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Roldán EL, Stelinski LL, Pelz-Stelinski KS. Reduction of Wolbachia in Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae) increases phytopathogen acquisition and decreases fitness. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2024; 117:733-749. [PMID: 38701242 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Wolbachia pipientis is a maternally inherited intracellular bacterium that infects a wide range of arthropods. Wolbachia can have a significant impact on host biology and development, often due to its effects on reproduction. We investigated Wolbachia-mediated effects in the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, which transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the causal agent of citrus greening disease. Diaphorina citri are naturally infected with Wolbachia; therefore, investigating Wolbachia-mediated effects on D. citri fitness and CLas transmission required artificial reduction of this endosymbiont with the application of doxycycline. Doxycycline treatment of psyllids reduced Wolbachia infection by approximately 60% in both male and female D. citri. Psyllids treated with doxycycline exhibited higher CLas acquisition in both adults and nymphs as compared with negative controls. In addition, doxycycline-treated psyllids exhibited decreased fitness as measured by reduced egg and nymph production as well as adult emergence as compared with control lines without the doxycycline treatment. Our results indicate that Wolbachia benefits D. citri by improving fitness and potentially competes with CLas by interfering with phytopathogen acquisition. Targeted manipulation of endosymbionts in this phytopathogen vector may yield disease management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik L Roldán
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
| | - Lukasz L Stelinski
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
| | - Kirsten S Pelz-Stelinski
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850, USA
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Apopka, FL 32703, USA
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2
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Pollo SMJ, Leon-Coria A, Liu H, Cruces-Gonzalez D, Finney CAM, Wasmuth JD. Transcriptional patterns of sexual dimorphism and in host developmental programs in the model parasitic nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:171. [PMID: 37246221 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05785-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heligmosomoides bakeri (often mistaken for Heligmosomoides polygyrus) is a promising model for parasitic nematodes with the key advantage of being amenable to study and manipulation within a controlled laboratory environment. While draft genome sequences are available for this worm, which allow for comparative genomic analyses between nematodes, there is a notable lack of information on its gene expression. METHODS We generated biologically replicated RNA-seq datasets from samples taken throughout the parasitic life of H. bakeri. RNA from tissue-dwelling and lumen-dwelling worms, collected under a dissection microscope, was sequenced on an Illumina platform. RESULTS We find extensive transcriptional sexual dimorphism throughout the fourth larval and adult stages of this parasite and identify alternative splicing, glycosylation, and ubiquitination as particularly important processes for establishing and/or maintaining sex-specific gene expression in this species. We find sex-linked differences in transcription related to aging and oxidative and osmotic stress responses. We observe a starvation-like signature among transcripts whose expression is consistently upregulated in males, which may reflect a higher energy expenditure by male worms. We detect evidence of increased importance for anaerobic respiration among the adult worms, which coincides with the parasite's migration into the physiologically hypoxic environment of the intestinal lumen. Furthermore, we hypothesize that oxygen concentration may be an important driver of the worms encysting in the intestinal mucosa as larvae, which not only fully exposes the worms to their host's immune system but also shapes many of the interactions between the host and parasite. We find stage- and sex-specific variation in the expression of immunomodulatory genes and in anthelmintic targets. CONCLUSIONS We examine how different the male and female worms are at the molecular level and describe major developmental events that occur in the worm, which extend our understanding of the interactions between this parasite and its host. In addition to generating new hypotheses for follow-up experiments into the worm's behavior, physiology, and metabolism, our datasets enable future more in-depth comparisons between nematodes to better define the utility of H. bakeri as a model for parasitic nematodes in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M J Pollo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Aralia Leon-Coria
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Hongrui Liu
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - David Cruces-Gonzalez
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Constance A M Finney
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - James D Wasmuth
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
- Host-Parasite Interactions Research Training Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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3
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The microbial community associated with Parascaris spp. infecting juvenile horses. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:408. [PMID: 36333754 PMCID: PMC9636743 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05533-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parasitic nematodes, including large roundworms colloquially known as ascarids, affect the health and well-being of livestock animals worldwide. The equine ascarids, Parascaris spp., are important parasites of juvenile horses and the first ascarids to develop widespread anthelmintic resistance. The microbiota has been shown to be an important factor in the fitness of many organisms, including parasitic nematodes, where endosymbiotic Wolbachia have been exploited for treatment of filariasis in humans. Methods This study used short-read 16S rRNA sequences and Illumina sequencing to characterize and compare microbiota of whole worm small intestinal stages and microbiota of male and female intestines and gonads. Diversity metrics including alpha and beta diversity, and the differential abundance analyses DESeq2, ANCOM-BC, corncob, and metagenomeSeq were used for comparisons. Results Alpha and beta diversity of whole worm microbiota did not differ significantly between groups, but Simpson alpha diversity was significantly different between female intestine (FI) and male gonad (MG) (P= 0.0018), and Shannon alpha diversity was significantly different between female and male gonads (P = 0.0130), FI and horse jejunum (HJ) (P = 0.0383), and FI and MG (P= 0.0001). Beta diversity (Fig. 2B) was significantly different between female and male gonads (P = 0.0006), male intestine (MI) and FG (P = 0.0093), and MG and FI (P = 0.0041). When comparing organs, Veillonella was differentially abundant for DESeq2 and ANCOM-BC (p < 0.0001), corncob (P = 0.0008), and metagenomeSeq (P = 0.0118), and Sarcina was differentially abundant across four methods (P < 0.0001). Finally, the microbiota of all individual Parascaris spp. specimens were compared to establish shared microbiota between groups. Conclusions Overall, this study provided important information regarding the Parascaris spp. microbiota and provides a first step towards determining whether the microbiota may be a viable target for future parasite control options. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05533-y.
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Dudzic JP, Curtis CI, Gowen BE, Perlman SJ. A highly divergent Wolbachia with a tiny genome in an insect-parasitic tylenchid nematode. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221518. [PMID: 36168763 PMCID: PMC9515626 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1518] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia symbionts are the most successful host-associated microbes on the planet, infecting arthropods and nematodes. Their role in nematodes is particularly enigmatic, with filarial nematode species either 100% infected and dependent on symbionts for reproduction and development, or not at all infected. We have discovered a highly divergent strain of Wolbachia in an insect-parasitic tylenchid nematode, Howardula sp., in a nematode clade that has not previously been known to harbour Wolbachia. While this nematode is 100% infected with Wolbachia, we did not detect it in related species. We sequenced the Howardula symbiont (wHow) genome and found that it is highly reduced, comprising only 550 kilobase pairs of DNA, approximately 35% smaller than the smallest Wolbachia nematode symbiont genomes. The wHow genome is a subset of all other Wolbachia genomes and has not acquired any new genetic information. While it has lost many genes, including genes involved in cell wall synthesis and cell division, it has retained the entire haem biosynthesis pathway, suggesting that haem supplementation is critical. wHow provides key insights into our understanding of what are the lower limits of Wolbachia cells, as well as the role of Wolbachia symbionts in the biology and convergent evolution of diverse parasitic nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan P Dudzic
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Caitlin I Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brent E Gowen
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Steve J Perlman
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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5
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Weyandt N, Aghdam SA, Brown AMV. Discovery of Early-Branching Wolbachia Reveals Functional Enrichment on Horizontally Transferred Genes. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:867392. [PMID: 35547116 PMCID: PMC9084900 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.867392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is a widespread endosymbiont of insects and filarial nematodes that profoundly influences host biology. Wolbachia has also been reported in rhizosphere hosts, where its diversity and function remain poorly characterized. The discovery that plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) host Wolbachia strains with unknown roles is of interest evolutionarily, ecologically, and for agriculture as a potential target for developing new biological controls. The goal of this study was to screen communities for PPN endosymbionts and analyze genes and genomic patterns that might indicate their role. Genome assemblies revealed 1 out of 16 sampled sites had nematode communities hosting a Wolbachia strain, designated wTex, that has highly diverged as one of the early supergroup L strains. Genome features, gene repertoires, and absence of known genes for cytoplasmic incompatibility, riboflavin, biotin, and other biosynthetic functions placed wTex between mutualist C + D strains and reproductive parasite A + B strains. Functional terms enriched in group L included protoporphyrinogen IX, thiamine, lysine, fatty acid, and cellular amino acid biosynthesis, while dN/dS analysis suggested the strongest purifying selection on arginine and lysine metabolism, and vitamin B6, heme, and zinc ion binding, suggesting these as candidate roles in PPN Wolbachia. Higher dN/dS pathways between group L, wPni from aphids, wFol from springtails, and wCfeT from cat fleas suggested distinct functional changes characterizing these early Wolbachia host transitions. PPN Wolbachia had several putative horizontally transferred genes, including a lysine biosynthesis operon like that of the mitochondrial symbiont Midichloria, a spirochete-like thiamine synthesis operon shared only with wCfeT, an ATP/ADP carrier important in Rickettsia, and a eukaryote-like gene that may mediate plant systemic acquired resistance through the lysine-to-pipecolic acid system. The Discovery of group L-like variants from global rhizosphere databases suggests diverse PPN Wolbachia strains remain to be discovered. These findings support the hypothesis of plant-specialization as key to shaping early Wolbachia evolution and present new functional hypotheses, demonstrating promise for future genomics-based rhizosphere screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Weyandt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Shiva A Aghdam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
| | - Amanda M V Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
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6
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Wolbachia depletion blocks transmission of lymphatic filariasis by preventing chitinase-dependent parasite exsheathment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2120003119. [PMID: 35377795 PMCID: PMC9169722 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2120003119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease prioritized for global elimination. The filarial nematodes that cause the disease host a symbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia, which has been targeted using antibiotics, leading to cessation of parasite embryogenesis, waning of circulating larvae (microfilariae [mf]), and gradual cure of adult infection. One of the benefits of the anti-Wolbachia mode of action is that it avoids the rapid killing of mf, which can drive inflammatory adverse events. However, mf depleted of Wolbachia persist for several months in circulation, and thus patients treated with antibiotics are assumed to remain at risk for transmitting infections. Here, we show that Wolbachia-depleted mf rapidly lose the capacity to develop in the mosquito vector through a defect in exsheathment and inability to migrate through the gut wall. Transcriptomic and Western blotting analyses demonstrate that chitinase, an enzyme essential for mf exsheathment, is down-regulated in Wolbachia-depleted mf and correlates with their inability to exsheath and escape the mosquito midgut. Supplementation of in vitro cultures of Wolbachia-depleted mf with chitinase enzymes restores their ability to exsheath to a similar level to that observed in untreated mf. Our findings elucidate a mechanism of rapid transmission-blocking activity of filariasis after depletion of Wolbachia and adds to the broad range of biological processes of filarial nematodes that are dependent on Wolbachia symbiosis.
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Noack S, Harrington J, Carithers DS, Kaminsky R, Selzer PM. Heartworm disease - Overview, intervention, and industry perspective. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2021; 16:65-89. [PMID: 34030109 PMCID: PMC8163879 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Dirofilaria immitis, also known as heartworm, is a major parasitic threat for dogs and cats around the world. Because of its impact on the health and welfare of companion animals, heartworm disease is of huge veterinary and economic importance especially in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Within the animal health market many different heartworm preventive products are available, all of which contain active components of the same drug class, the macrocyclic lactones. In addition to compliance issues, such as under-dosing or irregular treatment intervals, the occurrence of drug-resistant heartworms within the populations in the Mississippi River areas adds to the failure of preventive treatments. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the disease, summarize the current disease control measures and highlight potential new avenues and best practices for treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Noack
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Binger Str. 173, 55216, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany
| | - John Harrington
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, 1730 Olympic Drive, 30601, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Douglas S Carithers
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, 3239 Satellite Blvd, 30096, Duluth, GA, USA
| | - Ronald Kaminsky
- paraC Consulting, Altenstein 13, 79685, Häg-Ehrsberg, Germany
| | - Paul M Selzer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Binger Str. 173, 55216, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany.
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8
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Evans CC, Day KM, Chu Y, Garner B, Sakamoto K, Moorhead AR. A rapid, parasite-dependent cellular response to Dirofilaria immitis in the Mongolian jird (Meriones unguiculatus). Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:25. [PMID: 33413609 PMCID: PMC7788973 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04455-x] [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: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Mongolian jird (Meriones unguiculatus) has long been recognized as a permissive host for the filarial parasite Brugia malayi; however, it is nonpermissive to another filarial parasite, canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis). By elucidating differences in the early response to infection, we sought to identify mechanisms involved in the species-specific clearance of these parasites. We hypothesized that the early clearance of D. immitis in intraperitoneal infection of the jird is immune mediated and parasite species dependent. METHODS Jird peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) were isolated and their attachment to parasite larvae assessed in vitro under various conditions: D. immitis and B. malayi cultured separately, co-culture of both parasites, incubation before addition of cells, culture of heat-killed parasites, and culture with PECs isolated from jirds with mature B. malayi infection. The cells attaching to larvae were identified by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS In vitro cell attachment to live D. immitis was high (mean = 99.6%) while much lower for B. malayi (mean = 5.56%). This species-specific attachment was also observed when both filarial species were co-cultured, with no significant change from controls (U(9, 14) = 58.5, p = 0.999). When we replicated these experiments with PECs derived from jirds subcutaneously infected with B. malayi, the results were similar (99.4% and 4.72% of D. immitis and B. malayi, respectively, exhibited cell attachment). Heat-killing the parasites significantly reduced cell attachment to D. immitis (mean = 71.9%; U(11, 14) = 7.5, p < 0.001) while increasing attachment to B. malayi (mean = 16.7%; U(9, 15) = 20, p = 0.002). Cell attachment to both species was reduced when larvae were allowed a 24-h pre-incubation period prior to the addition of cells. The attaching cells were identified as macrophages by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest a strongly species-dependent response from which B. malayi could not confer protection by proxy in co-culture. The changes in cell attachment following heat-killing and pre-incubation suggest a role for excretory/secretory products in host immune evasion and/or antigenicity. The nature of this attachment is the subject of ongoing study and may provide insight into filarial host specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher C Evans
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - Katherine M Day
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Yi Chu
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Bridget Garner
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Kaori Sakamoto
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Andrew R Moorhead
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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Atkinson LE, McCoy CJ, Crooks BA, McKay FM, McVeigh P, McKenzie D, Irvine A, Harrington J, Rosa BA, Mitreva M, Marks NJ, Maule AG, Mousley A. Phylum-Spanning Neuropeptide GPCR Identification and Prioritization: Shaping Drug Target Discovery Pipelines for Nematode Parasite Control. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:718363. [PMID: 34659113 PMCID: PMC8515059 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.718363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nematode parasites undermine human health and global food security. The frontline anthelmintic portfolio used to treat parasitic nematodes is threatened by the escalation of anthelmintic resistance, resulting in a demand for new drug targets for parasite control. Nematode neuropeptide signalling pathways represent an attractive source of novel drug targets which currently remain unexploited. The complexity of the nematode neuropeptidergic system challenges the discovery of new targets for parasite control, however recent advances in parasite 'omics' offers an opportunity for the in silico identification and prioritization of targets to seed anthelmintic discovery pipelines. In this study we employed Hidden Markov Model-based searches to identify ~1059 Caenorhabditis elegans neuropeptide G-protein coupled receptor (Ce-NP-GPCR) encoding gene homologs in the predicted protein datasets of 10 key parasitic nematodes that span several phylogenetic clades and lifestyles. We show that, whilst parasitic nematodes possess a reduced complement of Ce-NP-GPCRs, several receptors are broadly conserved across nematode species. To prioritize the most appealing parasitic nematode NP-GPCR anthelmintic targets, we developed a novel in silico nematode parasite drug target prioritization pipeline that incorporates pan-phylum NP-GPCR conservation, C. elegans-derived reverse genetics phenotype, and parasite life-stage specific expression datasets. Several NP-GPCRs emerge as the most attractive anthelmintic targets for broad spectrum nematode parasite control. Our analyses have also identified the most appropriate targets for species- and life stage- directed chemotherapies; in this context we have identified several NP-GPCRs with macrofilaricidal potential. These data focus functional validation efforts towards the most appealing NP-GPCR targets and, in addition, the prioritization strategy employed here provides a blueprint for parasitic nematode target selection beyond NP-GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise E. Atkinson
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Ciaran J. McCoy
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Bethany A. Crooks
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona M. McKay
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Paul McVeigh
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Darrin McKenzie
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Allister Irvine
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - John Harrington
- Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Bruce A. Rosa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Aaron G. Maule
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Mousley
- Microbes and Pathogen Biology, The Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Angela Mousley,
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10
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A Meta-Analysis of Wolbachia Transcriptomics Reveals a Stage-Specific Wolbachia Transcriptional Response Shared Across Different Hosts. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:3243-3260. [PMID: 32718933 PMCID: PMC7467002 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Wolbachia is a genus containing obligate, intracellular endosymbionts with arthropod and nematode hosts. Numerous studies have identified differentially expressed transcripts in Wolbachia endosymbionts that potentially inform the biological interplay between these endosymbionts and their hosts, albeit with discordant results. Here, we re-analyze previously published Wolbachia RNA-Seq transcriptomics data sets using a single workflow consisting of the most up-to-date algorithms and techniques, with the aim of identifying trends or patterns in the pan-Wolbachia transcriptional response. We find that data from one of the early studies in filarial nematodes did not allow for robust conclusions about Wolbachia differential expression with these methods, suggesting the original interpretations should be reconsidered. Across datasets analyzed with this unified workflow, there is a general lack of global gene regulation with the exception of a weak transcriptional response resulting in the upregulation of ribosomal proteins in early larval stages. This weak response is observed across diverse Wolbachia strains from both nematode and insect hosts suggesting a potential pan-Wolbachia transcriptional response during host development that diverged more than 700 million years ago.
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11
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Lindsey ARI. Sensing, Signaling, and Secretion: A Review and Analysis of Systems for Regulating Host Interaction in Wolbachia. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E813. [PMID: 32708808 PMCID: PMC7397232 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia (Anaplasmataceae) is an endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes that resides within host cells and is well known for manipulating host biology to facilitate transmission via the female germline. The effects Wolbachia has on host physiology, combined with reproductive manipulations, make this bacterium a promising candidate for use in biological- and vector-control. While it is becoming increasingly clear that Wolbachia's effects on host biology are numerous and vary according to the host and the environment, we know very little about the molecular mechanisms behind Wolbachia's interactions with its host. Here, I analyze 29 Wolbachia genomes for the presence of systems that are likely central to the ability of Wolbachia to respond to and interface with its host, including proteins for sensing, signaling, gene regulation, and secretion. Second, I review conditions under which Wolbachia alters gene expression in response to changes in its environment and discuss other instances where we might hypothesize Wolbachia to regulate gene expression. Findings will direct mechanistic investigations into gene regulation and host-interaction that will deepen our understanding of intracellular infections and enhance applied management efforts that leverage Wolbachia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia R I Lindsey
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Herran B, Geniez S, Delaunay C, Raimond M, Lesobre J, Bertaux J, Slatko B, Grève P. The shutting down of the insulin pathway: a developmental window for Wolbachia load and feminization. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10551. [PMID: 32601334 PMCID: PMC7324399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67428-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Using the isopod Armadillidium vulgare as a case study, we review the significance of the "bacterial dosage model", which connects the expression of the extended phenotype to the rise of the Wolbachia load. In isopods, the Insulin-like Androgenic Gland hormone (IAG) induces male differentiation: Wolbachia feminizes males through insulin resistance, presumably through defunct insulin receptors. This should prevent an autocrine development of the androgenic glands so that females differentiate instead: feminization should translate as IAG silencing and increased Wolbachia load in the same developmental window. In line with the autocrine model, uninfected males expressed IAG from the first larval stage on, long before the androgenic gland primordia begin to differentiate, and exponentially throughout development. In contrast in infected males, expression fully stopped at stage 4 (juvenile), when male differentiation begins. This co-occurred with the only significant rise in the Wolbachia load throughout the life-stages. Concurrently, the raw expression of the bacterial Secretion Systems co-increased, but they were not over-expressed relative to the number of bacteria. The isopod model leads to formulate the "bacterial dosage model" throughout extended phenotypes as the conjunction between bacterial load as the mode of action, timing of multiplication (pre/post-zygotic), and site of action (soma vs. germen).
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Herran
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 - Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose - Université de Poitiers, 5 rue Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Sandrine Geniez
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 - Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose - Université de Poitiers, 5 rue Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
- New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Carine Delaunay
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 - Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose - Université de Poitiers, 5 rue Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Maryline Raimond
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 - Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose - Université de Poitiers, 5 rue Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
| | - Jérôme Lesobre
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 - Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose - Université de Poitiers, 5 rue Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France
- Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63178, Aubière, France
| | - Joanne Bertaux
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 - Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose - Université de Poitiers, 5 rue Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France.
| | - Barton Slatko
- New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, USA
| | - Pierre Grève
- Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 - Equipe Ecologie, Evolution, Symbiose - Université de Poitiers, 5 rue Albert Turpain, TSA 51106, 86073, Poitiers Cedex 9, France.
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Drug Repurposing of Bromodomain Inhibitors as Potential Novel Therapeutic Leads for Lymphatic Filariasis Guided by Multispecies Transcriptomics. mSystems 2019; 4:4/6/e00596-19. [PMID: 31796568 PMCID: PMC6890932 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00596-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The current treatment regimen for lymphatic filariasis is mostly microfilaricidal. In an effort to identify new drug candidates for lymphatic filariasis, we conducted a three-way transcriptomics/systems biology study of one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis, Brugia malayi, its Wolbachia endosymbiont wBm, and its vector host Aedes aegypti at 16 distinct B. malayi life stages. B. malayi upregulates the expression of bromodomain-containing proteins in the adult female, embryo, and microfilaria stages. In vitro, we find that the existing cancer therapeutic JQ1(+), which is a bromodomain and extraterminal protein inhibitor, has adulticidal activity in B. malayi. To better understand the transcriptomic interplay of organisms associated with lymphatic filariasis, we conducted multispecies transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) on the filarial nematode Brugia malayi, its Wolbachia endosymbiont wBm, and its laboratory vector Aedes aegypti across the entire B. malayi life cycle. In wBm, transcription of the noncoding 6S RNA suggests that it may be a regulator of bacterial cell growth, as its transcript levels correlate with bacterial replication rates. For A. aegypti, the transcriptional response reflects the stress that B. malayi infection exerts on the mosquito with indicators of increased energy demand. In B. malayi, expression modules associated with adult female samples consistently contained an overrepresentation of genes involved in chromatin remodeling, such as the bromodomain-containing proteins. All bromodomain-containing proteins encoded by B. malayi were observed to be upregulated in the adult female, embryo, and microfilaria life stages, including 2 members of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) protein family. The BET inhibitor JQ1(+), originally developed as a cancer therapeutic, caused lethality of adult worms in vitro, suggesting that it may be a potential therapeutic that can be repurposed for treating lymphatic filariasis. IMPORTANCE The current treatment regimen for lymphatic filariasis is mostly microfilaricidal. In an effort to identify new drug candidates for lymphatic filariasis, we conducted a three-way transcriptomics/systems biology study of one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis, Brugia malayi, its Wolbachia endosymbiont wBm, and its vector host Aedes aegypti at 16 distinct B. malayi life stages. B. malayi upregulates the expression of bromodomain-containing proteins in the adult female, embryo, and microfilaria stages. In vitro, we find that the existing cancer therapeutic JQ1(+), which is a bromodomain and extraterminal protein inhibitor, has adulticidal activity in B. malayi.
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Cafarelli C, Russo G, Mathis A, Silaghi C. De novo genome sequencing and comparative stage-specific transcriptomic analysis of Dirofilaria repens. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:911-919. [PMID: 31557466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The zoonotic mosquito-borne filarial nematode Dirofilaria repens causes subcutaneous and ocular infections in dogs, cats and humans. From infected vertebrate hosts, microfilariae are taken up by mosquitoes and develop into infective L3. These are transmitted to new vertebrate hosts and develop over two further moults to adult worms. The aims of the project were (i) the de novo sequencing and annotation of the D. repens genome and (ii) comparative transcriptomic analyses of the two developmental stages, mf and L3. Genomic DNA was obtained from adult male D. repens. RNA was extracted from mf from naturally infected dogs and from L3 produced in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes fed on blood spiked with mf. The 99.59 MB genome was approximately 17% larger than that of the related species Dirofilaria immitis (dog heartworm) and contained 8.9% fewer predicted genes (10,357). Approximately 1.8% of identified proteins (206/11,262) could not be mapped to D. immitis. Out of these, six (2.9%) presented an ortholog in all other considered filarial nematodes (e.g. Loa loa) and Caenorhabditis elegans. A significantly higher number of D. repens proteins, compared with D. immitis, mapped to the filarial nematode L. loa, reflecting the similarity in biology of D. repens and L. loa. A total of 876 genes were differentially expressed, of which 591 could be annotated in UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot. In particular, 155 genes with a UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot annotation to C. elegans and filarial nematodes were upregulated in the L3 and 57 in the mf stage, respectively. Fifteen Gene Ontology Biological Processes were significantly enriched for the L3 group and 12 for the mf. To our knowledge these data provide the first insight into the differential gene expression profiles of this filarial nematode and can serve future investigations of metabolic processes and stage-specific diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Cafarelli
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr 266a, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Giancarlo Russo
- Functional Genomics Center Zürich, University of Zürich and ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Mathis
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr 266a, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- National Centre for Vector Entomology, Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr 266a, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland; Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany.
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15
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Jex AR, Gasser RB, Schwarz EM. Transcriptomic Resources for Parasitic Nematodes of Veterinary Importance. Trends Parasitol 2018; 35:72-84. [PMID: 30529253 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes are important pathogens of animals, causing diseases that impact on agricultural production worldwide. Research on these worms has been constrained by a lack of genetic and genomic tools. Nonetheless, over the past decade this field has made substantial advances, many of which have been led by transcriptomic sequencing. The present review summarises major transcriptomic studies of veterinary parasitic nematodes in recent years, and comments on overarching themes stemming from this work that inform our understanding of parasitism. Finally, we comment on current, state-of-the-art informatic tools for the analysis of complex worm transcriptomes to extract maximum the molecular information from them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron R Jex
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Erich M Schwarz
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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Grote A, Caffrey CR, Rebello KM, Smith D, Dalton JP, Lustigman S. Cysteine proteases during larval migration and development of helminths in their final host. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0005919. [PMID: 30138448 PMCID: PMC6107106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases caused by metazoan parasites are major public health concerns, and therefore, new methods for their control and elimination are needed. Research over the last 25 years has revealed the vital contribution of cysteine proteases to invasion of and migration by (larval) helminth parasites through host tissues, in addition to their roles in embryogenesis, molting, egg hatching, and yolk degradation. Their central function to maintaining parasite survival in the host has made them prime intervention targets for novel drugs and vaccines. This review focuses on those helminth cysteine proteases that have been functionally characterized during the varied early stages of development in the human host and embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Grote
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Conor R. Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Karina M. Rebello
- Laboratório de Toxinologia and Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - David Smith
- School of Biological Sciences, Medical Biology Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - John P. Dalton
- School of Biological Sciences, Medical Biology Centre, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Lustigman
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals Novel Candidate Genes for Cardinium hertigii-Caused Cytoplasmic Incompatibility and Host-Cell Interaction. mSystems 2017; 2:mSystems00141-17. [PMID: 29181449 PMCID: PMC5698495 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00141-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of insects carry maternally inherited intracellular bacteria that are important in their hosts’ biology, ecology, and evolution. Some of these bacterial symbionts cause a reproductive failure known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In CI, the mating of symbiont-infected males and uninfected females produces few or no daughters. The CI symbiont then spreads and can have a significant impact on the insect host population. Cardinium, a bacterial endosymbiont of the parasitoid wasp Encarsia in the Bacteroidetes, is the only bacterial lineage known to cause CI outside the Alphaproteobacteria, where Wolbachia and another recently discovered CI symbiont reside. Here, we sought insight into the gene expression of a CI-inducing Cardinium strain in its natural host, Encarsia suzannae. Our study provides the first insights into the Cardinium transcriptome and provides support for the hypothesis that Wolbachia and Cardinium target similar host pathways with distinct and largely unrelated sets of genes. Cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) is an intriguing, widespread, symbiont-induced reproductive failure that decreases offspring production of arthropods through crossing incompatibility of infected males with uninfected females or with females infected with a distinct symbiont genotype. For years, the molecular mechanism of CI remained unknown. Recent genomic, proteomic, biochemical, and cell biological studies have contributed to understanding of CI in the alphaproteobacterium Wolbachia and implicate genes associated with the WO prophage. Besides a recently discovered additional lineage of alphaproteobacterial symbionts only moderately related to Wolbachia, Cardinium (Bacteroidetes) is the only other symbiont known to cause CI, and genomic evidence suggests that it has very little homology with Wolbachia and evolved this phenotype independently. Here, we present the first transcriptomic study of the CI Cardinium strain cEper1, in its natural host, Encarsia suzannae, to detect important CI candidates and genes involved in the insect-Cardinium symbiosis. Highly expressed transcripts included genes involved in manipulating ubiquitination, apoptosis, and host DNA. Female-biased genes encoding ribosomal proteins suggest an increase in general translational activity of Cardinium in female wasps. The results confirm previous genomic analyses that indicated that Wolbachia and Cardinium utilize different genes to induce CI, and transcriptome patterns further highlight expression of some common pathways that these bacteria use to interact with the host and potentially cause this enigmatic and fundamental manipulation of host reproduction. IMPORTANCE The majority of insects carry maternally inherited intracellular bacteria that are important in their hosts’ biology, ecology, and evolution. Some of these bacterial symbionts cause a reproductive failure known as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In CI, the mating of symbiont-infected males and uninfected females produces few or no daughters. The CI symbiont then spreads and can have a significant impact on the insect host population. Cardinium, a bacterial endosymbiont of the parasitoid wasp Encarsia in the Bacteroidetes, is the only bacterial lineage known to cause CI outside the Alphaproteobacteria, where Wolbachia and another recently discovered CI symbiont reside. Here, we sought insight into the gene expression of a CI-inducing Cardinium strain in its natural host, Encarsia suzannae. Our study provides the first insights into the Cardinium transcriptome and provides support for the hypothesis that Wolbachia and Cardinium target similar host pathways with distinct and largely unrelated sets of genes.
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Abstract
The field of comparative genomics is concerned with the study of similarities and differences between the information encoded in the genomes of organisms. A common approach is to define gene families by clustering protein sequences based on sequence similarity, and analyze protein cluster presence and absence in different species groups as a guide to biology. Due to the high dimensionality of these data, downstream analysis of protein clusters inferred from large numbers of species, or species with many genes, is nontrivial, and few solutions exist for transparent, reproducible, and customizable analyses. We present KinFin, a streamlined software solution capable of integrating data from common file formats and delivering aggregative annotation of protein clusters. KinFin delivers analyses based on systematic taxonomy of the species analyzed, or on user-defined, groupings of taxa, for example, sets based on attributes such as life history traits, organismal phenotypes, or competing phylogenetic hypotheses. Results are reported through graphical and detailed text output files. We illustrate the utility of the KinFin pipeline by addressing questions regarding the biology of filarial nematodes, which include parasites of veterinary and medical importance. We resolve the phylogenetic relationships between the species and explore functional annotation of proteins in clusters in key lineages and between custom taxon sets, identifying gene families of interest. KinFin can easily be integrated into existing comparative genomic workflows, and promotes transparent and reproducible analysis of clustered protein data.
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Simón F, González-Miguel J, Diosdado A, Gómez PJ, Morchón R, Kartashev V. The Complexity of Zoonotic Filariasis Episystem and Its Consequences: A Multidisciplinary View. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 2017:6436130. [PMID: 28642878 PMCID: PMC5469992 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6436130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Vector-borne transmitted helminthic zoonosis affects the health and economy of both developing and developed countries. The concept of episystem includes the set of biological, environmental, and epidemiological elements of these diseases in defined geographic and temporal scales. Dirofilariasis caused by different species of the genus Dirofilaria is a disease affecting domestic and wild canines and felines and man, transmitted by different species of culicid mosquitoes. This complexity is increased because Dirofilaria species harbor intracellular symbiont Wolbachia bacteriae, which play a key role in the embryogenesis and development of dirofilariae and in the inflammatory pathology of the disease. In addition, the vector transmission makes the dirofilariasis susceptible to the influence of the climate and its variations. The present review addresses the analysis of dirofilariasis from the point of view of the episystem, analyzing the complex network of interactions established between biological components, climate, and factors related to human activity, as well as the different problems they pose. The progress of knowledge on human and animal dirofilariasis is largely due to the multidisciplinary approach. Nevertheless, different aspects of the disease need to continue being investigated and cooperation between countries and specialists involved should be intensified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Simón
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Javier González-Miguel
- Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA-CSIC), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alicia Diosdado
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Paula Josefina Gómez
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Morchón
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Vladimir Kartashev
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rostov State Medical University, Rostov-na-Donu, Russia
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lustigman
- Molecular Parasitology, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexandra Grote
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Elodie Ghedin
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States of America
- College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States of America
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Defining Brugia malayi and Wolbachia symbiosis by stage-specific dual RNA-seq. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005357. [PMID: 28358880 PMCID: PMC5373514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Filarial nematodes currently infect up to 54 million people worldwide, with millions more at risk for infection, representing the leading cause of disability in the developing world. Brugia malayi is one of the causative agents of lymphatic filariasis and remains the only human filarial parasite that can be maintained in small laboratory animals. Many filarial nematode species, including B. malayi, carry an obligate endosymbiont, the alpha-proteobacteria Wolbachia, which can be eliminated through antibiotic treatment. Elimination of the endosymbiont interferes with development, reproduction, and survival of the worms within the mamalian host, a clear indicator that the Wolbachia are crucial for survival of the parasite. Little is understood about the mechanism underlying this symbiosis. Methodology/ Principle findings To better understand the molecular interplay between these two organisms we profiled the transcriptomes of B. malayi and Wolbachia by dual RNA-seq across the life cycle of the parasite. This helped identify functional pathways involved in this essential symbiotic relationship provided by the co-expression of nematode and bacterial genes. We have identified significant stage-specific and gender-specific differential expression in Wolbachia during the nematode’s development. For example, during female worm development we find that Wolbachia upregulate genes involved in ATP production and purine biosynthesis, as well as genes involved in the oxidative stress response. Conclusions/ Significance This global transcriptional analysis has highlighted specific pathways to which both Wolbachia and B. malayi contribute concurrently over the life cycle of the parasite, paving the way for the development of novel intervention strategies. Filarial nematodes currently infect millions of people worldwide and represent a leading cause of disability. Currently available medications are insufficient in reaching elimination of these parasites. Many filarial nematodes, including Brugia malayi, have an Achilles heel of sorts—that is their obligate symbiotic relationship with the bacteria Wolbachia. While it is known that the nematode and the bacteria are co-dependent, the molecular basis of this relationship remains poorly understood. Using deep sequencing, we profiled the transcriptomes of B. malayi and Wolbachia across the life cycle of the parasite to determine the functional pathways necessary for parasite survival provided by the co-expression of nematode and bacterial genes. Defining the mechanisms of endosymbiosis between these two organisms will allow for the exploitation of this relationship for the development of new intervention strategies.
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Luck AN, Slatko BE, Foster JM. Removing the needle from the haystack: Enrichment of Wolbachia endosymbiont transcripts from host nematode RNA by Cappable-seq™. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173186. [PMID: 28291780 PMCID: PMC5349465 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient transcriptomic sequencing of microbial mRNA derived from host-microbe associations is often compromised by the much lower relative abundance of microbial RNA in the mixed total RNA sample. One solution to this problem is to perform extensive sequencing until an acceptable level of transcriptome coverage is obtained. More cost-effective methods include use of prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic rRNA depletion strategies, sometimes in conjunction with depletion of polyadenylated eukaryotic mRNA. Here, we report use of Cappable-seq™ to specifically enrich, in a single step, Wolbachia endobacterial mRNA transcripts from total RNA prepared from the parasitic filarial nematode, Brugia malayi. The obligate Wolbachia endosymbiont is a proven drug target for many human filarial infections, yet the precise nature of its symbiosis with the nematode host is poorly understood. Insightful analysis of the expression levels of Wolbachia genes predicted to underpin the mutualistic association and of known drug target genes at different life cycle stages or in response to drug treatments is typically challenged by low transcriptomic coverage. Cappable-seq resulted in up to ~ 5-fold increase in the number of reads mapping to Wolbachia. On average, coverage of Wolbachia transcripts from B. malayi microfilariae was enriched ~40-fold by Cappable-seq. Additionally, this method has an additional benefit of selectively removing abundant prokaryotic ribosomal RNAs.The deeper microbial transcriptome sequencing afforded by Cappable-seq facilitates more detailed characterization of gene expression levels of pathogens and symbionts present in animal tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N. Luck
- Genome Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States of America
| | - Barton E. Slatko
- Genome Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States of America
| | - Jeremy M. Foster
- Genome Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., Ipswich, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Grote A, Lustigman S, Ghedin E. Lessons from the genomes and transcriptomes of filarial nematodes. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2017; 215:23-29. [PMID: 28126543 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2017.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Human filarial infections are a leading cause of morbidity in the developing world. While a small arsenal of drugs exists to treat these infections, there remains a tremendous need for the development of additional interventions. Recent genome sequences and transcriptome analyses of filarial nematodes have provided novel biological insight and allowed for the prediction of novel drug targets as well as potential vaccine candidates. In this review, we discuss the currently available data, insights gained into the metabolism of these organisms, and how the filaria field can move forward by leveraging these data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Grote
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, USA
| | | | - Elodie Ghedin
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, USA.
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McNulty SN, Tort JF, Rinaldi G, Fischer K, Rosa BA, Smircich P, Fontenla S, Choi YJ, Tyagi R, Hallsworth-Pepin K, Mann VH, Kammili L, Latham PS, Dell’Oca N, Dominguez F, Carmona C, Fischer PU, Brindley PJ, Mitreva M. Genomes of Fasciola hepatica from the Americas Reveal Colonization with Neorickettsia Endobacteria Related to the Agents of Potomac Horse and Human Sennetsu Fevers. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006537. [PMID: 28060841 PMCID: PMC5257007 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Food borne trematodes (FBTs) are an assemblage of platyhelminth parasites transmitted through the food chain, four of which are recognized as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Fascioliasis stands out among the other NTDs due to its broad and significant impact on both human and animal health, as Fasciola sp., are also considered major pathogens of domesticated ruminants. Here we present a reference genome sequence of the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica isolated from sheep, complementing previously reported isolate from cattle. A total of 14,642 genes were predicted from the 1.14 GB genome of the liver fluke. Comparative genomics indicated that F. hepatica Oregon and related food-borne trematodes are metabolically less constrained than schistosomes and cestodes, taking advantage of the richer millieux offered by the hepatobiliary organs. Protease families differentially expanded between diverse trematodes may facilitate migration and survival within the heterogeneous environments and niches within the mammalian host. Surprisingly, the sequencing of Oregon and Uruguay F. hepatica isolates led to the first discovery of an endobacteria in this species. Two contigs from the F. hepatica Oregon assembly were joined to complete the 859,205 bp genome of a novel Neorickettsia endobacterium (nFh) closely related to the etiological agents of human Sennetsu and Potomac horse fevers. Immunohistochemical studies targeting a Neorickettsia surface protein found nFh in specific organs and tissues of the adult trematode including the female reproductive tract, eggs, the Mehlis' gland, seminal vesicle, and oral suckers, suggesting putative routes for fluke-to-fluke and fluke-to-host transmission. The genomes of F. hepatica and nFh will serve as a resource for further exploration of the biology of F. hepatica, and specifically its newly discovered trans-kingdom interaction with nFh and the impact of both species on disease in ruminants and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha N. McNulty
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Jose F. Tort
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Gabriel Rinaldi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, and Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Kerstin Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Bruce A. Rosa
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Pablo Smircich
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Santiago Fontenla
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Young-Jun Choi
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Rahul Tyagi
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | | | - Victoria H. Mann
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, and Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Lakshmi Kammili
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Patricia S. Latham
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Dell’Oca
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Fernanda Dominguez
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República (UDELAR), Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Carmona
- Unidad de Biología Parasitaria, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Higiene, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Peter U. Fischer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Paul J. Brindley
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, and Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Makedonka Mitreva
- McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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Stoltzfus JD, Pilgrim AA, Herbert DR. Perusal of parasitic nematode 'omics in the post-genomic era. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2016; 215:11-22. [PMID: 27887974 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The advent of high-throughput, next-generation sequencing methods combined with advances in computational biology and bioinformatics have greatly accelerated discovery within biomedical research. This "post-genomics" era has ushered in powerful approaches allowing one to quantify RNA transcript and protein abundance for every gene in the genome - often for multiple conditions. Herein, we chronicle how the post-genomics era has advanced our overall understanding of parasitic nematodes through transcriptomics and proteomics and highlight some of the important advances made in each major nematode clade. We primarily focus on organisms relevant to human health, given that nematode infections significantly impact disability-adjusted life years (DALY) scores within the developing world, but we also discuss organisms of veterinary importance as well as those used as laboratory models. As such, we envision that this review will serve as a comprehensive resource for those seeking a better understanding of basic parasitic nematode biology as well as those interested in targets for vaccination and pharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Stoltzfus
- Department of Biology, Millersville University, Millersville, PA, United States.
| | - Adeiye A Pilgrim
- Emory University School of Medicine MD/PhD Program, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - De'Broski R Herbert
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Brown AMV, Wasala SK, Howe DK, Peetz AB, Zasada IA, Denver DR. Genomic evidence for plant-parasitic nematodes as the earliest Wolbachia hosts. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34955. [PMID: 27734894 PMCID: PMC5062116 DOI: 10.1038/srep34955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia, one of the most widespread endosymbionts, is a target for biological control of mosquito-borne diseases (malaria and dengue virus), and antibiotic elimination of infectious filarial nematodes. We sequenced and analyzed the genome of a new Wolbachia strain (wPpe) in the plant-parasitic nematode Pratylenchus penetrans. Phylogenomic analyses placed wPpe as the earliest diverging Wolbachia, suggesting two evolutionary invasions into nematodes. The next branches comprised strains in sap-feeding insects, suggesting Wolbachia may have first evolved as a nutritional mutualist. Genome size, protein content, %GC, and repetitive DNA allied wPpe with mutualistic Wolbachia, whereas gene repertoire analyses placed it between parasite (A, B) and mutualist (C, D, F) groups. Conservation of iron metabolism genes across Wolbachia suggests iron homeostasis as a potential factor in its success. This study enhances our understanding of this globally pandemic endosymbiont, highlighting genetic patterns associated with host changes. Combined with future work on this strain, these genomic data could help provide potential new targets for plant-parasitic nematode control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M V Brown
- Department of Integrative Biology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
| | - Sulochana K Wasala
- Department of Integrative Biology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
| | - Dana K Howe
- Department of Integrative Biology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
| | - Amy B Peetz
- USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, 3420 NW Orchard Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA
| | - Inga A Zasada
- USDA-ARS Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, 3420 NW Orchard Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA
| | - Dee R Denver
- Department of Integrative Biology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331 USA
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Luck AN, Yuan X, Voronin D, Slatko BE, Hamza I, Foster JM. Heme acquisition in the parasitic filarial nematode Brugia malayi. FASEB J 2016; 30:3501-3514. [PMID: 27363426 PMCID: PMC5024691 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201600603r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Nematodes lack a heme biosynthetic pathway and must acquire heme from exogenous sources. Given the indispensable role of heme, this auxotrophy may be exploited to develop drugs that interfere with heme uptake in parasites. Although multiple heme-responsive genes (HRGs) have been characterized within the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we have undertaken the first study of heme transport in Brugia malayi, a causative agent of lymphatic filariasis. Through functional assays in yeast, as well as heme analog, RNAi, and transcriptomic experiments, we have shown that the heme transporter B. malayi HRG-1 (BmHRG-1) is indeed functional in B. malayi In addition, BmHRG-1 localizes both to the endocytic compartments and cell membrane when expressed in yeast cells. Transcriptomic sequencing revealed that BmHRG-1, BmHRG-2, and BmMRP-5 (all orthologs of HRGs in C. elegans) are down-regulated in heme-treated B. malayi, as compared to non-heme-treated control worms. Likely because of short gene lengths, multiple exons, other HRGs in B. malayi (BmHRG-3-6) remain unidentified. Although the precise mechanisms of heme homeostasis in a nematode with the ability to acquire heme remains unknown, this study clearly demonstrates that the filarial nematode B. malayi is capable of transporting exogenous heme.-Luck, A. N., Yuan, X., Voronin, D., Slatko, B. E., Hamza, I., Foster, J. M. Heme acquisition in the parasitic filarial nematode Brugia malayi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Luck
- New England BioLabs, Incorporated, Genome Biology Division, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xiaojing Yuan
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA; and
| | - Denis Voronin
- New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Barton E Slatko
- New England BioLabs, Incorporated, Genome Biology Division, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Iqbal Hamza
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA; and
| | - Jeremy M Foster
- New England BioLabs, Incorporated, Genome Biology Division, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA;
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Luck AN, Anderson KG, McClung CM, VerBerkmoes NC, Foster JM, Michalski ML, Slatko BE. Tissue-specific transcriptomics and proteomics of a filarial nematode and its Wolbachia endosymbiont. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:920. [PMID: 26559510 PMCID: PMC4642636 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-2083-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Filarial nematodes cause debilitating human diseases. While treatable, recent evidence suggests drug resistance is developing, necessitating the development of novel targets and new treatment options. Although transcriptomic and proteomic studies around the nematode life cycle have greatly enhanced our knowledge, whole organism approaches have not provided spatial resolution of gene expression, which can be gained by examining individual tissues. Generally, due to their small size, tissue dissection of human-infecting filarial nematodes remains extremely challenging. However, canine heartworm disease is caused by a closely related and much larger filarial nematode, Dirofilaria immitis. As with many other filarial nematodes, D. immitis contains Wolbachia, an obligate bacterial endosymbiont present in the hypodermis and developing oocytes within the uterus. Here, we describe the first concurrent tissue-specific transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of a filarial nematode (D. immitis) and its Wolbachia (wDi) in order to better understand tissue functions and identify tissue-specific antigens that may be used for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Methods Adult D. immitis worms were dissected into female body wall (FBW), female uterus (FU), female intestine (FI), female head (FH), male body wall (MBW), male testis (MT), male intestine (MI), male head (MH) and 10.1186/s12864-015-2083-2 male spicule (MS) and used to prepare transcriptomic and proteomic libraries. Results Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of several D. immitis tissues identified many biological functions enriched within certain tissues. Hierarchical clustering of the D. immitis tissue transcriptomes, along with the recently published whole-worm adult male and female D. immitis transcriptomes, revealed that the whole-worm transcriptome is typically dominated by transcripts originating from reproductive tissue. The uterus appeared to have the most variable transcriptome, possibly due to age. Although many functions are shared between the reproductive tissues, the most significant differences in gene expression were observed between the uterus and testis. Interestingly, wDi gene expression in the male and female body wall is fairly similar, yet slightly different to that of Wolbachia gene expression in the uterus. Proteomic methods verified 32 % of the predicted D. immitis proteome, including over 700 hypothetical proteins of D. immitis. Of note, hypothetical proteins were among some of the most abundant Wolbachia proteins identified, which may fulfill some important yet still uncharacterized biological function. Conclusions The spatial resolution gained from this parallel transcriptomic and proteomic analysis adds to our understanding of filarial biology and serves as a resource with which to develop future therapeutic strategies against filarial nematodes and their Wolbachia endosymbionts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2083-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Luck
- Genome Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938, USA
| | - Kathryn G Anderson
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, 54901, USA
| | - Colleen M McClung
- Chemical Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938, USA
| | - Nathan C VerBerkmoes
- Chemical Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938, USA
| | - Jeremy M Foster
- Genome Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938, USA
| | - Michelle L Michalski
- Department of Biology and Microbiology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, 54901, USA
| | - Barton E Slatko
- Genome Biology Division, New England Biolabs, Inc., 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA, 01938, USA.
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Lawrence AL, Hii SF, Chong R, Webb CE, Traub R, Brown G, Šlapeta J. Evaluation of the bacterial microbiome of two flea species using different DNA-isolation techniques provides insights into flea host ecology. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015; 91:fiv134. [PMID: 26542076 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiv134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fleas (Siphonaptera) are ubiquitous blood-sucking pests of animals worldwide and are vectors of zoonotic bacteria such as Rickettsia and Bartonella. We performed Ion Torrent PGM amplicon sequencing for the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to compare the microbiome of the ubiquitous cat flea (Ctenocephalides f. felis) and the host-specific echidna stickfast flea (Echidnophaga a. ambulans) and evaluated potential bias produced during common genomic DNA-isolation methods. We demonstrated significant differences in the bacterial community diversity between the two flea species but not between protocols combining surface sterilisation with whole flea homogenisation or exoskeleton retention. Both flea species were dominated by obligate intracellular endosymbiont Wolbachia, and the echidna stickfast fleas possessed the endosymbiont Cardinium. Cat fleas that were not surface sterilised showed presence of Candidatus 'Rickettsia senegalensis' DNA, the first report of its presence in Australia. In the case of Rickettsia, we show that sequencing depth of 50 000 was required for comparable sensitivity with Rickettsia qPCR. Low-abundance bacterial genera are suggested to reflect host ecology. The deep-sequencing approach demonstrates feasibility of pathogen detection with simultaneous quantitative analysis and evaluation of the inter-relationship of microbes within vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Lawrence
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, McMaster Building B14, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney & Pathology West, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Sze-Fui Hii
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Rowena Chong
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, McMaster Building B14, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Cameron E Webb
- Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney & Pathology West, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Rebecca Traub
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Graeme Brown
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, McMaster Building B14, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Jan Šlapeta
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, McMaster Building B14, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Dynamics of Wolbachia pipientis Gene Expression Across the Drosophila melanogaster Life Cycle. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2015; 5:2843-56. [PMID: 26497146 PMCID: PMC4683655 DOI: 10.1534/g3.115.021931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Symbiotic interactions between microbes and their multicellular hosts have manifold biological consequences. To better understand how bacteria maintain symbiotic associations with animal hosts, we analyzed genome-wide gene expression for the endosymbiotic α-proteobacteria Wolbachia pipientis across the entire life cycle of Drosophila melanogaster. We found that the majority of Wolbachia genes are expressed stably across the D. melanogaster life cycle, but that 7.8% of Wolbachia genes exhibit robust stage- or sex-specific expression differences when studied in the whole-organism context. Differentially-expressed Wolbachia genes are typically up-regulated after Drosophila embryogenesis and include many bacterial membrane, secretion system, and ankyrin repeat-containing proteins. Sex-biased genes are often organized as small operons of uncharacterized genes and are mainly up-regulated in adult Drosophila males in an age-dependent manner. We also systematically investigated expression levels of previously-reported candidate genes thought to be involved in host-microbe interaction, including those in the WO-A and WO-B prophages and in the Octomom region, which has been implicated in regulating bacterial titer and pathogenicity. Our work provides comprehensive insight into the developmental dynamics of gene expression for a widespread endosymbiont in its natural host context, and shows that public gene expression data harbor rich resources to probe the functional basis of the Wolbachia-Drosophila symbiosis and annotate the transcriptional outputs of the Wolbachia genome.
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