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Nag S, Banerjee C, Goyal M, Siddiqui AA, Saha D, Mazumder S, Debsharma S, Pramanik S, Saha SJ, De R, Bandyopadhyay U. Plasmodium falciparum Alba6 exhibits DNase activity and participates in stress response. iScience 2024; 27:109467. [PMID: 38558939 PMCID: PMC10981135 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Alba domain proteins, owing to their functional plasticity, play a significant role in organisms. Here, we report an intrinsic DNase activity of PfAlba6 from Plasmodium falciparum, an etiological agent responsible for human malignant malaria. We identified that tyrosine28 plays a critical role in the Mg2+ driven 5'-3' DNase activity of PfAlba6. PfAlba6 cleaves both dsDNA as well as ssDNA. We also characterized PfAlba6-DNA interaction and observed concentration-dependent oligomerization in the presence of DNA, which is evident from size exclusion chromatography and single molecule AFM-imaging. PfAlba6 mRNA expression level is up-regulated several folds following heat stress and treatment with artemisinin, indicating a possible role in stress response. PfAlba6 has no human orthologs and is expressed in all intra-erythrocytic stages; thus, this protein can potentially be a new anti-malarial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiladitya Nag
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Chinmoy Banerjee
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Manish Goyal
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, School of Dental Medicine, Boston University Medical Campus, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Asim Azhar Siddiqui
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Debanjan Saha
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Somnath Mazumder
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
- Department of Zoology, Raja Peary Mohan College, 1 Acharya Dhruba Pal Road, Uttarpara, West Bengal 712258, India
| | - Subhashis Debsharma
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Saikat Pramanik
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Shubhra Jyoti Saha
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Rudranil De
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, Plot No: 36, 37 & 38, Major Arterial Road, Action Area II, Kadampukur Village, Newtown, Kolkata, West Bengal 700135, India
| | - Uday Bandyopadhyay
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, Unified Academic Campus, EN 80, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700091, India
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Komaki-Yasuda K, Kano S. The RNA-binding KH-domain in the unique transcription factor of the malaria parasite is responsible for its transcriptional regulatory activity. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0296165. [PMID: 38128025 PMCID: PMC10734933 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
To date, only a small number of regulatory transcription factors have been predicted from the genome of Plasmodium and Apicomplexan parasites. We previously identified a nuclear factor named Prx regulatory element-binding protein (PREBP) from Plasmodium falciparum. PREBP had been suggested to bind to the cis-element in the promoter of an antioxidant pf1-cys-prx gene, thereby promoting the expression of downstream genes. PREBP has 4 putative K homology (KH) domains, which are known to bind RNA and single-stranded DNA. In this study, to understand the detailed action of PREBP in parasite cells, we first observed that in living parasite cells, PREBP was localized in the nucleus in the trophozoite and schizont stages, in which the expression of the target pf1-cys-prx was enhanced. The interaction of PREBP and the cis-element of pf1-cys-prx in the parasite cells was also confirmed. Further, the activities of PREBP deletion mutants were analyzed, and regions with repeated KH domains in PREBP seemed to be responsible for the recognition of the cis-element. These results led us to hypothesize that Plasmodium and other Apicomplexan parasites might have a transcription factor family with KH domains. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a putative ortholog group including PREBP and several Plasmodium and Apicomplexan factors with KH domains. One of the P. falciparum-derived factors, which were included in the putative ortholog group, was found to be localized at the nucleus in the trophozoite stage, indicating that it might be a novel transcription factor. The discovery of PREBP and putative transcription factors with KH domains suggested that multi-functional proteins with KH domains possibly evolved in the Apicomplexan organisms. They might play key roles in transcriptional regulatory processes that are essential for living organisms and may even represent unique drug targets for malaria therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Komaki-Yasuda
- Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Kano
- Research Institute, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Cai W, Feng Q, Wang L, Su S, Hou Z, Liu D, Kang X, Xu J, Pan Z, Tao J. Localization in vivo and in vitro confirms EnApiAP2 protein encoded by ENH_00027130 as a nuclear protein in Eimeria necatrix. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1305727. [PMID: 38116134 PMCID: PMC10728482 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1305727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Apicomplexan AP2 family of proteins (ApiAP2) are transcription factors (TFs) that regulate parasite growth and development, but little is known about the ApiAP2 TFs in Eimeria spp. ENH_00027130 sequence is predicted to encode a Eimeria necatrix ApiAP2 protein (EnApiAP2). Methods The cDNAs encoding full-length and truncated EnApiAP2 protein were cloned and sequenced, respectively. Then, the two cDNAs were cloned into the pET28a(+) expression vector and expressed expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The mouse polyclonal antibody (pAb) and monoclonal antibody (mAb) against recombinant EnApiAP2 (rEnApiAP2) and EnApiAP2tr (rEnApiAP2tr) were prepared and used to localize the native EnApiAP2 protein in E. necatrix, respectively. Finally, the recombinant pEGFP-C1-ΔNLS-EnApiAP2s (knockout of a nuclear localization sequence, NLS) and pEGFP-C1-EnApiAP2 plasmid were constructed and transfected into DF-1 cells, respectively, to further observe subcellular localization of EnApiAP2 protein. Results The EnApiAP2 gene had a size of 5019 bp and encoded 1672 amino acids, containing a conserved AP2 domain with a secondary structure consisting of an α-helix and three antiparallel β-strands. The rEnApiAP2 and rEnApiAP2tr were predominantly expressed in the form of inclusion bodies, and could be recognized by the 6×His tag mAb and the serum of convalescent chickens after infection with E. necatrix, respectively. The native EnApiAP2 protein was detected in sporozoites (SZ) and second generation merozoites (MZ-2) extracts, with a size of approximately 210 kDa. A quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis showed that the transcription level of EnApiAP2 was significantly higher in SZ than in MZ-2, third generation merozoites (MZ-3) and gametocytes (P<0.01). EnApiAP2 protein was localized in the nuclei of SZ, MZ-2 and MZ-3 of E. necatrix. The protein of EnApiAP2 was localized in the nucleus of the DF-1 cells, whereas the ΔNLS-EnApiAP2 was expressed in the cytoplasm, which further confirmed that EnApiAP2 is nucleoprotein. Discussion EnApiAP2 protein encoded by ENH_00027130 sequence was localized in the nucleus of E. necatrix parasites, and relied on the NLS for migration to DF-1 cell nucleus. The function of EnApiAP2 need further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Cai
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qianqian Feng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Liyue Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Shijie Su
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhaofeng Hou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dandan Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Xilong Kang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jinjun Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhiming Pan
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Principal's Office, Suqian University, Suqian, China
| | - Jianping Tao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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Chahine Z, Gupta M, Lenz T, Hollin T, Abel S, Banks CAS, Saraf A, Prudhomme J, Florens L, Le Roch KG. PfMORC protein regulates chromatin accessibility and transcriptional repression in the human malaria parasite, P. falciparum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.11.557253. [PMID: 37745554 PMCID: PMC10515874 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.11.557253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The environmental challenges the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, faces during its progression into its various lifecycle stages warrant the use of effective and highly regulated access to chromatin for transcriptional regulation. Microrchidia (MORC) proteins have been implicated in DNA compaction and gene silencing across plant and animal kingdoms. Accumulating evidence has shed light into the role MORC protein plays as a transcriptional switch in apicomplexan parasites. In this study, using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool along with complementary molecular and genomics approaches, we demonstrate that PfMORC not only modulates chromatin structure and heterochromatin formation throughout the parasite erythrocytic cycle, but is also essential to the parasite survival. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) experiments suggest that PfMORC binds to not only sub-telomeric regions and genes involved in antigenic variation but is also most likely a key modulator of stage transition. Protein knockdown experiments followed by chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) studies indicate that downregulation of PfMORC induces the collapse of the parasite heterochromatin structure leading to its death. All together these findings confirm that PfMORC plays a crucial role in chromatin structure and gene regulation, validating this factor as a strong candidate for novel antimalarial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Chahine
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - M Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - T Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - T Hollin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - S Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - CAS Banks
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - A Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - J Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - L Florens
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - KG Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
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Batugedara G, Lu XM, Hristov B, Abel S, Chahine Z, Hollin T, Williams D, Wang T, Cort A, Lenz T, Thompson TA, Prudhomme J, Tripathi AK, Xu G, Cudini J, Dogga S, Lawniczak M, Noble WS, Sinnis P, Le Roch KG. Novel insights into the role of long non-coding RNA in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5086. [PMID: 37607941 PMCID: PMC10444892 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40883-w] [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: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The complex life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum requires coordinated gene expression regulation to allow host cell invasion, transmission, and immune evasion. Increasing evidence now suggests a major role for epigenetic mechanisms in gene expression in the parasite. In eukaryotes, many lncRNAs have been identified to be pivotal regulators of genome structure and gene expression. To investigate the regulatory roles of lncRNAs in P. falciparum we explore the intergenic lncRNA distribution in nuclear and cytoplasmic subcellular locations. Using nascent RNA expression profiles, we identify a total of 1768 lncRNAs, of which 718 (~41%) are novels in P. falciparum. The subcellular localization and stage-specific expression of several putative lncRNAs are validated using RNA-FISH. Additionally, the genome-wide occupancy of several candidate nuclear lncRNAs is explored using ChIRP. The results reveal that lncRNA occupancy sites are focal and sequence-specific with a particular enrichment for several parasite-specific gene families, including those involved in pathogenesis and sexual differentiation. Genomic and phenotypic analysis of one specific lncRNA demonstrate its importance in sexual differentiation and reproduction. Our findings bring a new level of insight into the role of lncRNAs in pathogenicity, gene regulation and sexual differentiation, opening new avenues for targeted therapeutic strategies against the deadly malaria parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayani Batugedara
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Xueqing M Lu
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Borislav Hristov
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-5065, USA
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Zeinab Chahine
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Thomas Hollin
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Desiree Williams
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Tina Wang
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Anthony Cort
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Todd Lenz
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Trevor A Thompson
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Jacques Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Abhai K Tripathi
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Guoyue Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | | | - Sunil Dogga
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | | | | | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
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Han Z, Zheng Y, Shi Y, Chen F, Wu C, Wang L, Lu S, Li D, Guan X, He L, Zhao J. Transcriptional variation in Babesia gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) between in vivo and in vitro cultures in blood stage. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:268. [PMID: 37550766 PMCID: PMC10408140 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05869-z] [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: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia gibsoni, the causative agent of canine babesiosis, belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa. The development of in vitro culture technology has driven research progress in various kinds of omics studies, including transcriptomic analysis of Plasmodium spp. between in vitro and in vivo environments, which has prompted the observation of diagnostic antigens and vaccine development. Nevertheless, no information on Babesia spp. could be obtained in this respect, which greatly hinders the further understanding of parasite growth and development in the blood stage. METHODS In this study, considerable changes in the morphology and infectivity of continuous in vitro cultured B. gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) were observed compared to in vivo parasites. Based on these changes, B. gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) was collected from both in vivo and in vitro cultures, followed by total RNA extraction and Illumina transcriptome sequencing. The acquired differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were validated using qRT-PCR, and then functionally annotated through several databases. The gene with the greatest upregulation after in vitro culture was cloned from the genome of B. gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) and characterized by western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay for detecting the native form and cellular localization. RESULTS Through laboratory cultivation, multiple forms of parasites were observed, and the infectivity of in vitro cultured parasites in dogs was found to be lower. Based on these changes, Illumina transcriptome sequencing was conducted, showing that 377 unigenes were upregulated and 334 unigenes were downregulated. Notably, an AP2 transcription factor family, essential for all developmental stages of parasites, was screened, and the transcriptional changes in these family members were tested. Thus, the novel AP2 transcription factor gene (BgAP2-M) with the highest upregulated expression after in vitro adaptation was selected. This gene comprises an open reading frame (ORF) of 1989 base pairs encoding a full-length protein of 662 amino acids. BgAP2-M contains one AP2 domain and one ACDC conserved domain, which may be involved in the nuclear biology of parasites. The prepared polyclonal antibodies against the BgAP2-M peptides further detected a native size of ~ 73 kDa and were localized to the nuclei of B. gibsoni. CONCLUSION This study presents a thorough transcriptome analysis of B. gibsoni in vivo and in vitro for the first time, contributing to a detailed understanding of the effects of environmental changes on the growth and development of parasites in the blood stage. Moreover, it also provides a deeper investigation for the different members of the ApiAP2 transcription factor family as various life stage regulators in Babesia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Han
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yaxin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Fangwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Chenglong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Lingna Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Shiyu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Dongfang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xingai Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
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Reers AB, Bautista R, McLellan J, Morales B, Garza R, Bol S, Hanson KK, Bunnik EM. Histone modification analysis reveals common regulators of gene expression in liver and blood stage merozoites of Plasmodium parasites. Epigenetics Chromatin 2023; 16:25. [PMID: 37322481 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-023-00500-y] [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: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene expression in malaria parasites is subject to various layers of regulation, including histone post-translational modifications (PTMs). Gene regulatory mechanisms have been extensively studied during the main developmental stages of Plasmodium parasites inside erythrocytes, from the ring stage following invasion to the schizont stage leading up to egress. However, gene regulation in merozoites that mediate the transition from one host cell to the next is an understudied area of parasite biology. Here, we sought to characterize gene expression and the corresponding histone PTM landscape during this stage of the parasite lifecycle through RNA-seq and ChIP-seq on P. falciparum blood stage schizonts, merozoites, and rings, as well as P. berghei liver stage merozoites. In both hepatic and erythrocytic merozoites, we identified a subset of genes with a unique histone PTM profile characterized by a region of H3K4me3 depletion in their promoter. These genes were upregulated in hepatic and erythrocytic merozoites and rings, had roles in protein export, translation, and host cell remodeling, and shared a DNA motif. These results indicate that similar regulatory mechanisms may underlie merozoite formation in the liver and blood stages. We also observed that H3K4me2 was deposited in gene bodies of gene families encoding variant surface antigens in erythrocytic merozoites, which may facilitate switching of gene expression between different members of these families. Finally, H3K18me and H2K27me were uncoupled from gene expression and were enriched around the centromeres in erythrocytic schizonts and merozoites, suggesting potential roles in the maintenance of chromosomal organization during schizogony. Together, our results demonstrate that extensive changes in gene expression and histone landscape occur during the schizont-to-ring transition to facilitate productive erythrocyte infection. The dynamic remodeling of the transcriptional program in hepatic and erythrocytic merozoites makes this stage attractive as a target for novel anti-malarial drugs that may have activity against both the liver and blood stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley B Reers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Rodriel Bautista
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - James McLellan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Beatriz Morales
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Rolando Garza
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Sebastiaan Bol
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kirsten K Hanson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Evelien M Bunnik
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Godin MJ, Sebastian A, Albert I, Lindner SE. Long-Read Genome Assembly and Gene Model Annotations for the Rodent Malaria Parasite Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL. J Biol Chem 2023:104871. [PMID: 37247760 PMCID: PMC10320607 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria causes over 600 thousand fatalities each year, with most cases attributed to the human-infectious Plasmodium falciparum species. Many rodent-infectious Plasmodium species, like Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium yoelii, have been used as model species that can expedite studies of this pathogen. P. yoelii is an especially good model for investigating the mosquito and liver stages of parasite development because key attributes closely resemble those of P. falciparum. Because of its importance, in 2002 the 17XNL strain of P. yoelii was the first rodent malaria parasite to be sequenced. While a breakthrough effort, the assembly consisted of >5000 contiguous sequences that adversely impacted the annotated gene models. While other rodent malaria parasite genomes have been sequenced and annotated since then, including the related P. yoelii 17X strain, the 17XNL strain has not. As a result, genomic data for 17X has become the de facto reference genome for the 17XNL strain while leaving open questions surrounding possible differences between the 17XNL and 17X genomes. In this work, we present a high-quality genome assembly for P. yoelii 17XNL using PacBio DNA sequencing. In addition, we use Nanopore and Illumina RNA sequencing of mixed blood stages to create complete gene models that include coding sequences, alternate isoforms, and UTR designations. A comparison of the 17X and this new 17XNL assembly revealed biologically meaningful differences between the strains due to the presence of coding sequence variants. Taken together, our work provides a new genomic framework for studies with this commonly used rodent malaria model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J Godin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802
| | - Aswathy Sebastian
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802
| | - Istvan Albert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802; Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802.
| | - Scott E Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802.
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9
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Qian Z, Rao X, Zhang R, Gu S, Shen Q, Wu H, Lv S, Xie L, Li X, Wang X, Chen S, Liu L, He L, Li F. Genome-Wide Identification, Evolution, and Expression Analyses of AP2/ERF Family Transcription Factors in Erianthus fulvus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087102. [PMID: 37108264 PMCID: PMC10139229 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The AP2/ERF transcription factor family is one of the most important gene families in plants and plays a vital role in plant abiotic stress responses. Although Erianthus fulvus is very important in the genetic improvement of sugarcane, there are few studies concerning AP2/ERF genes in E. fulvus. Here, we identified 145 AP2/ERF genes in the E. fulvus genome. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into five subfamilies. Evolutionary analysis showed that tandem and segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of the EfAP2/ERF family. Protein interaction analysis showed that twenty-eight EfAP2/ERF proteins and five other proteins had potential interaction relationships. Multiple cis-acting elements present in the EfAP2/ERF promoter were related to abiotic stress response, suggesting that EfAP2/ERF may contribute to adaptation to environmental changes. Transcriptomic and RT-qPCR analyses revealed that EfDREB10, EfDREB11, EfDREB39, EfDREB42, EfDREB44, EfERF43, and EfAP2-13 responded to cold stress, EfDREB5 and EfDREB42 responded to drought stress, and EfDREB5, EfDREB11, EfDREB39, EfERF43, and EfAP2-13 responded to ABA treatment. These results will be helpful for better understanding the molecular features and biological role of the E. fulvus AP2/ERF genes and lay a foundation for further research on the function of EfAP2/ERF genes and the regulatory mechanism of the abiotic stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfeng Qian
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Xibing Rao
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Rongqiong Zhang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Shujie Gu
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Qingqing Shen
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Huaying Wu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Shaozhi Lv
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Linyan Xie
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Xianli Li
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Xianhong Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Shuying Chen
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Lufeng Liu
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Lilian He
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
| | - Fusheng Li
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
- Sugarcane Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
- The Key Laboratory for Crop Production and Smart Agriculture of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650201, China
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10
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Genetic Ablation of a Female-Specific Apetala 2 Transcription Factor Blocks Oocyst Shedding in Cryptosporidium parvum. mBio 2023; 14:e0326122. [PMID: 36786597 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03261-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global cause of diarrheal disease, and the infection poses a particularly grave threat to young children and those with weakened immune function. Infection occurs by ingestion of meiotic spores called oocysts, and transmission relies on fecal shedding of new oocysts. The entire life cycle thus occurs in a single host and features asexual as well as sexual forms of replication. Here, we identify and locus tag two Apetala 2-type (AP2) transcription factors and demonstrate that they are exclusively expressed in male and female gametes, respectively. To enable functional studies of essential genes in Cryptosporidium parvum, we develop and validate a small-molecule-inducible gene excision system, which we apply to the female factor AP2-F to achieve conditional gene knockout. Analyzing this mutant, we find the factor to be dispensable for asexual growth and early female fate determination in vitro but to be required for oocyst shedding in infected animals in vivo. Transcriptional analyses conducted in the presence or absence of AP2-F revealed that the factor controls the transcription of genes encoding crystalloid body proteins, which are exclusively expressed in female gametes. In C. parvum, the organelle is restricted to sporozoites, and its loss in other apicomplexan parasites leads to blocked transmission. Overall, our development of conditional gene ablation in C. parvum provides a robust method for genetic analysis in this parasite that enabled us to identify AP2-F as an essential regulator of transcription required for oocyst shedding and transmission. IMPORTANCE The parasite Cryptosporidium infects millions of people worldwide each year, leading to life-threatening diarrheal disease in young children and immunosuppressed individuals. There is no vaccine and only limited treatment. Transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route by an environmentally resilient spore-like oocyst. Infection takes place in the intestinal epithelium, where parasites initially propagate asexually before transitioning to male and female gametes, with sex leading to the formation of new oocysts. The essential role of sexual development for continuous infection and transmission makes it an attractive target for therapy and prevention. To study essential genes and potential drug targets across the life cycle, we established inducible gene excision for C. parvum. We determined that the female-specific transcription factor AP2-F is not required for asexual growth and early female development in vitro but is necessary for oocyst shedding in vivo. This work enhances the genetic tools available to study Cryptosporidium gene function.
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Godin MJ, Sebastian A, Albert I, Lindner SE. Long-Read Genome Assembly and Gene Model Annotations for the Rodent Malaria Parasite Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.06.523040. [PMID: 36711553 PMCID: PMC9882011 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.06.523040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Malaria causes over 200 million infections and over 600 thousand fatalities each year, with most cases attributed to a human-infectious Plasmodium species, Plasmodium falciparum . Many rodent-infectious Plasmodium species, like Plasmodium berghei, Plasmodium chabaudi , and Plasmodium yoelii , have been used as genetically tractable model species that can expedite studies of this pathogen. In particular, P. yoelii is an especially good model for investigating the mosquito and liver stages of parasite development because key attributes closely resemble those of P. falciparum . Because of its importance to malaria research, in 2002 the 17XNL strain of P. yoelii was the first rodent malaria parasite to be sequenced. While sequencing and assembling this genome was a breakthrough effort, the final assembly consisted of >5000 contiguous sequences that impacted the creation of annotated gene models. While other important rodent malaria parasite genomes have been sequenced and annotated since then, including the related P. yoelii 17X strain, the 17XNL strain has not. As a result, genomic data for 17X has become the de facto reference genome for the 17XNL strain while leaving open questions surrounding possible differences between the 17XNL and 17X genomes. In this work, we present a high-quality genome assembly for P. yoelii 17XNL using HiFi PacBio long-read DNA sequencing. In addition, we use Nanopore long-read direct RNA-seq and Illumina short-read sequencing of mixed blood stages to create complete gene models that include not only coding sequences but also alternate transcript isoforms, and 5' and 3' UTR designations. A comparison of the 17X and this new 17XNL assembly revealed biologically meaningful differences between the strains due to the presence of coding sequence variants. Taken together, our work provides a new genomic and gene expression framework for studies with this commonly used rodent malaria model species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J. Godin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802
| | - Aswathy Sebastian
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802
| | - Istvan Albert
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802
| | - Scott E. Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802
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12
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Ulahannan N, Cutler R, Doña-Termine R, Simões-Pires CA, Wijetunga NA, Croken MM, Johnston AD, Kong Y, Maqbool SB, Suzuki M, Greally JM. Genomic insights into host and parasite interactions during intracellular infection by Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275226. [PMID: 36178892 PMCID: PMC9524707 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To gain insights into the molecular interactions of an intracellular pathogen and its host cell, we studied the gene expression and chromatin states of human fibroblasts infected with the Apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. We show a striking activation of host cell genes that regulate a number of cellular processes, some of which are protective of the host cell, others likely to be advantageous to the pathogen. The simultaneous capture of host and parasite genomic information allowed us to gain insights into the regulation of the T. gondii genome. We show how chromatin accessibility and transcriptional profiling together permit novel annotation of the parasite's genome, including more accurate mapping of known genes and the identification of new genes and cis-regulatory elements. Motif analysis reveals not only the known T. gondii AP2 transcription factor-binding site but also a previously-undiscovered candidate TATA box-containing motif at one-quarter of promoters. By inferring the transcription factor and upstream cell signaling responses involved in the host cell, we can use genomic information to gain insights into T. gondii's perturbation of host cell physiology. Our resulting model builds on previously-described human host cell signalling responses to T. gondii infection, linked to induction of specific transcription factors, some of which appear to be solely protective of the host cell, others of which appear to be co-opted by the pathogen to enhance its own survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Netha Ulahannan
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Ronald Cutler
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Reanna Doña-Termine
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Claudia A. Simões-Pires
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - N. Ari Wijetunga
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Matthew McKnight Croken
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Andrew D. Johnston
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Yu Kong
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Shahina B. Maqbool
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Masako Suzuki
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - John M. Greally
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States of America
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13
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Guttery DS, Zeeshan M, Ferguson DJP, Holder AA, Tewari R. Division and Transmission: Malaria Parasite Development in the Mosquito. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:113-134. [PMID: 35609946 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041320-010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The malaria parasite life cycle alternates between two hosts: a vertebrate and the female Anopheles mosquito vector. Cell division, proliferation, and invasion are essential for parasite development, transmission, and survival. Most research has focused on Plasmodium development in the vertebrate, which causes disease; however, knowledge of malaria parasite development in the mosquito (the sexual and transmission stages) is now rapidly accumulating, gathered largely through investigation of the rodent malaria model, with Plasmodium berghei. In this review, we discuss the seminal genome-wide screens that have uncovered key regulators of cell proliferation, invasion, and transmission during Plasmodium sexual development. Our focus is on the roles of transcription factors, reversible protein phosphorylation, and molecular motors. We also emphasize the still-unanswered important questions around key pathways in cell division during the vector transmission stages and how they may be targeted in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Guttery
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; ,
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom;
| | - Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; ,
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; ,
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14
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Zhang J, Fan F, Zhang L, Shen B. Nuclear Factor AP2X-4 Governs the Expression of Cell Cycle- and Life Stage-Regulated Genes and is Critical for Toxoplasma Growth. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0012022. [PMID: 35735977 PMCID: PMC9430314 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00120-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous pathogen infecting one third of the world's population and diverse animals. It has a complex life cycle alternating among different developmental stages, which contributes to its transmission and pathogenesis. The parasite has a sophisticated gene regulation network that enables timely expression of genes at designated stages. However, little is known about the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Here, we identified an AP2 family transcription factor named TgAP2X-4, which was crucial for parasite growth during the acute infection stage. TgAP2X-4 deletion leads to reduced expression of many genes that are normally upregulated during the M phase of the cell cycle. These include genes that encode rhoptry neck proteins that are key for parasite invasion. As a result, the Δap2X-4 mutant displayed significantly decreased efficiency of host cell invasion. Transcriptomic analyses suggested that TgAP2X-4 also regulates a large group of genes that are typically induced during chronic infection, such as BAG1 and LDH2. Given the diverse impacts on gene expression, TgAP2X-4 inactivation results in severely impaired parasite growth, as well as drastic attenuation of parasite virulence and complete inability to form chronic infection. Therefore, TgAP2X-4 represents a candidate for antitoxoplasmic drug and vaccine designs. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii has a complicated gene regulation network that allows "just in time" expression of genes to cope with the physiological needs at each stage during the complex life cycle. However, how such regulation is achieved is largely unknown. Here, we identified a transcription factor named TgAP2X-4 that is critical for the growth and life cycle progression of the parasite. Detailed analyses found that TgAP2X-4 regulated the expression of many cell cycle-regulated genes, including a subset of rhoptry genes that were essential for the parasites to enter host cells. It also regulated the expression of many genes involved in the development of chronic infection. Because of the diverse impacts on gene expression, TgAP2X-4 inactivation caused reduced parasite growth in vitro and attenuated virulence in vivo. Therefore, it is a potential target for drug or vaccine designs against Toxoplasma infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fuqiang Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lihong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
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15
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Turnbull LB, Button-Simons KA, Agbayani N, Ferdig MT. Sources of transcription variation in Plasmodium falciparum. J Genet Genomics 2022; 49:965-974. [PMID: 35395422 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Variation in transcript abundance can contribute to both short-term environmental response and long-term evolutionary adaptation. Most studies are designed to assess differences in mean transcription levels and do not consider other potentially important and confounding sources of transcriptional variation. Detailed quantification of variation sources will improve our ability to detect and identify the mechanisms that contribute to genome-wide transcription changes that underpin adaptive responses. To quantify innate levels of expression variation, we measured mRNA levels for more than 5000 genes in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, among clones derived from two parasite strains across biologically and experimentally replicated batches. Using a mixed effects model, we partitioned the total variation among four sources - between strain, within strain, environmental batch effects, and stochastic noise. We found 646 genes with significant variation attributable to at least one of these sources. These genes were categorized by their predominant variation source and further examined using gene ontology enrichment analysis to associate function with each source of variation. Genes with environmental batch effect and within strain transcript variation may contribute to phenotypic plasticity, while genes with between strain variation may contribute to adaptive responses and processes that lead to parasite strain-specific survival under varied conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey B Turnbull
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Katrina A Button-Simons
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Nestor Agbayani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA; Rush School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Michael T Ferdig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
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16
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Kidaka T, Sugi T, Hayashida K, Suzuki Y, Xuan X, Dubey JP, Yamagishi J. TSS-seq of Toxoplasma gondii sporozoites revealed a novel motif in stage-specific promoters. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 98:105213. [PMID: 35041968 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common zoonotic protozoan parasites. It has three major infectious stages: rapidly multiplying tachyzoites (Tz), slowly replicating bradyzoites (Bz) and a resting/free-living stage, sporozoites (Sz). The regulatory mechanisms governing stage-specific gene expression are not fully understood. Few transcriptional start sites (TSS) are known for Sz. In this study, we obtained TSS of Sz using an oligo-capping method and RNA-seq analysis. We identified 1,043,503 TSS in the Sz transcriptome. These defined 38,973 TSS clusters, of which, 11,925 were expressed in Sz and 1535 TSS differentially expressed in Sz. Based on these data, we defined promoter regions and novel sporozoite stage-specific motifs using MEME. TGTANNTACA was distributed around -55 to -75 regions from each TSS. Interestingly, the same motif was reported in another apicomplexan, Plasmodium berghei, as a cis-element of female-specific gametocyte genes, implying the presence of common regulatory machinery. Further comparative analysis should better define the distribution and function of these elements in other members of this important parasitic phylum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taishi Kidaka
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan
| | - Tatsuki Sugi
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan
| | - Kyoko Hayashida
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Department of Medical Genome Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Xuenan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - Jitender P Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA
| | - Junya Yamagishi
- Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan.
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17
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Shang X, Wang C, Shen L, Sheng F, He X, Wang F, Fan Y, He X, Jiang M. PfAP2-EXP2, an Essential Transcription Factor for the Intraerythrocytic Development of Plasmodium falciparum. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:782293. [PMID: 35083215 PMCID: PMC8785209 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.782293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum undergoes a series of asexual replications in human erythrocytes after infection, which are effective targets for combatting malaria. Here, we report roles of an ApiAP2 transcription factor PfAP2-EXP2 (PF3D7_0611200) in the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle of P. falciparum. PfAP2-EXP2 conditional knockdown resulted in an asexual growth defect but without an appreciable effect on parasite morphology. Further ChIP-seq analysis revealed that PfAP2-EXP2 targeted genes related to virulence and interaction between erythrocytes and parasites. Especially, PfAP2-EXP2 regulation of euchromatic genes does not depend on recognizing specific DNA sequences, while a CCCTAAACCC motif is found in its heterochromatic binding sites. Combined with transcriptome profiling, we suggest that PfAP2-EXP2 is participated in the intraerythrocytic development by affecting the expression of genes related to cell remodeling at the schizont stage. In summary, this study explores an ApiAP2 member plays an important role for the P. falciparum blood-stage replication, which suggests a new perspective for malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Shang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Changhong Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Sheng
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohui He
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanting Fan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoqin He
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Mei Jiang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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18
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Shang X, Wang C, Fan Y, Guo G, Wang F, Zhao Y, Sheng F, Tang J, He X, Yu X, Zhang M, Zhu G, Yin S, Mu J, Culleton R, Cao J, Jiang M, Zhang Q. OUP accepted manuscript. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:3413-3431. [PMID: 35288749 PMCID: PMC8989538 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterochromatin-associated gene silencing controls multiple physiological processes in malaria parasites, however, little is known concerning the regulatory network and cis-acting sequences involved in the organization of heterochromatin and how they modulate heterochromatic gene expression. Based on systematic profiling of genome-wide occupancy of eighteen Apicomplexan AP2 transcription factors by ChIP-seq analysis, we identify and characterize eight heterochromatin-associated factors (PfAP2-HFs), which exhibit preferential enrichment within heterochromatic regions but with differential coverage profiles. Although these ApiAP2s target euchromatic gene loci via specific DNA motifs, they are likely integral components of heterochromatin independent of DNA motif recognition. Systematic knockout screenings of ApiAP2 factors coupled with RNA-seq transcriptomic profiling revealed three activators and three repressors of heterochromatic gene expression including four PfAP2-HFs. Notably, expression of virulence genes is either completely silenced or significantly reduced upon the depletion of PfAP2-HC. Integrated multi-omics analyses reveal autoregulation and feed-forward loops to be common features of the ApiAP2 regulatory network, in addition to the occurrence of dynamic interplay between local chromatin structure and ApiAP2s in transcriptional control. Collectively, this study provides a valuable resource describing the genome-wide landscape of the ApiAP2 family and insights into functional divergence and cooperation within this family during the blood-stage development of malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Fei Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital; Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yuemeng Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital; Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Fei Sheng
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Key Laboratory of Spine and Spinal Cord Injury Repair and Regeneration of Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital; Clinical Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jianxia Tang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, 214064, China
| | - Xiaoqin He
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, 214064, China
| | - Xinyu Yu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, 214064, China
| | - Meihua Zhang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, 214064, China
| | - Guoding Zhu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, 214064, China
| | - Shigang Yin
- Laboratory of Neurological Diseases and Brain Function, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jianbing Mu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20892-8132, USA
| | - Richard Culleton
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Centre, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Jun Cao
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Jun Cao. Tel: +05 10 6878 1007;
| | - Mei Jiang
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Mei Jiang. Tel: +86 21 6598 5138;
| | - Qingfeng Zhang
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +86 21 6598 5138;
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19
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A single-cell atlas of Plasmodium falciparum transmission through the mosquito. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3196. [PMID: 34045457 PMCID: PMC8159942 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle featuring diverse developmental strategies, each uniquely adapted to navigate specific host environments. Here we use single-cell transcriptomics to illuminate gene usage across the transmission cycle of the most virulent agent of human malaria - Plasmodium falciparum. We reveal developmental trajectories associated with the colonization of the mosquito midgut and salivary glands and elucidate the transcriptional signatures of each transmissible stage. Additionally, we identify both conserved and non-conserved gene usage between human and rodent parasites, which point to both essential mechanisms in malaria transmission and species-specific adaptations potentially linked to host tropism. Together, the data presented here, which are made freely available via an interactive website, provide a fine-grained atlas that enables intensive investigation of the P. falciparum transcriptional journey. As well as providing insights into gene function across the transmission cycle, the atlas opens the door for identification of drug and vaccine targets to stop malaria transmission and thereby prevent disease. Here the authors use single-cell RNA-seq to profile the transmission stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as it progresses through the Anopheles mosquito. They highlight unique patterns of gene usage throughout this development and identify potential pleiotropic genes that function at multiple life cycle stages.
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20
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Gubbels MJ, Coppens I, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh MT, Engelberg K. The Modular Circuitry of Apicomplexan Cell Division Plasticity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:670049. [PMID: 33912479 PMCID: PMC8072463 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.670049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The close-knit group of apicomplexan parasites displays a wide variety of cell division modes, which differ between parasites as well as between different life stages within a single parasite species. The beginning and endpoint of the asexual replication cycles is a 'zoite' harboring the defining apical organelles required for host cell invasion. However, the number of zoites produced per division round varies dramatically and can unfold in several different ways. This plasticity of the cell division cycle originates from a combination of hard-wired developmental programs modulated by environmental triggers. Although the environmental triggers and sensors differ between species and developmental stages, widely conserved secondary messengers mediate the signal transduction pathways. These environmental and genetic input integrate in division-mode specific chromosome organization and chromatin modifications that set the stage for each division mode. Cell cycle progression is conveyed by a smorgasbord of positively and negatively acting transcription factors, often acting in concert with epigenetic reader complexes, that can vary dramatically between species as well as division modes. A unique set of cell cycle regulators with spatially distinct localization patterns insert discrete check points which permit individual control and can uncouple general cell cycle progression from nuclear amplification. Clusters of expressed genes are grouped into four functional modules seen in all division modes: 1. mother cytoskeleton disassembly; 2. DNA replication and segregation (D&S); 3. karyokinesis; 4. zoite assembly. A plug-and-play strategy results in the variety of extant division modes. The timing of mother cytoskeleton disassembly is hard-wired at the species level for asexual division modes: it is either the first step, or it is the last step. In the former scenario zoite assembly occurs at the plasma membrane (external budding), and in the latter scenario zoites are assembled in the cytoplasm (internal budding). The number of times each other module is repeated can vary regardless of this first decision, and defines the modes of cell division: schizogony, binary fission, endodyogeny, endopolygeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Jan Gubbels
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kourosh Zarringhalam
- Department of Mathematics, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Manoj T. Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Klemens Engelberg
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
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21
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Genome-Wide Ribosome Profiling of the Plasmodium falciparum Intraerythrocytic Developmental Cycle. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 33765271 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1150-0_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Monitoring whole-genome translation and mRNA ribosome occupancy in vivo using ribosome profiling has proven to be a powerful tool for discovery of gene expression regulation, mechanisms of translation, and new open reading frames, in a wide range of different cell types in different organisms. Here we describe its application to the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. We present methods for intact polysome purification from parasite cultures, polysome digestion, monosome purification, ribosome footprint nucleic acid extraction, and Illumina library preparation.
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22
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Xu Y, Qiao D, Wen Y, Bi Y, Chen Y, Huang Z, Cui L, Guo J, Cao Y. PfAP2-G2 Is Associated to Production and Maturation of Gametocytes in Plasmodium falciparum via Regulating the Expression of PfMDV-1. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:631444. [PMID: 33537025 PMCID: PMC7848025 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.631444] [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: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gametocyte is the sole form of the Plasmodium falciparum which is transmissible to the mosquito vector. Here, we report that an Apicomplexan Apetala2 (ApiAP2) family transcription factor, PfAP2-G2 (Pf3D7_1408200), plays a role in the development of gametocytes in P. falciparum by regulating the expression of PfMDV-1 (Pf3D7_1216500). Reverse transcriptase-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that PfAP2-G2 was highly expressed in the ring stage. Indirect immunofluorescence assay showed nuclear localization of PfAP2-G2 in asexual stages. The knockout of PfAP2-G2 led to a ~95% decrease in the number of mature gametocytes with a more substantial influence on the production and maturation of the male gametocytes, resulting in a higher female/male gametocyte ratio. To test the mechanism of this phenotype, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR showed that disruption of PfAP2-G2 led to the down-regulation of male development gene-1 (PfMDV-1) in asexual stages. We further found that PfAP2-G2 was enriched at the transcriptional start site (TSS) of PfMDV-1 by chromatin immunoprecipitation and qPCR assay in both ring stage and schizont stage, which demonstrated that PfMDV-1 is one of the targets of PfAP2-G2. In addition, RT-qPCR also showed that PfAP2-G (Pf3D7_1222600), the master regulator for sexual commitment, was also down-regulated in the PfAP2-G2 knockout parasites in the schizont stage, but no change in the ring stage. This phenomenon suggested that PfAP2-G2 played a role at the asexual stage for the development of parasite gametocytes and warrants further investigations in regulatory pathways of PfAP2-G2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaozheng Xu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Dan Qiao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhao Wen
- Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifei Bi
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yuxi Chen
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhenghui Huang
- Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Jian Guo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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23
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Markus BM, Waldman BS, Lorenzi HA, Lourido S. High-Resolution Mapping of Transcription Initiation in the Asexual Stages of Toxoplasma gondii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:617998. [PMID: 33553008 PMCID: PMC7854901 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.617998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite of humans and animals, causing life-threatening disease in the immunocompromized, fetal abnormalities when contracted during gestation, and recurrent ocular lesions in some patients. Central to the prevalence and pathogenicity of this protozoan is its ability to adapt to a broad range of environments, and to differentiate between acute and chronic stages. These processes are underpinned by a major rewiring of gene expression, yet the mechanisms that regulate transcription in this parasite are only partially characterized. Deciphering these mechanisms requires a precise and comprehensive map of transcription start sites (TSSs); however, Toxoplasma TSSs have remained incompletely defined. To address this challenge, we used 5'-end RNA sequencing to genomically assess transcription initiation in both acute and chronic stages of Toxoplasma. Here, we report an in-depth analysis of transcription initiation at promoters, and provide empirically-defined TSSs for 7603 (91%) protein-coding genes, of which only 1840 concur with existing gene models. Comparing data from acute and chronic stages, we identified instances of stage-specific alternative TSSs that putatively generate mRNA isoforms with distinct 5' termini. Analysis of the nucleotide content and nucleosome occupancy around TSSs allowed us to examine the determinants of TSS choice, and outline features of Toxoplasma promoter architecture. We also found pervasive divergent transcription at Toxoplasma promoters, clustered within the nucleosomes of highly-symmetrical phased arrays, underscoring chromatin contributions to transcription initiation. Corroborating previous observations, we asserted that Toxoplasma 5' leaders are among the longest of any eukaryote studied thus far, displaying a median length of approximately 800 nucleotides. Further highlighting the utility of a precise TSS map, we pinpointed motifs associated with transcription initiation, including the binding sites of the master regulator of chronic-stage differentiation, BFD1, and a novel motif with a similar positional arrangement present at 44% of Toxoplasma promoters. This work provides a critical resource for functional genomics in Toxoplasma, and lays down a foundation to study the interactions between genomic sequences and the regulatory factors that control transcription in this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt M. Markus
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin S. Waldman
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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24
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Chappell L, Ross P, Orchard L, Russell TJ, Otto TD, Berriman M, Rayner JC, Llinás M. Refining the transcriptome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum using amplification-free RNA-seq. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:395. [PMID: 32513207 PMCID: PMC7278070 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06787-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium parasites undergo several major developmental transitions during their complex lifecycle, which are enabled by precisely ordered gene expression programs. Transcriptomes from the 48-h blood stages of the major human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have been described using cDNA microarrays and RNA-seq, but these assays have not always performed well within non-coding regions, where the AT-content is often 90–95%. Results We developed a directional, amplification-free RNA-seq protocol (DAFT-seq) to reduce bias against AT-rich cDNA, which we have applied to three strains of P. falciparum (3D7, HB3 and IT). While strain-specific differences were detected, overall there is strong conservation between the transcriptional profiles. For the 3D7 reference strain, transcription was detected from 89% of the genome, with over 78% of the genome transcribed into mRNAs. We also find that transcription from bidirectional promoters frequently results in non-coding, antisense transcripts. These datasets allowed us to refine the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs), which can be variable, long (> 1000 nt), and often overlap those of adjacent transcripts. Conclusions The approaches applied in this study allow a refined description of the transcriptional landscape of P. falciparum and demonstrate that very little of the densely packed P. falciparum genome is inactive or redundant. By capturing the 5′ and 3′ ends of mRNAs, we reveal both constant and dynamic use of transcriptional start sites across the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle that will be useful in guiding the definition of regulatory regions for use in future experimental gene expression studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Chappell
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Philipp Ross
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Present Address: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Lindsey Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Timothy J Russell
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Thomas D Otto
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.,Present Address: Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, MVLS, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.,Present Address: Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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25
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Xue Y, Theisen TC, Rastogi S, Ferrel A, Quake SR, Boothroyd JC. A single-parasite transcriptional atlas of Toxoplasma Gondii reveals novel control of antigen expression. eLife 2020; 9:e54129. [PMID: 32065584 PMCID: PMC7180058 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, undergoes a complex and poorly understood developmental process that is critical for establishing a chronic infection in its intermediate hosts. Here, we applied single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) on >5,400 Toxoplasma in both tachyzoite and bradyzoite stages using three widely studied strains to construct a comprehensive atlas of cell-cycle and asexual development, revealing hidden states and transcriptional factors associated with each developmental stage. Analysis of SAG1-related sequence (SRS) antigenic repertoire reveals a highly heterogeneous, sporadic expression pattern unexplained by measurement noise, cell cycle, or asexual development. Furthermore, we identified AP2IX-1 as a transcription factor that controls the switching from the ubiquitous SAG1 to rare surface antigens not previously observed in tachyzoites. In addition, comparative analysis between Toxoplasma and Plasmodium scRNA-seq results reveals concerted expression of gene sets, despite fundamental differences in cell division. Lastly, we built an interactive data-browser for visualization of our atlas resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Xue
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
| | - Terence C Theisen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Suchita Rastogi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Abel Ferrel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
| | - Stephen R Quake
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, United States
| | - John C Boothroyd
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
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26
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Batugedara G, Lu XM, Saraf A, Sardiu ME, Cort A, Abel S, Prudhomme J, Washburn MP, Florens L, Bunnik EM, Le Roch KG. The chromatin bound proteome of the human malaria parasite. Microb Genom 2020; 6:e000327. [PMID: 32017676 PMCID: PMC7067212 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins interacting with DNA are fundamental for mediating processes such as gene expression, DNA replication and maintenance of genome integrity. Accumulating evidence suggests that the chromatin of apicomplexan parasites, such as Plasmodium falciparum, is highly organized, and this structure provides an epigenetic mechanism for transcriptional regulation. To investigate how parasite chromatin structure is being regulated, we undertook comparative genomics analysis using 12 distinct eukaryotic genomes. We identified conserved and parasite-specific chromatin-associated domains (CADs) and proteins (CAPs). We then used the chromatin enrichment for proteomics (ChEP) approach to experimentally capture CAPs in P. falciparum. A topological scoring analysis of the proteomics dataset revealed stage-specific enrichments of CADs and CAPs. Finally, we characterized, two candidate CAPs: a conserved homologue of the structural maintenance of chromosome 3 protein and a homologue of the crowded-like nuclei protein, a plant-like protein functionally analogous to animal nuclear lamina proteins. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive overview of CAPs in apicomplexans, and contribute to our understanding of the complex molecular components regulating chromatin structure and genome architecture in these deadly parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayani Batugedara
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Xueqing M. Lu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Anita Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Mihaela E. Sardiu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Anthony Cort
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jacques Prudhomme
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Michael P. Washburn
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Laurence Florens
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Evelien M. Bunnik
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Karine G. Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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27
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Toenhake CG, Bártfai R. What functional genomics has taught us about transcriptional regulation in malaria parasites. Brief Funct Genomics 2019; 18:290-301. [PMID: 31220867 PMCID: PMC6859821 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elz004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites are characterized by a complex life cycle that is accompanied by dynamic gene expression patterns. The factors and mechanisms that regulate gene expression in these parasites have been searched for even before the advent of next generation sequencing technologies. Functional genomics approaches have substantially boosted this area of research and have yielded significant insights into the interplay between epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Recently, considerable progress has been made in identifying sequence-specific transcription factors and DNA-encoded regulatory elements. Here, we review the insights obtained from these efforts including the characterization of core promoters, the involvement of sequence-specific transcription factors in life cycle progression and the mapping of gene regulatory elements. Furthermore, we discuss recent developments in the field of functional genomics and how they might contribute to further characterization of this complex gene regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa G Toenhake
- Radboud University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Richárd Bártfai
- Radboud University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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28
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Tandel J, English ED, Sateriale A, Gullicksrud JA, Beiting DP, Sullivan MC, Pinkston B, Striepen B. Life cycle progression and sexual development of the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. Nat Microbiol 2019; 4:2226-2236. [PMID: 31477896 PMCID: PMC6877471 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-019-0539-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global cause of severe diarrhoeal disease and an important contributor to early childhood mortality. Currently, there are no fully effective treatments or vaccines available. Parasite transmission occurs through ingestion of oocysts, through either direct contact or consumption of contaminated water or food. Oocysts are meiotic spores and the product of parasite sex. Cryptosporidium has a single-host life cycle in which both asexual and sexual processes occur in the intestine of infected hosts. Here, we genetically engineered strains of Cryptosporidium to make life cycle progression and parasite sex tractable. We derive reporter strains to follow parasite development in culture and in infected mice and define the genes that orchestrate sex and oocyst formation through mRNA sequencing of sorted cells. After 2 d, parasites in cell culture show pronounced sexualization, but productive fertilization does not occur and infection falters. By contrast, in infected mice, male gametes successfully fertilize female parasites, which leads to meiotic division and sporulation. To rigorously test for fertilization, we devised a two-component genetic-crossing assay using a reporter that is activated by Cre recombinase. Our findings suggest obligate developmental progression towards sex in Cryptosporidium, which has important implications for the treatment and prevention of the infection. Infection with Cryptosporidium parvum is a leading cause of severe diarrhoeal disease and childhood mortality worldwide. Using tools they recently developed to genetically engineer Cryptosporidium, the authors define life cycle stage-specific markers and generate reporter parasites, making life cycle progression and parasite sex tractable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayesh Tandel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth D English
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam Sateriale
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jodi A Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel P Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan C Sullivan
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brittain Pinkston
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Franklin College of Arts and Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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29
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Read DF, Cook K, Lu YY, Le Roch KG, Noble WS. Predicting gene expression in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum using histone modification, nucleosome positioning, and 3D localization features. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007329. [PMID: 31509524 PMCID: PMC6756558 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Empirical evidence suggests that the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum employs a broad range of mechanisms to regulate gene transcription throughout the organism's complex life cycle. To better understand this regulatory machinery, we assembled a rich collection of genomic and epigenomic data sets, including information about transcription factor (TF) binding motifs, patterns of covalent histone modifications, nucleosome occupancy, GC content, and global 3D genome architecture. We used these data to train machine learning models to discriminate between high-expression and low-expression genes, focusing on three distinct stages of the red blood cell phase of the Plasmodium life cycle. Our results highlight the importance of histone modifications and 3D chromatin architecture in Plasmodium transcriptional regulation and suggest that AP2 transcription factors may play a limited regulatory role, perhaps operating in conjunction with epigenetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F. Read
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Kate Cook
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Yang Y. Lu
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Karine G. Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - William Stafford Noble
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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30
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Muller I, Jex AR, Kappe SHI, Mikolajczak SA, Sattabongkot J, Patrapuvich R, Lindner S, Flannery EL, Koepfli C, Ansell B, Lerch A, Emery-Corbin SJ, Charnaud S, Smith J, Merrienne N, Swearingen KE, Moritz RL, Petter M, Duffy MF, Chuenchob V. Transcriptome and histone epigenome of Plasmodium vivax salivary-gland sporozoites point to tight regulatory control and mechanisms for liver-stage differentiation in relapsing malaria. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:501-513. [PMID: 31071319 PMCID: PMC9973533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the key obstacle to malaria elimination in Asia and Latin America, largely attributed to its ability to form resilient hypnozoites (sleeper cells) in the host liver that escape treatment and cause relapsing infections. The decision to form hypnozoites is made early in the liver infection and may already be set in sporozoites prior to invasion. To better understand these early stages of infection, we undertook a comprehensive transcriptomic and histone epigenetic characterization of P. vivax sporozoites. Through comparisons with recently published proteomic data for the P. vivax sporozoite, our study found that although highly transcribed, transcripts associated with functions needed for early infection of the vertebrate host are not detectable as proteins and may be regulated through translational repression. We identified differential transcription between the sporozoite and published transcriptomes of asexual blood stages and mixed versus hypnozoite-enriched liver stages. These comparisons point to multiple layers of transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational control that appear active in sporozoites and to a lesser extent hypnozoites, but are largely absent in replicating liver schizonts or mixed blood stages. We also characterised histone epigenetic modifications in the P. vivax sporozoite and explored their role in regulating transcription. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that the sporozoite is a tightly programmed stage to infect the human host and identify mechanisms for hypnozoite formation that may be further explored in liver stage models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ivo Muller
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria,
3052, Australia,Malaria: Parasites & Hosts Unit, Institut Pasteur, 28
Rue de Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne,
Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Aaron R. Jex
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria,
3052, Australia,Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne,
Victoria, 3010, Australia,Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The
University of Melbourne, Corner of Park and Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria,
3010, Australia
| | - Stefan H. I. Kappe
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 307 Westlake
Avenue North, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Sebastian A. Mikolajczak
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 307 Westlake
Avenue North, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Center, Faculty of Tropical
Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | | | - Scott Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center
for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802,
USA
| | - Erika L. Flannery
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 307 Westlake
Avenue North, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Cristian Koepfli
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria,
3052, Australia
| | - Brendan Ansell
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The
University of Melbourne, Corner of Park and Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria,
3010, Australia
| | - Anita Lerch
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria,
3052, Australia
| | - Samantha J Emery-Corbin
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria,
3052, Australia
| | - Sarah Charnaud
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria,
3052, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Smith
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and
Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria,
3052, Australia
| | - Nicolas Merrienne
- Malaria: Parasites & Hosts Unit, Institut Pasteur, 28
Rue de Dr. Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Michaela Petter
- Department of Medicine Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Peter
Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne,
Victoria 3000, Australia,Institute of Microbiology, University Hospital Erlangen,
Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Michael F. Duffy
- Department of Medicine Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Peter
Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne,
Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Vorada Chuenchob
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 307 Westlake
Avenue North, Suite 500, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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31
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ApiAP2 Transcription Factors in Apicomplexan Parasites. Pathogens 2019; 8:pathogens8020047. [PMID: 30959972 PMCID: PMC6631176 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8020047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are protozoan organisms that are characterised by complex life cycles and they include medically important species, such as the malaria parasite Plasmodium and the causative agents of toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii) and cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium spp.). Apicomplexan parasites can infect one or more hosts, in which they differentiate into several morphologically and metabolically distinct life cycle stages. These developmental transitions rely on changes in gene expression. In the last few years, the important roles of different members of the ApiAP2 transcription factor family in regulating life cycle transitions and other aspects of parasite biology have become apparent. Here, we review recent progress in our understanding of the different members of the ApiAP2 transcription factor family in apicomplexan parasites.
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Antibody Biomarkers Associated with Sterile Protection Induced by Controlled Human Malaria Infection under Chloroquine Prophylaxis. mSphere 2019; 4:4/1/e00027-19. [PMID: 30787114 PMCID: PMC6382972 DOI: 10.1128/mspheredirect.00027-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection by Plasmodium parasites has been a major cause of mortality and morbidity in humans for thousands of years. Despite the considerable reduction of deaths, according to the WHO, over 5 billion people are still at risk, with about 216 million worldwide cases occurring in 2016. More compelling, 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa bore 80% of the worldwide malaria burden. Complete eradication has been challenging, and the development of an affordable and effective vaccine will go a long way in achieving elimination. However, identifying vaccine candidate targets has been difficult. In the present study, we use a highly effective immunization protocol that confers long-lasting sterile immunity in combination with a whole P. falciparum proteome microarray to identify antibody responses associated with protection. This study characterizes a novel antibody profile associated with sterile protective immunity and trimodal humoral responses that sheds light on the possible mechanism of CPS-induced immunity against P. falciparum parasites. Immunization with sporozoites under chloroquine chemoprophylaxis (CPS) induces distinctly preerythrocytic and long-lasting sterile protection against homologous controlled human malaria infection (CHMI). To identify possible humoral immune correlates of protection, plasma samples were collected from 38 CPS-immunized Dutch volunteers for analysis using a whole Plasmodium falciparum proteome microarray with 7,455 full-length or segmented protein features displaying about 91% of the total P. falciparum proteome. We identified 548 reactive antigens representing 483 unique proteins. Using the breadth of antibody responses for each subject in a mixture-model algorithm, we observed a trimodal pattern, with distinct groups of 16 low responders, 19 medium responders, and 3 high responders. Fifteen out of 16 low responders, 12 of the 19 medium responders, and 3 out of 3 high responders were fully protected from a challenge infection. In the medium-responder group, we identified six novel antigens associated with protection (area under the curve [AUC] value of ≥0.75; P < 0.05) and six other antigens that were specifically increased in nonprotected volunteers (AUC value of ≤0.25; P < 0.05). When used in combination, the multiantigen classifier predicts CPS-induced protective efficacy with 83% sensitivity and 88% specificity. The antibody response patterns characterized in this study represent surrogate markers that may provide rational guidance for clinical vaccine development. IMPORTANCE Infection by Plasmodium parasites has been a major cause of mortality and morbidity in humans for thousands of years. Despite the considerable reduction of deaths, according to the WHO, over 5 billion people are still at risk, with about 216 million worldwide cases occurring in 2016. More compelling, 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa bore 80% of the worldwide malaria burden. Complete eradication has been challenging, and the development of an affordable and effective vaccine will go a long way in achieving elimination. However, identifying vaccine candidate targets has been difficult. In the present study, we use a highly effective immunization protocol that confers long-lasting sterile immunity in combination with a whole P. falciparum proteome microarray to identify antibody responses associated with protection. This study characterizes a novel antibody profile associated with sterile protective immunity and trimodal humoral responses that sheds light on the possible mechanism of CPS-induced immunity against P. falciparum parasites.
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33
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Ishino T, Murata E, Tokunaga N, Baba M, Tachibana M, Thongkukiatkul A, Tsuboi T, Torii M. Rhoptry neck protein 2 expressed in Plasmodium sporozoites plays a crucial role during invasion of mosquito salivary glands. Cell Microbiol 2018; 21:e12964. [PMID: 30307699 PMCID: PMC6587811 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Malaria parasite transmission to humans is initiated by the inoculation of Plasmodium sporozoites into the skin by mosquitoes. Sporozoites develop within mosquito midgut oocysts, first invade the salivary glands of mosquitoes, and finally infect hepatocytes in mammals. The apical structure of sporozoites is conserved with the infective forms of other apicomplexan parasites that have secretory organelles, such as rhoptries and micronemes. Because some rhoptry proteins are crucial for Plasmodium merozoite infection of erythrocytes, we examined the roles of rhoptry proteins in sporozoites. Here, we demonstrate that rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2) is also localized to rhoptries in sporozoites. To elucidate RON2 function in sporozoites, we applied a promoter swapping strategy to restrict ron2 transcription to the intraerythrocytic stage in the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei. Ron2 knockdown sporozoites were severely impaired in their ability to invade salivary glands, via decreasing the attachment capacity to the substrate. This is the first rhoptry protein demonstrated to be involved in salivary gland invasion. In addition, ron2 knockdown sporozoites showed less infectivity to hepatocytes, possibly due to decreased attachment/gliding ability, indicating that parts of the parasite invasion machinery are conserved, but their contribution might differ among infective forms. Our sporozoite stage‐specific knockdown system will help to facilitate understanding the comprehensive molecular mechanisms of parasite invasion of target cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Ishino
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Eri Murata
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan.,Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Naohito Tokunaga
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Minami Baba
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | - Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | | | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Motomi Torii
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
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34
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Radke JB, Worth D, Hong D, Huang S, Sullivan WJ, Wilson EH, White MW. Transcriptional repression by ApiAP2 factors is central to chronic toxoplasmosis. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007035. [PMID: 29718996 PMCID: PMC5951591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tachyzoite to bradyzoite development in Toxoplasma is marked by major changes in gene expression resulting in a parasite that expresses a new repertoire of surface antigens hidden inside a modified parasitophorous vacuole called the tissue cyst. The factors that control this important life cycle transition are not well understood. Here we describe an important transcriptional repressor mechanism controlling bradyzoite differentiation that operates in the tachyzoite stage. The ApiAP2 factor, AP2IV-4, is a nuclear factor dynamically expressed in late S phase through mitosis/cytokinesis of the tachyzoite cell cycle. Remarkably, deletion of the AP2IV-4 locus resulted in the expression of a subset of bradyzoite-specific proteins in replicating tachyzoites that included tissue cyst wall components BPK1, MCP4, CST1 and the surface antigen SRS9. In the murine animal model, the mis-timing of bradyzoite antigens in tachyzoites lacking AP2IV-4 caused a potent inflammatory monocyte immune response that effectively eliminated this parasite and prevented tissue cyst formation in mouse brain tissue. Altogether, these results indicate that suppression of bradyzoite antigens by AP2IV-4 during acute infection is required for Toxoplasma to successfully establish a chronic infection in the immune-competent host. The Toxoplasma biology that underlies the establishment of a chronic infection is developmental conversion of the acute tachyzoite stage into the latent bradyzoite-tissue cyst stage. Despite the important clinical consequences of this developmental pathway, the molecular basis of the switch mechanisms that control formation of the tissue cyst is still poorly understood. A fundamental feature of tissue cyst formation is the expression of bradyzoite-specific genes. Here we show the transcription factor AP2IV-4 directly silences bradyzoite mRNA and protein expression in the acute tachyzoite stage demonstrating that developmental control of tissue cyst formation is as much about when not to express bradyzoite genes as it is about when to activate them. Losing the suppression of bradyzoite gene expression in the acute tachyzoite stage caused by deleting AP2IV-4 blocked the establishment of chronic disease in healthy animals via increased protective immunity suggesting a possible strategy for preventing chronic Toxoplasma infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua B. Radke
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Danielle Worth
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States of America
| | - David Hong
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
| | - Sherri Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - William J. Sullivan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Emma H. Wilson
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States of America
| | - Michael W. White
- Department of Global Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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35
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Toenhake CG, Fraschka SAK, Vijayabaskar MS, Westhead DR, van Heeringen SJ, Bártfai R. Chromatin Accessibility-Based Characterization of the Gene Regulatory Network Underlying Plasmodium falciparum Blood-Stage Development. Cell Host Microbe 2018; 23:557-569.e9. [PMID: 29649445 PMCID: PMC5899830 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Underlying the development of malaria parasites within erythrocytes and the resulting pathogenicity is a hardwired program that secures proper timing of gene transcription and production of functionally relevant proteins. How stage-specific gene expression is orchestrated in vivo remains unclear. Here, using the assay for transposase accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq), we identified ∼4,000 regulatory regions in P. falciparum intraerythrocytic stages. The vast majority of these sites are located within 2 kb upstream of transcribed genes and their chromatin accessibility pattern correlates positively with abundance of the respective mRNA transcript. Importantly, these regions are sufficient to drive stage-specific reporter gene expression and DNA motifs enriched in stage-specific sets of regulatory regions interact with members of the P. falciparum AP2 transcription factor family. Collectively, this study provides initial insights into the in vivo gene regulatory network of P. falciparum intraerythrocytic stages and should serve as a valuable resource for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa Geeke Toenhake
- Radboud University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - David Robert Westhead
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Simon Jan van Heeringen
- Radboud University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, the Netherlands
| | - Richárd Bártfai
- Radboud University, Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Biology, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, the Netherlands.
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36
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Lima WR, Martins DC, Parreira KS, Scarpelli P, Santos de Moraes M, Topalis P, Hashimoto RF, Garcia CRS. Genome-wide analysis of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum transcription factor PfNF-YB shows interaction with a CCAAT motif. Oncotarget 2017; 8:113987-114001. [PMID: 29371963 PMCID: PMC5768380 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about transcription factor regulation during the Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic cycle. In order to elucidate the role of the P. falciparum (Pf)NF-YB transcription factor we searched for target genes in the entire genome. PfNF-YB mRNA is highly expressed in late trophozoite and schizont stages relative to the ring stage. In order to determine the candidate genes bound by PfNF-YB a ChIP-on-chip assay was carried out and 297 genes were identified. Ninety nine percent of PfNF-YB binding was to putative promoter regions of protein coding genes of which only 16% comprise proteins of known function. Interestingly, our data reveal that PfNF-YB binding is not exclusively to a canonical CCAAT box motif. PfNF-YB binds to genes coding for proteins implicated in a range of different biological functions, such as replication protein A large subunit (DNA replication), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (nucleic acid metabolism) and multidrug resistance protein 2 (intracellular transport).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wânia Rezende Lima
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais-Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso-Campus Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - David Correa Martins
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
| | - Kleber Simônio Parreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais-Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso-Campus Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Pedro Scarpelli
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Miriam Santos de Moraes
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pantelis Topalis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, FORTH, Hellas, Greece
| | - Ronaldo Fumio Hashimoto
- Departamento de Ciência da Computação, Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Célia R S Garcia
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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37
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A Knockout Screen of ApiAP2 Genes Reveals Networks of Interacting Transcriptional Regulators Controlling the Plasmodium Life Cycle. Cell Host Microbe 2017; 21:11-22. [PMID: 28081440 PMCID: PMC5241200 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
A family of apicomplexa-specific proteins containing AP2 DNA-binding domains (ApiAP2s) was identified in malaria parasites. This family includes sequence-specific transcription factors that are key regulators of development. However, functions for the majority of ApiAP2 genes remain unknown. Here, a systematic knockout screen in Plasmodium berghei identified ten ApiAP2 genes that were essential for mosquito transmission: four were critical for the formation of infectious ookinetes, and three were required for sporogony. We describe non-essential functions for AP2-O and AP2-SP proteins in blood stages, and identify AP2-G2 as a repressor active in both asexual and sexual stages. Comparative transcriptomics across mutants and developmental stages revealed clusters of co-regulated genes with shared cis promoter elements, whose expression can be controlled positively or negatively by different ApiAP2 factors. We propose that stage-specific interactions between ApiAP2 proteins on partly overlapping sets of target genes generate the complex transcriptional network that controls the Plasmodium life cycle. Mutants in 11 of 26 apiAP2 genes reveal gene functions in mosquito transmission Co-expression clustering across mutants and stages reveals molecular phenotypes Multifunctional apiAP2 genes create complex regulatory networks in Plasmodium Ap2-g2 is a transcriptional repressor in both asexual and sexual blood stages
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38
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Muñoz EE, Hart KJ, Walker MP, Kennedy MF, Shipley MM, Lindner SE. ALBA4 modulates its stage-specific interactions and specific mRNA fates during Plasmodium yoelii growth and transmission. Mol Microbiol 2017; 106:266-284. [PMID: 28787542 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Transmission of the malaria parasite occurs in an unpredictable moment, when a mosquito takes a blood meal. Plasmodium has therefore evolved strategies to prepare for transmission, including translationally repressing and protecting mRNAs needed to establish the infection. However, mechanisms underlying these critical controls are not well understood, including whether Plasmodium changes its translationally repressive complexes and mRNA targets in different stages. Efforts to understand this have been stymied by severe technical limitations due to substantial mosquito contamination of samples. Here using P. yoelii, for the first time we provide a proteomic comparison of a protein complex across asexual blood, sexual and sporozoite stages, along with a transcriptomic comparison of the mRNAs that are affected in these stages. We find that the Apicomplexan-specific ALBA4 RNA-binding protein acts to regulate development of the parasite's transmission stages, and that ALBA4 associates with both stage-specific and stage-independent partners to produce opposing mRNA fates. These efforts expand our understanding and ability to interrogate both sexual and sporozoite transmission stages and the molecular preparations they evolved to perpetuate their infectious cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyse E Muñoz
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kevin J Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Michael P Walker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Mark F Kennedy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Mackenzie M Shipley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Scott E Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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39
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Lu X, Batugedara G, Lee M, Prudhomme J, Bunnik EM, Le Roch K. Nascent RNA sequencing reveals mechanisms of gene regulation in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:7825-7840. [PMID: 28531310 PMCID: PMC5737683 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum is tightly regulated to ensure successful propagation of the parasite throughout its complex life cycle. The earliest transcriptomics studies in P. falciparum suggested a cascade of transcriptional activity over the course of the 48-hour intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC); however, the just-in-time transcriptional model has recently been challenged by findings that show the importance of post-transcriptional regulation. To further explore the role of transcriptional regulation, we performed the first genome-wide nascent RNA profiling in P. falciparum. Our findings indicate that the majority of genes are transcribed simultaneously during the trophozoite stage of the IDC and that only a small subset of genes is subject to differential transcriptional timing. RNA polymerase II is engaged with promoter regions prior to this transcriptional burst, suggesting that Pol II pausing plays a dominant role in gene regulation. In addition, we found that the overall transcriptional program during gametocyte differentiation is surprisingly similar to the IDC, with the exception of relatively small subsets of genes. Results from this study suggest that further characterization of the molecular players that regulate stage-specific gene expression and Pol II pausing will contribute to our continuous search for novel antimalarial drug targets.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Genes, Protozoan
- Humans
- Malaria, Falciparum/blood
- Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology
- Plasmodium falciparum/genetics
- Plasmodium falciparum/growth & development
- Plasmodium falciparum/pathogenicity
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- RNA Polymerase II/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- RNA, Protozoan/genetics
- RNA, Protozoan/metabolism
- Sequence Analysis, RNA
- Transcription, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing Maggie Lu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Gayani Batugedara
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Michael Lee
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jacques Prudhomme
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Evelien M. Bunnik
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Karine G. Le Roch
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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Abstract
The increasing prevalence of infections involving intracellular apicomplexan parasites such as Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Cryptosporidium (the causative agents of malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis, respectively) represent a significant global healthcare burden. Despite their significance, few treatments are available; a situation that is likely to deteriorate with the emergence of new resistant strains of parasites. To lay the foundation for programs of drug discovery and vaccine development, genome sequences for many of these organisms have been generated, together with large-scale expression and proteomic datasets. Comparative analyses of these datasets are beginning to identify the molecular innovations supporting both conserved processes mediating fundamental roles in parasite survival and persistence, as well as lineage-specific adaptations associated with divergent life-cycle strategies. The challenge is how best to exploit these data to derive insights into parasite virulence and identify those genes representing the most amenable targets. In this review, we outline genomic datasets currently available for apicomplexans and discuss biological insights that have emerged as a consequence of their analysis. Of particular interest are systems-based resources, focusing on areas of metabolism and host invasion that are opening up opportunities for discovering new therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Parkinson
- a Program in Molecular Structure and Function , Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto , Ontario , Canada
- b Departments of Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics and Computer Science , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario , Canada
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41
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Sierra-Miranda M, Vembar SS, Delgadillo DM, Ávila-López PA, Herrera-Solorio AM, Lozano Amado D, Vargas M, Hernandez-Rivas R. PfAP2Tel, harbouring a non-canonical DNA-binding AP2 domain, binds to Plasmodium falciparum telomeres. Cell Microbiol 2017; 19. [PMID: 28376558 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The telomeres of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are essential not only for chromosome end maintenance during blood stage development in humans but also to generate genetic diversity by facilitating homologous recombination of subtelomeric, multigene virulence families such as var and rifin. However, other than the telomerase PfTERT, proteins that act at P. falciparum telomeres are poorly characterised. To isolate components that bind to telomeres, we performed oligonucleotide pulldowns and electromobility shift assays with a telomeric DNA probe and identified a non-canonical member of the ApiAP2 family of transcription factors, PfAP2Tel (encoded by PF3D7_0622900), as a component of the P. falciparum telomere-binding protein complex. PfAP2Tel is expressed throughout the intra-erythrocytic life cycle and localises to the nuclear periphery, co-localising with telomeric clusters. Furthermore, EMSAs using the recombinant protein demonstrated direct binding of PfAP2Tel to telomeric repeats in vitro, while genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by next generation sequencing corroborated the high specificity of this protein to telomeric ends of all 14 chromosomes in vivo. Taken together, our data describe a novel function for ApiAP2 proteins at chromosome ends and open new avenues to study the molecular machinery that regulates telomere function in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Sierra-Miranda
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, México
| | - Shruthi-Sridhar Vembar
- Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, CNRS URA 2581, Institut Pasteur Paris, Paris, France.,CNRS ERL9195, Paris, France.,INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Dulce María Delgadillo
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, México
| | - Pedro A Ávila-López
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, México
| | - Abril-Marcela Herrera-Solorio
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, México
| | - Daniela Lozano Amado
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, México
| | - Miguel Vargas
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, México
| | - Rosaura Hernandez-Rivas
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México, México
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42
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Gupta AP, Bozdech Z. Epigenetic landscapes underlining global patterns of gene expression in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:399-407. [PMID: 28414071 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The dynamic chromatin landscape displaying combinatorial complexity of the epigenome impacts gene expression that underlies many events of differentiation and cell cycle progression. In the past few years, epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as important processes involved in the tight gene regulation in malaria parasites, Plasmodium spp. Focusing predominantly on Plasmodium falciparum, the species associated with the most severe form of the disease, many advances have been made in our understanding of the interaction between transcriptional regulation and epigenetic mechanisms as the pivotal processes in regulating life cycle progression, host parasite interactions and parasite adaptation to the host environment. This review focuses on the epigenome and its effect on transcriptional regulation in P. falciparum, highlighting its unique, evolutionary diverse features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana P Gupta
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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43
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Marquet S, Conte I, Poudiougou B, Argiro L, Dessein H, Couturier C, Burté F, Oumar AA, Brown BJ, Traore A, Afolabi NK, Barry A, Omokhodion S, Shokunbi WA, Sodeinde O, Doumbo O, Fernandez-Reyes D, Dessein AJ. A Functional IL22 Polymorphism (rs2227473) Is Associated with Predisposition to Childhood Cerebral Malaria. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41636. [PMID: 28139719 PMCID: PMC5282577 DOI: 10.1038/srep41636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection. This encephalopathy is characterized by coma and is thought to result from mechanical microvessel obstruction and an excessive activation of immune cells leading to pathological inflammation and blood-brain barrier alterations. IL-22 contributes to both chronic inflammatory and infectious diseases, and may have protective or pathogenic effects, depending on the tissue and disease state. We evaluated whether polymorphisms (n = 46) of IL22 and IL22RA2 were associated with CM in children from Nigeria and Mali. Two SNPs of IL22, rs1012356 (P = 0.016, OR = 2.12) and rs2227476 (P = 0.007, OR = 2.08) were independently associated with CM in a sample of 115 Nigerian children with CM and 160 controls. The association with rs2227476 (P = 0.01) was replicated in 240 nuclear families with one affected child from Mali. SNP rs2227473, in linkage disequilibrium with rs2227476, was also associated with CM in the combined cohort for these two populations, (P = 0.004, OR = 1.55). SNP rs2227473 is located within a putative binding site for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, a master regulator of IL-22 production. Individuals carrying the aggravating T allele of rs2227473 produced significantly more IL-22 than those without this allele. Overall, these findings suggest that IL-22 is involved in the pathogenesis of CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Marquet
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, GIMP, Labex ParaFrap, Marseille, France
| | - Ianina Conte
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WCE2 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Belco Poudiougou
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Department of Epidemiology of Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, USTTB, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali
| | - Laurent Argiro
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, GIMP, Labex ParaFrap, Marseille, France
| | - Hélia Dessein
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, GIMP, Labex ParaFrap, Marseille, France
| | - Charlène Couturier
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, GIMP, Labex ParaFrap, Marseille, France
| | - Florence Burté
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WCE2 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Aboubacar A. Oumar
- Centre des Oeuvres Universitaires, University of Bamako, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali
| | - Biobele J. Brown
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Childhood Malaria Research Group, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Abdoualye Traore
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Department of Epidemiology of Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, USTTB, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali
| | - Nathaniel K. Afolabi
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Samuel Omokhodion
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Childhood Malaria Research Group, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Wuraola A. Shokunbi
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Childhood Malaria Research Group, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Olugbemiro Sodeinde
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WCE2 6BT, United Kingdom
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Childhood Malaria Research Group, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Ogobara Doumbo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Department of Epidemiology of Parasitic Disease, Faculty of Medicine, USTTB, BP 1805, Bamako, Mali
| | - Delmiro Fernandez-Reyes
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WCE2 6BT, United Kingdom
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Childhood Malaria Research Group, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Alain J. Dessein
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM, GIMP, Labex ParaFrap, Marseille, France
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44
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Gómez-Díaz E, Yerbanga RS, Lefèvre T, Cohuet A, Rowley MJ, Ouedraogo JB, Corces VG. Epigenetic regulation of Plasmodium falciparum clonally variant gene expression during development in Anopheles gambiae. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40655. [PMID: 28091569 PMCID: PMC5238449 DOI: 10.1038/srep40655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
P. falciparum phenotypic plasticity is linked to the variant expression of clonal multigene families such as the var genes. We have examined changes in transcription and histone modifications that occur during sporogonic development of P. falciparum in the mosquito host. All var genes are silenced or transcribed at low levels in blood stages (gametocyte/ring) of the parasite in the human host. After infection of mosquitoes, a single var gene is selected for expression in the oocyst, and transcription of this gene increases dramatically in the sporozoite. The same PF3D7_1255200 var gene was activated in 4 different experimental infections. Transcription of this var gene during parasite development in the mosquito correlates with the presence of low levels of H3K9me3 at the binding site for the PF3D7_1466400 AP2 transcription factor. This chromatin state in the sporozoite also correlates with the expression of an antisense long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that has previously been shown to promote var gene transcription during the intraerythrocytic cycle in vitro. Expression of both the sense protein-coding transcript and the antisense lncRNA increase dramatically in sporozoites. The findings suggest a complex process for the activation of a single particular var gene that involves AP2 transcription factors and lncRNAs.
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45
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Alzan HF, Knowles DP, Suarez CE. Comparative Bioinformatics Analysis of Transcription Factor Genes Indicates Conservation of Key Regulatory Domains among Babesia bovis, Babesia microti, and Theileria equi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004983. [PMID: 27832060 PMCID: PMC5104403 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa tick-borne hemoparasites, including Babesia bovis, Babesia microti, and Theileria equi are responsible for bovine and human babesiosis and equine theileriosis, respectively. These parasites of vast medical, epidemiological, and economic impact have complex life cycles in their vertebrate and tick hosts. Large gaps in knowledge concerning the mechanisms used by these parasites for gene regulation remain. Regulatory genes coding for DNA binding proteins such as members of the Api-AP2, HMG, and Myb families are known to play crucial roles as transcription factors. Although the repertoire of Api-AP2 has been defined and a HMG gene was previously identified in the B. bovis genome, these regulatory genes have not been described in detail in B. microti and T. equi. In this study, comparative bioinformatics was used to: (i) identify and map genes encoding for these transcription factors among three parasites' genomes; (ii) identify a previously unreported HMG gene in B. microti; (iii) define a repertoire of eight conserved Myb genes; and (iv) identify AP2 correlates among B. bovis and the better-studied Plasmodium parasites. Searching the available transcriptome of B. bovis defined patterns of transcription of these three gene families in B. bovis erythrocyte stage parasites. Sequence comparisons show conservation of functional domains and general architecture in the AP2, Myb, and HMG proteins, which may be significant for the regulation of common critical parasite life cycle transitions in B. bovis, B. microti, and T. equi. A detailed understanding of the role of gene families encoding DNA binding proteins will provide new tools for unraveling regulatory mechanisms involved in B. bovis, B. microti, and T. equi life cycles and environmental adaptive responses and potentially contributes to the development of novel convergent strategies for improved control of babesiosis and equine piroplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba F. Alzan
- Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Donald P. Knowles
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, WSU, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Animal Disease Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, WSU, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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46
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Singer M, Frischknecht F. Time for Genome Editing: Next-Generation Attenuated Malaria Parasites. Trends Parasitol 2016; 33:202-213. [PMID: 27793562 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Immunization with malaria parasites that developmentally arrest in or immediately after the liver stage is the only way currently known to confer sterilizing immunity in both humans and rodent models. There are various ways to attenuate parasite development resulting in different timings of arrest, which has a significant impact on vaccination efficiency. To understand what most impacts vaccination efficiency, newly developed gain-of-function methods can now be used to generate a wide array of differently attenuated parasites. The combination of multiple attenuation approaches offers the potential to engineer efficiently attenuated Plasmodium parasites and learn about their fascinating biology at the same time. Here we discuss recent studies and the potential of targeted parasite manipulation using genome editing to develop live attenuated malaria vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Singer
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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47
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Gissot M, Hovasse A, Chaloin L, Schaeffer-Reiss C, Van Dorsselaer A, Tomavo S. An evolutionary conserved zinc finger protein is involved inToxoplasma gondiimRNA nuclear export. Cell Microbiol 2016; 19. [DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Gissot
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille; U1019, UMR 8204, CIIL, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille; F-59000 Lille France
| | - Agnès Hovasse
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, IPHC, CNRS; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | - Laurent Chaloin
- CPBS, CNRS UMR 5236; Université de Montpellier; Montpellier France
| | - Christine Schaeffer-Reiss
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, IPHC, CNRS; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | - Alain Van Dorsselaer
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio-Organique, IPHC, CNRS; Université de Strasbourg; Strasbourg France
| | - Stanislas Tomavo
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille; U1019, UMR 8204, CIIL, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille; F-59000 Lille France
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48
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Levati E, Sartini S, Ottonello S, Montanini B. Dry and wet approaches for genome-wide functional annotation of conventional and unconventional transcriptional activators. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2016; 14:262-70. [PMID: 27453771 PMCID: PMC4941109 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) are master gene products that regulate gene expression in response to a variety of stimuli. They interact with DNA in a sequence-specific manner using a variety of DNA-binding domain (DBD) modules. This allows to properly position their second domain, called "effector domain", to directly or indirectly recruit positively or negatively acting co-regulators including chromatin modifiers, thus modulating preinitiation complex formation as well as transcription elongation. At variance with the DBDs, which are comprised of well-defined and easily recognizable DNA binding motifs, effector domains are usually much less conserved and thus considerably more difficult to predict. Also not so easy to identify are the DNA-binding sites of TFs, especially on a genome-wide basis and in the case of overlapping binding regions. Another emerging issue, with many potential regulatory implications, is that of so-called "moonlighting" transcription factors, i.e., proteins with an annotated function unrelated to transcription and lacking any recognizable DBD or effector domain, that play a role in gene regulation as their second job. Starting from bioinformatic and experimental high-throughput tools for an unbiased, genome-wide identification and functional characterization of TFs (especially transcriptional activators), we describe both established (and usually well affordable) as well as newly developed platforms for DNA-binding site identification. Selected combinations of these search tools, some of which rely on next-generation sequencing approaches, allow delineating the entire repertoire of TFs and unconventional regulators encoded by the any sequenced genome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Simone Ottonello
- Corresponding author at: Department of Life Sciences, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 23/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.Department of Life SciencesUniversity of ParmaParco Area delle Scienze 23/AParma43124Italy
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49
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Adjalley SH, Chabbert CD, Klaus B, Pelechano V, Steinmetz LM. Landscape and Dynamics of Transcription Initiation in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Cell Rep 2016; 14:2463-75. [PMID: 26947071 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive map of transcription start sites (TSSs) across the highly AT-rich genome of P. falciparum would aid progress toward deciphering the molecular mechanisms that underlie the timely regulation of gene expression in this malaria parasite. Using high-throughput sequencing technologies, we generated a comprehensive atlas of transcription initiation events at single-nucleotide resolution during the parasite intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle. This detailed analysis of TSS usage enabled us to define architectural features of plasmodial promoters. We demonstrate that TSS selection and strength are constrained by local nucleotide composition. Furthermore, we provide evidence for coordinate and stage-specific TSS usage from distinct sites within the same transcription unit, thereby producing transcript isoforms, a subset of which are developmentally regulated. This work offers a framework for further investigations into the interactions between genomic sequences and regulatory factors governing the complex transcriptional program of this major human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie H Adjalley
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christophe D Chabbert
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Klaus
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vicent Pelechano
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lars M Steinmetz
- Genome Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Stanford Genome Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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50
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Plasmodium falciparum PfSET7: enzymatic characterization and cellular localization of a novel protein methyltransferase in sporozoite, liver and erythrocytic stage parasites. Sci Rep 2016; 6:21802. [PMID: 26902486 PMCID: PMC4763181 DOI: 10.1038/srep21802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic control via reversible histone methylation regulates transcriptional activation throughout the malaria parasite genome, controls the repression of multi-copy virulence gene families and determines sexual stage commitment. Plasmodium falciparum encodes ten predicted SET domain-containing protein methyltransferases, six of which have been shown to be refractory to knock-out in blood stage parasites. We have expressed and purified the first recombinant malaria methyltransferase in sufficient quantities to perform a full enzymatic characterization and reveal the ill-defined PfSET7 is an AdoMet-dependent histone H3 lysine methyltransferase with highest activity towards lysines 4 and 9. Steady-state kinetics of the PfSET7 enzyme are similar to previously characterized histone methyltransferase enzymes from other organisms, however, PfSET7 displays specific protein substrate preference towards nucleosomes with pre-existing histone H3 lysine 14 acetylation. Interestingly, PfSET7 localizes to distinct cytoplasmic foci adjacent to the nucleus in erythrocytic and liver stage parasites, and throughout the cytoplasm in salivary gland sporozoites. Characterized recombinant PfSET7 now allows for target based inhibitor discovery. Specific PfSET7 inhibitors can aid in further investigating the biological role of this specific methyltransferase in transmission, hepatic and blood stage parasites, and may ultimately lead to the development of suitable antimalarial drug candidates against this novel class of essential parasite enzymes.
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