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Dorantes-Palma D, Pérez-Mora S, Azuara-Liceaga E, Pérez-Rueda E, Pérez-Ishiwara DG, Coca-González M, Medel-Flores MO, Gómez-García C. Screening and Structural Characterization of Heat Shock Response Elements (HSEs) in Entamoeba histolytica Promoters. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1319. [PMID: 38279319 PMCID: PMC10815948 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021319] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) exhibits a remarkable capacity to respond to thermal shock stress through a sophisticated genetic regulation mechanism. This process is carried out via Heat Shock Response Elements (HSEs), which are recognized by Heat Shock Transcription Factors (EhHSTFs), enabling fine and precise control of gene expression. Our study focused on screening for HSEs in the promoters of the E. histolytica genome, specifically analyzing six HSEs, including Ehpgp5, EhrabB1, EhrabB4, EhrabB5, Ehmlbp, and Ehhsp100. We discovered 2578 HSEs, with 1412 in promoters of hypothetical genes and 1166 in coding genes. We observed that a single promoter could contain anywhere from one to five HSEs. Gene ontology analysis revealed the presence of HSEs in essential genes for the amoeba, including cysteine proteinases, ribosomal genes, Myb family DNA-binding proteins, and Rab GTPases, among others. Complementarily, our molecular docking analyses indicate that these HSEs are potentially recognized by EhHSTF5, EhHSTF6, and EhHSTF7 factors in their trimeric conformation. These findings suggest that E. histolytica has the capability to regulate a wide range of critical genes via HSE-EhHSTFs, not only for thermal stress response but also for vital functions of the parasite. This is the first comprehensive study of HSEs in the genome of E. histolytica, significantly contributing to the understanding of its genetic regulation and highlighting the complexity and precision of this mechanism in the parasite's survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dorantes-Palma
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Molecular 1, ENMyH, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (D.D.-P.); (S.P.-M.); (D.G.P.-I.); (M.C.-G.); (M.O.M.-F.)
| | - Salvador Pérez-Mora
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Molecular 1, ENMyH, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (D.D.-P.); (S.P.-M.); (D.G.P.-I.); (M.C.-G.); (M.O.M.-F.)
| | - Elisa Azuara-Liceaga
- Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, Mexico City 03100, Mexico;
| | - Ernesto Pérez-Rueda
- Unidad Académica del Estado de Yucatán, Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 97302, Mexico;
| | - David Guillermo Pérez-Ishiwara
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Molecular 1, ENMyH, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (D.D.-P.); (S.P.-M.); (D.G.P.-I.); (M.C.-G.); (M.O.M.-F.)
| | - Misael Coca-González
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Molecular 1, ENMyH, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (D.D.-P.); (S.P.-M.); (D.G.P.-I.); (M.C.-G.); (M.O.M.-F.)
| | - María Olivia Medel-Flores
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Molecular 1, ENMyH, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (D.D.-P.); (S.P.-M.); (D.G.P.-I.); (M.C.-G.); (M.O.M.-F.)
| | - Consuelo Gómez-García
- Laboratorio de Biomedicina Molecular 1, ENMyH, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 07320, Mexico; (D.D.-P.); (S.P.-M.); (D.G.P.-I.); (M.C.-G.); (M.O.M.-F.)
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Guillén N. Pathogenicity and virulence of Entamoeba histolytica, the agent of amoebiasis. Virulence 2023; 14:2158656. [PMID: 36519347 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2158656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The amoeba parasite Entamoeba histolytica is the causative agent of human amebiasis, an enteropathic disease affecting millions of people worldwide. This ancient protozoan is an elementary example of how parasites evolve with humans, e.g. taking advantage of multiple mechanisms to evade immune responses, interacting with microbiota for nutritional and protective needs, utilizing host resources for growth, division, and encystation. These skills of E. histolytica perpetuate the species and incidence of infection. However, in 10% of infected cases, the parasite turns into a pathogen; the host-parasite equilibrium is then disorganized, and the simple lifecycle based on two cell forms, trophozoites and cysts, becomes unbalanced. Trophozoites acquire a virulent phenotype which, when non-controlled, leads to intestinal invasion with the onset of amoebiasis symptoms. Virulent E. histolytica must cross mucus, epithelium, connective tissue and possibly blood. This highly mobile parasite faces various stresses and a powerful host immune response, with oxidative stress being a challenge for its survival. New emerging research avenues and omics technologies target gene regulation to determine human or parasitic factors activated upon infection, their role in virulence activation, and in pathogenesis; this research bears in mind that E. histolytica is a resident of the complex intestinal ecosystem. The goal is to eradicate amoebiasis from the planet, but the parasitic life of E. histolytica is ancient and complex and will likely continue to evolve with humans. Advances in these topics are summarized here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Guillén
- Cell Biology and Infection Department, Institut Pasteur and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique CNRS-ERM9195, Paris, France
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Samba-Louaka A, Labruyère E, Matondo M, Locard-Paulet M, Olivo-Marin JC, Guillen N. Encystation and Stress Responses under the Control of Ubiquitin-like Proteins in Pathogenic Amoebae. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2670. [PMID: 38004682 PMCID: PMC10673212 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112670] [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: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Amoebae found in aquatic and terrestrial environments encompass various pathogenic species, including the parasite Entamoeba histolytica and the free-living Acanthamoeba castellanii. Both microorganisms pose significant threats to public health, capable of inducing life-threatening effects on humans. These amoebae exist in two cellular forms: trophozoites and cysts. The trophozoite stage is the form used for growth and reproduction while the cyst stage is the resistant and disseminating form. Cysts occur after cellular metabolism slowdown due to nutritional deprivation or the appearance of environmental conditions unfavourable to the amoebae's growth and division. The initiation of encystation is accompanied by the activation of stress responses, and scarce data indicate that encystation shares factors and mechanisms identified in stress responses occurring in trophozoites exposed to toxic compounds derived from human immune defence. Although some "omics" analyses have explored how amoebae respond to diverse stresses, these studies remain limited and rarely report post-translational modifications that would provide knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying amoebae-specific stress responses. In this review, we discuss ubiquitin-like proteins associated with encystation and cell survival during oxidative damage. We aim to shed light on the signalling pathways involved in amoebic defence mechanisms, with a focus on their potential clinical implications against pathogenic amoebae, addressing the pressing need for effective therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ascel Samba-Louaka
- Université de Poitiers, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR7267, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, TSA51106, 86073 Poitiers, France
| | - Elisabeth Labruyère
- Institut Pasteur, Biological Image Analysis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR3691, Université Paris Cité, 75015 Paris, France; (E.L.); (J.-C.O.-M.)
| | - Mariette Matondo
- Institut Pasteur, Proteomics Core Facility, Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UAR 2024, Université Paris Cité, 75015 Paris, France;
| | - Marie Locard-Paulet
- Institut de Pharmacologie et de Biologie Structurale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 5089, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, 31077 Toulouse, France;
- Infrastructure Nationale de Proteomique ProFI—FR2048, 2048 Toulouse, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Olivo-Marin
- Institut Pasteur, Biological Image Analysis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR3691, Université Paris Cité, 75015 Paris, France; (E.L.); (J.-C.O.-M.)
| | - Nancy Guillen
- Institut Pasteur, Biological Image Analysis Unit, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR3691, Université Paris Cité, 75015 Paris, France; (E.L.); (J.-C.O.-M.)
- Institut Pasteur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ERL9195, 75015 Paris, France
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In Silico Identification and Characterization of circRNAs as Potential Virulence-Related miRNA/siRNA Sponges from Entamoeba histolytica and Encystment-Related circRNAs from Entamoeba invadens. Noncoding RNA 2022; 8:ncrna8050065. [PMID: 36287117 PMCID: PMC9607107 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna8050065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitous eukaryotic non-coding circular RNAs regulate transcription and translation. We have reported full-length intronic circular RNAs (flicRNAs) in Entamoeba histolytica with esterified 3′ss and 5′ss. Their 5′ss GU-rich elements are essential for their biogenesis and their suggested role in transcription regulation. Here, we explored whether exonic, exonic-intronic, and intergenic circular RNAs are also part of the E. histolytica and E. invadens ncRNA RNAome and investigated their possible functions. Available RNA-Seq libraries were analyzed with the CIRI-full software in search of circular exonic RNAs (circRNAs). The robustness of the analyses was validated using synthetic decoy sequences with bona fide back splice junctions. Differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs, between the virulent HM1:IMSS and the nonvirulent Rahman E. histolytica strains, were identified, and their miRNA sponging potential was analyzed using the intaRNA software. Respectively, 188 and 605 reverse overlapped circRNAs from E. invadens and E. histolytica were identified. The sequence composition of the circRNAs was mostly exonic although different to human circRNAs in other attributes. 416 circRNAs from E. histolytica were virulent-specific and 267 were nonvirulent-specific. Out of the common circRNAs, 32 were DE between strains. Finally, we predicted that 8 of the DE circRNAs could function as sponges of the bioinformatically reported miRNAs in E. histolytica, whose functions are still unknown. Our results extend the E. histolytica RNAome and allow us to devise a hypothesis to test circRNAs/miRNAs/siRNAs interactions in determining the virulent/nonvirulent phenotypes and to explore other regulatory mechanisms during amoebic encystment.
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RNA Sequencing Reveals Widespread Transcription of Natural Antisense RNAs in Entamoeba Species. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020396. [PMID: 35208849 PMCID: PMC8874941 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Entamoeba is a genus of Amoebozoa that includes the intestine-colonizing pathogenic species Entamoeba histolytica. To understand the basis of gene regulation in E. histolytica from an evolutionary perspective, we have profiled the transcriptomes of its closely related species E. dispar, E. moshkovskii and E. invadens. Genome-wide identification of transcription start sites (TSS) and polyadenylation sites (PAS) revealed the similarities and differences of their gene regulatory sequences. In particular, we found the widespread initiation of antisense transcription from within the gene coding sequences is a common feature among all Entamoeba species. Interestingly, we observed the enrichment of antisense transcription in genes involved in several processes that are common to species infecting the human intestine, e.g., the metabolism of phospholipids. These results suggest a potentially conserved and compact gene regulatory system in Entamoeba.
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Krappinger JC, Bonstingl L, Pansy K, Sallinger K, Wreglesworth NI, Grinninger L, Deutsch A, El-Heliebi A, Kroneis T, Mcfarlane RJ, Sensen CW, Feichtinger J. Non-coding Natural Antisense Transcripts: Analysis and Application. J Biotechnol 2021; 340:75-101. [PMID: 34371054 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Non-coding natural antisense transcripts (ncNATs) are regulatory RNA sequences that are transcribed in the opposite direction to protein-coding or non-coding transcripts. These transcripts are implicated in a broad variety of biological and pathological processes, including tumorigenesis and oncogenic progression. With this complex field still in its infancy, annotations, expression profiling and functional characterisations of ncNATs are far less comprehensive than those for protein-coding genes, pointing out substantial gaps in the analysis and characterisation of these regulatory transcripts. In this review, we discuss ncNATs from an analysis perspective, in particular regarding the use of high-throughput sequencing strategies, such as RNA-sequencing, and summarize the unique challenges of investigating the antisense transcriptome. Finally, we elaborate on their potential as biomarkers and future targets for treatment, focusing on cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian C Krappinger
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signalling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for innovative Pichia pastoris host and vector systems, Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Lilli Bonstingl
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signalling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, Stiftingtalstraße 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Katrin Pansy
- Division of Haematology, Medical University of Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Katja Sallinger
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signalling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, Stiftingtalstraße 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Nick I Wreglesworth
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, LL57 2UW Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Lukas Grinninger
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signalling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Austrian Biotech University of Applied Sciences, Konrad Lorenz-Straße 10, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Alexander Deutsch
- Division of Haematology, Medical University of Graz, Stiftingtalstrasse 24, 8010 Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse 12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Amin El-Heliebi
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signalling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, Stiftingtalstraße 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Thomas Kroneis
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signalling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, Stiftingtalstraße 5, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Ramsay J Mcfarlane
- North West Cancer Research Institute, School of Medical Sciences, Bangor University, LL57 2UW Bangor, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph W Sensen
- BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse 12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Institute of Computational Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 14/V, 8010 Graz, Austria; HCEMM Kft., Római blvd. 21, 6723 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Julia Feichtinger
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center for Cell Signalling, Metabolism and Aging, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; Christian Doppler Laboratory for innovative Pichia pastoris host and vector systems, Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/II, 8010 Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse 12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria.
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