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Wilde ML, Ruparel U, Klemm T, Lee VV, Calleja DJ, Komander D, Tonkin CJ. Characterisation of the OTU domain deubiquitinase complement of Toxoplasma gondii. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201710. [PMID: 36958824 PMCID: PMC10038098 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa contains several parasitic species of medical and agricultural importance. The ubiquitination machinery remains, for the most part, uncharacterised in apicomplexan parasites, despite the important roles that it plays in eukaryotic biology. Bioinformatic analysis of the ubiquitination machinery in apicomplexan parasites revealed an expanded ovarian tumour domain-containing (OTU) deubiquitinase (DUB) family in Toxoplasma, potentially reflecting functional importance in apicomplexan parasites. This study presents comprehensive characterisation of Toxoplasma OTU DUBs. AlphaFold-guided structural analysis not only confirmed functional orthologues found across eukaryotes, but also identified apicomplexan-specific enzymes, subsequently enabling discovery of a cryptic OTU DUB in Plasmodium species. Comprehensive biochemical characterisation of 11 Toxoplasma OTU DUBs revealed activity against ubiquitin- and NEDD8-based substrates and revealed ubiquitin linkage preferences for Lys6-, Lys11-, Lys48-, and Lys63-linked chain types. We show that accessory domains in Toxoplasma OTU DUBs impose linkage preferences, and in case of apicomplexan-specific TgOTU9, we discover a cryptic ubiquitin-binding domain that is essential for TgOTU9 activity. Using the auxin-inducible degron (AID) to generate knockdown parasite lines, TgOTUD6B was found to be important for Toxoplasma growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary-Louise Wilde
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ushma Ruparel
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Theresa Klemm
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - V Vern Lee
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Dale J Calleja
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - David Komander
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christopher J Tonkin
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia; and Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Seizova S, Ruparel U, Garnham AL, Bader SM, Uboldi AD, Coffey MJ, Whitehead LW, Rogers KL, Tonkin CJ. Transcriptional modification of host cells harboring Toxoplasma gondii bradyzoites prevents IFN gamma-mediated cell death. Cell Host Microbe 2021; 30:232-247.e6. [PMID: 34921775 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii develops a latent infection in the muscle and central nervous system that acts as a reservoir for acute-stage reactivation in vulnerable patients. Little is understood about how parasites manipulate host cells during latent infection and the impact this has on survival. We show that bradyzoites impart a unique transcriptional signature on infected host cells. Many of these transcriptional changes rely on protein export and result in the suppression of type I interferon (IFN) and IFNγ signaling more so than in acute stages. Loss of the protein export component, MYR1, abrogates transcriptional remodeling and prevents suppression of IFN signaling. Among the exported proteins, the inhibitor of STAT1 transcription (IST) plays a key role in limiting IFNγ signaling in bradyzoites. Furthermore, bradyzoite protein export protects host cells from IFNγ-mediated cell death, even when export is restricted to latent stages. These findings highlight the functional importance of host manipulation in Toxoplasma's bradyzoite stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Seizova
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Wellcome Center for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Ushma Ruparel
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alexandra L Garnham
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stefanie M Bader
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Alessandro D Uboldi
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael J Coffey
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Poseida Therapeutics, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lachlan W Whitehead
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kelly L Rogers
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher J Tonkin
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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