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Dvoran M, Iyyappan R, Masek T, Pospisek M, Kubelka M, Susor A. Assessment of active translation in cumulus-enclosed and denuded oocytes during standard in vitro maturation and early embryo development. Hum Reprod 2024; 39:1752-1766. [PMID: 38876973 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae126] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Which actively translated maternal transcripts are differentially regulated between clinically relevant in vitro and in vivo maturation (IVM) conditions in mouse oocytes and zygotes? SUMMARY ANSWER Our findings uncovered significant differences in the global transcriptome as well as alterations in the translation of specific transcripts encoding components of energy production, cell cycle regulation, and protein synthesis in oocytes and RNA metabolism in zygotes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Properly regulated translation of stored maternal transcripts is a crucial factor for successful development of oocytes and early embryos, particularly due to the transcriptionally silent phase of meiosis. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a basic science study utilizing an ICR mouse model, best suited for studying in vivo maturation. In the treatment group, fully grown germinal vesicle oocytes from stimulated ovaries were in vitro matured to the metaphase II (MII) stage either as denuded without gonadotropins (IVM DO), or as cumulus-oocyte complexes (IVM COC) in the presence of 0.075 IU/ml recombinant FSH (rFSH) and 0.075 IU/ml recombinant hCG (rhCG). To account for changes in developmental competence, IVM COC from non-stimulated ovaries (IVM COC-) were included. In vivo matured MII oocytes (IVO) from stimulated ovaries were used as a control after ovulation triggering with rhCG. To simulate standard IVM conditions, we supplemented media with amino acids, vitamins, and bovine serum albumin. Accordingly, in vitro pronuclear zygotes (IMZ) were generated by IVF from IVM DO, and were compared to in vivo pronuclear zygotes (IVZ). All experiments were performed in quadruplicates with samples collected for both polyribosome fractionation and total transcriptome analysis. Samples were collected over three consecutive months. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS All ICR mice were bred under legal permission for animal experimentation (no. MZE-24154/2021-18134) obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. Actively translated (polyribosome occupied) maternal transcripts were detected in in vitro and in vivo matured mouse oocytes and zygotes by density gradient ultracentrifugation, followed by RNA isolation and high-throughput RNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis was performed and subsequent data validation was done by western blotting, radioactive isotope, and mitotracker dye labelling. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Gene expression analysis of acquired polysome-derived high-throughput RNA sequencing data revealed significant changes (RPKM ≥ 0.2; P ≤ 0.005) in translation between in vitro and in vivo matured oocytes and respectively produced pronuclear zygotes. Surprisingly, the comparison between IVM DO and IVM COC RNA-seq data of both fractionated and total transcriptome showed very few transcripts with more than a 2-fold difference. Data validation by radioactive isotope labelling revealed a decrease in global translation bof20% in IVM DO and COC samples in comparison to IVO samples. Moreover, IVM conditions compromised oocyte energy metabolism, which was demonstrated by both changes in polysome recruitment of each of 13 mt-protein-coding transcripts as well as by validation using mitotracker red staining. LARGE SCALE DATA The data discussed in this publication have been deposited in NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus and are accessible through GEO Series accession number GSE241633 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE241633). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION It is extremely complicated to achieve in vivo consistency in animal model systems such as porcine or bovine. To achieve a high reproducibility of in vivo stimulations, the ICR mouse model was selected. However, careful interpretation of our findings with regard to assisted reproductive techniques has to be made by taking into consideration intra-species differences between the mouse model and humans. Also, the sole effect of the cumulus cells' contribution could not be adequately addressed by comparing IVM COC and IVM DO, because the IVM DO were matured without gonadotropin supplementation. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our findings confirmed the inferiority of standard IVM technology compared with the in vivo approach. It also pointed at compromised biological processes employed in the critical translational regulation of in vitro matured MII oocytes and pronuclear zygotes. By highlighting the importance of proper translational regulation during in vitro oocyte maturation, this study should prompt further clinical investigations in the context of translation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the Czech Grant Agency (22-27301S), Charles University Grant Agency (372621), Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (EXCELLENCE CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000460 OP RDE), and Institutional Research Concept RVO67985904. No competing interest is declared.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dvoran
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Germ Cells, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Libechov, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of RNA Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - R Iyyappan
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Germ Cells, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - T Masek
- Laboratory of RNA Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - M Pospisek
- Laboratory of RNA Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Praha 2, Czech Republic
| | - M Kubelka
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Germ Cells, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - A Susor
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Germ Cells, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Libechov, Czech Republic
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Liu D, Zhou X, Zhao J. Prognostic signature and immune efficacy of m 1A-, m 5C-, m 6A-, m 7G-, and DNA methylation-related regulators in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cancer 2024; 15:4287-4300. [PMID: 38947378 PMCID: PMC11212094 DOI: 10.7150/jca.95730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main type of primary liver cancer, and its related death ranks third worldwide. The curative methods and progress prediction markers of HCC are not sufficient enough. Nevertheless, little progress has been made in the signature of m1A-, m5C-, m6A-, m7G-, and DNA methylation of HCC. Results: We calibrated a risk gene signature model that can be used to categorize HCC patients based on univariate, multivariate, and LASSO Cox regression analysis. This gene signature classified the patients into high- and low-risk subgroups. Patients in the high-risk group showed significantly reduced overall survival (OS) compared with patients in the low-risk group. The gene set variation analysis (GSVA), immune infiltration, and immunotherapy response were analyzed. The results demonstrated that an immunosuppressive environment was exited and the high-risk group had higher sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, sorafenib, tamoxifen, and epirubicin. These results indicated personalized therapy should be taken into consideration. Conclusions: Our findings enriched our understanding of the molecular heterogeneity, tumor microenvironment (TME), and drug susceptibility of HCC. m1A-, m5C-, m6A-, m7G-, and DNA methylation-related regulators may be promising biomarkers for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghong Liu
- Department of Special Medical Care, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xinyu Zhou
- Department of Epidemiology, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Special Medical Care, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Shanghai, 200438, China
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Wu Y, Shao W, Yan M, Wang Y, Xu P, Huang G, Li X, Gregory BD, Yang J, Wang H, Yu X. Transfer learning enables identification of multiple types of RNA modifications using nanopore direct RNA sequencing. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4049. [PMID: 38744925 PMCID: PMC11094168 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48437-4] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Nanopore direct RNA sequencing (DRS) has emerged as a powerful tool for RNA modification identification. However, concurrently detecting multiple types of modifications in a single DRS sample remains a challenge. Here, we develop TandemMod, a transferable deep learning framework capable of detecting multiple types of RNA modifications in single DRS data. To train high-performance TandemMod models, we generate in vitro epitranscriptome datasets from cDNA libraries, containing thousands of transcripts labeled with various types of RNA modifications. We validate the performance of TandemMod on both in vitro transcripts and in vivo human cell lines, confirming its high accuracy for profiling m6A and m5C modification sites. Furthermore, we perform transfer learning for identifying other modifications such as m7G, Ψ, and inosine, significantly reducing training data size and running time without compromising performance. Finally, we apply TandemMod to identify 3 types of RNA modifications in rice grown in different environments, demonstrating its applicability across species and conditions. In summary, we provide a resource with ground-truth labels that can serve as benchmark datasets for nanopore-based modification identification methods, and TandemMod for identifying diverse RNA modifications using a single DRS sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Wu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Wenna Shao
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Mengxiao Yan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Yuqin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Guoqiang Huang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xiaofei Li
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Brian D Gregory
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Jun Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China.
- Chenshan Scientific Research Center of CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China.
| | - Hongxia Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai, 201602, China.
- Chenshan Scientific Research Center of CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China.
| | - Xiang Yu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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Dong H, Zhou S, Chen X, Deng X, Fang A. Pan-cancer analysis of the prognostic significance of ACKR2 expression and the related genetic/epigenetic dysregulations. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2024; 20:225-236. [PMID: 37882761 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2023.2274361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE ACKR2 is a scavenger for most inflammation-related CC chemokines. This study aimed to assess the pan-cancer prognostic significance of ACKR2 and the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying its dysregulation. METHODS Pan-cancer data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) and The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) were integrated and analyzed. RESULTS ACKR2 is consistently associated with favorable progression-free interval (PFI) and overall survival (OS) in TCGA-uveal melanoma (UVM) and TCGA-liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). ACKR2 is negatively correlated with the expression of CCL1, CCL4, CCL5, CXCL8, CCL17, and CCL20 in TCGA-UVM and TCGA-LIHC. The group with gene copy gain had significantly higher ACKR2 expression than those with loss. The lower ACKR2 expression groups were associated with a significantly higher ratio of BAP1 mutations. In addition, ACKR2 was negatively corrected with DNMT1 expression but was positively corrected with ZC3H13, an m6A writer gene and NSUN3, an RNA m5C writer gene. CONCLUSIONS ACKR2 expression was associated with favorable prognosis in patients with uveal melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. ACKR2 dysregulation might be an accumulated result of gene copy number alterations, transcriptional disruption, and RNA modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxiu Dong
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shijie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuxi Chen
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuejie Deng
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Aiping Fang
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Ding S, Liu H, Liu L, Ma L, Chen Z, Zhu M, Liu L, Zhang X, Hao H, Zuo L, Yang J, Wu X, Zhou P, Huang F, Zhu F, Guan W. Epigenetic addition of m 5C to HBV transcripts promotes viral replication and evasion of innate antiviral responses. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:39. [PMID: 38216565 PMCID: PMC10786922 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06412-9] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Eukaryotic five-methylcytosine (m5C) is an important regulator of viral RNA splicing, stability, and translation. However, its role in HBV replication remains largely unknown. In this study, functional m5C sites are identified in hepatitis B virus (HBV) mRNA. The m5C modification at nt 1291 is not only indispensable for Aly/REF export factor (ALYREF) recognition to promote viral mRNA export and HBx translation but also for the inhibition of RIG-I binding to suppress interferon-β (IFN-β) production. Moreover, NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase 2 (NSUN2) catalyzes the addition of m5C to HBV mRNA and is transcriptionally downregulated by the viral protein HBx, which suppresses the binding of EGR1 to the NSUN2 promoter. Additionally, NSUN2 expression correlates with m5C modification of type I IFN mRNA in host cells, thus, positively regulating IFN expression. Hence, the delicate regulation of NSUN2 expression induces m5C modification of HBV mRNA while decreasing the levels of m5C in host IFN mRNA, making it a vital component of the HBV life cycle. These findings provide new molecular insights into the mechanism of HBV-mediated IFN inhibition and may inform the development of new IFN-α based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Haibin Liu
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
- Hubei JiangXia Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, 430200, China
| | - Lijuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Li Ma
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Zhen Chen
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Miao Zhu
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Lishi Liu
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Xueyan Zhang
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Haojie Hao
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Li Zuo
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Jingwen Yang
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China
| | - Xiulin Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China
| | - Fang Huang
- Hubei JiangXia Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, 430200, China
| | - Fan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.
- Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy & Immunology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, China.
| | - Wuxiang Guan
- Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430207, China.
- Hubei JiangXia Laboratory, Wuhan, Hubei, 430200, China.
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Wang L, Zhang Q, Wang J, Lu H, Zeng W, Zhang T. Vitamin D3 regulates NSUN2 expression and inhibits melanoma cell proliferation and migration. Mol Divers 2023:10.1007/s11030-023-10720-9. [PMID: 37688740 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10720-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
The activated form of vitamin D3 [1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3; 1,25(OH)2D3] is important for various physiological processes, such as bone mineralization and calcium metabolism, and plays an anticancer role in numerous cancers as well. Its role in melanoma cells has yet to be proven. NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase 2 (NSUN2) is a typical RNA methyltransferase and is highly expressed in a variety of cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of 1,25(OH)2D3 and NSUN2 in melanoma cells remain largely unknown. The current study showed that 1,25(OH)2D3 could significantly and specifically inhibit the proliferation and migration of melanoma B16 cells. 1,25(OH)2D3 enhances vitamin D receptor expression while simultaneously reducing NSUN2 expression in melanoma cells. Subsequently, knockdown of NSUN2 suppressed B16 cell proliferation and migration. RNA-Seq results illuminated that DNA replication, cell proliferation and cell cycle pathways were enriched, and genes promoting these pathways were reduced after knocking down Nsun2. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed that 1,25(OH)2D3 downregulated reporter gene expression was controlled by the Nsun2 promoter. The results suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 binds to the vitamin D response element located upstream of the Nsun2 promoter to downregulate Nsun2 transcription activity and then affects the gene expression pattern related to cell proliferation and the cell cycle, thereby restraining B16 cell proliferation and migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Dongguan Street South Campus, Hanzhong, 723001, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Dongguan Street South Campus, Hanzhong, 723001, Shaanxi Province, China
- College of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metabolism and Regulation of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Jinping Wang
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Dongguan Street South Campus, Hanzhong, 723001, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Hongzhao Lu
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Dongguan Street South Campus, Hanzhong, 723001, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Wenxian Zeng
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Dongguan Street South Campus, Hanzhong, 723001, Shaanxi Province, China
- QinLing-Bashan Mountains Bioresources Comprehensive Development C. I. C, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, 723001, China
- Qinba State Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Ecological Environment, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, 723001, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Dongguan Street South Campus, Hanzhong, 723001, Shaanxi Province, China.
- QinLing-Bashan Mountains Bioresources Comprehensive Development C. I. C, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, 723001, China.
- Shaanxi Province Key Laboratory of Bioresources, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong, 723001, China.
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Epigenetic and Epitranscriptomic Gene Regulation in Plasmodium falciparum and How We Can Use It against Malaria. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13101734. [PMID: 36292619 PMCID: PMC9601349 DOI: 10.3390/genes13101734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, is still one of the biggest global health challenges. P. falciparum is the deadliest species to humans. In this review, we discuss how this parasite develops and adapts to the complex and heterogenous environments of its two hosts thanks to varied chromatin-associated and epigenetic mechanisms. First, one small family of transcription factors, the ApiAP2 proteins, functions as master regulators of spatio-temporal patterns of gene expression through the parasite life cycle. In addition, chromatin plasticity determines variable parasite cell phenotypes that link to parasite growth, virulence and transmission, enabling parasite adaptation within host conditions. In recent years, epitranscriptomics is emerging as a new regulatory layer of gene expression. We present evidence of the variety of tRNA and mRNA modifications that are being characterized in Plasmodium spp., and the dynamic changes in their abundance during parasite development and cell fate. We end up outlining that new biological systems, like the mosquito model, to decipher the unknowns about epigenetic mechanisms in vivo; and novel methodologies, to study the function of RNA modifications; are needed to discover the Achilles heel of the parasite. With this new knowledge, future strategies manipulating the epigenetics and epitranscriptomic machinery of the parasite have the potential of providing new weapons against malaria.
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Wang L, Wu J, Liu R, Chen W, Pang Z, Zhou F, Xia L, Huang J, Pan T, Su XZ, Wang X. Epitranscriptome profiling of spleen mRNA m 6A methylation reveals pathways of host responses to malaria parasite infection. Front Immunol 2022; 13:998756. [PMID: 36203583 PMCID: PMC9531237 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.998756] [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: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
N6 -Methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant mammalian mRNA modification, has been reported to modulate various viral infections. Although it has been confirmed that RNA modifications can also modulate the replication and development of different parasites, the role of the RNA epitranscriptome in the regulation of host response post parasite infection remains to be elucidated. Here we report host spleen m6A epitranscriptome landscapes induced by different strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii. We found that malaria parasite infection dramatically changes host spleen m6A mRNA modification and gene expression. Additionally, malaria parasite infection reprograms host immune response pathways by regulating the m6A modification enzymes. Collectively, our study is the first characterization of host spleen m6A methylome triggered by malaria parasite infections, and our data identify m6A modifications as significant transcriptome-wide marks during host-parasite interactions. We demonstrate that host mRNA methylation machinery can sense and respond to malaria parasite infections, and provide new insights into epitranscriptomic mechanisms underlying parasite-induced pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luoluo Wang
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jian Wu
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Runzhou Liu
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjun Chen
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Zhichang Pang
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fan Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Xia
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jia Huang
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Xin-zhuan Su
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Xiaoyun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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Plasmodium falciparum S-Adenosylmethionine Synthetase Is Essential for Parasite Survival through a Complex Interaction Network with Cytoplasmic and Nuclear Proteins. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071419. [PMID: 35889137 PMCID: PMC9320499 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
S-adenosylmethionine synthetase (SAMS) is a key enzyme for the synthesis of the lone methyl donor S-adenosyl methionine (SAM), which is involved in transmethylation reactions and hence required for cellular processes such as DNA, RNA, and histone methylation, but also polyamine biosynthesis and proteostasis. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, PfSAMS is encoded by a single gene and has been suggested to be crucial for malaria pathogenesis and transmission; however, to date, PfSAMS has not been fully characterized. To gain deeper insight into the function of PfSAMS, we generated a conditional gene knockdown (KD) using the glmS ribozyme system. We show that PfSAMS localizes to the cytoplasm and the nucleus of blood-stage parasites. PfSAMS-KD results in reduced histone methylation and leads to impaired intraerythrocytic growth and gametocyte development. To further determine the interaction network of PfSAMS, we performed a proximity-dependent biotin identification analysis. We identified a complex network of 1114 proteins involved in biological processes such as cell cycle control and DNA replication, or transcription, but also in phosphatidylcholine and polyamine biosynthesis and proteasome regulation. Our findings highlight the diverse roles of PfSAMS during intraerythrocytic growth and sexual stage development and emphasize that PfSAMS is a potential drug target.
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