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Walzer KA, Tandel J, Byerly JH, Daniels AM, Gullicksrud JA, Whelan EC, Carro SD, Krespan E, Beiting DP, Striepen B. Transcriptional control of the Cryptosporidium life cycle. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07466-1. [PMID: 38811723 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07466-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading agent of diarrhoeal disease in young children, and a cause and consequence of chronic malnutrition1,2. There are no vaccines and only limited treatment options3. The parasite infects enterocytes, in which it engages in asexual and sexual replication4, both of which are essential to continued infection and transmission. However, their molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear5. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal the gene expression programme of the entire Cryptosporidium parvum life cycle in culture and in infected animals. Diverging from the prevailing model6, we find support for only three intracellular stages: asexual type-I meronts, male gamonts and female gametes. We reveal a highly organized program for the assembly of components at each stage. Dissecting the underlying regulatory network, we identify the transcription factor Myb-M as the earliest determinant of male fate, in an organism that lacks genetic sex determination. Conditional expression of this factor overrides the developmental program and induces widespread maleness, while conditional deletion ablates male development. Both have a profound impact on the infection. A large set of stage-specific genes now provides the opportunity to understand, engineer and disrupt parasite sex and life cycle progression to advance the development of vaccines and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn A Walzer
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jayesh Tandel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jessica H Byerly
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Abigail M Daniels
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jodi A Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eoin C Whelan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen D Carro
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elise Krespan
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel P Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Agyabeng-Dadzie F, Xiao R, Kissinger JC. Cryptosporidium Genomics - Current Understanding, Advances, and Applications. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2024; 11:92-103. [PMID: 38813571 PMCID: PMC11130048 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-024-00318-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Here we highlight the significant contribution that genomics-based approaches have had on the field of Cryptosporidium research and the insights these approaches have generated into Cryptosporidium biology and transmission. Recent Findings There are advances in genomics, genetic manipulation, gene expression, and single-cell technologies. New and better genome sequences have revealed variable sub-telomeric gene families and genes under selection. RNA expression data now include single-cell and post-infection time points. These data have provided insights into the Cryptosporidium life cycle and host-pathogen interactions. Antisense and ncRNA transcripts are abundant. The critical role of the dsRNA virus is becoming apparent. Summary The community's ability to identify genomic targets in the abundant, yet still lacking, collection of genomic data, combined with their increased ability to assess function via gene knock-out, is revolutionizing the field. Advances in the detection of virulence genes, surveillance, population genomics, recombination studies, and epigenetics are upon us.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rui Xiao
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Jessica C. Kissinger
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Coverdell Center, 107, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
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Abstract
Cryptosporidium has historically been a difficult organism to work with, and molecular genomic data for this important pathogen have typically lagged behind other prominent protist pathogens. CryptoDB ( http://cryptodb.org/ ) was launched in 2004 following the appearance of draft genome sequences for both C. parvum and C. hominis. CryptoDB merged with the EuPathDB Bioinformatics Resource Center family of databases ( https://eupathdb.org ) and has been maintained and updated regularly since its establishment. These resources are freely available, are web-based, and permit users to analyze their own sequence data in the context of reference genome sequences in our user workspaces. Advances in technology have greatly facilitated Cryptosporidium research in the last several years greatly enhancing and extending the data and types of data available for this genus. Currently, 13 genome sequences are available for 9 species of Cryptosporidium as well as the distantly related Gregarina niphandrodes and two free-living alveolate outgroups of the Apicomplexa, Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis. Recent years have seen several new genome sequences for both existing and new Cryptosporidium species as well as transcriptomics, proteomics, SNP, and isolate population surveys. This chapter introduces the extensive data mining and visualization capabilities of the EuPathDB software platform and introduces the data types and tools that are currently available for Cryptosporidium. Key features are demonstrated with Cryptosporidium-relevant examples and explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Warrenfeltz
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jessica C Kissinger
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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