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Hu H, Kurasawa Y, Zhou Q, Li Z. A kinesin-13 family kinesin in Trypanosoma brucei regulates cytokinesis and cytoskeleton morphogenesis by promoting microtubule bundling. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012000. [PMID: 38300973 PMCID: PMC10863849 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012000] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The early branching eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei divides uni-directionally along the longitudinal cell axis from the cell anterior toward the cell posterior, and the cleavage furrow ingresses along the cell division plane between the new and the old flagella of a dividing bi-flagellated cell. Regulation of cytokinesis in T. brucei involves actomyosin-independent machineries and trypanosome-specific signaling pathways, but the molecular mechanisms underlying cell division plane positioning remain poorly understood. Here we report a kinesin-13 family protein, KIN13-5, that functions downstream of FPRC in the cytokinesis regulatory pathway and determines cell division plane placement. KIN13-5 localizes to multiple cytoskeletal structures, interacts with FPRC, and depends on FPRC for localization to the site of cytokinesis initiation. Knockdown of KIN13-5 causes loss of microtubule bundling at both ends of the cell division plane, leading to mis-placement of the cleavage furrow and unequal cytokinesis, and at the posterior cell tip, causing the formation of a blunt posterior. In vitro biochemical assays demonstrate that KIN13-5 bundles microtubules, providing mechanistic insights into the role of KIN13-5 in cytokinesis and posterior morphogenesis. Altogether, KIN13-5 promotes microtubule bundle formation to ensure cleavage furrow placement and to maintain posterior cytoskeleton morphology in T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqing Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yasuhiro Kurasawa
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Qing Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ziyin Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Shimogawa MM, Jonnalagadda K, Hill KL. FAP20 is required for flagellum assembly in Trypanosoma brucei. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.19.576295. [PMID: 38293126 PMCID: PMC10827224 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.19.576295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei is a human and animal pathogen that depends on flagellar motility for transmission and infection. The trypanosome flagellum is built around a canonical "9+2" axoneme, containing nine doublet microtubules (DMTs) surrounding two singlet microtubules. Each DMT contains a 13-protofilament A-tubule and a 10-protofilament B-tubule, connected to the A-tubule by a conserved, non-tubulin inner junction (IJ) filament made up of alternating PACRG and FAP20 subunits. Here we investigate FAP20 in procyclic form T. brucei. A FAP20-NeonGreen fusion protein localized to the axoneme as expected. Surprisingly, FAP20 knockdown led to a catastrophic failure in flagellum assembly and concomitant lethal cell division defect. This differs from other organisms, where FAP20 is required for normal flagellum motility, but generally dispensable for flagellum assembly and viability. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrates failed flagellum assembly in FAP20 mutants is associated with a range of DMT defects and defective assembly of the paraflagellar rod, a lineage-specific flagellum filament that attaches to DMT 4-7 in trypanosomes. Our studies reveal a lineage-specific requirement for FAP20 in trypanosomes, offering insight into adaptations for flagellum stability and motility in these parasites and highlighting pathogen versus host differences that might be considered for therapeutic intervention in trypanosome diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle M. Shimogawa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Keya Jonnalagadda
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Kent L. Hill
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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3
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De Niz M, Frachon E, Gobaa S, Bastin P. Spatial confinement of Trypanosoma brucei in microfluidic traps provides a new tool to study free swimming parasites. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0296257. [PMID: 38134042 PMCID: PMC10745224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296257] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of African trypanosomiasis and is transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.). All stages of this extracellular parasite possess a single flagellum that is attached to the cell body and confers a high degree of motility. While several stages are amenable to culture in vitro, longitudinal high-resolution imaging of free-swimming parasites has been challenging, mostly due to the rapid flagellar beating that constantly twists the cell body. Here, using microfabrication, we generated various microfluidic devices with traps of different geometrical properties. Investigation of trap topology allowed us to define the one most suitable for single T. brucei confinement within the field of view of an inverted microscope while allowing the parasite to remain motile. Chips populated with V-shaped traps allowed us to investigate various phenomena in cultured procyclic stage wild-type parasites, and to compare them with parasites whose motility was altered upon knockdown of a paraflagellar rod component. Among the properties that we investigated were trap invasion, parasite motility, and the visualization of organelles labelled with fluorescent dyes. We envisage that this tool we have named "Tryp-Chip" will be a useful tool for the scientific community, as it could allow high-throughput, high-temporal and high-spatial resolution imaging of free-swimming T. brucei parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana De Niz
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1201, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Frachon
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biomaterials and Microfluidics Core Facility, Paris, France
| | - Samy Gobaa
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Biomaterials and Microfluidics Core Facility, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1201, Paris, France
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4
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Hwang JY, Chai P, Nawaz S, Choi J, Lopez-Giraldez F, Hussain S, Bilguvar K, Mane S, Lifton RP, Ahmad W, Zhang K, Chung JJ. LRRC23 truncation impairs radial spoke 3 head assembly and sperm motility underlying male infertility. eLife 2023; 12:RP90095. [PMID: 38091523 PMCID: PMC10721216 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Radial spokes (RS) are T-shaped multiprotein complexes on the axonemal microtubules. Repeated RS1, RS2, and RS3 couple the central pair to modulate ciliary and flagellar motility. Despite the cell type specificity of RS3 substructures, their molecular components remain largely unknown. Here, we report that a leucine-rich repeat-containing protein, LRRC23, is an RS3 head component essential for its head assembly and flagellar motility in mammalian spermatozoa. From infertile male patients with defective sperm motility, we identified a splice site variant of LRRC23. A mutant mouse model mimicking this variant produces a truncated LRRC23 at the C-terminus that fails to localize to the sperm tail, causing male infertility due to defective sperm motility. LRRC23 was previously proposed to be an ortholog of the RS stalk protein RSP15. However, we found that purified recombinant LRRC23 interacts with an RS head protein RSPH9, which is abolished by the C-terminal truncation. Evolutionary and structural comparison also shows that LRRC34, not LRRC23, is the RSP15 ortholog. Cryo-electron tomography clearly revealed that the absence of the RS3 head and the sperm-specific RS2-RS3 bridge structure in LRRC23 mutant spermatozoa. Our study provides new insights into the structure and function of RS3 in mammalian spermatozoa and the molecular pathogenicity of LRRC23 underlying reduced sperm motility in infertile human males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Yeon Hwang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National UniversityBusanRepublic of Korea
| | - Pengxin Chai
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Shoaib Nawaz
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of BiologicalSciences, Quaid-i-Azam UniversityIslamabadPakistan
| | - Jungmin Choi
- Department of Genetics, YaleSchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | | | - Shabir Hussain
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam UniversityIslamabadPakistan
| | - Kaya Bilguvar
- Department of Genetics, YaleSchool of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Yale Center forGenome Analysis, Yale UniversityWest HavenUnited States
| | - Shrikant Mane
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of MedicineSeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Richard P Lifton
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Wasim Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of BiologicalSciences, Quaid-i-Azam UniversityIslamabadPakistan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam UniversityIslamabadPakistan
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
| | - Jean-Ju Chung
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, Yale UniversityNew HavenUnited States
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5
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Hwang JY, Chai P, Nawaz S, Choi J, Lopez-Giraldez F, Hussain S, Bilguvar K, Mane S, Lifton RP, Ahmad W, Zhang K, Chung JJ. LRRC23 truncation impairs radial spoke 3 head assembly and sperm motility underlying male infertility. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.25.530050. [PMID: 36865175 PMCID: PMC9980178 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.25.530050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Radial spokes (RS) are T-shaped multiprotein complexes on the axonemal microtubules. Repeated RS1, RS2, and RS3 couple the central pair to modulate ciliary and flagellar motility. Despite the cell type specificity of RS3 substructures, their molecular components remain largely unknown. Here, we report that a leucine-rich repeat-containing protein, LRRC23, is an RS3 head component essential for its head assembly and flagellar motility in mammalian spermatozoa. From infertile male patients with defective sperm motility, we identified a splice site variant of LRRC23. A mutant mouse model mimicking this variant produces a truncated LRRC23 at the C-terminus that fails to localize to the sperm tail, causing male infertility due to defective sperm motility. LRRC23 was previously proposed to be an ortholog of the RS stalk protein RSP15. However, we found that purified recombinant LRRC23 interacts with an RS head protein RSPH9, which is abolished by the C-terminal truncation. Evolutionary and structural comparison also shows that LRRC34, not LRRC23, is the RSP15 ortholog. Cryo-electron tomography clearly revealed that the absence of the RS3 head and the sperm-specific RS2-RS3 bridge structure in LRRC23 mutant spermatozoa. Our study provides new insights into the structure and function of RS3 in mammalian spermatozoa and the molecular pathogenicity of LRRC23 underlying reduced sperm motility in infertile human males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Yeon Hwang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510
- Present address, Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Pusan, South Korea, 43241
| | - Pengxin Chai
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510
| | - Shoaib Nawaz
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Present address, Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar, 26999
| | - Jungmin Choi
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, 02841
| | | | - Shabir Hussain
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Present address, Clinical and Molecular Metabolism Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, 00250
| | - Kaya Bilguvar
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, West Haven, CT, 06516
| | - Shrikant Mane
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, 02841
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, West Haven, CT, 06516
| | - Richard P. Lifton
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065
| | - Wasim Ahmad
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510
| | - Jean-Ju Chung
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510
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Albisetti AC, Douglas RL, Welch MD. FAZ assembly in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei requires kinesin KIN-E. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar103. [PMID: 37531263 PMCID: PMC10551704 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e23-01-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, uses its flagellum for movement, cell division, and signaling. The flagellum is anchored to the cell body membrane via the flagellum attachment zone (FAZ), a complex of proteins, filaments, and microtubules that spans two membranes with elements on both flagellum and cell body sides. How FAZ components are carried into place to form this complex is poorly understood. Here, we show that the trypanosome-specific kinesin KIN-E is required for building the FAZ in bloodstream-form parasites. KIN-E is localized along the flagellum with a concentration at its distal tip. Depletion of KIN-E by RNAi rapidly inhibits flagellum attachment and leads to cell death. A detailed analysis reveals that KIN-E depletion phenotypes include failure in cytokinesis completion, kinetoplast DNA missegregation, and transport vesicle accumulation. Together with previously published results in procyclic form parasites, these data suggest KIN-E plays a critical role in FAZ assembly in T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C. Albisetti
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Robert L. Douglas
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Matthew D. Welch
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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Cfap91-Dependent Stability of the RS2 and RS3 Base Proteins and Adjacent Inner Dynein Arms in Tetrahymena Cilia. Cells 2022; 11:cells11244048. [PMID: 36552811 PMCID: PMC9776847 DOI: 10.3390/cells11244048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Motile cilia and eukaryotic flagella are specific cell protrusions that are conserved from protists to humans. They are supported by a skeleton composed of uniquely organized microtubules-nine peripheral doublets and two central singlets (9 × 2 + 2). Microtubules also serve as docking sites for periodically distributed multiprotein ciliary complexes. Radial spokes, the T-shaped ciliary complexes, repeat along the outer doublets as triplets and transduce the regulatory signals from the cilium center to the outer doublet-docked dynein arms. Using the genetic, proteomic, and microscopic approaches, we have shown that lack of Tetrahymena Cfap91 protein affects stable docking/positioning of the radial spoke RS3 and the base of RS2, and adjacent inner dynein arms, possibly due to the ability of Cfap91 to interact with a molecular ruler protein, Ccdc39. The localization studies confirmed that the level of RS3-specific proteins, Cfap61 and Cfap251, as well as RS2-associated Cfap206, are significantly diminished in Tetrahymena CFAP91-KO cells. Cilia of Tetrahymena cells with knocked-out CFAP91 beat in an uncoordinated manner and their beating frequency is dramatically reduced. Consequently, CFAP91-KO cells swam about a hundred times slower than wild-type cells. We concluded that Tetrahymena Cfap91 localizes at the base of radial spokes RS2 and RS3 and likely plays a role in the radial spoke(s) positioning and stability.
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Genome-scale RNA interference profiling of Trypanosoma brucei cell cycle progression defects. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5326. [PMID: 36088375 PMCID: PMC9464253 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33109-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatids, which include major pathogens of humans and livestock, are flagellated protozoa for which cell cycle controls and the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we describe a genome-wide RNA-interference library screen for cell cycle defects in Trypanosoma brucei. We induced massive parallel knockdown, sorted the perturbed population using high-throughput flow cytometry, deep-sequenced RNAi-targets from each stage and digitally reconstructed cell cycle profiles at a genomic scale; also enabling data visualisation using an online tool ( https://tryp-cycle.pages.dev/ ). Analysis of several hundred genes that impact cell cycle progression reveals >100 flagellar component knockdowns linked to genome endoreduplication, evidence for metabolic control of the G1-S transition, surface antigen regulatory mRNA-binding protein knockdowns linked to G2M accumulation, and a putative nucleoredoxin required for both mitochondrial genome segregation and for mitosis. The outputs provide comprehensive functional genomic evidence for the known and novel machineries, pathways and regulators that coordinate trypanosome cell cycle progression.
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9
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Sáez Conde J, Dean S. Structure, function and druggability of the African trypanosome flagellum. J Cell Physiol 2022; 237:2654-2667. [PMID: 35616248 PMCID: PMC9323424 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30778] [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: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
African trypanosomes are early branching protists that cause human and animal diseases, termed trypanosomiases. They have been under intensive study for more than 100 years and have contributed significantly to our understanding of eukaryotic biology. The combination of conserved and parasite‐specific features mean that their flagellum has gained particular attention. Here, we discuss the different structural features of the flagellum and their role in transmission and virulence. We highlight the possibilities of targeting flagellar function to cure trypanosome infections and help in the fight to eliminate trypanosomiases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Sáez Conde
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Samuel Dean
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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Ramanantsalama MR, Landrein N, Casas E, Salin B, Blancard C, Bonhivers M, Robinson DR, Dacheux D. TFK1, a basal body transition fibre protein that is essential for cytokinesis in Trypanosoma brucei. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:275643. [PMID: 35588197 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259893] [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: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In Trypanosoma brucei, transition fibres (TF) form a nine-bladed pattern-like structure connecting the base of the flagellum to the flagellar pocket membrane. Despite the characterization of two TF proteins, CEP164C and TbRP2, little is known about the organization of these fibres. Here, we report the identification and characterization of the first kinetoplastid-specific TF protein named TFK1 (Tb927.6.1180). Bioinformatics and functional domain analysis identified three TFK1 distinct domains: an N-terminal domain of an unpredicted function, a coiled-coil domain involved in TFK1-TFK1 interaction and a C-terminal intrinsically disordered region potentially involved in protein interaction. Cellular immuno-localization showed that TFK1 is a newly identified basal body maturation marker. Further, using ultrastructure expansion and immuno-electron microscopies we localized CEP164C and TbRP2 at the TF and TFK1 on the distal appendage matrix of the TF. Importantly, RNAi knockdown of TFK1 in bloodstream form cells induced misplacement of basal bodies, a defect in the furrow or fold generation and eventually cell death. We hypothesize that TFK1 is a basal body positioning specific actor and a key regulator of cytokinesis in the bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolas Landrein
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Elina Casas
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Bénédicte Salin
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Microscopy Department IBGC, UMR 5095, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Corinne Blancard
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Microscopy Department IBGC, UMR 5095, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Mélanie Bonhivers
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Derrick R Robinson
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Denis Dacheux
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.,Bordeaux INP, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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11
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Niziolek M, Bicka M, Osinka A, Samsel Z, Sekretarska J, Poprzeczko M, Bazan R, Fabczak H, Joachimiak E, Wloga D. PCD Genes-From Patients to Model Organisms and Back to Humans. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031749. [PMID: 35163666 PMCID: PMC8836003 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a hereditary genetic disorder caused by the lack of motile cilia or the assembxly of dysfunctional ones. This rare human disease affects 1 out of 10,000-20,000 individuals and is caused by mutations in at least 50 genes. The past twenty years brought significant progress in the identification of PCD-causative genes and in our understanding of the connections between causative mutations and ciliary defects observed in affected individuals. These scientific advances have been achieved, among others, due to the extensive motile cilia-related research conducted using several model organisms, ranging from protists to mammals. These are unicellular organisms such as the green alga Chlamydomonas, the parasitic protist Trypanosoma, and free-living ciliates, Tetrahymena and Paramecium, the invertebrate Schmidtea, and vertebrates such as zebrafish, Xenopus, and mouse. Establishing such evolutionarily distant experimental models with different levels of cell or body complexity was possible because both basic motile cilia ultrastructure and protein composition are highly conserved throughout evolution. Here, we characterize model organisms commonly used to study PCD-related genes, highlight their pros and cons, and summarize experimental data collected using these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Niziolek
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
| | - Marta Bicka
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, 1 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Osinka
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
| | - Zuzanna Samsel
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
| | - Justyna Sekretarska
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
| | - Martyna Poprzeczko
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
- Laboratory of Immunology, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Street, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rafal Bazan
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
| | - Hanna Fabczak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
| | - Ewa Joachimiak
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
- Correspondence: (E.J.); (D.W.); Tel.: +48-22-58-92-338 (E.J. & D.W.)
| | - Dorota Wloga
- Laboratory of Cytoskeleton and Cilia Biology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (M.N.); (M.B.); (A.O.); (Z.S.); (J.S.); (M.P.); (R.B.); (H.F.)
- Correspondence: (E.J.); (D.W.); Tel.: +48-22-58-92-338 (E.J. & D.W.)
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12
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Saenz-Garcia JL, Borges BS, Souza-Melo N, Machado LV, Miranda JS, Pacheco-Lugo LA, Moretti NS, Wheleer R, Soares Medeiros LC, DaRocha WD. Trypanin Disruption Affects the Motility and Infectivity of the Protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:807236. [PMID: 35071054 PMCID: PMC8777028 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.807236] [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: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The flagellum of Trypanosomatids is an organelle that contributes to multiple functions, including motility, cell division, and host–pathogen interaction. Trypanin was first described in Trypanosoma brucei and is part of the dynein regulatory complex. TbTrypanin knockdown parasites showed motility defects in procyclic forms; however, silencing in bloodstream forms was lethal. Since TbTrypanin mutants show drastic phenotypic changes in mammalian stages, we decided to evaluate if the Trypanosoma cruzi ortholog plays a similar role by using the CRISPR-Cas9 system to generate null mutants. A ribonucleoprotein complex of SaCas9 and sgRNA plus donor oligonucleotide were used to edit both alleles of TcTrypanin without any selectable marker. TcTrypanin −/− epimastigotes showed a lower growth rate, partially detached flagella, normal numbers of nuclei and kinetoplasts, and motility defects such as reduced displacement and speed and increased tumbling propensity. The epimastigote mutant also showed decreased efficiency of in-vitro metacyclogenesis. Mutant parasites were able to complete the entire life cycle in vitro; however, they showed a reduction in their infection capacity compared with WT and addback cultures. Our data show that T. cruzi life cycle stages have differing sensitivities to TcTrypanin deletion. In conclusion, additional work is needed to dissect the motility components of T. cruzi and to identify essential molecules for mammalian stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Saenz-Garcia
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos (GFP), Universidade Federal de Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Beatriz S Borges
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Normanda Souza-Melo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Patógenos (LBMP), Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Hertha Mayer, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luiz V Machado
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos (GFP), Universidade Federal de Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Juliana S Miranda
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos (GFP), Universidade Federal de Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Nilmar S Moretti
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular de Patógenos (LBMP), Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Richard Wheleer
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lia C Soares Medeiros
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Wanderson D DaRocha
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos (GFP), Universidade Federal de Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
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13
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Coceres VM, Iriarte LS, Miranda-Magalhães A, Santos de Andrade TA, de Miguel N, Pereira-Neves A. Ultrastructural and Functional Analysis of a Novel Extra-Axonemal Structure in Parasitic Trichomonads. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:757185. [PMID: 34858875 PMCID: PMC8630684 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.757185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus are extracellular flagellated parasites that inhabit humans and other mammals, respectively. In addition to motility, flagella act in a variety of biological processes in different cell types, and extra-axonemal structures (EASs) have been described as fibrillar structures that provide mechanical support and act as metabolic, homeostatic, and sensory platforms in many organisms. It has been assumed that T. vaginalis and T. foetus do not have EASs. However, here, we used complementary electron microscopy techniques to reveal the ultrastructure of EASs in both parasites. Such EASs are thin filaments (3-5 nm diameter) running longitudinally along the axonemes and surrounded by the flagellar membrane, forming prominent flagellar swellings. We observed that the formation of EAS increases after parasite adhesion on the host cells, fibronectin, and precationized surfaces. A high number of rosettes, clusters of intramembrane particles that have been proposed as sensorial structures, and microvesicles protruding from the membrane were observed in the EASs. Our observations demonstrate that T. vaginalis and T. foetus can connect to themselves by EASs present in flagella. The protein VPS32, a member of the ESCRT-III complex crucial for diverse membrane remodeling events, the pinching off and release of microvesicles, was found in the surface as well as in microvesicles protruding from EASs. Moreover, we demonstrated that the formation of EAS also increases in parasites overexpressing VPS32 and that T. vaginalis-VPS32 parasites showed greater motility in semisolid agar. These results provide valuable data about the role of the flagellar EASs in the cell-to-cell communication and pathogenesis of these extracellular parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica M Coceres
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (CONICET-UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
| | - Lucrecia S Iriarte
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (CONICET-UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
| | | | | | - Natalia de Miguel
- Laboratorio de Parásitos Anaerobios, Instituto Tecnológico Chascomús (INTECH), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (CONICET-UNSAM), Chascomús, Argentina
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14
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A New Model Trypanosomatid, Novymonas esmeraldas: Genomic Perception of Its " Candidatus Pandoraea novymonadis" Endosymbiont. mBio 2021; 12:e0160621. [PMID: 34399629 PMCID: PMC8406214 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01606-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The closest relative of human pathogen Leishmania, the trypanosomatid Novymonas esmeraldas, harbors a bacterial endosymbiont “Candidatus Pandoraea novymonadis.” Based on genomic data, we performed a detailed characterization of the metabolic interactions of both partners. While in many respects the metabolism of N. esmeraldas resembles that of other Leishmaniinae, the endosymbiont provides the trypanosomatid with heme, essential amino acids, purines, some coenzymes, and vitamins. In return, N. esmeraldas shares with the bacterium several nonessential amino acids and phospholipids. Moreover, it complements its carbohydrate metabolism and urea cycle with enzymes missing from the “Ca. Pandoraea novymonadis” genome. The removal of the endosymbiont from N. esmeraldas results in a significant reduction of the overall translation rate, reduced expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism and mitochondrial respiratory activity, and downregulation of several aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, enzymes involved in the synthesis of some amino acids, as well as proteins associated with autophagy. At the same time, the genes responsible for protection against reactive oxygen species and DNA repair become significantly upregulated in the aposymbiotic strain of this trypanosomatid. By knocking out a component of its flagellum, we turned N. esmeraldas into a new model trypanosomatid that is amenable to genetic manipulation using both conventional and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated approaches.
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15
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Malfara MF, Silverberg LJ, DiMaio J, Lagalante AF, Olsen MA, Madison E, Povelones ML. 2,3-Diphenyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-1,3-thiaza-4-one heterocycles inhibit growth and block completion of cytokinesis in kinetoplastid parasites. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 245:111396. [PMID: 34302898 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Kinetoplastid parasites are model eukaryotes with a complex cell cycle that is highly regulated both spatially and temporally. In addition, diseases caused by these parasites continue to have a significant impact on human and animal health worldwide. While there have been advancements in chemotherapy for these diseases, there is a continual need for an arsenal of compounds that have robust anti-parasite activity with minimal impact on the human host. While investigating a series of 2,3-diphenyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-1,3-thiaza-4-one heterocycles with potential activity against these parasites, we found a pyridothiazinone that inhibits growth of the monoxenous parasite Crithidia fasciculata and two life cycle stages of Trypanosoma brucei. This inhibition is more pronounced in T. brucei and is associated with an unusual pre-abscission cell cycle arrest. Exploring the mode of action for these and related compounds in kinetoplastids may provide tools with which to explore cell cycle regulation in these important organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lee J Silverberg
- Pennsylvania State University, Schuylkill Campus, Schuylkill Haven, PA, 17972, USA
| | - John DiMaio
- Pennsylvania State University, Brandywine Campus, Media, PA, 19063, USA
| | | | - Mark A Olsen
- Department of Chemistry, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
| | - Ekaterina Madison
- Pennsylvania State University, Brandywine Campus, Media, PA, 19063, USA
| | - Megan L Povelones
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA.
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16
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Structure of the trypanosome paraflagellar rod and insights into non-planar motility of eukaryotic cells. Cell Discov 2021; 7:51. [PMID: 34257277 PMCID: PMC8277818 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-021-00281-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic flagella (synonymous with cilia) rely on a microtubule-based axoneme, together with accessory filaments to carryout motility and signaling functions. While axoneme structures are well characterized, 3D ultrastructure of accessory filaments and their axoneme interface are mostly unknown, presenting a critical gap in understanding structural foundations of eukaryotic flagella. In the flagellum of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei), the axoneme is accompanied by a paraflagellar rod (PFR) that supports non-planar motility and signaling necessary for disease transmission and pathogenesis. Here, we employed cryogenic electron tomography (cryoET) with sub-tomographic averaging, to obtain structures of the PFR, PFR-axoneme connectors (PACs), and the axonemal central pair complex (CPC). The structures resolve how the 8 nm repeat of the axonemal tubulin dimer interfaces with the 54 nm repeat of the PFR, which consist of proximal, intermediate, and distal zones. In the distal zone, stacked "density scissors" connect with one another to form a "scissors stack network (SSN)" plane oriented 45° to the axoneme axis; and ~370 parallel SSN planes are connected by helix-rich wires into a paracrystalline array with ~90% empty space. Connections from these wires to the intermediate zone, then to overlapping layers of the proximal zone and to the PACs, and ultimately to the CPC, point to a contiguous pathway for signal transmission. Together, our findings provide insights into flagellum-driven, non-planar helical motility of T. brucei and have broad implications ranging from cell motility and tensegrity in biology, to engineering principles in bionics.
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APEX2 Proximity Proteomics Resolves Flagellum Subdomains and Identifies Flagellum Tip-Specific Proteins in Trypanosoma brucei. mSphere 2021; 6:6/1/e01090-20. [PMID: 33568455 PMCID: PMC8141408 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01090-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sleeping sickness is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. The disease disrupts the sleep-wake cycle, leading to coma and death if left untreated. T. brucei motility, transmission, and virulence depend on its flagellum (cilium), which consists of several different specialized subdomains. Trypanosoma brucei is the protozoan parasite responsible for sleeping sickness, a lethal vector-borne disease. T. brucei has a single flagellum (cilium) that plays critical roles in transmission and pathogenesis. An emerging concept is that the flagellum is organized into subdomains, each having specialized composition and function. The overall flagellum proteome has been well studied, but a critical knowledge gap is the protein composition of individual subdomains. We have tested whether APEX-based proximity proteomics could be used to examine the protein composition of T. brucei flagellum subdomains. As APEX-based labeling has not previously been described in T. brucei, we first fused APEX2 to the DRC1 subunit of the nexin-dynein regulatory complex, a well-characterized axonemal complex. We found that DRC1-APEX2 directs flagellum-specific biotinylation, and purification of biotinylated proteins yields a DRC1 “proximity proteome” having good overlap with published proteomes obtained from purified axonemes. Having validated the use of APEX2 in T. brucei, we next attempted to distinguish flagellar subdomains by fusing APEX2 to a flagellar membrane protein that is restricted to the flagellum tip, AC1, and another one that is excluded from the tip, FS179. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated subdomain-specific biotinylation, and principal-component analysis showed distinct profiles between AC1-APEX2 and FS179-APEX2. Comparing these two profiles allowed us to identify an AC1 proximity proteome that is enriched for tip proteins, including proteins involved in signaling. Our results demonstrate that APEX2-based proximity proteomics is effective in T. brucei and can be used to resolve the proteome composition of flagellum subdomains that cannot themselves be readily purified. IMPORTANCE Sleeping sickness is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. The disease disrupts the sleep-wake cycle, leading to coma and death if left untreated. T. brucei motility, transmission, and virulence depend on its flagellum (cilium), which consists of several different specialized subdomains. Given the essential and multifunctional role of the T. brucei flagellum, there is need for approaches that enable proteomic analysis of individual subdomains. Our work establishes that APEX2 proximity labeling can, indeed, be implemented in the biochemical environment of T. brucei and has allowed identification of proximity proteomes for different flagellar subdomains that cannot be purified. This capacity opens the possibility to study the composition and function of other compartments. We expect this approach may be extended to other eukaryotic pathogens and will enhance the utility of T. brucei as a model organism to study ciliopathies, heritable human diseases in which cilium function is impaired.
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18
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Mwangi KW, Macharia RW, Bargul JL. Gene co-expression network analysis of Trypanosoma brucei in tsetse fly vector. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:74. [PMID: 33482903 PMCID: PMC7821691 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04597-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Trypanosoma brucei species are motile protozoan parasites that are cyclically transmitted by tsetse fly (genus Glossina) causing human sleeping sickness and nagana in livestock in sub-Saharan Africa. African trypanosomes display digenetic life cycle stages in the tsetse fly vector and in their mammalian host. Experimental work on insect-stage trypanosomes is challenging because of the difficulty in setting up successful in vitro cultures. Therefore, there is limited knowledge on the trypanosome biology during its development in the tsetse fly. Consequently, this limits the development of new strategies for blocking parasite transmission in the tsetse fly. Methods In this study, RNA-Seq data of insect-stage trypanosomes were used to construct a T. brucei gene co-expression network using the weighted gene co-expression analysis (WGCNA) method. The study identified significant enriched modules for genes that play key roles during the parasite’s development in tsetse fly. Furthermore, potential 3′ untranslated region (UTR) regulatory elements for genes that clustered in the same module were identified using the Finding Informative Regulatory Elements (FIRE) tool. Results A fraction of gene modules (12 out of 27 modules) in the constructed network were found to be enriched in functional roles associated with the cell division, protein biosynthesis, mitochondrion, and cell surface. Additionally, 12 hub genes encoding proteins such as RNA-binding protein 6 (RBP6), arginine kinase 1 (AK1), brucei alanine-rich protein (BARP), among others, were identified for the 12 significantly enriched gene modules. In addition, the potential regulatory elements located in the 3′ untranslated regions of genes within the same module were predicted. Conclusions The constructed gene co-expression network provides a useful resource for network-based data mining to identify candidate genes for functional studies. This will enhance understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie important biological processes during parasite’s development in tsetse fly. Ultimately, these findings will be key in the identification of potential molecular targets for disease control.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy W Mwangi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. .,Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. BOX 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
| | | | - Joel L Bargul
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), P.O. Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.,Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, P.O. BOX 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya
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Testing the CRISPR-Cas9 and glmS ribozyme systems in Leishmania tarentolae. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2020; 241:111336. [PMID: 33166572 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2020.111336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania parasites include important pathogens and model organisms and are even used for the production of recombinant proteins. However, functional genomics and the characterization of essential genes are often limited in Leishmania because of low-throughput technologies for gene disruption or tagging and the absence of components for RNA interference. Here, we tested the T7 RNA polymerase-dependent CRISPR-Cas9 system by Beneke et al. and the glmS ribozyme-based knock-down system in the model parasite Leishmania tarentolae. We successfully deleted two reference genes encoding the flagellar motility factor Pf16 and the salvage-pathway enzyme adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, resulting in immotile and drug-resistant parasites, respectively. In contrast, we were unable to disrupt the gene encoding the mitochondrial flavoprotein Erv. Cultivation of L. tarentolae in standard BHI medium resulted in a constitutive down-regulation of an episomal mCherry-glmS reporter by 40 to 60%. For inducible knock-downs, we evaluated the growth of L. tarentolae in alternative media and identified supplemented MEM, IMDM and McCoy's 5A medium as candidates. Cultivation in supplemented MEM allowed an inducible, glucosamine concentration-dependent down-regulation of the episomal mCherry-glmS reporter by more than 70%. However, chromosomal glmS-tagging of the genes encoding Pf16, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase or Erv did not reveal a knock-down phenotype. Our data demonstrate the suitability of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for the disruption and tagging of genes in L. tarentolae as well as the limitations of the glmS system, which was restricted to moderate efficiencies for episomal knock-downs and caused no detectable phenotype for chromosomal knock-downs.
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20
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A rapid approach for in locus overexpression of Trypanosoma brucei proteins. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2020; 239:111300. [PMID: 32682799 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2020.111300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Altering amounts of a protein in a cell has become a crucial tool for understanding its function. In many organisms, including the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, protein overexpression has been achieved by inserting a protein-coding sequence into an overexpression vector. Here, we have adapted the PCR only based system for tagging trypanosome proteins at their endogenous loci such that it in addition enables a tetracycline-inducible T7 RNA polymerase-mediated protein overexpression. Hence, this approach bypasses the need for molecular cloning, making it rapid and cost effective. We validated the approach for ten flagellum-associated proteins with molecular weights ranging from 40 to over 500 kDa. For a majority of the recombinant proteins a significant (3-50 fold) increase in the cellular amount was achieved upon induction of overexpression. Two of the largest proteins studied, the dynein heavy chains, were significantly overexpressed, while two were not. Our data suggest that this may reflect the extent of the T7 RNA polymerase processivity on the trypanosome genomic DNA. We further show that the overexpression is informative as to cellular functions of the studied proteins, and that these cultures can serve as an excellent source for purification of the overexpressed proteins. We believe that this rapid in locus overexpression system will become a valuable tool to interrogate cellular functions and biochemical activities of trypanosome proteins.
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21
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Douglas RL, Haltiwanger BM, Albisetti A, Wu H, Jeng RL, Mancuso J, Cande WZ, Welch MD. Trypanosomes have divergent kinesin-2 proteins that function differentially in flagellum biosynthesis and cell viability. J Cell Sci 2020; 133:jcs129213. [PMID: 32503938 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.129213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, has a flagellum that is crucial for motility, pathogenicity, and viability. In most eukaryotes, the intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery drives flagellum biogenesis, and anterograde IFT requires kinesin-2 motor proteins. In this study, we investigated the function of the two T. brucei kinesin-2 proteins, TbKin2a and TbKin2b, in bloodstream form trypanosomes. We found that, compared to kinesin-2 proteins across other phyla, TbKin2a and TbKin2b show greater variation in neck, stalk and tail domain sequences. Both kinesins contributed additively to flagellar lengthening. Silencing TbKin2a inhibited cell proliferation, cytokinesis and motility, whereas silencing TbKin2b did not. TbKin2a was localized on the flagellum and colocalized with IFT components near the basal body, consistent with it performing a role in IFT. TbKin2a was also detected on the flagellar attachment zone, a specialized structure that connects the flagellum to the cell body. Our results indicate that kinesin-2 proteins in trypanosomes play conserved roles in flagellar biosynthesis and exhibit a specialized localization, emphasizing the evolutionary flexibility of motor protein function in an organism with a large complement of kinesins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Douglas
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Brett M Haltiwanger
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna Albisetti
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Haiming Wu
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Robert L Jeng
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Joel Mancuso
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - W Zacheus Cande
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Matthew D Welch
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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22
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Hennessey KM, Alas GCM, Rogiers I, Li R, Merritt EA, Paredez AR. Nek8445, a protein kinase required for microtubule regulation and cytokinesis in Giardia lamblia. Mol Biol Cell 2020; 31:1611-1622. [PMID: 32459558 PMCID: PMC7521801 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e19-07-0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardia has 198 Nek kinases whereas humans have only 11. Giardia has a complex microtubule cytoskeleton that includes eight flagella and several unique microtubule arrays that are utilized for parasite attachment and facilitation of rapid mitosis and cytokinesis. The need to regulate these structures may explain the parallel expansion of the number of Nek family kinases. Here we use live and fixed cell imaging to uncover the role of Nek8445 in regulating Giardia cell division. We demonstrate that Nek8445 localization is cell cycle regulated and this kinase has a role in regulating overall microtubule organization. Nek8445 depletion results in short flagella, aberrant ventral disk organization, loss of the funis, defective axoneme exit, and altered cell shape. The axoneme exit defect is specific to the caudal axonemes, which exit from the posterior of the cell, and this defect correlates with rounding of the cell posterior and loss of the funis. Our findings implicate a role for the funis in establishing Giardia’s cell shape and guiding axoneme docking. On a broader scale our results support the emerging view that Nek family kinases have a general role in regulating microtubule organization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Germain C M Alas
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Ilse Rogiers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Renyu Li
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Ethan A Merritt
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
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Morohoshi A, Miyata H, Shimada K, Nozawa K, Matsumura T, Yanase R, Shiba K, Inaba K, Ikawa M. Nexin-Dynein regulatory complex component DRC7 but not FBXL13 is required for sperm flagellum formation and male fertility in mice. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008585. [PMID: 31961863 PMCID: PMC6994161 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Flagella and cilia are evolutionarily conserved cellular organelles. Abnormal formation or motility of these organelles in humans causes several syndromic diseases termed ciliopathies. The central component of flagella and cilia is the axoneme that is composed of the ‘9+2’ microtubule arrangement, dynein arms, radial spokes, and the Nexin-Dynein Regulatory Complex (N-DRC). The N-DRC is localized between doublet microtubules and has been extensively studied in the unicellular flagellate Chlamydomonas. Recently, it has been reported that TCTE1 (DRC5), a component of the N-DRC, is essential for proper sperm motility and male fertility in mice. Further, TCTE1 has been shown to interact with FBXL13 (DRC6) and DRC7; however, functional roles of FBXL13 and DRC7 in mammals have not been elucidated. Here we show that Fbxl13 and Drc7 expression are testes-enriched in mice. Although Fbxl13 knockout (KO) mice did not show any obvious phenotypes, Drc7 KO male mice were infertile due to their short immotile spermatozoa. In Drc7 KO spermatids, the axoneme is disorganized and the ‘9+2’ microtubule arrangement was difficult to detect. Further, other N-DRC components fail to incorporate into the flagellum without DRC7. These results indicate that Drc7, but not Fbxl13, is essential for the correct assembly of the N-DRC and flagella. In recent years, almost one in six couples face infertility, and nearly 50% of cases are attributed to male factors. It has been shown that approximately 15% of male infertility is caused by genetic factors. The conditions of male infertility mainly include spermatozoa with abnormal morphology (teratozoospermia), reduced sperm motility (asthenozoospermia), and no or low sperm count (azoospermia). Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) are characterized as asthenoteratozoospermia, which is a condition with abnormal sperm tail morphology, including absent, coiled, bent, or short tails. Sperm tails are formed during spermiogenesis; however, the mechanism that govern tail formation remains unclear. Here we mutated Fbxl13 and Drc7, two genes with strong expression in mouse testis and which have been shown to be important for flagellum formation and regulation in other systems. Deletion of Drc7 leads to aberrant tail formation in mouse spermatozoa that phenocopies patients with MMAF, while deletion of Fbxl13 has no observable effect on sperm function. Our results identified DRC7 as an important factor for sperm flagellum formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akane Morohoshi
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Miyata
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Keisuke Shimada
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kaori Nozawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takafumi Matsumura
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryuji Yanase
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kogiku Shiba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuo Inaba
- Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Masahito Ikawa
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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24
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Abstract
Motility analysis of microswimmers has long been limited to a few model cell types and broadly restricted by technical challenges of high-resolution in vivo microscopy. Recently, interdisciplinary interest in detailed analysis of the motile behavior of various species has gained momentum. Here we describe a basic protocol for motility analysis of an important, highly diverse group of eukaryotic flagellate microswimmers, using high spatiotemporal resolution videomicroscopy. Further, we provide a special, time-dependent tomographic approach for the proof of rotational locomotion of periodically oscillating microswimmers, using the same data. Taken together, the methods describe part of an integrative approach to generate decisive information on three-dimensional in vivo motility from standard two-dimensional videomicroscopy data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Krüger
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Theodor-Boveri-Institut, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Engstler
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Theodor-Boveri-Institut, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Biozentrum, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany.
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25
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Hammarton TC. Who Needs a Contractile Actomyosin Ring? The Plethora of Alternative Ways to Divide a Protozoan Parasite. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:397. [PMID: 31824870 PMCID: PMC6881465 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytokinesis, or the division of the cytoplasm, following the end of mitosis or meiosis, is accomplished in animal cells, fungi, and amoebae, by the constriction of an actomyosin contractile ring, comprising filamentous actin, myosin II, and associated proteins. However, despite this being the best-studied mode of cytokinesis, it is restricted to the Opisthokonta and Amoebozoa, since members of other evolutionary supergroups lack myosin II and must, therefore, employ different mechanisms. In particular, parasitic protozoa, many of which cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and animals as well as considerable economic losses, employ a wide diversity of mechanisms to divide, few, if any, of which involve myosin II. In some cases, cell division is not only myosin II-independent, but actin-independent too. Mechanisms employed range from primitive mechanical cell rupture (cytofission), to motility- and/or microtubule remodeling-dependent mechanisms, to budding involving the constriction of divergent contractile rings, to hijacking host cell division machinery, with some species able to utilize multiple mechanisms. Here, I review current knowledge of cytokinesis mechanisms and their molecular control in mammalian-infective parasitic protozoa from the Excavata, Alveolata, and Amoebozoa supergroups, highlighting their often-underappreciated diversity and complexity. Billions of people and animals across the world are at risk from these pathogens, for which vaccines and/or optimal treatments are often not available. Exploiting the divergent cell division machinery in these parasites may provide new avenues for the treatment of protozoal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tansy C Hammarton
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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26
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Imhof S, Zhang J, Wang H, Bui KH, Nguyen H, Atanasov I, Hui WH, Yang SK, Zhou ZH, Hill KL. Cryo electron tomography with volta phase plate reveals novel structural foundations of the 96-nm axonemal repeat in the pathogen Trypanosoma brucei. eLife 2019; 8:e52058. [PMID: 31710293 PMCID: PMC6974359 DOI: 10.7554/elife.52058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The 96-nm axonemal repeat includes dynein motors and accessory structures as the foundation for motility of eukaryotic flagella and cilia. However, high-resolution 3D axoneme structures are unavailable for organisms among the Excavates, which include pathogens of medical and economic importance. Here we report cryo electron tomography structures of the 96-nm repeat from Trypanosoma brucei, a protozoan parasite in the Excavate lineage that causes African trypanosomiasis. We examined bloodstream and procyclic life cycle stages, and a knockdown lacking DRC11/CMF22 of the nexin dynein regulatory complex (NDRC). Sub-tomogram averaging yields a resolution of 21.8 Å for the 96-nm repeat. We discovered several lineage-specific structures, including novel inter-doublet linkages and microtubule inner proteins (MIPs). We establish that DRC11/CMF22 is required for the NDRC proximal lobe that binds the adjacent doublet microtubule. We propose that lineage-specific elaboration of axoneme structure in T. brucei reflects adaptations to support unique motility needs in diverse host environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Imhof
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Jiayan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- California NanoSystems InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- California NanoSystems InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Khanh Huy Bui
- Department of Anatomy and Cell BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealUnited States
| | - Hoangkim Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Ivo Atanasov
- California NanoSystems InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Wong H Hui
- California NanoSystems InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Shun Kai Yang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell BiologyMcGill UniversityMontrealUnited States
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- California NanoSystems InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Kent L Hill
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- California NanoSystems InstituteUniversity of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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27
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Zhang X, Hu H, Lun ZR, Li Z. Functional analyses of an axonemal inner-arm dynein complex in the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei uncover its essential role in cytokinesis initiation. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1718-1730. [PMID: 31515877 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The flagellated eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei alternates between the insect vector and the mammalian host and proliferates through an unusual mode of cell division. Cell division requires flagellum motility-generated forces, but flagellum motility exerts distinct effects between different life cycle forms. Motility is required for the final cell abscission of the procyclic form in the insect vector, but is necessary for the initiation of cell division of the bloodstream form in the mammalian host. The underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we carried out functional analyses of a flagellar axonemal inner-arm dynein complex in the bloodstream form and investigated its mechanistic role in cytokinesis initiation. We showed that the axonemal inner-arm dynein heavy chain TbIAD5-1 and TbCentrin3 form a complex, localize to the flagellum, and are required for viability in the bloodstream form. We further demonstrated the interdependence between TbIAD5-1 and TbCentrin3 for maintenance of protein stability. Finally, we showed that depletion of TbIAD5-1 and TbCentrin3 arrested cytokinesis initiation and disrupted the localization of multiple cytokinesis initiation regulators. These findings identified the essential role of an axonemal inner-arm dynein complex in cell division, and provided molecular insights into the flagellum motility-mediated cytokinesis initiation in the bloodstream form of T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Center for Parasitic Organisms, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Huiqing Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhao-Rong Lun
- Center for Parasitic Organisms, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Ziyin Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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28
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Dóró É, Jacobs SH, Hammond FR, Schipper H, Pieters RP, Carrington M, Wiegertjes GF, Forlenza M. Visualizing trypanosomes in a vertebrate host reveals novel swimming behaviours, adaptations and attachment mechanisms. eLife 2019; 8:48388. [PMID: 31547905 PMCID: PMC6759355 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomes are important disease agents of humans, livestock and cold-blooded species, including fish. The cellular morphology of trypanosomes is central to their motility, adaptation to the host’s environments and pathogenesis. However, visualizing the behaviour of trypanosomes resident in a live vertebrate host has remained unexplored. In this study, we describe an infection model of zebrafish (Danio rerio) with Trypanosoma carassii. By combining high spatio-temporal resolution microscopy with the transparency of live zebrafish, we describe in detail the swimming behaviour of trypanosomes in blood and tissues of a vertebrate host. Besides the conventional tumbling and directional swimming, T. carassii can change direction through a ‘whip-like’ motion or by swimming backward. Further, the posterior end can act as an anchoring site in vivo. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a vertebrate infection model that allows detailed imaging of trypanosome swimming behaviour in vivo in a natural host environment. Trypanosomes are one-celled parasites that cause the disease trypanosomiasis, which is also known as sleeping sickness. Trypanosomiasis is transmitted to humans and animals by a type of fly, known as tse-tse, which is commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa. A bite from the tse-tse fly transfers the trypanosome cells into the host’s bloodstream, where they spread from the blood to the internal organs and brain. This leads to a long-term illness, which can sometimes result in a coma and eventually death. Once in the blood trypanosomes move around using a structure similar to an underwater propeller called the flagellum. How the trypanosomes move and behave in the blood determines how the infection will progress. Until now it has only been possible to observe trypanosomes in plastic dishes or in blood drawn from infected patients. However, neither of these settings mimic the conditions of the bloodstream, and it is currently impossible to look inside human hosts to watch how trypanosomes move. To overcome this hurdle, Doro et al. infected zebrafish with Trypanosoma carassii, a close relative of the sub-Saharan trypanosomes that specifically infects fish. Zebrafish are transparent when young, making it possible to observe the parasite in the blood and tissues of live fish using a microscope. Doro et al. noticed that Trypanosoma carassii cells adapt to different environments in the host by using different swimming techniques. For example, in small capillaries trypanosomes were dragged along with the blood flow, whilst in larger vessels, when blood flow was slow or there were fewer red blood cells, trypanosomes actively swam against the current. The parasites were also able to change direction by using their flagella in a ‘whip-like’ motion. Lastly, it was discovered that Trypanosoma carassii could rapidly attach to blood vessel walls using one end of its cell body, even when blood flow was strong. This behaviour may help the parasites escape from the bloodstream into the surrounding tissues, making the infection more dangerous. Studying how trypanosomes infect zebrafish at this high level of detail provides new insights into how these parasites move and behave inside a host. An important question that remains to be answered, is how exactly the trypanosomes leave the bloodstream. A better understanding of the whole infection process may hint at new ways of fighting these deadly infections in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Dóró
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sem H Jacobs
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Ffion R Hammond
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Henk Schipper
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Remco Pm Pieters
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Mark Carrington
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Geert F Wiegertjes
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands.,Department of Animal Sciences, Aquaculture and Fisheries Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Maria Forlenza
- Department of Animal Sciences, Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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29
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Abstract
Trypanosomes have complex life cycles within which there are both proliferative and differentiation cell divisions. The coordination of the cell cycle to achieve these different divisions is critical for the parasite to infect both host and vector. From studying the regulation of the proliferative cell cycle of the Trypanosoma brucei procyclic life cycle stage, three subcycles emerge that control the duplication and segregation of ( a) the nucleus, ( b) the kinetoplast, and ( c) a set of cytoskeletal structures. We discuss how the clear dependency relationships within these subcycles, and the potential for cross talk between them, are likely required for overall cell cycle coordination. Finally, we look at the implications this interdependence has for proliferative and differentiation divisions through the T. brucei life cycle and in related parasitic trypanosomatid species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J. Wheeler
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Gull
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | - Jack D. Sunter
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom
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30
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Beneke T, Demay F, Hookway E, Ashman N, Jeffery H, Smith J, Valli J, Becvar T, Myskova J, Lestinova T, Shafiq S, Sadlova J, Volf P, Wheeler RJ, Gluenz E. Genetic dissection of a Leishmania flagellar proteome demonstrates requirement for directional motility in sand fly infections. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007828. [PMID: 31242261 PMCID: PMC6615630 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania possesses a single flagellum, which is remodelled during the parasite’s life cycle from a long motile flagellum in promastigote forms in the sand fly to a short immotile flagellum in amastigotes residing in mammalian phagocytes. This study examined the protein composition and in vivo function of the promastigote flagellum. Protein mass spectrometry and label free protein enrichment testing of isolated flagella and deflagellated cell bodies defined a flagellar proteome for L. mexicana promastigote forms (available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD011057). This information was used to generate a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library of 100 mutants to screen for flagellar defects. This first large-scale knockout screen in a Leishmania sp. identified 56 mutants with altered swimming speed (52 reduced and 4 increased) and defined distinct mutant categories (faster swimmers, slower swimmers, slow uncoordinated swimmers and paralysed cells, including aflagellate promastigotes and cells with curled flagella and disruptions of the paraflagellar rod). Each mutant was tagged with a unique 17-nt barcode, providing a simple barcode sequencing (bar-seq) method for measuring the relative fitness of L. mexicana mutants in vivo. In mixed infections of the permissive sand fly vector Lutzomyia longipalpis, paralysed promastigotes and uncoordinated swimmers were severely diminished in the fly after defecation of the bloodmeal. Subsequent examination of flies infected with a single paralysed mutant lacking the central pair protein PF16 or an uncoordinated swimmer lacking the axonemal protein MBO2 showed that these promastigotes did not reach anterior regions of the fly alimentary tract. These data show that L. mexicana need directional motility for successful colonisation of sand flies. Leishmania are protozoan parasites, transmitted between mammals by the bite of phlebotomine sand flies. Promastigote forms in the sand fly have a long flagellum, which is motile and used for anchoring the parasites to prevent clearance with the digested blood meal remnants. To dissect flagellar functions and their importance in life cycle progression, we generated here a comprehensive list of >300 flagellar proteins and produced a CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout library of 100 mutant Leishmania. We studied their behaviour in vitro before examining their fate in the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis. Measuring mutant swimming speeds showed that about half behaved differently compared to the wild type: a few swam faster, many slower and some were completely paralysed. We also found a group of uncoordinated swimmers. To test whether flagellar motility is required for parasite migration from the fly midgut to the foregut from where they reach the next host, we infected sand flies with a mixed mutant population. Each mutant carried a unique tag and tracking these tags up to nine days after infection showed that paralysed and uncoordinated Leishmania were rapidly lost from flies. These data indicate that directional swimming is important for successful colonisation of sand flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Beneke
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - François Demay
- University of Lille 1, Cité Scientifique, Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Edward Hookway
- Research Department of Pathology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicole Ashman
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Jeffery
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - James Smith
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Valli
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Tomas Becvar
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Myskova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Lestinova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Shahaan Shafiq
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jovana Sadlova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Richard John Wheeler
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Gluenz
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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31
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Bonnefoy S, Watson CM, Kernohan KD, Lemos M, Hutchinson S, Poulter JA, Crinnion LA, Berry I, Simmonds J, Vasudevan P, O'Callaghan C, Hirst RA, Rutman A, Huang L, Hartley T, Grynspan D, Moya E, Li C, Carr IM, Bonthron DT, Leroux M, Boycott KM, Bastin P, Sheridan EG. Biallelic Mutations in LRRC56, Encoding a Protein Associated with Intraflagellar Transport, Cause Mucociliary Clearance and Laterality Defects. Am J Hum Genet 2018; 103:727-739. [PMID: 30388400 PMCID: PMC6218757 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary defects in motile cilia result in dysfunction of the apparatus responsible for generating fluid flows. Defects in these mechanisms underlie disorders characterized by poor mucus clearance, resulting in susceptibility to chronic recurrent respiratory infections, often associated with infertility; laterality defects occur in about 50% of such individuals. Here we report biallelic variants in LRRC56 (known as oda8 in Chlamydomonas) identified in three unrelated families. The phenotype comprises laterality defects and chronic pulmonary infections. High-speed video microscopy of cultured epithelial cells from an affected individual showed severely dyskinetic cilia but no obvious ultra-structural abnormalities on routine transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Further investigation revealed that LRRC56 interacts with the intraflagellar transport (IFT) protein IFT88. The link with IFT was interrogated in Trypanosoma brucei. In this protist, LRRC56 is recruited to the cilium during axoneme construction, where it co-localizes with IFT trains and is required for the addition of dynein arms to the distal end of the flagellum. In T. brucei carrying LRRC56-null mutations, or a variant resulting in the p.Leu259Pro substitution corresponding to the p.Leu140Pro variant seen in one of the affected families, we observed abnormal ciliary beat patterns and an absence of outer dynein arms restricted to the distal portion of the axoneme. Together, our findings confirm that deleterious variants in LRRC56 result in a human disease and suggest that this protein has a likely role in dynein transport during cilia assembly that is evolutionarily important for cilia motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge Bonnefoy
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit & INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Christopher M Watson
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Kristin D Kernohan
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Moara Lemos
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit & INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sebastian Hutchinson
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit & INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - James A Poulter
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Laura A Crinnion
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Ian Berry
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Jennifer Simmonds
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Pradeep Vasudevan
- Centre for PCD Diagnosis and Research, Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, RKCSB, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Chris O'Callaghan
- Centre for PCD Diagnosis and Research, Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, RKCSB, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK; Respiratory, Critical Care & Anaesthesia, Institute of Child Health, University College London & Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Robert A Hirst
- Centre for PCD Diagnosis and Research, Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, RKCSB, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Andrew Rutman
- Centre for PCD Diagnosis and Research, Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, RKCSB, University of Leicester, Leicester LE2 7LX, UK
| | - Lijia Huang
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Taila Hartley
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - David Grynspan
- Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Eduardo Moya
- Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD9 6R, UK
| | - Chunmei Li
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Ian M Carr
- School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - David T Bonthron
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - Michel Leroux
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and Centre for Cell Biology, Development and Disease, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Kym M Boycott
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, Canada
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit & INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Eamonn G Sheridan
- Yorkshire Regional Genetics Service, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; School of Medicine, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK.
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32
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Bertiaux E, Mallet A, Fort C, Blisnick T, Bonnefoy S, Jung J, Lemos M, Marco S, Vaughan S, Trépout S, Tinevez JY, Bastin P. Bidirectional intraflagellar transport is restricted to two sets of microtubule doublets in the trypanosome flagellum. J Cell Biol 2018; 217:4284-4297. [PMID: 30275108 PMCID: PMC6279389 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201805030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is the movement of large protein complexes responsible for the construction of cilia and flagella. Using a combination of three-dimensional electron microscopy and high-resolution live imaging, Bertiaux et al. show that IFT takes place on only four microtubule doublets out of the nine available in the trypanosome flagellum. Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is the rapid bidirectional movement of large protein complexes driven by kinesin and dynein motors along microtubule doublets of cilia and flagella. In this study, we used a combination of high-resolution electron and light microscopy to investigate how and where these IFT trains move within the flagellum of the protist Trypanosoma brucei. Focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) analysis of trypanosomes showed that trains are found almost exclusively along two sets of doublets (3–4 and 7–8) and distribute in two categories according to their length. High-resolution live imaging of cells expressing mNeonGreen::IFT81 or GFP::IFT52 revealed for the first time IFT trafficking on two parallel lines within the flagellum. Anterograde and retrograde IFT occurs on each of these lines. At the distal end, a large individual anterograde IFT train is converted in several smaller retrograde trains in the space of 3–4 s while remaining on the same side of the axoneme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloïse Bertiaux
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 6, Cellule Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Adeline Mallet
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 6, Cellule Pasteur, Paris, France.,UtechS Ultrastructural Bioimaging (Ultrapole), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Cécile Fort
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 6, Cellule Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Blisnick
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Serge Bonnefoy
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jamin Jung
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Moara Lemos
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Sergio Marco
- Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 9187, Orsay, France.,Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, INSERM U1196, Orsay, France
| | - Sue Vaughan
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Sylvain Trépout
- Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 9187, Orsay, France.,Institut Curie, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, INSERM U1196, Orsay, France
| | - Jean-Yves Tinevez
- UtechS Photonic Bioimaging (Imagopole), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Image Analysis Hub, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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33
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Zhang Y, Huang Y, Srivathsan A, Lim TK, Lin Q, He CY. The unusual flagellar-targeting mechanism and functions of the trypanosome ortholog of the ciliary GTPase Arl13b. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs.219071. [PMID: 30097558 PMCID: PMC6140319 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.219071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The small GTPase Arl13b is one of the most conserved and ancient ciliary proteins. In human and animals, Arl13b is primarily associated with the ciliary membrane, where it acts as a guanine-nucleotide-exchange factor (GEF) for Arl3 and is implicated in a variety of ciliary and cellular functions. We have identified and characterized Trypanosoma brucei (Tb)Arl13, the sole Arl13b homolog in this evolutionarily divergent, protozoan parasite. TbArl13 has conserved flagellar functions and exhibits catalytic activity towards two different TbArl3 homologs. However, TbArl13 is distinctly associated with the axoneme through a dimerization/docking (D/D) domain. Replacing the D/D domain with a sequence encoding a flagellar membrane protein created a viable alternative to the wild-type TbArl13 in our RNA interference (RNAi)-based rescue assay. Therefore, flagellar enrichment is crucial for TbArl13, but mechanisms to achieve this could be flexible. Our findings thus extend the understanding of the roles of Arl13b and Arl13b–Arl3 pathway in a divergent flagellate of medical importance. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Highlighted Article: All roads lead to cilia – how the essential flagellar enrichment of Arl13 is achieved in trypanosome cells using a fundamentally different strategy compared with that of animal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiliu Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Yameng Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Amrita Srivathsan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Teck Kwang Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Qingsong Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Cynthia Y He
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
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Adenylate Cyclases of Trypanosoma brucei, Environmental Sensors and Controllers of Host Innate Immune Response. Pathogens 2018; 7:pathogens7020048. [PMID: 29693583 PMCID: PMC6027212 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens7020048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei, etiological agent of Sleeping Sickness in Africa, is the prototype of African trypanosomes, protozoan extracellular flagellate parasites transmitted by saliva (Salivaria). In these parasites the molecular controls of the cell cycle and environmental sensing are elaborate and concentrated at the flagellum. Genomic analyses suggest that these parasites appear to differ considerably from the host in signaling mechanisms, with the exception of receptor-type adenylate cyclases (AC) that are topologically similar to receptor-type guanylate cyclase (GC) of higher eukaryotes but control a new class of cAMP targets of unknown function, the cAMP response proteins (CARPs), rather than the classical protein kinase A cAMP effector (PKA). T. brucei possesses a large polymorphic family of ACs, mainly associated with the flagellar membrane, and these are involved in inhibition of the innate immune response of the host prior to the massive release of immunomodulatory factors at the first peak of parasitemia. Recent evidence suggests that in T. brucei several insect-specific AC isoforms are involved in social motility, whereas only a few AC isoforms are involved in cytokinesis control of bloodstream forms, attesting that a complex signaling pathway is required for environmental sensing. In this review, after a general update on cAMP signaling pathway and the multiple roles of cAMP, I summarize the existing knowledge of the mechanisms by which pathogenic microorganisms modulate cAMP levels to escape immune defense.
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35
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Vincensini L, Blisnick T, Bertiaux E, Hutchinson S, Georgikou C, Ooi CP, Bastin P. Flagellar incorporation of proteins follows at least two different routes in trypanosomes. Biol Cell 2017; 110:33-47. [DOI: 10.1111/boc.201700052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Vincensini
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit; Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201; Paris 75015 France
| | - Thierry Blisnick
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit; Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201; Paris 75015 France
| | - Eloïse Bertiaux
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit; Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201; Paris 75015 France
| | - Sebastian Hutchinson
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit; Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201; Paris 75015 France
| | - Christina Georgikou
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit; Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201; Paris 75015 France
| | - Cher-Pheng Ooi
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit; Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201; Paris 75015 France
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit; Institut Pasteur & INSERM U1201; Paris 75015 France
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36
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Characterisation of Casein Kinase 1.1 in Leishmania donovani Using the CRISPR Cas9 Toolkit. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:4635605. [PMID: 29333442 PMCID: PMC5733176 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4635605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The recent adaptation of CRISPR Cas9 genome editing to Leishmania spp. has opened a new era in deciphering Leishmania biology. The method was recently improved using a PCR-based CRISPR Cas9 approach, which eliminated the need for cloning. This new approach, which allows high-throughput gene deletion, was successfully validated in L. mexicana and L. major. In this study, we validated the toolkit in Leishmania donovani targeting the flagellar protein PF16, confirming that the tagged protein localizes to the flagellum and that null mutants lose their motility. We then used the technique to characterise CK1.1, a member of the casein kinase 1 family, which is involved in the regulation of many cellular processes. We showed that CK1.1 is a low-abundance protein present in promastigotes and in amastigotes. We demonstrated that CK1.1 is not essential for promastigote and axenic amastigote survival or for axenic amastigote differentiation, although it may have a role during stationary phase. Altogether, our data validate the use of PCR-based CRISPR Cas9 toolkit in L. donovani, which will be crucial for genetic modification of hamster-derived, disease-relevant parasites.
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37
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Protein diversity in discrete structures at the distal tip of the trypanosome flagellum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E6546-E6555. [PMID: 28724725 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1703553114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The distal end of the eukaryotic flagellum/cilium is important for axonemal growth and signaling and has distinct biomechanical properties. Specific flagellum tip structures exist, yet their composition, dynamics, and functions are largely unknown. We used biochemical approaches to identify seven constituents of the flagella connector at the tip of an assembling trypanosome flagellum and three constituents of the axonemal capping structure at the tips of both assembling and mature flagella. Both tip structures contain evolutionarily conserved as well as kinetoplastid-specific proteins, and component assembly into the structures occurs very early during flagellum extension. Localization and functional studies reveal that the flagella connector membrane junction is attached to the tips of extending microtubules of the assembling flagellum by a kinesin-15 family member. On the opposite side, a kinetoplastid-specific kinesin facilitates attachment of the junction to the microtubules in the mature flagellum. Functional studies also suggest roles of several other components and the definition of subdomains in the tip structures.
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38
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Myosin-independent cytokinesis in Giardia utilizes flagella to coordinate force generation and direct membrane trafficking. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E5854-E5863. [PMID: 28679631 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1705096114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Devoid of all known canonical actin-binding proteins, the prevalent parasite Giardia lamblia uses an alternative mechanism for cytokinesis. Unique aspects of this mechanism can potentially be leveraged for therapeutic development. Here, live-cell imaging methods were developed for Giardia to establish division kinetics and the core division machinery. Surprisingly, Giardia cytokinesis occurred with a median time that is ∼60 times faster than mammalian cells. In contrast to cells that use a contractile ring, actin was not concentrated in the furrow and was not directly required for furrow progression. Live-cell imaging and morpholino depletion of axonemal Paralyzed Flagella 16 indicated that flagella-based forces initiated daughter cell separation and provided a source for membrane tension. Inhibition of membrane partitioning blocked furrow progression, indicating a requirement for membrane trafficking to support furrow advancement. Rab11 was found to load onto the intracytoplasmic axonemes late in mitosis and to accumulate near the ends of nascent axonemes. These developing axonemes were positioned to coordinate trafficking into the furrow and mark the center of the cell in lieu of a midbody/phragmoplast. We show that flagella motility, Rab11, and actin coordination are necessary for proper abscission. Organisms representing three of the five eukaryotic supergroups lack myosin II of the actomyosin contractile ring. These results support an emerging view that flagella play a central role in cell division among protists that lack myosin II and additionally implicate the broad use of membrane tension as a mechanism to drive abscission.
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39
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Characterization of ciliobrevin A mediated dynein ATPase inhibition on flagellar motility of Leishmania donovani. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2017; 214:75-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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40
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Beneke T, Madden R, Makin L, Valli J, Sunter J, Gluenz E. A CRISPR Cas9 high-throughput genome editing toolkit for kinetoplastids. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:170095. [PMID: 28573017 PMCID: PMC5451818 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), CRISPR-associated gene 9 (Cas9) genome editing is set to revolutionize genetic manipulation of pathogens, including kinetoplastids. CRISPR technology provides the opportunity to develop scalable methods for high-throughput production of mutant phenotypes. Here, we report development of a CRISPR-Cas9 toolkit that allows rapid tagging and gene knockout in diverse kinetoplastid species without requiring the user to perform any DNA cloning. We developed a new protocol for single-guide RNA (sgRNA) delivery using PCR-generated DNA templates which are transcribed in vivo by T7 RNA polymerase and an online resource (LeishGEdit.net) for automated primer design. We produced a set of plasmids that allows easy and scalable generation of DNA constructs for transfections in just a few hours. We show how these tools allow knock-in of fluorescent protein tags, modified biotin ligase BirA*, luciferase, HaloTag and small epitope tags, which can be fused to proteins at the N- or C-terminus, for functional studies of proteins and localization screening. These tools enabled generation of null mutants in a single round of transfection in promastigote form Leishmania major, Leishmania mexicana and bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei; deleted genes were undetectable in non-clonal populations, enabling for the first time rapid and large-scale knockout screens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Eva Gluenz
- Author for correspondence: Eva Gluenz e-mail:
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41
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Sanchez MA, Tran KD, Valli J, Hobbs S, Johnson E, Gluenz E, Landfear SM. KHARON Is an Essential Cytoskeletal Protein Involved in the Trafficking of Flagellar Membrane Proteins and Cell Division in African Trypanosomes. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:19760-73. [PMID: 27489106 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.739235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomes and related kinetoplastid parasites selectively traffic specific membrane proteins to the flagellar membrane, but the mechanisms for this trafficking are poorly understood. We show here that KHARON, a protein originally identified in Leishmania parasites, interacts with a putative trypanosome calcium channel and is required for its targeting to the flagellar membrane. KHARON is located at the base of the flagellar axoneme, where it likely mediates targeting of flagellar membrane proteins, but is also on the subpellicular microtubules and the mitotic spindle. Hence, KHARON is probably a multifunctional protein that associates with several components of the trypanosome cytoskeleton. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of KHARON mRNA results in failure of the calcium channel to enter the flagellar membrane, detachment of the flagellum from the cell body, and disruption of mitotic spindles. Furthermore, knockdown of KHARON mRNA induces a lethal failure of cytokinesis in both bloodstream (mammalian host) and procyclic (insect vector) life cycle stages, and KHARON is thus critical for parasite viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco A Sanchez
- From the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239 and
| | - Khoa D Tran
- From the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239 and
| | - Jessica Valli
- the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Hobbs
- From the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239 and
| | - Errin Johnson
- the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Gluenz
- the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom
| | - Scott M Landfear
- From the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239 and
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42
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Antitrypanosomal Activities and Mechanisms of Action of Novel Tetracyclic Iridoids from Morinda lucida Benth. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:3283-90. [PMID: 26953191 PMCID: PMC4879371 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01916-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei parasites are kinetoplastid protozoa that devastate the health and economic well-being of millions of people in Africa through the disease human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). New chemotherapy has been eagerly awaited due to severe side effects and the drug resistance issues plaguing current drugs. Recently, there has been an emphasis on the use of medicinal plants worldwide. Morinda lucida Benth. is a popular medicinal plant widely distributed in Africa, and several research groups have reported on the antiprotozoal activities of this plant. In this study, we identified three novel tetracyclic iridoids, molucidin, ML-2-3, and ML-F52, from the CHCl3 fraction of M. lucida leaves, which possess activity against the GUTat 3.1 strain of T. brucei brucei. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of molucidin, ML-2-3, and ML-F52 were 1.27 μM, 3.75 μM, and 0.43 μM, respectively. ML-2-3 and ML-F52 suppressed the expression of paraflagellum rod protein subunit 2, PFR-2, and caused cell cycle alteration, which preceded apoptosis induction in the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma parasites. Novel tetracyclic iridoids may be promising lead compounds for the development of new chemotherapies for African trypanosomal infections in humans and animals.
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43
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Perdomo D, Bonhivers M, Robinson DR. The Trypanosome Flagellar Pocket Collar and Its Ring Forming Protein-TbBILBO1. Cells 2016; 5:cells5010009. [PMID: 26950156 PMCID: PMC4810094 DOI: 10.3390/cells5010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sub-species of Trypanosoma brucei are the causal agents of human African sleeping sickness and Nagana in domesticated livestock. These pathogens have developed an organelle-like compartment called the flagellar pocket (FP). The FP carries out endo- and exocytosis and is the only structure this parasite has evolved to do so. The FP is essential for parasite viability, making it an interesting structure to evaluate as a drug target, especially since it has an indispensible cytoskeleton component called the flagellar pocket collar (FPC). The FPC is located at the neck of the FP where the flagellum exits the cell. The FPC has a complex architecture and division cycle, but little is known concerning its organization. Recent work has focused on understanding how the FP and the FPC are formed and as a result of these studies an important calcium-binding, polymer-forming protein named TbBILBO1 was identified. Cellular biology analysis of TbBILBO1 has demonstrated its uniqueness as a FPC component and until recently, it was unknown what structural role it played in forming the FPC. This review summarizes the recent data on the polymer forming properties of TbBILBO1 and how these are correlated to the FP cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doranda Perdomo
- CNRS, Microbiology Fundamental and Pathogenicity, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Mélanie Bonhivers
- CNRS, Microbiology Fundamental and Pathogenicity, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Derrick R Robinson
- CNRS, Microbiology Fundamental and Pathogenicity, UMR 5234, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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44
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Bargul JL, Jung J, McOdimba FA, Omogo CO, Adung’a VO, Krüger T, Masiga DK, Engstler M. Species-Specific Adaptations of Trypanosome Morphology and Motility to the Mammalian Host. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005448. [PMID: 26871910 PMCID: PMC4752354 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomes thrive in the bloodstream and tissue spaces of a wide range of mammalian hosts. Infections of cattle cause an enormous socio-economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. A hallmark of the trypanosome lifestyle is the flagellate's incessant motion. This work details the cell motility behavior of the four livestock-parasites Trypanosoma vivax, T. brucei, T. evansi and T. congolense. The trypanosomes feature distinct swimming patterns, speeds and flagellar wave frequencies, although the basic mechanism of flagellar propulsion is conserved, as is shown by extended single flagellar beat analyses. Three-dimensional analyses of the trypanosomes expose a high degree of dynamic pleomorphism, typified by the 'cellular waveform'. This is a product of the flagellar oscillation, the chirality of the flagellum attachment and the stiffness of the trypanosome cell body. The waveforms are characteristic for each trypanosome species and are influenced by changes of the microenvironment, such as differences in viscosity and the presence of confining obstacles. The distinct cellular waveforms may be reflective of the actual anatomical niches the parasites populate within their mammalian host. T. vivax displays waveforms optimally aligned to the topology of the bloodstream, while the two subspecies T. brucei and T. evansi feature distinct cellular waveforms, both additionally adapted to motion in more confined environments such as tissue spaces. T. congolense reveals a small and stiff waveform, which makes these parasites weak swimmers and destined for cell adherence in low flow areas of the circulation. Thus, our experiments show that the differential dissemination and annidation of trypanosomes in their mammalian hosts may depend on the distinct swimming capabilities of the parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel L. Bargul
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and technology, Nairobi, Kenya
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jamin Jung
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Francis A. McOdimba
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Collins O. Omogo
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Vincent O. Adung’a
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Egerton University, Egerton, Kenya
| | - Timothy Krüger
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniel K. Masiga
- Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Markus Engstler
- Lehrstuhl für Zell- und Entwicklungsbiologie, Biozentrum, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
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45
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Li W, Mukherjee A, Wu J, Zhang L, Teves ME, Li H, Nambiar S, Henderson SC, Horwitz AR, Strauss JF, Fang X, Zhang Z. Sperm Associated Antigen 6 (SPAG6) Regulates Fibroblast Cell Growth, Morphology, Migration and Ciliogenesis. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16506. [PMID: 26585507 PMCID: PMC4653743 DOI: 10.1038/srep16506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian Spag6 is the orthologue of Chlamydomonas PF16, which encodes a protein localized in the axoneme central apparatus, and regulates flagella/cilia motility. Most Spag6-deficient mice are smaller in size than their littermates. Because SPAG6 decorates microtubules, we hypothesized that SPAG6 has other roles related to microtubule function besides regulating flagellar/cilia motility. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were isolated from Spag6-deficient and wild-type embryos for these studies. Both primary and immortalized Spag6-deficient MEFs proliferated at a much slower rate than the wild-type MEFs, and they had a larger surface area. Re-expression of SPAG6 in the Spag6-deficient MEFs rescued the abnormal cell morphology. Spag6-deficient MEFs were less motile than wild-type MEFs, as shown by both chemotactic analysis and wound-healing assays. Spag6-deficient MEFs also showed reduced adhesion associated with a non-polarized F-actin distribution. Multiple centrosomes were observed in the Spag6-deficient MEF cultures. The percentage of cells with primary cilia was significantly reduced compared to the wild-type MEFs, and some Spag6-deficient MEFs developed multiple cilia. Furthermore, SPAG6 selectively increased expression of acetylated tubulin, a microtubule stability marker. The Spag6-deficient MEFs were more sensitive to paclitaxel, a microtubule stabilizer. Our studies reveal new roles for SPAG6 in modulation of cell morphology, proliferation, migration, and ciliogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Abir Mukherjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Jinhua Wu
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298.,School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430065, China
| | - Maria E Teves
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Hongfei Li
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Shanti Nambiar
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Scott C Henderson
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Alan R Horwitz
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Jerome F Strauss
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Xianjun Fang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Zhibing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics &Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
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Wilson CS, Chang AJ, Greene R, Machado S, Parsons MW, Takats TA, Zambetti LJ, Springer AL. Knockdown of Inner Arm Protein IC138 in Trypanosoma brucei Causes Defective Motility and Flagellar Detachment. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139579. [PMID: 26555902 PMCID: PMC4640498 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Motility in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is conferred by a single flagellum, attached alongside the cell, which moves the cell forward using a beat that is generated from tip-to-base. We are interested in characterizing components that regulate flagellar beating, in this study we extend the characterization of TbIC138, the ortholog of a dynein intermediate chain that regulates axonemal inner arm dynein f/I1. TbIC138 was tagged In situ-and shown to fractionate with the inner arm components of the flagellum. RNAi knockdown of TbIC138 resulted in significantly reduced protein levels, mild growth defect and significant motility defects. These cells tended to cluster, exhibited slow and abnormal motility and some cells had partially or fully detached flagella. Slight but significant increases were observed in the incidence of mis-localized or missing kinetoplasts. To document development of the TbIC138 knockdown phenotype over time, we performed a detailed analysis of flagellar detachment and motility changes over 108 hours following induction of RNAi. Abnormal motility, such as slow twitching or irregular beating, was observed early, and became progressively more severe such that by 72 hours-post-induction, approximately 80% of the cells were immotile. Progressively more cells exhibited flagellar detachment over time, but this phenotype was not as prevalent as immotility, affecting less than 60% of the population. Detached flagella had abnormal beating, but abnormal beating was also observed in cells with no flagellar detachment, suggesting that TbIC138 has a direct, or primary, effect on the flagellar beat, whereas detachment is a secondary phenotype of TbIC138 knockdown. Our results are consistent with the role of TbIC138 as a regulator of motility, and has a phenotype amenable to more extensive structure-function analyses to further elucidate its role in the control of flagellar beat in T. brucei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne S. Wilson
- Department of Biology, Siena College, Loudonville, New York, United States of America
| | - Alex J. Chang
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rebecca Greene
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sulynn Machado
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Matthew W. Parsons
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Taylor A. Takats
- Department of Biology, Siena College, Loudonville, New York, United States of America
| | - Luke J. Zambetti
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Amy L. Springer
- Department of Biology, Siena College, Loudonville, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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47
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Zhou Q, Li Z. γ-Tubulin complex in Trypanosoma brucei: molecular composition, subunit interdependence and requirement for axonemal central pair protein assembly. Mol Microbiol 2015. [PMID: 26224545 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
γ-Tubulin complex constitutes a key component of the microtubule-organizing center and nucleates microtubule assembly. This complex differs in complexity in different organisms: the budding yeast contains the γ-tubulin small complex (γTuSC) composed of γ-tubulin, gamma-tubulin complex protein (GCP)2 and GCP3, whereas animals contain the γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC) composed of γTuSC and three additional proteins, GCP4, GCP5 and GCP6. In Trypanosoma brucei, the composition of the γ-tubulin complex remains elusive, and it is not known whether it also regulates assembly of the subpellicular microtubules and the spindle microtubules. Here we report that the γ-tubulin complex in T. brucei is composed of γ-tubulin and three GCP proteins, GCP2-GCP4, and is primarily localized in the basal body throughout the cell cycle. Depletion of GCP2 and GCP3, but not GCP4, disrupted the axonemal central pair microtubules, but not the subpellicular microtubules and the spindle microtubules. Furthermore, we showed that the γTuSC is required for assembly of two central pair proteins and that γTuSC subunits are mutually required for stability. Together, these results identified an unusual γ-tubulin complex in T. brucei, uncovered an essential role of γTuSC in central pair protein assembly, and demonstrated the interdependence of individual γTuSC components for maintaining a stable complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Ziyin Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
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Ooi CP, Rotureau B, Gribaldo S, Georgikou C, Julkowska D, Blisnick T, Perrot S, Subota I, Bastin P. The Flagellar Arginine Kinase in Trypanosoma brucei Is Important for Infection in Tsetse Flies. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26218532 PMCID: PMC4517888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomes are flagellated parasites that cause sleeping sickness. Parasites are transmitted from one mammalian host to another by the bite of a tsetse fly. Trypanosoma brucei possesses three different genes for arginine kinase (AK) including one (AK3) that encodes a protein localised to the flagellum. AK3 is characterised by the presence of a unique amino-terminal insertion that specifies flagellar targeting. We show here a phylogenetic analysis revealing that flagellar AK arose in two independent duplication events in T. brucei and T. congolense, the two species of African trypanosomes that infect the tsetse midgut. In T. brucei, AK3 is detected in all stages of parasite development in the fly (in the midgut and in the salivary glands) as well as in bloodstream cells, but with predominance at insect stages. Genetic knockout leads to a slight reduction in motility and impairs parasite infectivity towards tsetse flies in single and competition experiments, both phenotypes being reverted upon expression of an epitope-tagged version of AK3. We speculate that this flagellar arginine kinase is important for T. brucei infection of tsetse, especially in the context of mixed infections and that its flagellar targeting relies on a system equivalent to that discovered for calflagins, a family of trypanosome flagellum calcium binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cher-Pheng Ooi
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Molecular Biology of Gene in Extremophiles Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Christina Georgikou
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Daria Julkowska
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Blisnick
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Perrot
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Ines Subota
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
UNLABELLED The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei engages in surface-induced social behavior, termed social motility, characterized by single cells assembling into multicellular groups that coordinate their movements in response to extracellular signals. Social motility requires sensing and responding to extracellular signals, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here we report that T. brucei social motility depends on cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling systems in the parasite's flagellum (synonymous with cilium). Pharmacological inhibition of cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) completely blocks social motility without impacting the viability or motility of individual cells. Using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based sensor to monitor cAMP dynamics in live cells, we demonstrate that this block in social motility correlates with an increase in intracellular cAMP levels. RNA interference (RNAi) knockdown of the flagellar PDEB1 phenocopies pharmacological PDE inhibition, demonstrating that PDEB1 is required for social motility. Using parasites expressing distinct fluorescent proteins to monitor individuals in a genetically heterogeneous community, we found that the social motility defect of PDEB1 knockdowns is complemented by wild-type parasites in trans. Therefore, PDEB1 knockdown cells are competent for social motility but appear to lack a necessary factor that can be provided by wild-type cells. The combined data demonstrate that the role of cyclic nucleotides in regulating microbial social behavior extends to African trypanosomes and provide an example of transcomplementation in parasitic protozoa. IMPORTANCE In bacteria, studies of cell-cell communication and social behavior have profoundly influenced our understanding of microbial physiology, signaling, and pathogenesis. In contrast, mechanisms underlying social behavior in protozoan parasites are mostly unknown. Here we show that social behavior in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is governed by cyclic-AMP signaling systems in the flagellum, with intriguing parallels to signaling systems that control bacterial social behavior. We also generated a T. brucei social behavior mutant and found that the mutant phenotype is complemented by wild-type cells grown in the same culture. Our findings open new avenues for dissecting social behavior and signaling in protozoan parasites and illustrate the capacity of these organisms to influence each other's behavior in mixed communities.
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50
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Molecular characterization and interactome analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi tryparedoxin II. J Proteomics 2015; 120:95-104. [PMID: 25765699 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2015.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, possesses two tryparedoxins (TcTXNI and TcTXNII), belonging to the thioredoxin superfamily. TXNs are oxidoreductases which mediate electron transfer between trypanothione and peroxiredoxins. This constitutes a difference with the host cells, in which these activities are mediated by thioredoxins. These differences make TXNs an attractive target for drug development. In a previous work we characterized TcTXNI, including the redox interactome. In this work we extend the study to TcTXNII. We demonstrate that TcTXNII is a transmembrane protein anchored to the surface of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, with a cytoplasmatic orientation of the redox domain. It would be expressed during the metacyclogenesis process. In order to continue with the characterization of the redox interactome of T. cruzi, we designed an active site mutant TcTXNII lacking the resolving cysteine, and through the expression of this mutant protein and incubation with T. cruzi proteins, heterodisulfide complexes were isolated by affinity chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry. This allowed us to identify sixteen TcTXNII interacting proteins, which are involved in a wide range of cellular processes, indicating the relevance of TcTXNII, and contributing to our understanding of the redox interactome of T. cruzi. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE T. cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, constitutes a major sanitary problem in Latin America. The number of estimated infected persons is ca. 8 million, 28 million people are at risk of infection and ~20,000 deaths occur per year in endemic regions. No vaccines are available at present, and most drugs currently in use were developed decades ago and show variable efficacy with undesirable side effects. The parasite is able to live and prolipherate inside macrophage phagosomes, where it is exposed to cytotoxic reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, derived from macrophage activation. Therefore, T. cruzi antioxidant mechanisms constitute an active field of investigation, since they could provide the basis for a rational drug development. Peroxide detoxification in this parasite is achieved by ascorbate peroxidase and different thiol-dependent peroxidases. Among them, both mitochondrial and cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidases, typical two-cysteine peroxiredoxins, were found to be important for hydrogen peroxide and peroxynitrite detoxification and their expression levels correlated with parasite infectivity and virulence. In trypanosomes tryparedoxins and not thioredoxins act as peroxiredoxin reductases, suggesting that these enzymes substitute thioredoxins in these parasites. T. cruzi possesses two tryparedoxin genes, TcTXNI and TcTXN II. Since thioredoxins are proteins with several targets actively participating of complex redox networks, we have previously investigated if this is the case also for TcTXNI, for which we described relevant partners (J Proteomics. 2011;74(9):1683-92). In this manuscript we investigated the interactions of TcTXNII. We have designed an active site mutant tryparedoxin II lacking the resolving cysteine and, through the expression of this mutant protein and its incubation with T. cruzi proteins, hetero disulfide complexes were isolated by affinity chromatography purification and identified by electrophoresis separation and MS identification. This allowed us to identify sixteen TcTXNII interacting proteins which are involved in different and relevant cellular processes. Moreover, we demonstrate that TcTXNII is a transmembrane protein anchored to the surface of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum.
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