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Grujčić V, Saarenpää S, Sundh J, Sennblad B, Norgren B, Latz M, Giacomello S, Foster RA, Andersson AF. Towards high-throughput parallel imaging and single-cell transcriptomics of microbial eukaryotic plankton. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296672. [PMID: 38241213 PMCID: PMC10798536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-cell transcriptomics has the potential to provide novel insights into poorly studied microbial eukaryotes. Although several such technologies are available and benchmarked on mammalian cells, few have been tested on protists. Here, we applied a microarray single-cell sequencing (MASC-seq) technology, that generates microscope images of cells in parallel with capturing their transcriptomes, on three species representing important plankton groups with different cell structures; the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa sp. Both the cell fixation and permeabilization steps were adjusted. For the ciliate and dinoflagellate, the number of transcripts of microarray spots with single cells were significantly higher than for background spots, and the overall expression patterns were correlated with that of bulk RNA, while for the much smaller diatom cells, it was not possible to separate single-cell transcripts from background. The MASC-seq method holds promise for investigating "microbial dark matter", although further optimizations are necessary to increase the signal-to-noise ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesna Grujčić
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sami Saarenpää
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John Sundh
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Bengt Sennblad
- Science for Life Laboratory, Dept of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Norgren
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Meike Latz
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefania Giacomello
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rachel A. Foster
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders F. Andersson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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Cho A, Tikhonenkov DV, Lax G, Prokina KI, Keeling PJ. Phylogenomic position of genetically diverse phagotrophic stramenopile flagellates in the sediment-associated MAST-6 lineage and a potentially halotolerant placididean. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2024; 190:107964. [PMID: 37951557 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Unlike morphologically conspicuous ochrophytes, many flagellates belonging to basally branching stramenopiles are small and often overlooked. As a result, many of these lineages are known only through molecular surveys and identified as MArine STramenopiles (MAST), and remain largely uncharacterized at the cellular or genomic level. These likely phagotrophic flagellates are not only phylogenetically diverse, but also extremely abundant in some environments, making their characterization all the more important. MAST-6 is one example of a phylogenetically distinct group that has been known to be associated with sediments, but little else is known about it. Indeed, until the present study, only a single species from this group, Pseudophyllomitus vesiculosus (Pseudophyllomitidae), has been both formally described and associated with genomic information. Here, we describe four new species including two new genera of sediment-dwelling MAST-6, Vomastramonas tehuelche gen. et sp. nov., Mastreximonas tlaamin gen. et sp. nov., one undescribed Pseudophyllomitus sp., BSC2, and a new species belonging to Placididea, the potentially halotolerant Haloplacidia sinai sp. nov. We also provide two additional bikosian transcriptomes from a public culture collection, to allow for better phylogenetic reconstructions of deep-branching stramenopiles. With the SSU rRNA sequences of the new MAST-6 species, we investigate the phylogenetic diversity of the MAST-6 group and show a high relative abundance of MAST-6 related to M. tlaamin in samples across various depths and geographical locations. Using the new MAST-6 species, we also update the phylogenomic tree of stramenopiles, particularly focusing on the paraphyly of Bigyra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Cho
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Denis V Tikhonenkov
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Science, Borok 152742, Russia
| | - Gordon Lax
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kristina I Prokina
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Science, Borok 152742, Russia; Ecologie Systématique Evolution, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, British Columbia, Canada
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Tice AK, Spiegel FW, Brown MW. Phylogenetic placement of the protosteloid amoeba Microglomus paxillus identifies another case of sporocarpic fruiting in Discosea (Amoebozoa). J Eukaryot Microbiol 2023:e12971. [PMID: 36825799 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Protosteloid amoebae are a paraphyletic assemblage of amoeboid protists found exclusively in the eukaryotic assemblage Amoebozoa. These amoebae can facultatively form a dispersal structure known as a fruiting body, or more specifically, a sporocarp, from a single amoeboid cell. Sporocarps consist of one to a few spores atop a noncellular stalk. Protosteloid amoebae are known in two out of three well-established major assemblages of Amoebozoa. Amoebae with a protosteloid life cycle are known in the major Amoebozoa lineages Discosea and Evosea but not in Tubulinea. To date, only one genus, which is monotypic, lacks sequence data and, therefore, remains phylogenetically homeless. To further clarify the evolutionary milieu of sporocarpic fruiting we used single-cell transcriptomics to obtain data from individual sporocarps of isolates of the protosteloid amoeba Microglomus paxillus. Our phylogenomic analyses using 229 protein coding markers suggest that M. paxillus is a member of the Discosea lineage of Amoebozoa most closely related to Mycamoeba gemmipara. Due to the hypervariable nature of the SSU rRNA sequence we were unable to further resolve the phylogenetic position of M. paxillus in taxon rich datasets using only this marker. Regardless, our results widen the known distribution of sporocarpy in Discosea and stimulate the debate between a single or multiple origins of sporocarpic fruiting in Amoebozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K Tice
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
| | - Frederick W Spiegel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Matthew W Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
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Rodríguez-Walker M, Molina CR, Luján LA, Saura A, Jerlström-Hultqvist J, Svärd SG, Fernández EA, Luján HD. Comprehensive characterization of Cysteine-rich protein-coding genes of Giardia lamblia and their role during antigenic variation. Genomics 2022;:110462. [PMID: 35998788 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Giardia lamblia encodes several families of cysteine-rich proteins, including the Variant-specific Surface Proteins (VSPs) involved in the process of antigenic variation. Their characteristics, definition and relationships are still controversial. An exhaustive analysis of the Cys-rich families including organization, features, evolution and levels of expression was performed, by combining pattern searches and predictions with massive sequencing techniques. Thus a new classification for Cys-rich proteins, genes and pseudogenes that better describes their involvement in Giardia's biology is presented. Moreover, three novel characteristics exclusive to the VSP genes, comprising an Initiator element/Kozak-like sequence, an extended polyadenylation signal and a unique pattern of mutually exclusive transcript accumulation is presented as well as the finding that High Cysteine Membrane Proteins, upregulated under stress, may protect the parasite during VSP switching. These results allow better interpretation of previous reports providing the basis for further studies of the biology of this early-branching eukaryote.
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Rojas L, Grüttner J, Ma’ayeh S, Xu F, Svärd SG. Dual RNA Sequencing Reveals Key Events When Different Giardia Life Cycle Stages Interact With Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells In Vitro. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:862211. [PMID: 35573800 PMCID: PMC9094438 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.862211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardia intestinalis is a protozoan parasite causing diarrheal disease, giardiasis, after extracellular infection of humans and other mammals’ intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) of the upper small intestine. The parasite has two main life cycle stages: replicative trophozoites and transmissive cysts. Differentiating parasites (encysting cells) and trophozoites have recently been shown to be present in the same regions of the upper small intestine, whereas most mature cysts are found further down in the intestinal system. To learn more about host-parasite interactions during Giardia infections, we used an in vitro model of the parasite’s interaction with host IECs (differentiated Caco-2 cells) and Giardia WB trophozoites, early encysting cells (7 h), and cysts. Dual RNA sequencing (Dual RNAseq) was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both Giardia and the IECs, which might relate to establishing infection and disease induction. In the human cells, the largest gene expression changes were found in immune and MAPK signaling, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, cholesterol metabolism and oxidative stress. The different life cycle stages of Giardia induced a core of similar DEGs but at different levels and there are many life cycle stage-specific DEGs. The metabolic protein PCK1, the transcription factors HES7, HEY1 and JUN, the peptide hormone CCK and the mucins MUC2 and MUC5A are up-regulated in the IECs by trophozoites but not cysts. Cysts specifically induce the chemokines CCL4L2, CCL5 and CXCL5, the signaling protein TRKA and the anti-bacterial protein WFDC12. The parasite, in turn, up-regulated a large number of hypothetical genes, high cysteine membrane proteins (HCMPs) and oxidative stress response genes. Early encysting cells have unique DEGs compared to trophozoites (e.g. several uniquely up-regulated HCMPs) and interaction of these cells with IECs affected the encystation process. Our data show that different life cycle stages of Giardia induce different gene expression responses in the host cells and that the IECs in turn differentially affect the gene expression in trophozoites and early encysting cells. This life cycle stage-specific host-parasite cross-talk is an important aspect to consider during further studies of Giardia’s molecular pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rojas
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jana Grüttner
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Feifei Xu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Staffan G. Svärd
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- SciLifeLab, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Staffan G. Svärd,
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Capewell P, Krumrie S, Katzer F, Alexander CL, Weir W. Molecular Epidemiology of Giardia Infections in the Genomic Era. Trends Parasitol 2020; 37:142-153. [PMID: 33067130 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [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: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Giardia duodenalis is a major gastrointestinal parasite of humans and animals across the globe. It is also of interest from an evolutionary perspective as it possesses many features that are unique among the eukaryotes, including its distinctive binucleate cell structure. While genomic analysis of a small number of isolates has provided valuable insights, efforts to understand the epidemiology of the disease and the population biology of the parasite have been limited by the molecular tools currently available. We review these tools and assess the impact of affordable and rapid genome sequencing systems increasingly being deployed in diagnostic settings. While these technologies have direct implications for public and veterinary health, they will also improve our understanding of the unique biology of this fascinating parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Capewell
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Sarah Krumrie
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK
| | - Frank Katzer
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Edinburgh, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Claire L Alexander
- Scottish Parasitology Diagnostic and Reference Laboratories, Glasgow, G31 2ER, UK
| | - William Weir
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK.
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