1, the C. elegans ortholog of the vertebrate purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), which is an enzyme involved in salvaging purines. Loss of pnp-1 leads to altered levels of purine nucleotide precursors and increased expression of Intracellular Pathogen Response genes, which are induced by viral and fungal intracellular pathogens of C. elegans. In addition, we find that loss of pnp-1 increases resistance to extracellular pathogen infection and increases expression of genes involved in extracellular pathogen defense. Interestingly, studies from 1975 found that mutations in human PNP impair T-cell immunity, whereas our findings here indicate C. elegans pnp-1 regulates intestinal epithelial immunity. Overall, our work indicates that host purine homeostasis regulates resistance to both intracellular and extracellular pathogen infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eillen Tecle
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Crystal B. Chhan
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Latisha Franklin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ryan S. Underwood
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Wendy Hanna-Rose
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Emily R. Troemel
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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35
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Ca 2+-regulated mitochondrial carriers of ATP-Mg 2+/Pi: Evolutionary insights in protozoans. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1868:119038. [PMID: 33839167 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2021.119038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In addition to its uptake across the Ca2+ uniporter, intracellular calcium signals can stimulate mitochondrial metabolism activating metabolite exchangers of the inner mitochondrial membrane belonging to the mitochondrial carrier family (SLC25). One of these Ca2+-regulated mitochondrial carriers (CaMCs) are the reversible ATP-Mg2+/Pi transporters, or SCaMCs, required for maintaining optimal adenine nucleotide (AdN) levels in the mitochondrial matrix representing an alternative transporter to the ADP/ATP translocases (AAC). This CaMC has a distinctive Calmodulin-like (CaM-like) domain fused to the carrier domain that makes its transport activity strictly dependent on cytosolic Ca2+ signals. Here we investigate about its origin analysing its distribution and features in unicellular eukaryotes. Unexpectedly, we find two types of ATP-Mg2+/Pi carriers, the canonical ones and shortened variants lacking the CaM-like domain. Phylogenetic analysis shows that both SCaMC variants have a common origin, unrelated to AACs, suggesting in turn that recurrent losses of the regulatory module have occurred in the different phyla. They are excluding variants that show a more limited distribution and less conservation than AACs. Interestingly, these truncated variants of SCaMC are found almost exclusively in parasitic protists, such as apicomplexans, kinetoplastides or animal-patogenic oomycetes, and in green algae, suggesting that its lost could be related to certain life-styles. In addition, we find an intricate structural diversity in these variants that may be associated with their pathogenicity. The consequences on SCaMC functions of these new SCaMC-b variants are discussed.
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36
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Lewis WH, Lind AE, Sendra KM, Onsbring H, Williams TA, Esteban GF, Hirt RP, Ettema TJG, Embley TM. Convergent Evolution of Hydrogenosomes from Mitochondria by Gene Transfer and Loss. Mol Biol Evol 2020; 37:524-539. [PMID: 31647561 PMCID: PMC6993867 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogenosomes are H2-producing mitochondrial homologs found in some anaerobic microbial eukaryotes that provide a rare intracellular niche for H2-utilizing endosymbiotic archaea. Among ciliates, anaerobic and aerobic lineages are interspersed, demonstrating that the switch to an anaerobic lifestyle with hydrogenosomes has occurred repeatedly and independently. To investigate the molecular details of this transition, we generated genomic and transcriptomic data sets from anaerobic ciliates representing three distinct lineages. Our data demonstrate that hydrogenosomes have evolved from ancestral mitochondria in each case and reveal different degrees of independent mitochondrial genome and proteome reductive evolution, including the first example of complete mitochondrial genome loss in ciliates. Intriguingly, the FeFe-hydrogenase used for generating H2 has a unique domain structure among eukaryotes and appears to have been present, potentially through a single lateral gene transfer from an unknown donor, in the common aerobic ancestor of all three lineages. The early acquisition and retention of FeFe-hydrogenase helps to explain the facility whereby mitochondrial function can be so radically modified within this diverse and ecologically important group of microbial eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Lewis
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, United Kingdom.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anders E Lind
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kacper M Sendra
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Henning Onsbring
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tom A Williams
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Genoveva F Esteban
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P Hirt
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - T Martin Embley
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
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Braymer JJ, Freibert SA, Rakwalska-Bange M, Lill R. Mechanistic concepts of iron-sulfur protein biogenesis in Biology. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2020; 1868:118863. [PMID: 33007329 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Iron-sulfur (Fe/S) proteins are present in virtually all living organisms and are involved in numerous cellular processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, metabolic reactions, nitrogen fixation, radical biochemistry, protein synthesis, antiviral defense, and genome maintenance. Their versatile functions may go back to the proposed role of their Fe/S cofactors in the origin of life as efficient catalysts and electron carriers. More than two decades ago, it was discovered that the in vivo synthesis of cellular Fe/S clusters and their integration into polypeptide chains requires assistance by complex proteinaceous machineries, despite the fact that Fe/S proteins can be assembled chemically in vitro. In prokaryotes, three Fe/S protein biogenesis systems are known; ISC, SUF, and the more specialized NIF. The former two systems have been transferred by endosymbiosis from bacteria to mitochondria and plastids, respectively, of eukaryotes. In their cytosol, eukaryotes use the CIA machinery for the biogenesis of cytosolic and nuclear Fe/S proteins. Despite the structural diversity of the protein constituents of these four machineries, general mechanistic concepts underlie the complex process of Fe/S protein biogenesis. This review provides a comprehensive and comparative overview of the various known biogenesis systems in Biology, and summarizes their common or diverging molecular mechanisms, thereby illustrating both the conservation and diverse adaptions of these four machineries during evolution and under different lifestyles. Knowledge of these fundamental biochemical pathways is not only of basic scientific interest, but is important for the understanding of human 'Fe/S diseases' and can be used in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Braymer
- Institut für Zytobiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Sven A Freibert
- Institut für Zytobiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Roland Lill
- Institut für Zytobiologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Robert-Koch-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany; SYNMIKRO Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
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38
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Sun J, Zhu F, Chen H, Yao M, Zhu G, Zhang Y, Wang Q, Shen Z. Identification and subcellular localisation of hexokinase-2 in Nosema bombycis. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2020; 67. [PMID: 33021201 DOI: 10.14411/fp.2020.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Hexokinase (HXK) is the first key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway and plays an extremely important role in energy metabolism. By searching the microsporidian database, we found a sequence (NBO_27g0008) of Nosema bombycis Nägali, 1857 with high similarity to hexokinase-2, and named it as NbHXK2. The NbHXK2 gene has 894 bp and encodes 297 amino acids with 34.241 kD molecular weight and 5.26 isoelectric point. NbHXK2 contains 31 phosphorylation sites and 4 potential N-glycosylation sites with signal peptides and no transmembrane domain. Multiple sequence alignment showed that NbHXK2 shares more than 40% amino acid identity with that of other microsporidia, and the homology with hexokinase-2 of Nosema tyriae Canning, Curry, Cheney, Lafranchi-Tristem, Kawakami, Hatakeyama, Iwano et Ishihara, 1999, Nosema pyrausta (Paillot, 1927) and Nosema ceranae Fries, Feng, da Silva, Slemenda et Pieniazek, 1996 was 89.17%, 87.82% and 69.86%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequence of hexokinase showed that all microsporidia cluster together in the same clade, and are far away from animals, plants and fungi, and that N. bombycis is closely related to N. tyriae; N. pyrausta; N. ceranae and Nosema apis Zander, 1909. Immunolocalisation with the prepared polyclonal antibody showed that NbHXK2 was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm and plasmalemma in proliferative, sporulation stage and mature spore of N. bombycis. qRT-PCR assay showed that the NbHXK2 expressed at higher level during spore germination and at early stage of proliferation. These results indicate that N. bombycis may use its own glycolytic pathways to supply energy for infection and development, especially germination and in the early stage of proliferation, and acquire energy from the host through certain ways as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiancheng Sun
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, Shandong Province, China.,Institute of Sericulture and Apiculture, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Mengzi, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Hongli Chen
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mingshuai Yao
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guanyu Zhu
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yiling Zhang
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.,Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.,Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhongyuan Shen
- Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China.,Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
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39
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Tamim El Jarkass H, Reinke AW. The ins and outs of host-microsporidia interactions during invasion, proliferation and exit. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13247. [PMID: 32748538 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Microsporidia are a large group of fungal-related obligate intracellular parasites. They are responsible for infections in humans as well as in agriculturally and environmentally important animals. Although microsporidia are abundant in nature, many of the molecular mechanisms employed during infection have remained enigmatic. In this review, we highlight recent work showing how microsporidia invade, proliferate and exit from host cells. During invasion, microsporidia use spore wall and polar tube proteins to interact with host receptors and adhere to the host cell surface. In turn, the host has multiple defence mechanisms to prevent and eliminate these infections. Microsporidia encode numerous transporters and steal host nutrients to facilitate proliferation within host cells. They also encode many secreted proteins which may modulate host metabolism and inhibit host cell defence mechanisms. Spores exit the host in a non-lytic manner that is dependent on host actin and endocytic recycling proteins. Together, this work provides a fuller picture of the mechanisms that these fascinating organisms use to infect their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron W Reinke
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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40
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de Albuquerque NRM, Ebert D, Haag KL. Transposable element abundance correlates with mode of transmission in microsporidian parasites. Mob DNA 2020; 11:19. [PMID: 32587636 PMCID: PMC7313128 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-020-00218-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The extreme genome reduction and physiological simplicity of some microsporidia has been attributed to their intracellular, obligate parasitic lifestyle. Although not all microsporidian genomes are small (size range from about 2 to 50 MB), it is suggested that the size of their genomes has been streamlined by natural selection. We explore the hypothesis that vertical transmission in microsporidia produces population bottlenecks, and thus reduces the effectiveness of natural selection. Here we compare the transposable element (TE) content of 47 microsporidian genomes, and show that genome size is positively correlated with the amount of TEs, and that species that experience vertical transmission have larger genomes with higher proportion of TEs. Our findings are consistent with earlier studies inferring that nonadaptive processes play an important role in microsporidian evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Rammé Medeiros de Albuquerque
- Department of Genetics and Post-Graduation Program of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970 Brazil
| | - Dieter Ebert
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology, Basel University, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karen Luisa Haag
- Department of Genetics and Post-Graduation Program of Genetics and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970 Brazil
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41
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Timofeev S, Tokarev Y, Dolgikh V. Energy metabolism and its evolution in Microsporidia and allied taxa. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:1433-1441. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06657-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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42
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Han B, Takvorian PM, Weiss LM. Invasion of Host Cells by Microsporidia. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:172. [PMID: 32132983 PMCID: PMC7040029 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are found worldwide and both vertebrates and invertebrates can serve as hosts for these organisms. While microsporidiosis in humans can occur in both immune competent and immune compromised hosts, it has most often been seen in the immune suppressed population, e.g., patients with advanced HIV infection, patients who have had organ transplantation, those undergoing chemotherapy, or patients using other immune suppressive agents. Infection can be associated with either focal infection in a specific organ (e.g., keratoconjunctivitis, cerebritis, or hepatitis) or with disseminated disease. The most common presentation of microsporidiosis being gastrointestinal infection with chronic diarrhea and wasting syndrome. In the setting of advanced HIV infection or other cases of profound immune deficiency microsporidiosis can be extremely debilitating and carries a significant mortality risk. Microsporidia are transmitted as spores which invade host cells by a specialized invasion apparatus the polar tube (PT). This review summarizes recent studies that have provided information on the composition of the spore wall and PT, as well as insights into the mechanism of invasion and interaction of the PT and spore wall with host cells during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Han
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Peter M. Takvorian
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Louis M. Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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43
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Dolgikh VV, Timofeev SA, Zhuravlyov VS, Senderskiy IV. Construction and heterologous overexpression of two chimeric proteins carrying outer hydrophilic loops of Vairimorpha ceranae and Nosema bombycis ATP/ADP carriers. J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 171:107337. [PMID: 32035083 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2020.107337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Microsporidia Nosema bombycis and Vairimorpha ceranae cause destructive epizootics of honey bees and silkworms. Insufficient efficiency of the antibiotic fumagillin against V. ceranae, its toxicity and the absence of effective methods of N. bombycis treatment demand the discovery of novel strategies to suppress infections of domesticated insects. RNA interference is one such novel treatment strategy. Another one implies that the intracellular development of microsporidia may be suppressed by single-chain antibodies (scFv fragments) against functionally important parasite proteins. Important components of microsporidian metabolism are non-mitochondrial, plastidic-bacterial ATP/ADP carriers. These membrane transporters import host-derived ATP and provide the capacity to pathogens for energy parasitism. Here, we analyzed membrane topology of four V. ceranae and three N. bombycis ATP/ADP transporters to construct two fusion proteins carrying their outer hydrophilic loops contacting with infected host cell cytoplasm. Interestingly, full-size genes of N. bombycis transporters may be derived from the Asian swallowtail Papilio xuthus genome sequencing project. Synthesis of the artificial genes was followed by overexpression of recombinant proteins in E. coli as insoluble inclusion bodies. The gene fragments encoding the loops of individual transporters were also effectively expressed in bacteria. The chimeric antigens may be used to construct immune libraries or select microsporidia-suppressing scFv fragments from synthetic, semisynthetic, naïve and immune antibody libraries. A further expression of such antibodies in insect cells may increase their resistance to microsporidial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viacheslav V Dolgikh
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Protection, All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, Russia.
| | - Sergey A Timofeev
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Protection, All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, Russia
| | - Vladimir S Zhuravlyov
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Protection, All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, Russia
| | - Igor V Senderskiy
- Laboratory of Molecular Plant Protection, All-Russian Institute of Plant Protection, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, Russia
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44
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Yıldırım H, Bekircan Ç. Ultrastructural and molecular characterization of Nosema alticae sp. nov. (Microsporidia: Nosematidae), pathogen of the flea beetle, Altica hampei Allard, 1867 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). J Invertebr Pathol 2020; 170:107302. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2019.107302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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45
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Song Y, Tang Y, Yang Q, Li T, He Z, Wu Y, He Q, Li T, Li C, Long M, Chen J, Wei J, Bao J, Shen Z, Meng X, Pan G, Zhou Z. Proliferation characteristics of the intracellular microsporidian pathogen Nosema bombycis in congenitally infected embryos. J Invertebr Pathol 2019; 169:107310. [PMID: 31862268 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2019.107310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Nosema bombycis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that can be transmitted vertically from infected females to eggs, resulting in congenital infections in embryos. Here we investigated the proliferation characteristics of N. bombycis in silkworm embryos using a histopathological approach and deep RNA sequencing. We found that N. bombycis proliferated mainly around yolk granules at the early stage of the embryonic development, 1-2 days post oviposition (dpo). At 4-6 dpo, a portion of N. bombycis in different stages adjacent to the embryo were packaged into the newly formed intestinal lumen, while the remaining parasites continued to proliferate around yolk granules. In the newly hatched larvae (9 dpo), the newly formed spores accumulated in the gut lumen and immediately were released into the environment via the faeces. Transcriptional profiling of N. bombycis further confirmed multiplication of N. bombycis throughout every stage of embryonic development. Additionally, the increased transcriptional level of spore wall proteins and polar tube proteins from 4 dpo indicated an active formation of mature spores. Taken together, our results have provided a characterization of the proliferation of this intracellular microsporidian pathogen in congenitally infected embryos leading to vertical transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Song
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yunlin Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiong Yang
- Sericulture and Agri-food Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tangxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhangshuai He
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yujiao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qiang He
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chunfeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Mengxian Long
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Junhong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jialing Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zigang Shen
- Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xianzhi Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Sericultural Biology and Genetic Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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Gruber A, Haferkamp I. Nucleotide Transport and Metabolism in Diatoms. Biomolecules 2019; 9:E761. [PMID: 31766535 PMCID: PMC6995639 DOI: 10.3390/biom9120761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Plastids, organelles that evolved from cyanobacteria via endosymbiosis in eukaryotes, provide carbohydrates for the formation of biomass and for mitochondrial energy production to the cell. They generate their own energy in the form of the nucleotide adenosine triphosphate (ATP). However, plastids of non-photosynthetic tissues, or during the dark, depend on external supply of ATP. A dedicated antiporter that exchanges ATP against adenosine diphosphate (ADP) plus inorganic phosphate (Pi) takes over this function in most photosynthetic eukaryotes. Additional forms of such nucleotide transporters (NTTs), with deviating activities, are found in intracellular bacteria, and, surprisingly, also in diatoms, a group of algae that acquired their plastids from other eukaryotes via one (or even several) additional endosymbioses compared to algae with primary plastids and higher plants. In this review, we summarize what is known about the nucleotide synthesis and transport pathways in diatom cells, and discuss the evolutionary implications of the presence of the additional NTTs in diatoms, as well as their applications in biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansgar Gruber
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ilka Haferkamp
- Pflanzenphysiologie, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany;
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Tsaousis AD. On the Origin of Iron/Sulfur Cluster Biosynthesis in Eukaryotes. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2478. [PMID: 31781051 PMCID: PMC6857552 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron and sulfur are indispensable elements of every living cell, but on their own these elements are toxic and require dedicated machineries for the formation of iron/sulfur (Fe/S) clusters. In eukaryotes, proteins requiring Fe/S clusters (Fe/S proteins) are found in or associated with various organelles including the mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, cytosol, and the nucleus. These proteins are involved in several pathways indispensable for the viability of each living cell including DNA maintenance, protein translation and metabolic pathways. Thus, the formation of Fe/S clusters and their delivery to these proteins has a fundamental role in the functions and the evolution of the eukaryotic cell. Currently, most eukaryotes harbor two (located in cytosol and mitochondrion) or three (located in plastid) machineries for the assembly of Fe/S clusters, but certain anaerobic microbial eukaryotes contain sulfur mobilization (SUF) machineries that were previously thought to be present only in archaeal linages. These machineries could not only stipulate which pathway was present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA), but they could also provide clues regarding presence of an Fe/S cluster machinery in the proto-eukaryote and evolution of Fe/S cluster assembly machineries in all eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, ResistAnce Pathogenicity and Infectious Diseases (RAPID) Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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48
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Pawlowic MC, Somepalli M, Sateriale A, Herbert GT, Gibson AR, Cuny GD, Hedstrom L, Striepen B. Genetic ablation of purine salvage in Cryptosporidium parvum reveals nucleotide uptake from the host cell. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:21160-21165. [PMID: 31570573 PMCID: PMC6800313 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1908239116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global cause of severe diarrheal disease and an important contributor to early-childhood mortality. Waterborne outbreaks occur frequently, even in countries with advanced water treatment capabilities, and there is currently no fully effective treatment. Nucleotide pathways are attractive targets for antimicrobial development, and several laboratories are designing inhibitors of these enzymes as potential treatment for Cryptosporidium infections. Here we take advantage of newly available molecular genetics for Cryptosporidium parvum to investigate nucleotide biosynthesis by directed gene ablation. Surprisingly, we found that the parasite tolerates the loss of classical targets including dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) and inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH). We show that thymidine kinase provides a route to thymidine monophosphate in the absence of DHFR-TS. In contrast, only a single pathway has been identified for C. parvum purine nucleotide salvage. Nonetheless, multiple enzymes in the purine pathway, as well as the adenosine transporter, can be ablated. The resulting mutants are viable under normal conditions but are hypersensitive to inhibition of purine nucleotide synthesis in their host cell. Cryptosporidium might use as-yet undiscovered purine transporters and salvage enzymes; however, genetic and pharmacological experiments led us to conclude that Cryptosporidium imports purine nucleotides from the host cell. The potential for ATP uptake from the host has significant impact on our understanding of parasite energy metabolism given that Cryptosporidium lacks oxidative phosphorylation and glycolytic enzymes are not constitutively expressed throughout the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattie C Pawlowic
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Mastanbabu Somepalli
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Adam Sateriale
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Gillian T Herbert
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Alexis R Gibson
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Gregory D Cuny
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204
| | - Lizbeth Hedstrom
- Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454
- Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454
| | - Boris Striepen
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602;
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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49
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Major P, Sendra KM, Dean P, Williams TA, Watson AK, Thwaites DT, Embley TM, Hirt RP. A new family of cell surface located purine transporters in Microsporidia and related fungal endoparasites. eLife 2019; 8:e47037. [PMID: 31355745 PMCID: PMC6699826 DOI: 10.7554/elife.47037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasma membrane-located transport proteins are key adaptations for obligate intracellular Microsporidia parasites, because they can use them to steal host metabolites the parasites need to grow and replicate. However, despite their importance, the functions and substrate specificities of most Microsporidia transporters are unknown. Here, we provide functional data for a family of transporters conserved in all microsporidian genomes and also in the genomes of related endoparasites. The universal retention among otherwise highly reduced genomes indicates an important role for these transporters for intracellular parasites. Using Trachipleistophora hominis, a Microsporidia isolated from an HIV/AIDS patient, as our experimental model, we show that the proteins are ATP and GTP transporters located on the surface of parasites during their intracellular growth and replication. Our work identifies a new route for the acquisition of essential energy and nucleotides for a major group of intracellular parasites that infect most animal species including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Major
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - Kacper M Sendra
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - Paul Dean
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - Tom A Williams
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - Andrew K Watson
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - David T Thwaites
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - T Martin Embley
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
| | - Robert P Hirt
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, the Medical SchoolNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUnited Kingdom
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50
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Lee CC, Huang PJ, Yeh YM, Chen SY, Chiu CH, Cheng WH, Tang P. Pathogenic Protist Transmembranome database (PPTdb): a web-based platform for searching and analysis of protist transmembrane proteins. BMC Bioinformatics 2019; 20:382. [PMID: 31337335 PMCID: PMC6651900 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-019-2857-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pathogenic protist membrane transporter proteins play important roles not only in exchanging molecules into and out of cells but also in acquiring nutrients and biosynthetic compounds from their hosts. Currently, there is no centralized protist membrane transporter database published, which makes system-wide comparisons and studies of host-pathogen membranomes difficult to achieve. RESULTS We analyzed over one million protein sequences from 139 protists with full or partial genome sequences. Putative transmembrane proteins were annotated by primary sequence alignments, conserved secondary structural elements, and functional domains. We have constructed the PPTdb (Pathogenic Protist Transmembranome database), a comprehensive membrane transporter protein portal for pathogenic protists and their human hosts. The PPTdb is a web-based database with a user-friendly searching and data querying interface, including hierarchical transporter classification (TC) numbers, protein sequences, functional annotations, conserved functional domains, batch sequence retrieving and downloads. The PPTdb also serves as an analytical platform to provide useful comparison/mining tools, including transmembrane ability evaluation, annotation of unknown proteins, informative visualization charts, and iterative functional mining of host-pathogen transporter proteins. CONCLUSIONS The PPTdb collected putative protist transporter proteins and offers a user-friendly data retrieving interface. Moreover, a pairwise functional comparison ability can provide useful information for identifying functional uniqueness of each protist. Finally, the host and non-host protein similarity search can fulfill the needs of comprehensive studies of protists and their hosts. The PPTdb is freely accessible at http://pptdb.cgu.edu.tw .
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Ching Lee
- Department and Graduate Institute of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.,Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan
| | - Po-Jung Huang
- Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Ming Yeh
- Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan
| | - Sin-You Chen
- Department and Graduate Institute of Computer Science and Information Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsun Chiu
- Genomic Medicine Core Laboratory, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan.,Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hung Cheng
- Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Petrus Tang
- Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, Taiwan. .,Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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