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Mouawad C, Awad MK, Liegeois S, Ferrandon D, Sanchis-Borja V, El Chamy L. The NF-κB factor Relish is essential for the epithelial defenses protecting against δ-endotoxin dependent effects of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis infection in the Drosophila model. Res Microbiol 2023; 174:104089. [PMID: 37348743 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2023.104089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is largely regarded as the most selective, safe and ecofriendly biopesticide used for the control of insect vectors of human diseases. Bti enthomopathogenicity relies on the Cry and Cyt δ-endotoxins, produced as crystalline inclusions during sporulation. Insecticidal selectivity of Bti is mainly ascribed to the binding of the Cry toxins to receptors in the gut of target insects. However, the contribution of epithelial defenses in limiting Bti side effects in non-target species remains largely unexplored. Here, taking advantage of the genetically tractable Drosophila melanogaster model and its amenability for deciphering highly conserved innate immune defenses, we unravel a central role of the NF-κB factor Relish in the protection against the effects of ingested Bti spores in a non-susceptible host. Intriguingly, our data indicate that the Bti-induced Relish response is independent of its canonical activation downstream of peptidoglycan sensing and does not involve its longstanding role in the regulation of antimicrobial peptides encoding genes. In contrast, our data highlight a novel enterocyte specific function of Relish that is essential for preventing general septicemia following Bti oral infections strictly when producing δ-endotoxins. Altogether, our data provide novel insights into Bti-hosts interactions of prominent interest for the optimization and sustainability of insects' biocontrol strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine Mouawad
- Unité de Recherche Environnement, Génomique et Protéomique, Faculté des Sciences, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth-Liban, Mar Roukos, Mkalles, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Mireille Kallassy Awad
- Unité de Recherche Environnement, Génomique et Protéomique, Faculté des Sciences, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth-Liban, Mar Roukos, Mkalles, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Samuel Liegeois
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Modèles Insectes de l'Immunité Innée, UPR 9022 du CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Dominique Ferrandon
- Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Modèles Insectes de l'Immunité Innée, UPR 9022 du CNRS, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Vincent Sanchis-Borja
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Micalis Institute, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
| | - Laure El Chamy
- Unité de Recherche Environnement, Génomique et Protéomique, Faculté des Sciences, Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth-Liban, Mar Roukos, Mkalles, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Yang S, Li X, Xiu M, Dai Y, Wan S, Shi Y, Liu Y, He J. Flos puerariae ameliorates the intestinal inflammation of Drosophila via modulating the Nrf2/Keap1, JAK-STAT and Wnt signaling. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:893758. [PMID: 36059974 PMCID: PMC9432424 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.893758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut homeostasis is important for human health, and its disruption can lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Flos Puerariae is a herb with a wide variety of pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antidiabetic, antialcoholismic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the role of Flos Puerariae on treating IBD remains obscure. Here, we employed Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to investigate the protective effect of Flos Puerariae extract (FPE) against sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-induced intestinal injury. Our data showed that FPE had no toxic effect in flies, and significantly extended lifespan in SDS-inflamed flies, reduced stem cell proliferation in the midgut, and maintained intestinal morphological integrity. Furthermore, FPE remarkably recused the altered expression level of genes and proteins in Nrf2/Keap1 signaling, JAK-STAT signaling and Wnt signaling pathways in gut of inflammation flies. Thus, FPE has a protective effect against intestinal injury possibly via increasing the Nrf2/keap1 pathway and suppressing the JAK-STAT and Wnt signaling pathways, which would have tremendous potential for treating IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipei Yang
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xu Li
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Minghui Xiu
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Gansu, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuting Dai
- College of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shengfang Wan
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yan Shi
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yongqi Liu
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jianzheng He, ; Yongqi Liu,
| | - Jianzheng He
- Provincial-Level Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine of Major Diseases and The Prevention and Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine Research in Gansu Colleges and University, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- College of Basic Medicine, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory for Transfer of Dunhuang Medicine at the Provincial and Ministerial Level, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jianzheng He, ; Yongqi Liu,
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Shin M, Ferguson M, Willms RJ, Jones LO, Petkau K, Foley E. Immune regulation of intestinal-stem-cell function in Drosophila. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:741-755. [PMID: 35303435 PMCID: PMC9023782 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal progenitor cells integrate signals from their niche, and the gut lumen, to divide and differentiate at a rate that maintains an epithelial barrier to microbial invasion of the host interior. Despite the importance of evolutionarily conserved innate immune defenses to maintain stable host-microbe relationships, we know little about contributions of stem-cell immunity to gut homeostasis. We used Drosophila to determine the consequences of intestinal-stem-cell immune activity for epithelial homeostasis. We showed that loss of stem-cell immunity greatly impacted growth and renewal in the adult gut. In particular, we found that inhibition of stem-cell immunity impeded progenitor-cell growth and differentiation, leading to a gradual loss of stem-cell numbers with age and an impaired differentiation of mature enteroendocrine cells. Our results highlight the importance of immune signaling in stem cells for epithelial function in the adult gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjeong Shin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Meghan Ferguson
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton, AB Canada; Department of Cell Biology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton AB, Canada
| | - Reegan J Willms
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Lena O Jones
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Kristina Petkau
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton, AB Canada
| | - Edan Foley
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton, AB Canada; Department of Cell Biology Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry University of Alberta Edmonton, Edmonton AB, Canada.
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Abey NO, Ebuehi OAT, Imaga NA. Perinatal dietary protein deficiency alters ovarian genes critical to reproductive health from one generation to another in female rat models. GENE REPORTS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2021.101225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/30/2022]
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Wu K, Tang Y, Zhang Q, Zhuo Z, Sheng X, Huang J, Ye J, Li X, Liu Z, Chen H. Aging-related upregulation of the homeobox gene caudal represses intestinal stem cell differentiation in Drosophila. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009649. [PMID: 34228720 PMCID: PMC8284806 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The differentiation efficiency of adult stem cells undergoes a significant decline in aged animals, which is closely related to the decline in organ function and age-associated diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms that ultimately lead to this observed decline of the differentiation efficiency of stem cells remain largely unclear. This study investigated Drosophila midguts and identified an obvious upregulation of caudal (cad), which encodes a homeobox transcription factor. This factor is traditionally known as a central regulator of embryonic anterior-posterior body axis patterning. This study reports that depletion of cad in intestinal stem/progenitor cells promotes quiescent intestinal stem cells (ISCs) to become activate and produce enterocytes in the midgut under normal gut homeostasis conditions. However, overexpression of cad results in the failure of ISC differentiation and intestinal epithelial regeneration after injury. Moreover, this study suggests that cad prevents intestinal stem/progenitor cell differentiation by modulating the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of the transcription pathway and Sox21a-GATAe signaling cascade. Importantly, the reduction of cad expression in intestinal stem/progenitor cells restrained age-associated gut hyperplasia in Drosophila. This study identified a function of the homeobox gene cad in the modulation of adult stem cell differentiation and suggested a potential gene target for the treatment of age-related diseases induced by age-related stem cell dysfunction. Adult stem cells undergo an aging-related decline of differentiation efficiency in aged animals. However, the underlying mechanisms that ultimately lead to this observed decline of differentiation efficiency in stem cells still remain largely unclear. By using the Drosophila midgut as a model system, this study identified the homeobox family transcription factor gene caudal (cad), the expression of which is significantly upregulated in intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and progenitor cells of aged Drosophila. Depletion of cad promoted quiescent ISCs to become activate and produce enterocytes (ECs) in midguts under normal gut homeostasis conditions; However, overexpression of cad resulted in the failure of ISC differentiation and intestinal epithelial regeneration after injury. Moreover, cad prevents ISC-to-EC differentiation by inhibiting JAK/STAT signaling, and the expressions of Sox21a and GATAe. Reduction of cad expression in intestinal stem/progenitor cells restrained age-associated gut hyperplasia in Drosophila. These findings enable a detailed understanding of the roles of homeobox genes in the modulation of adult stem cell aging in humans. This will be beneficial for the treatment of age-associated diseases that are caused by a functional decline of stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yiming Tang
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiaoqiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhangpeng Zhuo
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiao Sheng
- Laboratory for Aging and Stem Cell Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jingping Huang
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie’er Ye
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaorong Li
- Key Laboratory of Gene Engineering of the Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhiming Liu
- Laboratory for Aging and Stem Cell Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Haiyang Chen
- Laboratory for Aging and Stem Cell Research, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- * E-mail:
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Bai S, Yao Z, Raza MF, Cai Z, Zhang H. Regulatory mechanisms of microbial homeostasis in insect gut. INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 28:286-301. [PMID: 32888254 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Insects live in incredibly complex environments. The intestinal epithelium of insects is in constant contact with microorganisms, some of which are beneficial and some harmful to the host. Insect gut health and function are maintained through multidimensional mechanisms that can proficiently remove foreign pathogenic microorganisms while effectively maintaining local symbiotic microbial homeostasis. The basic immune mechanisms of the insect gut, such as the dual oxidase-reactive oxygen species (Duox-ROS) system and the immune deficiency (Imd)-signaling pathway, are involved in the maintenance of microbial homeostasis. This paper reviews the role of physical defenses, the Duox-ROS and Imd signaling pathways, the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling pathway, and intestinal symbiotic flora in the homeostatic maintenance of the insect gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhichao Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Muhammad Fahim Raza
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhaohui Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hongyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), China-Australia Joint Research Centre for Horticultural and Urban Pests, Institute of Urban and Horticultural Entomology, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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Sloan MA, Sadlova J, Lestinova T, Sanders MJ, Cotton JA, Volf P, Ligoxygakis P. The Phlebotomus papatasi systemic transcriptional response to trypanosomatid-contaminated blood does not differ from the non-infected blood meal. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:15. [PMID: 33407867 PMCID: PMC7789365 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04498-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmaniasis, caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania, is a disease that affects up to 8 million people worldwide. Parasites are transmitted to human and animal hosts through the bite of an infected sand fly. Novel strategies for disease control require a better understanding of the key step for transmission, namely the establishment of infection inside the fly. Methods The aim of this work was to identify sand fly systemic transcriptomic signatures associated with Leishmania infection. We used next generation sequencing to describe the transcriptome of whole Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies when fed with blood alone (control) or with blood containing one of three trypanosomatids: Leishmania major, L. donovani and Herpetomonas muscarum, the latter being a parasite not transmitted to humans. Results Of the trypanosomatids studied, only L. major was able to successfully establish an infection in the host P. papatasi. However, the transcriptional signatures observed after each parasite-contaminated blood meal were not specific to success or failure of a specific infection and they did not differ from each other. The transcriptional signatures were also indistinguishable after a non-contaminated blood meal. Conclusions The results imply that sand flies perceive Leishmania as just one feature of their microbiome landscape and that any strategy to tackle transmission should focus on the response towards the blood meal rather than parasite establishment. Alternatively, Leishmania could suppress host responses. These results will generate new thinking around the concept of stopping transmission by controlling the parasite inside the insect.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Sloan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jovana Sadlova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Lestinova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Mandy J Sanders
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - James A Cotton
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, Cambridgeshire, UK
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasites are causative agents of important human and animal diseases such as sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis. Most trypanosomatids are transmitted to their mammalian hosts by insects, often belonging to Diptera (or true flies). With resistance to both vector-targeted pesticides and trypanocidal drugs being reported, there is a need for novel transmission blocking strategies to be developed. Studies using the blood-feeding vectors themselves are not broadly accessible, as such, new model systems are being developed to unpick insect-trypanosmatids interactions. One such case is the interactions between the model dipteran Dr osophila melanogaster and its natural trypanosomatid Herpetomonas muscarum Our previous work has found that much of the transcriptomic changes triggered in H. muscarum after ingestion by Drosophila reflect what is known for disease-causing trypanosomatids. Here we describe a set of tools to genetically manipulate the parasite and therefore create a truly tractable insect-parasite interaction system from both sides of this association. These include transgenic fluorescently tagged parasites to follow infection dynamics in the fly gut as well as iterations of plasmids that can be used for generating knock-in and knock-out strains. The tools presented in this short report will facilitate further characterization of trypanosomatid establishment in a model dipteran.
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9
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An Optogenetic Method to Study Signal Transduction in Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:3159-3176. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Sloan MA, Brooks K, Otto TD, Sanders MJ, Cotton JA, Ligoxygakis P. Transcriptional and genomic parallels between the monoxenous parasite Herpetomonas muscarum and Leishmania. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1008452. [PMID: 31710597 PMCID: PMC6872171 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasites are causative agents of important human and animal diseases such as sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis. Most trypanosomatids are transmitted to their mammalian hosts by insects, often belonging to Diptera (or true flies). These are called dixenous trypanosomatids since they infect two different hosts, in contrast to those that infect just insects (monoxenous). However, it is still unclear whether dixenous and monoxenous trypanosomatids interact similarly with their insect host, as fly-monoxenous trypanosomatid interaction systems are rarely reported and under-studied-despite being common in nature. Here we present the genome of monoxenous trypanosomatid Herpetomonas muscarum and discuss its transcriptome during in vitro culture and during infection of its natural insect host Drosophila melanogaster. The H. muscarum genome is broadly syntenic with that of human parasite Leishmania major. We also found strong similarities between the H. muscarum transcriptome during fruit fly infection, and those of Leishmania during sand fly infections. Overall this suggests Drosophila-Herpetomonas is a suitable model for less accessible insect-trypanosomatid host-parasite systems such as sand fly-Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A. Sloan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Brooks
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hixton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas D. Otto
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hixton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Mandy J. Sanders
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hixton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - James A. Cotton
- The Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hixton, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Filosa JN, Berry CT, Ruthel G, Beverley SM, Warren WC, Tomlinson C, Myler PJ, Dudkin EA, Povelones ML, Povelones M. Dramatic changes in gene expression in different forms of Crithidia fasciculata reveal potential mechanisms for insect-specific adhesion in kinetoplastid parasites. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007570. [PMID: 31356610 PMCID: PMC6687205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinetoplastids are a group of parasites that includes several medically-important species. These human-infective species are transmitted by insect vectors in which the parasites undergo specific developmental transformations. For each species, this includes a stage in which parasites adhere to insect tissue via a hemidesmosome-like structure. Although this structure has been described morphologically, it has never been molecularly characterized. We are using Crithidia fasciculata, an insect parasite that produces large numbers of adherent parasites inside its mosquito host, as a model kinetoplastid to investigate both the mechanism of adherence and the signals required for differentiation to an adherent form. An advantage of C. fasciculata is that adherent parasites can be generated both in vitro, allowing a direct comparison to cultured swimming forms, as well as in vivo within the mosquito. Using RNAseq, we identify genes associated with adherence in C. fasciculata. As almost all of these genes have orthologs in other kinetoplastid species, our findings may reveal shared mechanisms of adherence, allowing investigation of a crucial step in parasite development and disease transmission. In addition, dual-RNAseq allowed us to explore the interaction between the parasites and the mosquito. Although the infection is well-tolerated, anti-microbial peptides and other components of the mosquito innate immune system are upregulated. Our findings indicate that C. fasciculata is a powerful model system for probing kinetoplastid-insect interactions. Kinetoplastids are single-celled parasites that cause devastating human diseases worldwide. Although this group includes many species that infect a variety of hosts, they have a great deal of shared biology. One relatively unexplored aspect of the kinetoplastid life cycle is their ability to adhere to insect tissue. For pathogenic species, adherence is critical for transmission by insect vectors. We have used an insect parasite called Crithidia fasciculata as a model kinetoplastid to reveal shared mechanisms of insect adherence. We have compared gene expression profiles of motile, non-adherent C. fasciculata to those of C. fasciculata adhered to non-living substrates and those attached to the hindgut of mosquitoes. Through this analysis, we have identified a large number of candidate proteins that may mediate adhesion in these and related parasites. In addition, our findings suggest that the mosquito immune system is responding to the presence of parasites in the gut. These results establish a new, robust system to explore the interaction between kinetoplastids and their insect hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N. Filosa
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Corbett T. Berry
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gordon Ruthel
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Beverley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Wesley C. Warren
- University of Missouri, Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Chad Tomlinson
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Myler
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. Dudkin
- Department of Biology, Penn State Brandywine, Media, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Megan L. Povelones
- Department of Biology, Penn State Brandywine, Media, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MLP); (MP)
| | - Michael Povelones
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MLP); (MP)
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