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Sethumadhavan DV, Tiburcio M, Kanyal A, Jabeena CA, Govindaraju G, Karmodiya K, Rajavelu A. Chromodomain Protein Interacts with H3K9me3 and Controls RBC Rosette Formation by Regulating the Expression of a Subset of RIFINs in the Malaria Parasite. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167601. [PMID: 35460670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum expresses clonally variant proteins on the surface of infected erythrocytes to evade the host immune system. The clonally variant multigene families include var, rifin, and stevor, which express Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (EMP1), Repetitive Interspersed Families of polypeptides (RIFINs), and Sub-telomeric Variable Open Reading frame (STEVOR) proteins, respectively. The rifins are the largest multigene family and are essentially involved in the RBC rosetting, the hallmark of severe malaria. The molecular regulators that control the RIFINs expression in Plasmodium spp. have not been reported so far. This study reports a chromodomain-containing protein (PfCDP) that binds to H3K9me3 modification on P. falciparum chromatin. Conditional deletion of the chromodomain (CD) gene in P. falciparum using an inducible DiCre-LoxP system leads to selective up-regulation of a subset of virulence genes, including rifins, a few var, and stevor genes. Further, we show that PfCDP conditional knockout (PfΔCDP) promotes RBC rosette formation. This study provides the first evidence of an epigenetic regulator mediated control on a subset of RIFINs expression and RBC rosetting by P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devadathan Valiyamangalath Sethumadhavan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Ph.D registered with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Tiger Circle Road, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India
| | - Marta Tiburcio
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Abhishek Kanyal
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411 008, Maharashtra, India. https://twitter.com/AbhishekKanyal7
| | - C A Jabeena
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Ph.D registered with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Tiger Circle Road, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India
| | - Gayathri Govindaraju
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Ph.D registered with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Tiger Circle Road, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411 008, Maharashtra, India. https://twitter.com/Krishanpal_K
| | - Arumugam Rajavelu
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Pathogen Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thycaud PO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 014, Kerala, India.
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Kent RS, Briggs EM, Colon BL, Alvarez C, Silva Pereira S, De Niz M. Paving the Way: Contributions of Big Data to Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid Research. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:900878. [PMID: 35734575 PMCID: PMC9207352 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.900878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the age of big data an important question is how to ensure we make the most out of the resources we generate. In this review, we discuss the major methods used in Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid research to produce big datasets and advance our understanding of Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania biology. We debate the benefits and limitations of the current technologies, and propose future advancements that may be key to improving our use of these techniques. Finally, we consider the difficulties the field faces when trying to make the most of the abundance of data that has already been, and will continue to be, generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn S. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Emma M. Briggs
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Beatrice L. Colon
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Catalina Alvarez
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sara Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Mariana De Niz,
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Rapid activation of distinct members of multigene families in Plasmodium spp. Commun Biol 2020; 3:351. [PMID: 32620892 PMCID: PMC7334209 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1081-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The genomes of Plasmodium spp. encode a number of different multigene families that are thought to play a critical role for survival. However, with the exception of the P. falciparum var genes, very little is known about the biological roles of any of the other multigene families. Using the recently developed Selection Linked Integration method, we have been able to activate the expression of a single member of a multigene family of our choice in Plasmodium spp. from its endogenous promoter. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by activating the expression of a unique var, rifin and stevor in P. falciparum as well as yir in P. yoelii. Characterization of the selected parasites reveals differences between the different families in terms of mutual exclusive control, co-regulation, and host adaptation. Our results further support the application of the approach for the study of multigene families in Plasmodium and other organisms. Omelianczyk, Loh et al. activate the expression of a single member of a multigene family in Plasmodium spp. from its endogenous promoter, identifying differences between the different families. This study supports the application of the Selection Linked Integration method for studying multigene families in Plasmodium.
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