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Campagnaro GD, Lorenzon LB, Rodrigues MA, Defina TPA, Pinzan CF, Ferreira TR, Cruz AK. Overexpression of Leishmania major protein arginine methyltransferase 6 reduces parasite infectivity in vivo. Acta Trop 2023; 244:106959. [PMID: 37257676 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Arginine methylation is catalysed by Protein Arginine Methyltransferases (PRMTs) and can affect how a target protein functions and how it interacts with other macromolecules, which in turn impacts on cell metabolism and gene expression control. Leishmania parasites express five different PRMTs, and although the presence of each individual PRMT is not essential per se, the imbalanced activity of these PRMTs can impact the virulence of Leishmania parasites in vitro and in vivo. Here we created a Leishmania major cell line overexpressing PRMT6 and show that similar to what was observed for the T. brucei homologous enzyme, L. major PRMT6 probably has a narrow substrate range. However, its overexpression notably impairs the infection in mice, with a mild reduction in the number of viable parasites in the lymph nodes. Our results indicate that arginine methylation by LmjPRMT6 plays a significant role in the adaptation of the parasite to the environment found in the mammalian host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Daniel Campagnaro
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Bigolin Lorenzon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mateus Augusto Rodrigues
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tânia Paula Aquino Defina
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Figueiredo Pinzan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago Rodrigues Ferreira
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Angela Kaysel Cruz
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Rodriguez MA. Protein arginine methyltransferases in protozoan parasites. Parasitology 2022; 149:427-435. [PMID: 35331350 PMCID: PMC11010539 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021002043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Arginine methylation is a post-translational modification involved in gene transcription, signalling pathways, DNA repair, RNA metabolism and splicing, among others, mechanisms that in protozoa parasites may be involved in pathogenicity-related events. This modification is performed by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), which according to their products are divided into three main types: type I yields monomethylarginine (MMA) and asymmetric dimethylarginine; type II produces MMA and symmetric dimethylarginine; whereas type III catalyses MMA only. Nine PRMTs (PRMT1 to PRMT9) have been characterized in humans, whereas in protozoa parasites, except for Giardia intestinalis, three to eight PRMTs have been identified, where in each group there are at least two enzymes belonging to type I, the majority with higher similarity to human PRMT1, and one of type II, related to human PRMT5. However, the information on the role of most of these enzymes in the parasites biology is limited so far. Here, current knowledge of PRMTs in protozoan parasites is reviewed; these enzymes participate in the cell growth, stress response, stage transitions and virulence of these microorganisms. Thus, PRMTs are attractive targets for developing new therapeutic strategies against these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Alberto Rodriguez
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
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Lorenzon L, Quilles JC, Campagnaro GD, Azevedo Orsine L, Almeida L, Veras F, Miserani Magalhães RD, Alcoforado Diniz J, Rodrigues Ferreira T, Kaysel Cruz A. Functional Study of Leishmania braziliensis Protein Arginine Methyltransferases (PRMTs) Reveals That PRMT1 and PRMT5 Are Required for Macrophage Infection. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:516-532. [PMID: 35226477 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In trypanosomatids, regulation of gene expression occurs mainly at the posttranscriptional level, and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are key players in determining the fates of transcripts. RBPs are targets of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), which posttranslationally regulate the RNA-binding capacity and other RBP interactions by transferring methyl groups to arginine residues (R-methylation). Herein, we functionally characterized the five predicted PRMTs in Leishmania braziliensis by gene knockout and endogenous protein HA tagging using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. We report that R-methylation profiles vary among Leishmania species and across L. braziliensis lifecycle stages, with the peak PRMT expression occurring in promastigotes. A list of PRMT-interacting proteins was obtained in a single coimmunoprecipitation assay using HA-tagged PRMTs, suggesting a network of putative targets of PRMTs and cooperation between the R-methylation writers. Knockout of each L. braziliensis PRMT led to significant changes in global arginine methylation patterns without affecting cell viability. Deletion of either PRMT1 or PRMT3 disrupted most type I PRMT activity, resulting in a global increase in monomethyl arginine levels. Finally, we demonstrate that L. braziliensis PRMT1 and PRMT5 are required for efficient macrophage infection in vitro, and for axenic amastigote proliferation. The results indicate that R-methylation is modulated across lifecycle stages in L. braziliensis and show possible functional overlap and cooperation among the different PRMTs in targeting proteins. Overall, our data suggest important regulatory roles of these proteins throughout the L. braziliensis life cycle, showing that arginine methylation is important for parasite-host cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Lorenzon
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José C. Quilles
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Daniel Campagnaro
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lissur Azevedo Orsine
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leticia Almeida
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flavio Veras
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rubens Daniel Miserani Magalhães
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alcoforado Diniz
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiago Rodrigues Ferreira
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Angela Kaysel Cruz
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 14096089 São Paulo, Brazil
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Erlendson AA, Freitag M. Not all Is SET for Methylation: Evolution of Eukaryotic Protein Methyltransferases. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2529:3-40. [PMID: 35733008 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2481-4_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic posttranslational modifications to canonical histones that constitute the nucleosome (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) control all aspects of enzymatic transactions with DNA. Histone methylation has been studied heavily for the past 20 years, and our mechanistic understanding of the control and function of individual methylation events on specific histone arginine and lysine residues has been greatly improved over the past decade, driven by excellent new tools and methods. Here, we will summarize what is known about the distribution and some of the functions of protein methyltransferases from all major eukaryotic supergroups. The main conclusion is that protein, and specifically histone, methylation is an ancient process. Many taxa in all supergroups have lost some subfamilies of both protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT) and the heavily studied SET domain lysine methyltransferases (KMT). Over time, novel subfamilies, especially of SET domain proteins, arose. We use the interactions between H3K27 and H3K36 methylation as one example for the complex circuitry of histone modifications that make up the "histone code," and we discuss one recent example (Paramecium Ezl1) for how extant enzymes that may resemble more ancient SET domain KMTs are able to modify two lysine residues that have divergent functions in plants, fungi, and animals. Complexity of SET domain KMT function in the well-studied plant and animal lineages arose not only by gene duplication but also acquisition of novel DNA- and histone-binding domains in certain subfamilies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson A Erlendson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Michael Freitag
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
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