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Andrade-Alviárez D, Bonive-Boscan AD, Cáceres AJ, Quiñones W, Gualdrón-López M, Ginger ML, Michels PAM. Delineating transitions during the evolution of specialised peroxisomes: Glycosome formation in kinetoplastid and diplonemid protists. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:979269. [PMID: 36172271 PMCID: PMC9512073 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.979269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
One peculiarity of protists belonging to classes Kinetoplastea and Diplonemea within the phylum Euglenozoa is compartmentalisation of most glycolytic enzymes within peroxisomes that are hence called glycosomes. This pathway is not sequestered in peroxisomes of the third Euglenozoan class, Euglenida. Previous analysis of well-studied kinetoplastids, the ‘TriTryps’ parasites Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp., identified within glycosomes other metabolic processes usually not present in peroxisomes. In addition, trypanosomatid peroxins, i.e. proteins involved in biogenesis of these organelles, are divergent from human and yeast orthologues. In recent years, genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes for a variety of euglenozoans have become available. Here, we track the possible evolution of glycosomes by querying these databases, as well as the genome of Naegleria gruberi, a non-euglenozoan, which belongs to the same protist supergroup Discoba. We searched for orthologues of TriTryps proteins involved in glycosomal metabolism and biogenesis. Predicted cellular location(s) of each metabolic enzyme identified was inferred from presence or absence of peroxisomal-targeting signals. Combined with a survey of relevant literature, we refine extensively our previously postulated hypothesis about glycosome evolution. The data agree glycolysis was compartmentalised in a common ancestor of the kinetoplastids and diplonemids, yet additionally indicates most other processes found in glycosomes of extant trypanosomatids, but not in peroxisomes of other eukaryotes were either sequestered in this ancestor or shortly after separation of the two lineages. In contrast, peroxin divergence is evident in all euglenozoans. Following their gain of pathway complexity, subsequent evolution of peroxisome/glycosome function is complex. We hypothesize compartmentalisation in glycosomes of glycolytic enzymes, their cofactors and subsequently other metabolic enzymes provided selective advantage to kinetoplastids and diplonemids during their evolution in changing marine environments. We contend two specific properties derived from the ancestral peroxisomes were key: existence of nonselective pores for small solutes and the possibility of high turnover by pexophagy. Critically, such pores and pexophagy are characterised in extant trypanosomatids. Increasing amenability of free-living kinetoplastids and recently isolated diplonemids to experimental study means our hypothesis and interpretation of bioinformatic data are suited to experimental interrogation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Andrade-Alviárez
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | - Alejandro D. Bonive-Boscan
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | - Ana J. Cáceres
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | - Wilfredo Quiñones
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela
| | | | - Michael L. Ginger
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A. M. Michels
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution and Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Paul A. M. Michels,
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Valera-Vera EA, Concepción JL, Cáceres AJ, Acevedo GR, Fernández M, Hernández Y, Digirolamo FA, Duschak VG, Soprano LL, Pereira CA, Miranda MR, Gómez KA. IgE antibodies against Trypanosoma cruzi arginine kinase in patients with chronic Chagas disease. Mol Immunol 2021; 138:68-75. [PMID: 34364074 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Arginine kinase (AK) is an enzyme present in various invertebrates, as well as in some trypanosomatids such as T. cruzi, the etiological agent that causes Chagas disease. In invertebrates, this protein acts as an allergen inducing an IgE-type humoral immune response. Since AK is a highly conserved protein, we decided to study whether patients with chronic Chagas disease (CCD) produce specific antibodies against T. cruzi AK (TcAK). Plasma from patients with CCD, with and without cardiac alterations and non-infected individuals were evaluated for the presence of anti-TcAK IgG and IgE antibodies by ELISA, including detection of specific IgG subclasses. Our results showed that the levels of specific anti-TcAK IgG and IgE were different between infected and non-infected individuals, but comparable between those with different clinical manifestations. Interestingly, anti-TcAK IgG4 antibodies associated with IgE-mediated allergenic processes were also increased in CCD patients. Finally, we found that several of the predicted B cell epitopes in TcAK matched allergenic peptides previously described for its homologues in other organisms. Our results revealed for the first time a parasite's specific IgE antibody target and suggest that TcAK could contribute to delineate an inefficient B cell response by prompting a bias towards a Th2 profile. These findings also shed light on a potential allergenic response in the context of T. cruzi infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Augusto Valera-Vera
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas "Alfredo Lanari", Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan Luis Concepción
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 5101, Venezuela
| | - Ana Judith Cáceres
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 5101, Venezuela
| | - Gonzalo Raúl Acevedo
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marisa Fernández
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén", ANLIS-Malbrán, Ministerio de Salud, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yolanda Hernández
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén", ANLIS-Malbrán, Ministerio de Salud, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fabio Augusto Digirolamo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas "Alfredo Lanari", Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Vilma Gladys Duschak
- Área de Bioquímica de Proteínas y Glicobiología de Parásitos, Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben", ANLIS-Malbrán, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luciana Lía Soprano
- Área de Bioquímica de Proteínas y Glicobiología de Parásitos, Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben", ANLIS-Malbrán, Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio Alejandro Pereira
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas "Alfredo Lanari", Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariana Reneé Miranda
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas "Alfredo Lanari", Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Laboratorio de Parasitología Molecular, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karina Andrea Gómez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Mansur Pontes CL, Höehr de Moraes M, Lückemeyer DD, Wagner G, Andersson B, Stoco PH, Grisard EC. Differential expression and activity of arginine kinase between the American trypanosomatids Trypanosoma rangeli and Trypanosoma cruzi. Exp Parasitol 2021; 230:108159. [PMID: 34563508 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2021.108159] [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: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma rangeli is a non-virulent hemoflagellate parasite infecting humans, wild and domestic mammals in Central and Latin America. The share of genotypic, phenotypic, and biological similarities with the virulent, human-infective T. cruzi and T. brucei, allows comparative studies on mechanisms of pathogenesis. In this study, investigation of the T. rangeli Arginine Kinase (TrAK) revealed two highly similar copies of the AK gene in this taxon, and a distinct expression profile and activity between replicative and infective forms. Although TrAK expression seems stable during epimastigotes growth, the enzymatic activity increases during the exponential growth phase and decreases from the stationary phase onwards. No differences were observed in activity or expression levels of TrAK during in vitro differentiation from epimastigotes to infective forms, and no detectable AK expression was observed for blood trypomastigotes. Overexpression of TrAK by T. rangeli showed no effects on the in vitro growth pattern, differentiation to infective forms, or infectivity to mice and triatomines. Although differences in TrAK expression and activity were observed among T. rangeli strains from distinct genetic lineages, our results indicate an up-regulation during parasite replication and putative post-translational myristoylation of this enzyme. We conclude that up-regulation of TrAK activity in epimastigotes appears to improve proliferation fitness, while reduced TrAK expression in blood trypomastigotes may be related to short-term and subpatent parasitemia in mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carime Lessa Mansur Pontes
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Milene Höehr de Moraes
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Débora Denardin Lückemeyer
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Glauber Wagner
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Björn Andersson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrícia Hermes Stoco
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Edmundo Carlos Grisard
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
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Michels PAM, Villafraz O, Pineda E, Alencar MB, Cáceres AJ, Silber AM, Bringaud F. Carbohydrate metabolism in trypanosomatids: New insights revealing novel complexity, diversity and species-unique features. Exp Parasitol 2021; 224:108102. [PMID: 33775649 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2021.108102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The human pathogenic trypanosomatid species collectively called the "TriTryp parasites" - Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. - have complex life cycles, with each of these parasitic protists residing in a different niche during their successive developmental stages where they encounter diverse nutrients. Consequently, they adapt their metabolic network accordingly. Yet, throughout the life cycles, carbohydrate metabolism - involving the glycolytic, gluconeogenic and pentose-phosphate pathways - always plays a central role in the biology of these parasites, whether the available carbon and free energy sources are saccharides, amino acids or lipids. In this paper, we provide an updated review of the carbohydrate metabolism of the TriTryps, highlighting new data about this metabolic network, the interconnection of its pathways and the compartmentalisation of its enzymes within glycosomes, cytosol and mitochondrion. Differences in the expression of the branches of the metabolic network between the successive life-cycle stages of each of these parasitic trypanosomatids are discussed, as well as differences between them. Recent structural and kinetic studies have revealed unique regulatory mechanisms for some of the network's key enzymes with important species-specific variations. Furthermore, reports of multiple post-translational modifications of trypanosomal glycolytic enzymes suggest that additional mechanisms for stage- and/or environmental cues that regulate activity are operational in the parasites. The detailed comparison of the carbohydrate metabolism of the TriTryps has thus revealed multiple differences and a greater complexity, including for the reduced metabolic network in bloodstream-form T. brucei, than previously appreciated. Although these parasites are related, share many cytological and metabolic features and are grouped within a single taxonomic family, the differences highlighted in this review reflect their separate evolutionary tracks from a common ancestor to the extant organisms. These differences are indicative of their adaptation to the different insect vectors and niches occupied in their mammalian hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A M Michels
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution and Centre for Translational and Chemical Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Oriana Villafraz
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité (MFP), Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMR-5234, France
| | - Erika Pineda
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité (MFP), Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMR-5234, France
| | - Mayke B Alencar
- Laboratory of Biochemistry of Tryps, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Ana J Cáceres
- Laboratorio de Enzimología de Parásitos, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, 5101, Venezuela.
| | - Ariel M Silber
- Laboratory of Biochemistry of Tryps, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil.
| | - Frédéric Bringaud
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité (MFP), Université de Bordeaux, CNRS UMR-5234, France.
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Petkowski JJ, Bains W, Seager S. Natural Products Containing 'Rare' Organophosphorus Functional Groups. Molecules 2019; 24:E866. [PMID: 30823503 PMCID: PMC6429109 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24050866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorous-containing molecules are essential constituents of all living cells. While the phosphate functional group is very common in small molecule natural products, nucleic acids, and as chemical modification in protein and peptides, phosphorous can form P⁻N (phosphoramidate), P⁻S (phosphorothioate), and P⁻C (e.g., phosphonate and phosphinate) linkages. While rare, these moieties play critical roles in many processes and in all forms of life. In this review we thoroughly categorize P⁻N, P⁻S, and P⁻C natural organophosphorus compounds. Information on biological source, biological activity, and biosynthesis is included, if known. This review also summarizes the role of phosphorylation on unusual amino acids in proteins (N- and S-phosphorylation) and reviews the natural phosphorothioate (P⁻S) and phosphoramidate (P⁻N) modifications of DNA and nucleotides with an emphasis on their role in the metabolism of the cell. We challenge the commonly held notion that nonphosphate organophosphorus functional groups are an oddity of biochemistry, with no central role in the metabolism of the cell. We postulate that the extent of utilization of some phosphorus groups by life, especially those containing P⁻N bonds, is likely severely underestimated and has been largely overlooked, mainly due to the technological limitations in their detection and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz J Petkowski
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - William Bains
- Rufus Scientific, 37 The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Herts SG8 6ED, UK.
| | - Sara Seager
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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The Uptake and Metabolism of Amino Acids, and Their Unique Role in the Biology of Pathogenic Trypanosomatids. Pathogens 2018; 7:pathogens7020036. [PMID: 29614775 PMCID: PMC6027508 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens7020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei, as well as Trypanosoma cruzi and more than 20 species of the genus Leishmania, form a group of flagellated protists that threaten human health. These organisms are transmitted by insects that, together with mammals, are their natural hosts. This implies that during their life cycles each of them faces environments with different physical, chemical, biochemical, and biological characteristics. In this work we review how amino acids are obtained from such environments, how they are metabolized, and how they and some of their intermediate metabolites are used as a survival toolbox to cope with the different conditions in which these parasites should establish the infections in the insects and mammalian hosts.
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Ooi CP, Rotureau B, Gribaldo S, Georgikou C, Julkowska D, Blisnick T, Perrot S, Subota I, Bastin P. The Flagellar Arginine Kinase in Trypanosoma brucei Is Important for Infection in Tsetse Flies. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26218532 PMCID: PMC4517888 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
African trypanosomes are flagellated parasites that cause sleeping sickness. Parasites are transmitted from one mammalian host to another by the bite of a tsetse fly. Trypanosoma brucei possesses three different genes for arginine kinase (AK) including one (AK3) that encodes a protein localised to the flagellum. AK3 is characterised by the presence of a unique amino-terminal insertion that specifies flagellar targeting. We show here a phylogenetic analysis revealing that flagellar AK arose in two independent duplication events in T. brucei and T. congolense, the two species of African trypanosomes that infect the tsetse midgut. In T. brucei, AK3 is detected in all stages of parasite development in the fly (in the midgut and in the salivary glands) as well as in bloodstream cells, but with predominance at insect stages. Genetic knockout leads to a slight reduction in motility and impairs parasite infectivity towards tsetse flies in single and competition experiments, both phenotypes being reverted upon expression of an epitope-tagged version of AK3. We speculate that this flagellar arginine kinase is important for T. brucei infection of tsetse, especially in the context of mixed infections and that its flagellar targeting relies on a system equivalent to that discovered for calflagins, a family of trypanosome flagellum calcium binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cher-Pheng Ooi
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Brice Rotureau
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Molecular Biology of Gene in Extremophiles Unit, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Christina Georgikou
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Daria Julkowska
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Blisnick
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Perrot
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Ines Subota
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bastin
- Trypanosome Cell Biology Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, 25 Rue du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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8
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Porcel BM, Denoeud F, Opperdoes F, Noel B, Madoui MA, Hammarton TC, Field MC, Da Silva C, Couloux A, Poulain J, Katinka M, Jabbari K, Aury JM, Campbell DA, Cintron R, Dickens NJ, Docampo R, Sturm NR, Koumandou VL, Fabre S, Flegontov P, Lukeš J, Michaeli S, Mottram JC, Szöőr B, Zilberstein D, Bringaud F, Wincker P, Dollet M. The streamlined genome of Phytomonas spp. relative to human pathogenic kinetoplastids reveals a parasite tailored for plants. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004007. [PMID: 24516393 PMCID: PMC3916237 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the family Trypanosomatidae infect many organisms, including animals, plants and humans. Plant-infecting trypanosomes are grouped under the single genus Phytomonas, failing to reflect the wide biological and pathological diversity of these protists. While some Phytomonas spp. multiply in the latex of plants, or in fruit or seeds without apparent pathogenicity, others colonize the phloem sap and afflict plants of substantial economic value, including the coffee tree, coconut and oil palms. Plant trypanosomes have not been studied extensively at the genome level, a major gap in understanding and controlling pathogenesis. We describe the genome sequences of two plant trypanosomatids, one pathogenic isolate from a Guianan coconut and one non-symptomatic isolate from Euphorbia collected in France. Although these parasites have extremely distinct pathogenic impacts, very few genes are unique to either, with the vast majority of genes shared by both isolates. Significantly, both Phytomonas spp. genomes consist essentially of single copy genes for the bulk of their metabolic enzymes, whereas other trypanosomatids e.g. Leishmania and Trypanosoma possess multiple paralogous genes or families. Indeed, comparison with other trypanosomatid genomes revealed a highly streamlined genome, encoding for a minimized metabolic system while conserving the major pathways, and with retention of a full complement of endomembrane organelles, but with no evidence for functional complexity. Identification of the metabolic genes of Phytomonas provides opportunities for establishing in vitro culturing of these fastidious parasites and new tools for the control of agricultural plant disease. Some plant trypanosomes, single-celled organisms living in phloem sap, are responsible for important palm diseases, inducing frequent expensive and toxic insecticide treatments against their insect vectors. Other trypanosomes multiply in latex tubes without detriment to their host. Despite the wide range of behaviors and impacts, these trypanosomes have been rather unceremoniously lumped into a single genus: Phytomonas. A battery of molecular probes has been used for their characterization but no clear phylogeny or classification has been established. We have sequenced the genomes of a pathogenic phloem-specific Phytomonas from a diseased South American coconut palm and a latex-specific isolate collected from an apparently healthy wild euphorb in the south of France. Upon comparison with each other and with human pathogenic trypanosomes, both Phytomonas revealed distinctive compact genomes, consisting essentially of single-copy genes, with the vast majority of genes shared by both isolates irrespective of their effect on the host. A strong cohort of enzymes in the sugar metabolism pathways was consistent with the nutritional environments found in plants. The genetic nuances may reveal the basis for the behavioral differences between these two unique plant parasites, and indicate the direction of our future studies in search of effective treatment of the crop disease parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betina M. Porcel
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
- Université d'Evry, UMR 8030, Evry, France
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8030, Evry, France
- * E-mail: (BMP); (MD)
| | - France Denoeud
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
- Université d'Evry, UMR 8030, Evry, France
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8030, Evry, France
| | - Fred Opperdoes
- de Duve Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Noel
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Mohammed-Amine Madoui
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Tansy C. Hammarton
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C. Field
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Corinne Da Silva
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Arnaud Couloux
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Julie Poulain
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Michael Katinka
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - Kamel Jabbari
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
- Université d'Evry, UMR 8030, Evry, France
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8030, Evry, France
| | - Jean-Marc Aury
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
| | - David A. Campbell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Roxana Cintron
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases and Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J. Dickens
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Roberto Docampo
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases and Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Nancy R. Sturm
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | | | - Sandrine Fabre
- CIRAD, TA A-98/F, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
| | - Pavel Flegontov
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Shulamit Michaeli
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Jeremy C. Mottram
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Balázs Szöőr
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dan Zilberstein
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Frédéric Bringaud
- Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques, Université Bordeaux Segalen, CNRS UMR-5536, Bordeaux, France
| | - Patrick Wincker
- Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut de Génomique (IG), Genoscope, Evry, France
- Université d'Evry, UMR 8030, Evry, France
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), UMR 8030, Evry, France
| | - Michel Dollet
- CIRAD, TA A-98/F, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail: (BMP); (MD)
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9
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Voncken F, Gao F, Wadforth C, Harley M, Colasante C. The phosphoarginine energy-buffering system of trypanosoma brucei involves multiple arginine kinase isoforms with different subcellular locations. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65908. [PMID: 23776565 PMCID: PMC3679164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphagen energy-buffering systems play an essential role in regulating the cellular energy homeostasis in periods of high-energy demand or energy supply fluctuations. Here we describe the phosphoarginine/arginine kinase system of the kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei, consisting of three highly similar arginine kinase isoforms (TbAK1-3). Immunofluorescence microscopy using myc-tagged protein versions revealed that each isoform is located in a specific subcellular compartment: TbAK1 is exclusively found in the flagellum, TbAK2 in the glycosome, and TbAK3 in the cytosol of T. brucei. The flagellar location of TbAK1 is dependent on a 22 amino acid long N-terminal sequence, which is sufficient for targeting a GFP-fusion protein to the trypanosome flagellum. The glycosomal location of TbAK2 is in agreement with the presence of a conserved peroxisomal targeting signal, the C-terminal tripeptide ‘SNL’. TbAK3 lacks any apparent targeting sequences and is accordingly located in the cytosol of the parasite. Northern blot analysis indicated that each TbAK isoform is differentially expressed in bloodstream and procyclic forms of T. brucei, while the total cellular arginine kinase activity was 3-fold higher in bloodstream form trypanosomes. These results suggest a substantial change in the temporal and spatial energy requirements during parasite differentiation. Increased arginine kinase activity improved growth of procyclic form T. brucei during oxidative challenges with hydrogen peroxide. Elimination of the total cellular arginine kinase activity by RNA interference significantly decreased growth (>90%) of procyclic form T. brucei under standard culture conditions and was lethal for this life cycle stage in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The putative physiological roles of the different TbAK isoforms in T. brucei are further discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Voncken
- School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom.
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10
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Umair S, Knight JS, Bland RJ, Simpson HV. Molecular and biochemical characterisation of arginine kinases in Haemonchus contortus and Teladorsagia circumcincta. Exp Parasitol 2013; 134:362-7. [PMID: 23583781 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2013.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Full length cDNA encoding arginine kinases (AK) were cloned from Teladorsagia circumcincta (TcAK) and Haemonchus contortus (HcAK). The TcAK and HcAK cDNA (1080 bp) encoded 360 amino acid proteins. The predicted amino acid sequence showed 99% similarity with each other and 94% with a Caenorhabditis elegans AK. Soluble N-terminal His-tagged AK proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21, purified and characterised. All binding sites were completely conserved in both proteins. The recombinant TcAK and HcAK had very similar kinetic properties: K(m) arginine was 0.35 mM, K(m) ATP was 0.8-0.9 mM and the pH optima were pH 7.5. Arginine analogues strongly inhibited recombinant enzyme activities (up to 80%), whilst other amino acids decreased activities by a maximum of 20%. TcAK and HcAK are potential vaccine candidates because of the strong antigenicity of invertebrate phosphagens and kinases and presence in metabolically active parts of the worm.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Umair
- Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
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