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Sarid L, Sun J, Chittrakanwong J, Trebicz-Geffen M, Ye J, Dedon PC, Ankri S. Queuine Salvaging in the Human Parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Cells 2022; 11:2509. [PMID: 36010587 PMCID: PMC9406330 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Queuosine (Q) is a naturally occurring modified nucleoside that occurs in the first position of transfer RNA anticodons such as Asp, Asn, His, and Tyr. As eukaryotes lack pathways to synthesize queuine, the Q nucleobase, they must obtain it from their diet or gut microbiota. Previously, we described the effects of queuine on the physiology of the eukaryotic parasite Entamoeba histolytica and characterized the enzyme EhTGT responsible for queuine incorporation into tRNA. At present, it is unknown how E. histolytica salvages queuine from gut bacteria. We used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and N-acryloyl-3-aminophenylboronic acid (APB) PAGE analysis to demonstrate that E. histolytica trophozoites can salvage queuine from Q or E. coli K12 but not from the modified E. coli QueC strain, which cannot produce queuine. We then examined the role of EhDUF2419, a protein with homology to DNA glycosylase, as a queuine salvage enzyme in E. histolytica. We found that glutathione S-transferase (GST)-EhDUF2419 catalyzed the conversion of Q into queuine. Trophozoites silenced for EhDUF2419 expression are impaired in their ability to form Q-tRNA from Q or from E. coli. We also observed that Q or E. coli K12 partially protects control trophozoites from oxidative stress (OS), but not siEhDUF2419 trophozoites. Overall, our data reveal that EhDUF2419 is central for the direct salvaging of queuine from bacteria and for the resistance of the parasite to OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lotem Sarid
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Jingjing Sun
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jurairat Chittrakanwong
- Applied Biological Sciences Program, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Meirav Trebicz-Geffen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Jun Ye
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel
| | - Peter C. Dedon
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Serge Ankri
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa 31096, Israel
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Žárský V, Klimeš V, Pačes J, Vlček Č, Hradilová M, Beneš V, Nývltová E, Hrdý I, Pyrih J, Mach J, Barlow L, Stairs CW, Eme L, Hall N, Eliáš M, Dacks JB, Roger A, Tachezy J. The Mastigamoeba balamuthi Genome and the Nature of the Free-Living Ancestor of Entamoeba. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2240-2259. [PMID: 33528570 PMCID: PMC8136499 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition of free-living organisms to parasitic organisms is a mysterious process that occurs in all major eukaryotic lineages. Parasites display seemingly unique features associated with their pathogenicity; however, it is important to distinguish ancestral preconditions to parasitism from truly new parasite-specific functions. Here, we sequenced the genome and transcriptome of anaerobic free-living Mastigamoeba balamuthi and performed phylogenomic analysis of four related members of the Archamoebae, including Entamoeba histolytica, an important intestinal pathogen of humans. We aimed to trace gene histories throughout the adaptation of the aerobic ancestor of Archamoebae to anaerobiosis and throughout the transition from a free-living to a parasitic lifestyle. These events were associated with massive gene losses that, in parasitic lineages, resulted in a reduction in structural features, complete losses of some metabolic pathways, and a reduction in metabolic complexity. By reconstructing the features of the common ancestor of Archamoebae, we estimated preconditions for the evolution of parasitism in this lineage. The ancestor could apparently form chitinous cysts, possessed proteolytic enzyme machinery, compartmentalized the sulfate activation pathway in mitochondrion-related organelles, and possessed the components for anaerobic energy metabolism. After the split of Entamoebidae, this lineage gained genes encoding surface membrane proteins that are involved in host–parasite interactions. In contrast, gene gains identified in the M. balamuthi lineage were predominantly associated with polysaccharide catabolic processes. A phylogenetic analysis of acquired genes suggested an essential role of lateral gene transfer in parasite evolution (Entamoeba) and in adaptation to anaerobic aquatic sediments (Mastigamoeba).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Žárský
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Klimeš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Pačes
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Čestmír Vlček
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Miluše Hradilová
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Beneš
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genomics Core Facility, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eva Nývltová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Hrdý
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Pyrih
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Mach
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Lael Barlow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Courtney W Stairs
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.,Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura Eme
- Diversity, Ecology and Evolution of Microbes (DEEM), Unité Ecologie Systématique Evolution Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Neil Hall
- The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, CAS, v.v.i., Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Andrew Roger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
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McGugan GC, Joshi MB, Dwyer DM. Identification and biochemical characterization of unique secretory nucleases of the human enteric pathogen, Entamoeba histolytica. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:31789-802. [PMID: 17766245 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m705975200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The ancient eukaryotic human pathogen, Entamoeba histolytica, is a nucleo-base auxotroph (i.e. lacks the ability to synthesize purines or pyrimidines de novo) and therefore is totally dependent upon its host for the supply of these essential nutrients. In this study, we identified two unique 28-kDa, dithiothreitol-sensitive nucleases and showed that they are constitutively released/secreted by parasites during axenic culture. Using several different molecular approaches, we identified and characterized the structure of EhNucI and EhNucII, genes that encode ribonuclease T2 family proteins. Homologous episomal expression of epitope-tagged EhNucI and EhNucII chimeric constructs was used to define the functional and biochemical properties of these released/secreted enzymes. Results of coupled immunoprecipitation-enzyme activity analyses demonstrated that these "secretory" enzymes could hydrolyze a variety of synthetic polynucleotides, as well as the natural nucleic acid substrate RNA. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that sera from acutely infected amebiasis patients recognized and immunoprecipitated these parasite secretory enzymes. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that within its host, these secretory nucleases could function, at a distance away from the parasite, to harness (i.e. hydrolyze/access) host-derived nucleic acids to satisfy the essential purine and pyrimidine requirements of these organisms. Thus, these enzymes might play an important role in facilitating the survival, growth, and development of this important human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen C McGugan
- Cell Biology Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, Division of Intramural Research, NIAID, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0425, USA
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Abstract
Parasites are responsible for a wide variety of infectious diseases in human as well as in domestic and wild animals, causing an enormous health and economical blight. Current containment strategies are not entirely successful and parasitic infections are on the rise. In the absence of availability of antiparasitic vaccines, chemotherapy remains the mainstay for the treatment of most parasitic diseases. However, there is an urgent need for new drugs to prevent or combat some major parasitic infections because of lack of a single effective approach for controlling the parasites (e.g., trypanosomiasis) or because some serious parasitic infections developed resistance to presently available drugs (e.g., malaria). The rational design of a drug is usually based on biochemical and physiological differences between pathogens and host. Some of the most striking differences between parasites and their mammalian host are found in purine metabolism. Purine nucleotides can be synthesized by the de novo and/or the so-called "salvage" pathways. Unlike their mammalian host, most parasites studied lack the pathways for de novo purine biosynthesis and rely on the salvage pathways to meet their purine demands. Moreover, because of the great phylogenic separation between the host and the parasite, there are in some cases sufficient distinctions between corresponding enzymes of the purine salvage from the host and the parasite that can be exploited to design specific inhibitors or "subversive substrates" for the parasitic enzymes. Furthermore, the specificities of purine transport, the first step in purine salvage, diverge significantly between parasites and their mammalian host. This review highlights the unique transporters and enzymes responsible for the salvage of purines in parasites that could constitute excellent potential targets for the design of safe and effective antiparasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud H el Kouni
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for AIDS Research, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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