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McCain A, Gruneck L, Popluechai S, Tsaousis AD, Gentekaki E. Circulation and colonisation of Blastocystis subtypes in schoolchildren of various ethnicities in rural northern Thailand - Erratum. Epidemiol Infect 2023; 151:e85. [PMID: 37264565 DOI: 10.1017/s095026882300078x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Abby McCain
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Lucsame Gruneck
- Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Siam Popluechai
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Záhonová K, Low RS, Warren CJ, Cantoni D, Herman EK, Yiangou L, Ribeiro CA, Phanprasert Y, Brown IR, Rueckert S, Baker NL, Tachezy J, Betts EL, Gentekaki E, van der Giezen M, Clark CG, Jackson AP, Dacks JB, Tsaousis AD. Evolutionary analysis of cellular reduction and anaerobicity in the hyper-prevalent gut microbe Blastocystis. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00620-6. [PMID: 37267944 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Blastocystis is the most prevalent microbial eukaryote in the human and animal gut, yet its role as commensal or parasite is still under debate. Blastocystis has clearly undergone evolutionary adaptation to the gut environment and possesses minimal cellular compartmentalization, reduced anaerobic mitochondria, no flagella, and no reported peroxisomes. To address this poorly understood evolutionary transition, we have taken a multi-disciplinary approach to characterize Proteromonas lacertae, the closest canonical stramenopile relative of Blastocystis. Genomic data reveal an abundance of unique genes in P. lacertae but also reductive evolution of the genomic complement in Blastocystis. Comparative genomic analysis sheds light on flagellar evolution, including 37 new candidate components implicated with mastigonemes, the stramenopile morphological hallmark. The P. lacertae membrane-trafficking system (MTS) complement is only slightly more canonical than that of Blastocystis, but notably, we identified that both organisms encode the complete enigmatic endocytic TSET complex, a first for the entire stramenopile lineage. Investigation also details the modulation of mitochondrial composition and metabolism in both P. lacertae and Blastocystis. Unexpectedly, we identify in P. lacertae the most reduced peroxisome-derived organelle reported to date, which leads us to speculate on a mechanism of constraint guiding the dynamics of peroxisome-mitochondrion reductive evolution on the path to anaerobiosis. Overall, these analyses provide a launching point to investigate organellar evolution and reveal in detail the evolutionary path that Blastocystis has taken from a canonical flagellated protist to the hyper-divergent and hyper-prevalent animal and human gut microbe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristína Záhonová
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, 1-124 Clinical Sciences Building, 11350-83 Avenue, Edmonton T6G 2G3, Canada; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, České Budějovice (Budweis) 370 05, Czech Republic; Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic; Life Science Research Centre, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, Ostrava 710 00, Czech Republic
| | - Ross S Low
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; The Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Christopher J Warren
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Diego Cantoni
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Emily K Herman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, 1-124 Clinical Sciences Building, 11350-83 Avenue, Edmonton T6G 2G3, Canada; Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Life, and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, 2-31 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Lyto Yiangou
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Cláudia A Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Yasinee Phanprasert
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, 1-124 Clinical Sciences Building, 11350-83 Avenue, Edmonton T6G 2G3, Canada; School of Science, Mae Fah Luang Universit, 333 Moo 1, T. Tasud, Muang District, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Ian R Brown
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Sonja Rueckert
- School of Applied Sciences, Sighthill Campus, Room 3.B.36, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, Scotland; Faculty of Biology, AG Eukaryotische Mikrobiologie, Universitätsstrasse 5, S05 R04 H83, Essen 45141, Germany
| | - Nicola L Baker
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Jan Tachezy
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Průmyslová 595, Vestec 252 50, Czech Republic
| | - Emma L Betts
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK; School of Applied Sciences, Sighthill Campus, Room 3.B.36, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, Scotland
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang Universit, 333 Moo 1, T. Tasud, Muang District, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand; Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, 333 Moo 1, T. Tasud, Muang District, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Mark van der Giezen
- Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, University of Stavanger Richard Johnsens Gate 4, 4021 Stavanger, Norway; Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - C Graham Clark
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Andrew P Jackson
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, 1-124 Clinical Sciences Building, 11350-83 Avenue, Edmonton T6G 2G3, Canada; Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 1160/31, České Budějovice (Budweis) 370 05, Czech Republic; Centre for Life's Origin and Evolution, Division of Biosciences, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Giles Lane, Stacey Building, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
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McCain A, Gruneck L, Popluechai S, Tsaousis AD, Gentekaki E. Circulation and colonisation of Blastocystis subtypes in schoolchildren of various ethnicities in rural northern Thailand. Epidemiol Infect 2023; 151:e77. [PMID: 37185159 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268823000596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis is a protist of controversial pathogenicity inhabiting the gut of humans and other animals. Despite a century of intense study, understanding of the epidemiology of Blastocystis remains fragmentary. Here, we aimed to explore its prevalence, stability of colonisation and association with various factors in a rural elementary school in northern Thailand. One hundred and forty faecal samples were collected from 104 children at two time points (tp) 105 days apart. For tp2, samples were also obtained from 15 animals residing on campus and seven water locations. Prevalence in children was 67% at tp1 and 89% at tp2, 63% in chickens, 86% in pigs, and 57% in water. Ten STs were identified, two of which were shared between humans and animals, one between animals and water, and three between humans and water. Eighteen children (out of 36) carried the same ST over both time points, indicating stable colonisation. Presence of Blastocystis (or ST) was not associated with body mass index, ethnicity, birth delivery mode, or milk source as an infant. This study advances understanding of Blastocystis prevalence in an understudied age group, the role of the environment in transmission, and the ability of specific STs to stably colonise children.
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Hoque S, Pinto P, Ribeiro CA, Canniere E, Daandels Y, Dellevoet M, Bourgeois A, Hammouma O, Hunter P, Gentekaki E, Kváč M, Follet J, Tsaousis AD. Follow-up investigation into Cryptosporidium prevalence and transmission in Western European dairy farms. Vet Parasitol 2023; 318:109920. [PMID: 37030025 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2023.109920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is an enteric parasite and a major contributor to acute enteritis in calves worldwide, causing an important economic burden for farmers. This parasite poses a major public health threat through transmission between livestock and humans. Our previous pilot study in Western Europe revealed a high prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves of dairy farms. In the sequel study herein, 936 faecal samples were collected from the same 51 dairy farms across Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Following DNA extraction, Cryptosporidium screening was carried out using nested-PCR amplification targeting the SSU rRNA gene. All positive samples were sequenced, and phylogenetic analyses were used to identify the Cryptosporidium spp. present. The 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene was also sequenced to determine the C. parvum subtypes present. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium ranged from 23.3% to 25%, across the three countries surveyed. The parasite was found in most of the farms sampled, with 90.2% testing positive. Cryptosporidium parvum, C. bovis, C. ryanae and C. andersoni were all identified, with the former being the most predominant, representing 71.4% of all infections. Cryptosporidium parvum was associated with pre-weaned calves, while other species were associated with older animals. Subtyping of gp60 gene revealed nine subtypes, eight of which have previously been reported to cause clinical disease in humans. Similarly to the first study, vertical transmission was not a major contributor to Cryptosporidium spread. Our study highlights the need for further investigation into cryptosporidiosis transmission, and future studies will require a One Health approach to reduce the impact of this disease.
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Martín-Escolano R, Ng GC, Tan KSW, Stensvold CR, Gentekaki E, Tsaousis AD. Resistance of Blastocystis to chlorine and hydrogen peroxide. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:167-176. [PMID: 36378332 PMCID: PMC9816239 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07713-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Blastocystis is a ubiquitous, widely distributed protist inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of humans and other animals. The organism is genetically diverse, and so far, at least 28 subtypes (STs) have been identified with ST1-ST9 being the most common in humans. The pathogenicity of Blastocystis is controversial. Several routes of transmission have been proposed including fecal-oral (e.g., zoonotic, anthroponotic) and waterborne. Research on the latter has gained traction in the last few years with the organism having been identified in various bodies of water, tap water, and rainwater collection containers including water that has been previously filtered and/or chlorinated. Herein, we assessed the resistance of 11 strains maintained in culture, spanning ST1-ST9 to various chlorine and hydrogen peroxide concentrations for 24 h, and performed recovery assays along with re-exposure. Following the treatment with both compounds, all subtypes showed increased resistance, and viability could be visualized at the cellular level. These results are hinting at the presence of mechanism of resistance to both chlorine and hydrogen peroxide. As such, this pilot study can be the platform for developing guidelines for water treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martín-Escolano
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Geok Choo Ng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117545, Singapore
| | - Kevin S W Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117545, Singapore
| | - C Rune Stensvold
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300, Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand. .,School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand.
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK.
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Jinatham V, Nonebudsri C, Wandee T, Popluechai S, Tsaousis AD, Gentekaki E. Blastocystis in tap water of a community in northern Thailand. Parasitol Int 2022; 91:102624. [PMID: 35842087 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Blastocystis is the most common protist in the gut of humans and other animals having global distribution. Occasionally, this organism has also been reported in the environment. Transmission to humans occurs via the fecal-oral route, while water also comprises a transmission route. Blastocystis has been commonly found in rivers, lakes, and wells. Nonetheless, there is limited data about the prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis in tap water. The main aim of this study was to examine the presence of Blastocystis subtypes in tap water (n=20) in a community in northern Thailand. Molecular characterization using the small subunit ribosomal RNA was used to screen for Blastocystis and identify the diversity of subtypes in samples. The overall prevalence was 30% with only subtype three (ST3) encountered in the tap water. These results indicate that tap water has a potential role in the transmission of this subtype in the studied community. Further investigations should focus on expanding sampling to include additional housing complexes and screening for Blastocystis in humans who are exposed to this water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasana Jinatham
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.
| | | | - Thanawat Wandee
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Siam Popluechai
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand; Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand; Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.
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Cantoni D, Osborne A, Taib N, Thompson G, Martín‐Escolano R, Kazana E, Edrich E, Brown IR, Gribaldo S, Gourlay CW, Tsaousis AD. Localization and functional characterization of the alternative oxidase in Naegleria. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12908. [PMID: 35322502 PMCID: PMC9540462 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12908] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The alternative oxidase (AOX) is a protein involved in supporting enzymatic reactions of the Krebs cycle in instances when the canonical (cytochrome-mediated) respiratory chain has been inhibited, while allowing for the maintenance of cell growth and necessary metabolic processes for survival. Among eukaryotes, alternative oxidases have dispersed distribution and are found in plants, fungi, and protists, including Naegleria ssp. Naegleria species are free-living unicellular amoeboflagellates and include the pathogenic species of N. fowleri, the so-called "brain-eating amoeba." Using a multidisciplinary approach, we aimed to understand the evolution, localization, and function of AOX and the role that plays in Naegleria's biology. Our analyses suggest that AOX was present in last common ancestor of the genus and structure prediction showed that all functional residues are also present in Naegleria species. Using cellular and biochemical techniques, we also functionally characterize N. gruberi's AOX in its mitochondria, and we demonstrate that its inactivation affects its proliferation. Consequently, we discuss the benefits of the presence of this protein in Naegleria species, along with its potential pathogenicity role in N. fowleri. We predict that our findings will spearhead new explorations to understand the cell biology, metabolism, and evolution of Naegleria and other free-living relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Cantoni
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID GroupSchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Ashley Osborne
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID GroupSchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Najwa Taib
- Unit Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial CellDepartment of MicrobiologyInstitut Pasteur, UMR CNRS 2001ParisFrance
- Hub Bioinformatics and BiostatisticsDepartment of Computational BiologyInstitut Pasteur, USR 3756 CNRSParisFrance
| | - Gary Thompson
- NMR FacilitySchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Rubén Martín‐Escolano
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID GroupSchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Eleanna Kazana
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID GroupSchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Elizabeth Edrich
- Kent Fungal Group, RAPID GroupSchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Ian R. Brown
- Bioimaging FacilitySchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Simonetta Gribaldo
- Unit Evolutionary Biology of the Microbial CellDepartment of MicrobiologyInstitut Pasteur, UMR CNRS 2001ParisFrance
| | - Campbell W. Gourlay
- Kent Fungal Group, RAPID GroupSchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID GroupSchool of BiosciencesUniversity of KentCanterburyUK
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Martín-Escolano J, Marín C, Rosales MJ, Tsaousis AD, Medina-Carmona E, Martín-Escolano R. An Updated View of the Trypanosoma cruzi Life Cycle: Intervention Points for an Effective Treatment. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1107-1115. [PMID: 35652513 PMCID: PMC9194904 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Chagas disease (CD)
is a parasitic, systemic, chronic, and often
fatal illness caused by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma
cruzi. The World Health Organization classifies CD as the
most prevalent of poverty-promoting neglected tropical diseases, the
most important parasitic one, and the third most infectious disease
in Latin America. Currently, CD is a global public health issue that
affects 6–8 million people. However, the current approved treatments
are limited to two nitroheterocyclic drugs developed more than 50
years ago. Many efforts have been made in recent decades to find new
therapies, but our limited understanding of the infection process,
pathology development, and long-term nature of this disease has made
it impossible to develop new drugs, effective treatment, or vaccines.
This Review aims to provide a comprehensive update on our understanding
of the current life cycle, new morphological forms, and genetic diversity
of T. cruzi, as well as identify intervention points
in the life cycle where new drugs and treatments could achieve a parasitic
cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Martín-Escolano
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, E41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Clotilde Marín
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - María J. Rosales
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Encarnación Medina-Carmona
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Rubén Martín-Escolano
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
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Hoque S, Mavrides DE, Pinto P, Costas S, Begum N, Azevedo-Ribeiro C, Liapi M, Kváč M, Malas S, Gentekaki E, Tsaousis AD. High Occurrence of Zoonotic Subtypes of Cryptosporidiumparvum in Cypriot Dairy Farms. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10030531. [PMID: 35336110 PMCID: PMC8951114 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is one of the major causes of neonatal calf diarrhoea resulting in reduced farm productivity and compromised animal welfare worldwide. Livestock act as a major reservoir of this parasite, which can be transmitted to humans directly and/or indirectly, posing a public health risk. Research reports on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in ruminants from east Mediterranean countries, including Cyprus, are limited. This study is the first to explore the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in cattle up to 24 months old on the island of Cyprus. A total of 242 faecal samples were collected from 10 dairy cattle farms in Cyprus, all of which were screened for Cryptosporidium spp. using nested-PCR amplification targeting the small subunit of the ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene. The 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene was also sequenced for the samples identified as Cryptosporidium parvum-positive to determine the subtypes present. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium was 43.8% (106/242) with at least one positive isolate in each farm sampled. Cryptosporidium bovis, Cryptosporidium ryanae and C. parvum were the only species identified, while the prevalence per farm ranged from 20–64%. Amongst these, the latter was the predominant species, representing 51.8% of all positive samples, followed by C. bovis (21.7%) and C. ryanae (31.1%). Five C. parvum subtypes were identified, four of which are zoonotic—IIaA14G1R1, IIaA15G1R1, IIaA15G2R1 and IIaA18G2R1. IIaA14G1R1 was the most abundant, representing 48.2% of all C. parvum positive samples, and was also the most widespread. This is the first report of zoonotic subtypes of C. parvum circulating in Cyprus. These results highlight the need for further research into the parasite focusing on its diversity, prevalence, host range and transmission dynamics on the island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumaiya Hoque
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (S.H.); (P.P.); (S.C.); (N.B.); (C.A.-R.)
| | - Daphne E. Mavrides
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia 2408, Cyprus; (D.E.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Pedro Pinto
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (S.H.); (P.P.); (S.C.); (N.B.); (C.A.-R.)
| | - Silvia Costas
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (S.H.); (P.P.); (S.C.); (N.B.); (C.A.-R.)
| | - Nisa Begum
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (S.H.); (P.P.); (S.C.); (N.B.); (C.A.-R.)
| | - Claudia Azevedo-Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (S.H.); (P.P.); (S.C.); (N.B.); (C.A.-R.)
| | - Maria Liapi
- Veterinary Services of Cyprus, Nicosia 1417, Cyprus;
| | - Martin Kváč
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Stavros Malas
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia 2408, Cyprus; (D.E.M.); (S.M.)
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand;
- Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (S.H.); (P.P.); (S.C.); (N.B.); (C.A.-R.)
- Department of Basic Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia 2408, Cyprus; (D.E.M.); (S.M.)
- Correspondence: or
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Jinatham V, Maxamhud S, Popluechai S, Tsaousis AD, Gentekaki E. Blastocystis One Health Approach in a Rural Community of Northern Thailand: Prevalence, Subtypes and Novel Transmission Routes. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:746340. [PMID: 34956115 PMCID: PMC8696170 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.746340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis is the most commonly found eukaryote in the gut of humans and other animals. This protist is extremely heterogeneous genetically and is classified into 28 subtypes (STs) based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene. Numerous studies exist on prevalence of the organism, which usually focus on either humans or animals or the environment, while only a handful investigates all three sources simultaneously. Consequently, understanding of Blastocystis transmission dynamics remains inadequate. Our aim was to explore Blastocystis under the One Health perspective using a rural community in northern Thailand as our study area. We surveyed human, other animal and environmental samples using both morphological and molecular approaches. Prevalence rates of Blastocystis were 73% in human hosts (n = 45), 100% in non-human hosts (n = 44) and 91% in environmental samples (n = 35). Overall, ten subtypes were identified (ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4 ST5, ST6, ST7, ST10, ST23, and ST26), eight of which were detected in humans (ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, ST5, ST7, ST10, and ST23), three in other animals (ST6, ST7, and ST23), while seven (ST1, ST3, ST6, ST7, ST10, ST23, and ST26) were found in the environment. In our investigation of transmission dynamics, we assessed various groupings both at the household and community level. Given the overall high prevalence rate, transmission amongst humans and between animals and humans are not as frequent as expected with only two subtypes being shared. This raises questions on the role of the environment on transmission of Blastocystis. Water and soil comprise the main reservoirs of the various subtypes in this community. Five subtypes are shared between humans and the environment, while three overlap between the latter and animal hosts. We propose soil as a novel route of transmission, which should be considered in future investigations. This study provides a thorough One Health perspective on Blastocystis. Using this type of approach advances our understanding on occurrence, diversity, ecology and transmission dynamics of this poorly understood, yet frequent gut resident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasana Jinatham
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Sadiya Maxamhud
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Siam Popluechai
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.,Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.,Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
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11
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Martín-Escolano R, Yiangou L, Kazana E, Robinson GK, Michaelis M, Tsaousis AD. Repurposing in vitro approaches for screening anti-parasitic drugs against the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2021; 17:204-212. [PMID: 34875573 PMCID: PMC8652063 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri is both a pathogenic and a free-living microbial eukaryote, responsible for the development of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. PAM is a rapid, severe and fatal underestimated infectious disease, which has been reported in countries with warmer climates. The major drawbacks with PAM are the lack of effective therapies and delay in diagnosis. The current frontline treatment presents a low rate of recovery (5%) and severe adverse effects. For example, many drug candidates lack efficacy, since they do not effectively cross the blood-brain-barrier. Consequently, more effective drugs are urgently needed. Herein, we report a new in vitro method suitable for medium- and high-throughput drug discovery assays, using the closely related Naegleria gruberi as a model. We have subsequently used this method to screen a library of 1175 Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs. As a result, we present three drugs (camptothecin, pyrimethamine, and terbinafine) that can be repurposed, and are anticipated to readily cross the blood-brain-barrier with activity against Naegleria species in therapeutically achievable concentrations. Successively, we integrated several in vitro assays that resulted in identifying fast-acting and high amoebicidal drugs. In conclusion, we present a new approach for the identification of anti-Naegleria drugs along with three potential drug candidates for further development for the treatment of PAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martín-Escolano
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Lyto Yiangou
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Eleanna Kazana
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Gary K Robinson
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Martin Michaelis
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK.
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK.
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12
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Pinto P, Ribeiro CA, Hoque S, Hammouma O, Leruste H, Détriché S, Canniere E, Daandels Y, Dellevoet M, Roemen J, Barbier Bourgeois A, Kváč M, Follet J, Tsaousis AD. Cross-Border Investigations on the Prevalence and Transmission Dynamics of Cryptosporidium Species in Dairy Cattle Farms in Western Mainland Europe. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2394. [PMID: 34835519 PMCID: PMC8617893 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is an apicomplexan parasitic protist, which infects a wide range of hosts, causing cryptosporidiosis disease. In farms, the incidence of this disease is high in animals such as cows, leading to extensive economic loss in the livestock industry. Infected cows may also act as a major reservoir of Cryptosporidium spp., in particular C. parvum, the most common cause of cryptosporidiosis in these animals. This poses a risk to the trading of livestock, to other farms via breeding centres, and to human health. This study is a part of a global project aimed at strategies to tackle cryptosporidiosis. To reach this target, it was essential to determine whether prevalence was dependent on the studied countries or if the issue was borderless. Indeed, C. parvum occurrence was assessed across dairy farms in certain regions of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. At the same time, the animal-to-animal transmission of the circulating C. parvum subtypes was studied. To accomplish this, we analysed 1084 faecal samples, corresponding to 57 dairy farms from all three countries. To this end, 18S rRNA and gp60 genes fragments were amplified, followed by DNA sequencing, which was subsequently used for detection and subtyping C. parvum. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic methods were integrated to analyse and characterise the obtained DNA sequences. Our results show 25.7%, 24.9% and 20.8% prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands respectively. Overall, 93% of the farms were Cryptosporidium positive. The gp60 subtyping demonstrated a significant number of the C. parvum positives belonged to the IIa allelic family, which has been also identified in humans. Therefore, this study highlights how prevalent C. parvum is in dairy farms and further suggests cattle as a possible carrier of zoonotic C. parvum subtypes, which could pose a threat to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Pinto
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK; (P.P.); (C.A.R.); (S.H.)
| | - Cláudia A. Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK; (P.P.); (C.A.R.); (S.H.)
| | - Sumaiya Hoque
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK; (P.P.); (C.A.R.); (S.H.)
| | - Ourida Hammouma
- UMR-Transfrontalière 1158 BioEcoAgro, Junia, University of Lille, University of Liège, UPJV, ULCO, University of Artois, INRAE, F-59000 Lille, France;
| | - Hélène Leruste
- Junia, Comportement Animal et Systèmes d’Elevage, F-59000 Lille, France;
| | - Sébastien Détriché
- University of Lille, Institut Mines-Télécom, University of Artois, Junia, ULR 4515—LGCgE, Laboratoire de Génie Civil et Géo-Environnement, F-59000 Lille, France;
| | - Evi Canniere
- Inagro vzw, Ieperseweg 87, 8800 Rumbeke-Beitem, Belgium;
| | - Yvonne Daandels
- Southern Agricultural and Horticultural Organisation (ZLTO), Onderwijsboulevard 225, 5223 DE’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; (Y.D.); (M.D.); (J.R.)
| | - Martine Dellevoet
- Southern Agricultural and Horticultural Organisation (ZLTO), Onderwijsboulevard 225, 5223 DE’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; (Y.D.); (M.D.); (J.R.)
| | - Janine Roemen
- Southern Agricultural and Horticultural Organisation (ZLTO), Onderwijsboulevard 225, 5223 DE’s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; (Y.D.); (M.D.); (J.R.)
| | | | - Martin Kváč
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Parasitology, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic;
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jérôme Follet
- University of Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Junia, University Polytechnique Hauts de France, UMR 8520 IEMN Institut d’Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie, F 59000 Lille, France;
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NZ, UK; (P.P.); (C.A.R.); (S.H.)
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13
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Jinatham V, Cantoni DM, Brown IR, Vichaslip T, Suwannahitatorn P, Popluechai S, Tsaousis AD, Gentekaki E. Prototheca bovis, a unicellular achlorophyllous trebouxiophyte green alga in the healthy human intestine. J Med Microbiol 2021; 70. [PMID: 34486973 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Prototheca species are non-photosynthetic trebouxiophyte algae ubiquitously distributed in nature and can be found in sewage and soil. This microbial eukaryote causes human protothecosis in immunocompromised individuals. Thus, Prototheca presence in the stool of individuals without gastrointestinal symptoms has been reported only rarely.Hypothesis/Gap statement. There is an absence of detailed characterization of human Prototheca isolates.Aim. The aim of this study was to perform morphological and molecular characterization of Prototheca isolates obtained from human stool.Methodology. Prototheca was isolated from faecal samples of four individuals living in a rural area in Thailand. A combination of bioimaging along with molecular and bioinformatics tools was used to characterize the four strains. The growth rate was tested using four media and three temperature conditions. Phylogenetic analysis using the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and cytochrome b (cytb) was also performed.Results. Static and live microscopy demonstrated the various life stages of Prototheca and its major defining cellular characteristics. An optimized DNA extraction methodology that improves DNA yield is provided. Partial fragments of the SSU rRNA and cytb genes were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis placed all four strains in the clade with Prototheca bovis. More broadly, Prototheca was not monophyletic but split into at least two distinct clades instead.Conclusion. The results represent the first molecular characterization of Prototheca in Thailand. The study provides insight into transmission dynamics of the organism and potential caveats in estimating the global prevalence of Prototheca. These will spearhead further investigations on Prototheca occurrence in rural areas of both industrialized and developing nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasana Jinatham
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Diego M Cantoni
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Ian R Brown
- Bioimaging Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | | | | | - Siam Popluechai
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.,Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand.,Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
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14
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Herman EK, Greninger A, van der Giezen M, Ginger ML, Ramirez-Macias I, Miller HC, Morgan MJ, Tsaousis AD, Velle K, Vargová R, Záhonová K, Najle SR, MacIntyre G, Muller N, Wittwer M, Zysset-Burri DC, Eliáš M, Slamovits CH, Weirauch MT, Fritz-Laylin L, Marciano-Cabral F, Puzon GJ, Walsh T, Chiu C, Dacks JB. Genomics and transcriptomics yields a system-level view of the biology of the pathogen Naegleria fowleri. BMC Biol 2021; 19:142. [PMID: 34294116 PMCID: PMC8296547 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01078-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The opportunistic pathogen Naegleria fowleri establishes infection in the human brain, killing almost invariably within 2 weeks. The amoeba performs piece-meal ingestion, or trogocytosis, of brain material causing direct tissue damage and massive inflammation. The cellular basis distinguishing N. fowleri from other Naegleria species, which are all non-pathogenic, is not known. Yet, with the geographic range of N. fowleri advancing, potentially due to climate change, understanding how this pathogen invades and kills is both important and timely. RESULTS Here, we report an -omics approach to understanding N. fowleri biology and infection at the system level. We sequenced two new strains of N. fowleri and performed a transcriptomic analysis of low- versus high-pathogenicity N. fowleri cultured in a mouse infection model. Comparative analysis provides an in-depth assessment of encoded protein complement between strains, finding high conservation. Molecular evolutionary analyses of multiple diverse cellular systems demonstrate that the N. fowleri genome encodes a similarly complete cellular repertoire to that found in free-living N. gruberi. From transcriptomics, neither stress responses nor traits conferred from lateral gene transfer are suggested as critical for pathogenicity. By contrast, cellular systems such as proteases, lysosomal machinery, and motility, together with metabolic reprogramming and novel N. fowleri proteins, are all implicated in facilitating pathogenicity within the host. Upregulation in mouse-passaged N. fowleri of genes associated with glutamate metabolism and ammonia transport suggests adaptation to available carbon sources in the central nervous system. CONCLUSIONS In-depth analysis of Naegleria genomes and transcriptomes provides a model of cellular systems involved in opportunistic pathogenicity, uncovering new angles to understanding the biology of a rare but highly fatal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Herman
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Alex Greninger
- Laboratory Medicine and Medicine / Infectious Diseases, UCSF-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center, UCSF Clinical Microbiology Laboratory UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center, Montlake, USA
| | - Mark van der Giezen
- Centre for Organelle Research, Department of Chemistry, Bioscience and Environmental Engineering, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Michael L Ginger
- School of Applied Sciences, Department of Biological and Geographical Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
| | - Inmaculada Ramirez-Macias
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital Clinico Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca. Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria. Centro de Investigación Biomedica en Red-Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), Madrid, Spain
| | - Haylea C Miller
- CSIRO Land and Water, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Private Bag No.5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia
- CSIRO, Indian Oceans Marine Research Centre, Environomics Future Science Platform, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Matthew J Morgan
- CSIRO Land and Water, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australia
| | | | - Katrina Velle
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, UK
| | - Romana Vargová
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Kristína Záhonová
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Prague, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Sebastian Rodrigo Najle
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Georgina MacIntyre
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Norbert Muller
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mattias Wittwer
- Spiez Laboratory, Federal Office for Civil Protection, Austrasse, Spiez, Switzerland
| | - Denise C Zysset-Burri
- Department of Ophthalmology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Claudio H Slamovits
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Matthew T Weirauch
- Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology and Divisions of Biomedical Informatics and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, USA
| | | | - Francine Marciano-Cabral
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Geoffrey J Puzon
- CSIRO Land and Water, Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Private Bag No.5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia
| | - Tom Walsh
- CSIRO Land and Water, Black Mountain Laboratories, Canberra, Australia
| | - Charles Chiu
- Laboratory Medicine and Medicine / Infectious Diseases, UCSF-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center, UCSF Clinical Microbiology Laboratory UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, USA
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK.
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15
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Newton JM, Betts EL, Yiangou L, Ortega Roldan J, Tsaousis AD, Thompson GS. Establishing a Metabolite Extraction Method to Study the Metabolome of Blastocystis Using NMR. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26113285. [PMID: 34072445 PMCID: PMC8199492 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis is an opportunistic parasite commonly found in the intestines of humans and other animals. Despite its high prevalence, knowledge regarding Blastocystis biology within and outside the host is limited. Analysis of the metabolites produced by this anaerobe could provide insights that can help map its metabolism and determine its role in both health and disease. Due to its controversial pathogenicity, these metabolites could define its deterministic role in microbiome's "health" and/or subsequently resolve Blastocystis' potential impact in gastrointestinal health. A common method for elucidating the presence of these metabolites is through 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). However, there are currently no described benchmarked methods available to extract metabolites from Blastocystis for 1H NMR analysis. Herein, several extraction solvents, lysis methods and incubation temperatures were compared for their usefulness as an extraction protocol for this protozoan. Following extraction, the samples were freeze-dried, re-solubilized and analysed with 1H NMR. The results demonstrate that carrying out the procedure at room temperature using methanol as an extraction solvent and bead bashing as a lysis technique provides a consistent, reproducible and efficient method to extract metabolites from Blastocystis for NMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie M. Newton
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (J.M.N.); (E.L.B.); (L.Y.)
- Wellcome Trust Biomolecular NMR Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK;
| | - Emma L. Betts
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (J.M.N.); (E.L.B.); (L.Y.)
| | - Lyto Yiangou
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (J.M.N.); (E.L.B.); (L.Y.)
| | - Jose Ortega Roldan
- Wellcome Trust Biomolecular NMR Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK;
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (J.M.N.); (E.L.B.); (L.Y.)
- Correspondence: (A.D.T.); (G.S.T.)
| | - Gary S. Thompson
- Wellcome Trust Biomolecular NMR Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK;
- Correspondence: (A.D.T.); (G.S.T.)
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16
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Betts EL, Hoque S, Torbe L, Bailey JR, Ryan H, Toller K, Breakell V, Carpenter AI, Diana A, Matechou E, Gentekaki E, Tsaousis AD. Parasites, Drugs and Captivity: Blastocystis-Microbiome Associations in Captive Water Voles. Biology (Basel) 2021; 10:457. [PMID: 34067374 PMCID: PMC8224621 DOI: 10.3390/biology10060457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
(1) Background: Blastocystis is a microbial eukaryote inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of a broad range of animals including humans. Several studies have shown that the organism is associated with specific microbial profiles and bacterial taxa that have been deemed beneficial to intestinal and overall health. Nonetheless, these studies are focused almost exclusively on humans, while there is no similar information on other animals. (2) Methods: Using a combination of conventional PCR, cloning and sequencing, we investigated presence of Blastocystis along with Giardia and Cryptosporidium in 16 captive water voles sampled twice from a wildlife park. We also characterised their bacterial gut communities. (3) Results: Overall, alpha and beta diversities between water voles with and without Blastocystis did not differ significantly. Differences were noted only on individual taxa with Treponema and Kineothrix being significantly reduced in Blastocystis positive water voles. Grouping according to antiprotozoal treatment and presence of other protists did not reveal any differences in the bacterial community composition either. (4) Conclusion: Unlike human investigations, Blastocystis does not seem to be associated with specific gut microbial profiles in water voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Betts
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (E.L.B.); (S.H.); (L.T.); (J.R.B.)
| | - Sumaiya Hoque
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (E.L.B.); (S.H.); (L.T.); (J.R.B.)
| | - Lucy Torbe
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (E.L.B.); (S.H.); (L.T.); (J.R.B.)
| | - Jessica R. Bailey
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (E.L.B.); (S.H.); (L.T.); (J.R.B.)
| | - Hazel Ryan
- Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay CT6 7LQ, UK; (H.R.); (K.T.); (V.B.)
| | - Karen Toller
- Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay CT6 7LQ, UK; (H.R.); (K.T.); (V.B.)
| | - Vicki Breakell
- Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay CT6 7LQ, UK; (H.R.); (K.T.); (V.B.)
| | - Angus I. Carpenter
- School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Brackenhurst Campus, Nottingham Trent University, Nottinghamshire NG1 4FQ, UK;
| | - Alex Diana
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Eleni Matechou
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (A.D.); (E.M.)
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science and Human Gut Microbiome for Health Research Unit, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK; (E.L.B.); (S.H.); (L.T.); (J.R.B.)
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17
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Horváthová L, Žárský V, Pánek T, Derelle R, Pyrih J, Motyčková A, Klápšťová V, Vinopalová M, Marková L, Voleman L, Klimeš V, Petrů M, Vaitová Z, Čepička I, Hryzáková K, Harant K, Gray MW, Chami M, Guilvout I, Francetic O, Franz Lang B, Vlček Č, Tsaousis AD, Eliáš M, Doležal P. Analysis of diverse eukaryotes suggests the existence of an ancestral mitochondrial apparatus derived from the bacterial type II secretion system. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2947. [PMID: 34011950 PMCID: PMC8134430 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23046-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The type 2 secretion system (T2SS) is present in some Gram-negative eubacteria and used to secrete proteins across the outer membrane. Here we report that certain representative heteroloboseans, jakobids, malawimonads and hemimastigotes unexpectedly possess homologues of core T2SS components. We show that at least some of them are present in mitochondria, and their behaviour in biochemical assays is consistent with the presence of a mitochondrial T2SS-derived system (miT2SS). We additionally identified 23 protein families co-occurring with miT2SS in eukaryotes. Seven of these proteins could be directly linked to the core miT2SS by functional data and/or sequence features, whereas others may represent different parts of a broader functional pathway, possibly also involving the peroxisome. Its distribution in eukaryotes and phylogenetic evidence together indicate that the miT2SS-centred pathway is an ancestral eukaryotic trait. Our findings thus have direct implications for the functional properties of the early mitochondrion. Bacteria use the type 2 secretion system to secrete enzymes and toxins across the outer membrane to the environment. Here the authors analyse the T2SS pathway in three protist lineages and suggest that the early mitochondrion may have been capable of secreting proteins into the cytosol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Horváthová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Žárský
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Pánek
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Romain Derelle
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK
| | - Jan Pyrih
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alžběta Motyčková
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Klápšťová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Vinopalová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Marková
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Luboš Voleman
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Klimeš
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Petrů
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Vaitová
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Čepička
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Hryzáková
- Faculty of Science, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Charles University, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Harant
- Faculty of Science, Proteomic core facility, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Michael W Gray
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mohamed Chami
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ingrid Guilvout
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3528, Paris, France
| | - Olivera Francetic
- Biochemistry of Macromolecular Interactions Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR3528, Paris, France
| | - B Franz Lang
- Robert Cedergren Centre for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Département de Biochimie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Čestmír Vlček
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Doležal
- Faculty of Science, Department of Parasitology, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic.
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18
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Pyrih J, Pánek T, Durante IM, Rašková V, Cimrhanzlová K, Kriegová E, Tsaousis AD, Eliáš M, Lukeš J. Vestiges of the Bacterial Signal Recognition Particle-Based Protein Targeting in Mitochondria. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:3170-3187. [PMID: 33837778 PMCID: PMC8321541 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The main bacterial pathway for inserting proteins into the plasma membrane relies on the signal recognition particle (SRP), composed of the Ffh protein and an associated RNA component, and the SRP-docking protein FtsY. Eukaryotes use an equivalent system of archaeal origin to deliver proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas a bacteria-derived SRP and FtsY function in the plastid. Here we report on the presence of homologs of the bacterial Ffh and FtsY proteins in various unrelated plastid-lacking unicellular eukaryotes, namely Heterolobosea, Alveida, Goniomonas, and Hemimastigophora. The monophyly of novel eukaryotic Ffh and FtsY groups, predicted mitochondrial localization experimentally confirmed for Naegleria gruberi, and a strong alphaproteobacterial affinity of the Ffh group, collectively suggest that they constitute parts of an ancestral mitochondrial signal peptide-based protein-targeting system inherited from the last eukaryotic common ancestor, but lost from the majority of extant eukaryotes. The ability of putative signal peptides, predicted in a subset of mitochondrial-encoded N. gruberi proteins, to target a reporter fluorescent protein into the endoplasmic reticulum of Trypanosoma brucei, likely through their interaction with the cytosolic SRP, provided further support for this notion. We also illustrate that known mitochondrial ribosome-interacting proteins implicated in membrane protein targeting in opisthokonts (Mba1, Mdm38, and Mrx15) are broadly conserved in eukaryotes and nonredundant with the mitochondrial SRP system. Finally, we identified a novel mitochondrial protein (MAP67) present in diverse eukaryotes and related to the signal peptide-binding domain of Ffh, which may well be a hitherto unrecognized component of the mitochondrial membrane protein-targeting machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Pyrih
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Tomáš Pánek
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ignacio Miguel Durante
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Vendula Rašková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Cimrhanzlová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Eva Kriegová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic.,Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice (Budweis), Czech Republic
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19
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Bafti SM, Ang CS, Hossain MM, Marcelli G, Alemany-Fornes M, Tsaousis AD. A crowdsourcing semi-automatic image segmentation platform for cell biology. Comput Biol Med 2021; 130:104204. [PMID: 33429139 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2020.104204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
State-of-the-art computer-vision algorithms rely on big and accurately annotated data, which are expensive, laborious and time-consuming to generate. This task is even more challenging when it comes to microbiological images, because they require specialized expertise for accurate annotation. Previous studies show that crowdsourcing and assistive-annotation tools are two potential solutions to address this challenge. In this work, we have developed a web-based platform to enable crowdsourcing annotation of image data; the platform is powered by a semi-automated assistive tool to support non-expert annotators to improve the annotation efficiency. The behavior of annotators with and without the assistive tool is analyzed, using biological images of different complexity. More specifically, non-experts have been asked to use the platform to annotate microbiological images of gut parasites, which are compared with annotations by experts. A quantitative evaluation is carried out on the results, confirming that the assistive tools can noticeably decrease the non-expert annotation's cost (time, click, interaction, etc.) while preserving or even improving the annotation's quality. The annotation quality of non-experts has been investigated using IoU (intersection over union), precision and recall; based on this analysis we propose some ideas on how to better design similar crowdsourcing and assistive platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saber Mirzaee Bafti
- School of Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ, UK.
| | - Chee Siang Ang
- School of Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Md Moinul Hossain
- School of Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Gianluca Marcelli
- School of Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ, UK
| | - Marc Alemany-Fornes
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, UK
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20
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Faktorová D, Nisbet RER, Fernández Robledo JA, Casacuberta E, Sudek L, Allen AE, Ares M, Aresté C, Balestreri C, Barbrook AC, Beardslee P, Bender S, Booth DS, Bouget FY, Bowler C, Breglia SA, Brownlee C, Burger G, Cerutti H, Cesaroni R, Chiurillo MA, Clemente T, Coles DB, Collier JL, Cooney EC, Coyne K, Docampo R, Dupont CL, Edgcomb V, Einarsson E, Elustondo PA, Federici F, Freire-Beneitez V, Freyria NJ, Fukuda K, García PA, Girguis PR, Gomaa F, Gornik SG, Guo J, Hampl V, Hanawa Y, Haro-Contreras ER, Hehenberger E, Highfield A, Hirakawa Y, Hopes A, Howe CJ, Hu I, Ibañez J, Irwin NAT, Ishii Y, Janowicz NE, Jones AC, Kachale A, Fujimura-Kamada K, Kaur B, Kaye JZ, Kazana E, Keeling PJ, King N, Klobutcher LA, Lander N, Lassadi I, Li Z, Lin S, Lozano JC, Luan F, Maruyama S, Matute T, Miceli C, Minagawa J, Moosburner M, Najle SR, Nanjappa D, Nimmo IC, Noble L, Novák Vanclová AMG, Nowacki M, Nuñez I, Pain A, Piersanti A, Pucciarelli S, Pyrih J, Rest JS, Rius M, Robertson D, Ruaud A, Ruiz-Trillo I, Sigg MA, Silver PA, Slamovits CH, Jason Smith G, Sprecher BN, Stern R, Swart EC, Tsaousis AD, Tsypin L, Turkewitz A, Turnšek J, Valach M, Vergé V, von Dassow P, von der Haar T, Waller RF, Wang L, Wen X, Wheeler G, Woods A, Zhang H, Mock T, Worden AZ, Lukeš J. Publisher Correction: Genetic tool development in marine protists: emerging model organisms for experimental cell biology. Nat Methods 2020; 17:551. [PMID: 32296171 PMCID: PMC7200595 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0828-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Drahomíra Faktorová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - R Ellen R Nisbet
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | | | - Elena Casacuberta
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lisa Sudek
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Andrew E Allen
- Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.,Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Manuel Ares
- Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Cristina Aresté
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cecilia Balestreri
- The Marine Biological Association, Plymouth and School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Patrick Beardslee
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Sara Bender
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - David S Booth
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - François-Yves Bouget
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7621, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls sur Mer, France
| | - Chris Bowler
- Institut de Biologie de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS), Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Susana A Breglia
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Colin Brownlee
- The Marine Biological Association, Plymouth and School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gertraud Burger
- Department of Biochemistry and Robert-Cedergren Centre for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Heriberto Cerutti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Rachele Cesaroni
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Miguel A Chiurillo
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Thomas Clemente
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Duncan B Coles
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | - Jackie L Collier
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Cooney
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kathryn Coyne
- University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, Lewes, DE, USA
| | - Roberto Docampo
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Christopher L Dupont
- Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Elin Einarsson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pía A Elustondo
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,AGADA Biosciences Inc., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Fernan Federici
- Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Fondo de Desarrollo de Areas Prioritarias, Center for Genome Regulation and Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Veronica Freire-Beneitez
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK.,Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, University of Kent, Kent, UK
| | | | - Kodai Fukuda
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Paulo A García
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter R Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Fatma Gomaa
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sebastian G Gornik
- Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jian Guo
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA.,Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Vladimír Hampl
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Yutaka Hanawa
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Esteban R Haro-Contreras
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Hehenberger
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrea Highfield
- The Marine Biological Association, Plymouth and School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Yoshihisa Hirakawa
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Amanda Hopes
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Ian Hu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jorge Ibañez
- Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Fondo de Desarrollo de Areas Prioritarias, Center for Genome Regulation and Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Nicholas A T Irwin
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuu Ishii
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Natalia Ewa Janowicz
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Adam C Jones
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Ambar Kachale
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Konomi Fujimura-Kamada
- Division of Environmental Photobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Binnypreet Kaur
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Eleanna Kazana
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK.,Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, University of Kent, Kent, UK
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole King
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Noelia Lander
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Imen Lassadi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zhuhong Li
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Senjie Lin
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Jean-Claude Lozano
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7621, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls sur Mer, France
| | - Fulei Luan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | | | - Tamara Matute
- Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Fondo de Desarrollo de Areas Prioritarias, Center for Genome Regulation and Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Cristina Miceli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Jun Minagawa
- Division of Environmental Photobiology, National Institute for Basic Biology, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mark Moosburner
- Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.,Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sebastián R Najle
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular, CONICET, and Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Deepak Nanjappa
- University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, Lewes, DE, USA
| | - Isabel C Nimmo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luke Noble
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,Institute de Biologie de l'ENS, Département de biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Anna M G Novák Vanclová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Mariusz Nowacki
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Isaac Nuñez
- Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Fondo de Desarrollo de Areas Prioritarias, Center for Genome Regulation and Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Arnab Pain
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.,Center for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Angela Piersanti
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Sandra Pucciarelli
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Jan Pyrih
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, BIOCEV, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Joshua S Rest
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Mariana Rius
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | | | - Albane Ruaud
- Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Fondo de Desarrollo de Areas Prioritarias, Center for Genome Regulation and Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Iñaki Ruiz-Trillo
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Genètica Microbiologia i Estadıśtica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Monika A Sigg
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Pamela A Silver
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudio H Slamovits
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - G Jason Smith
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | | | - Rowena Stern
- The Marine Biological Association, Plymouth and School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Estienne C Swart
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK.,Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, University of Kent, Kent, UK
| | - Lev Tsypin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Aaron Turkewitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jernej Turnšek
- Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.,Microbial and Environmental Genomics, J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matus Valach
- Department of Biochemistry and Robert-Cedergren Centre for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Valérie Vergé
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR7621, Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls sur Mer, France
| | - Peter von Dassow
- Facultad Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Fondo de Desarrollo de Areas Prioritarias, Center for Genome Regulation and Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago de Chile, Chile.,Instituto Milenio de Oceanografia de Chile, Concepción, Chile
| | | | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lu Wang
- Institute of Oceanography, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Glen Wheeler
- The Marine Biological Association, Plymouth and School of Ocean and Earth Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - April Woods
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Huan Zhang
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Thomas Mock
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
| | - Alexandra Z Worden
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, USA. .,Ocean EcoSystems Biology Unit, Marine Ecology Division, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Julius Lukeš
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Sciences, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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21
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Betts EL, Gentekaki E, Tsaousis AD. Exploring Micro-Eukaryotic Diversity in the Gut: Co-occurrence of Blastocystis Subtypes and Other Protists in Zoo Animals. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:288. [PMID: 32161577 PMCID: PMC7052370 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis is a genetically diverse microbial eukaryote thriving in the gut of humans and other animals. While Blastocystis has been linked with gastrointestinal disorders, its pathogenicity remains controversial. Previous reports have suggested that one out of six humans could be carrying Blastocystis in their gut, while the numbers could be even higher in animals. Most studies on Blastocystis are either exclusively targeting the organism itself and/or the associated prokaryotic microbiome, while co-occurrence of other microbial eukaryotes has been mainly ignored. Herein, we aimed to explore presence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis along with the commonly occurring eukaryotes Cryptosporidium, Eimeria, Entamoeba and Giardia in the gut of asymptomatic animals from two conservation parks in the United Kingdom. Building upon a previous study, a total of 231 fecal samples were collected from 38 vertebrates, which included 12 carnivorous and 26 non-carnivorous species. None of the animals examined herein showed gastrointestinal symptoms. The barcoding region of the small subunit ribosomal RNA was used for subtyping of Blastocystis. Overall, 47% of animal species were positive for Blastocystis. Twenty six percent of samples carried more than one subtypes, including the newly identified hosts Scottish wildcat, bongo and lynx. Fifty three percent of samples carried at least another microbial eukaryote. Herewith, we discuss potential implications of these findings and the increasingly blurred definition of microbial parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Betts
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.,Gut Microbiome Research Group, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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22
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Abstract
Iron and sulfur are indispensable elements of every living cell, but on their own these elements are toxic and require dedicated machineries for the formation of iron/sulfur (Fe/S) clusters. In eukaryotes, proteins requiring Fe/S clusters (Fe/S proteins) are found in or associated with various organelles including the mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, cytosol, and the nucleus. These proteins are involved in several pathways indispensable for the viability of each living cell including DNA maintenance, protein translation and metabolic pathways. Thus, the formation of Fe/S clusters and their delivery to these proteins has a fundamental role in the functions and the evolution of the eukaryotic cell. Currently, most eukaryotes harbor two (located in cytosol and mitochondrion) or three (located in plastid) machineries for the assembly of Fe/S clusters, but certain anaerobic microbial eukaryotes contain sulfur mobilization (SUF) machineries that were previously thought to be present only in archaeal linages. These machineries could not only stipulate which pathway was present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA), but they could also provide clues regarding presence of an Fe/S cluster machinery in the proto-eukaryote and evolution of Fe/S cluster assembly machineries in all eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, ResistAnce Pathogenicity and Infectious Diseases (RAPID) Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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23
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Rueckert S, Betts EL, Tsaousis AD. The Symbiotic Spectrum: Where Do the Gregarines Fit? Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:687-694. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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24
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Robertson LJ, Clark CG, Debenham JJ, Dubey J, Kváč M, Li J, Ponce-Gordo F, Ryan U, Schares G, Su C, Tsaousis AD. Are molecular tools clarifying or confusing our understanding of the public health threat from zoonotic enteric protozoa in wildlife? Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019; 9:323-341. [PMID: 31338293 PMCID: PMC6626983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases are frequently zoonotic, often originating in wildlife, but enteric protozoa are considered relatively minor contributors. Opinions regarding whether pathogenic enteric protozoa may be transmitted between wildlife and humans have been shaped by our investigation tools, and have led to oscillations regarding whether particular species are zoonotic or have host-adapted life cycles. When the only approach for identifying enteric protozoa was morphology, it was assumed that many enteric protozoa colonized multiple hosts and were probably zoonotic. When molecular tools revealed genetic differences in morphologically identical species colonizing humans and other animals, host specificity seemed more likely. Parasites from animals found to be genetically identical - at the few genes investigated - to morphologically indistinguishable parasites from human hosts, were described as having zoonotic potential. More discriminatory molecular tools have now sub-divided some protozoa again. Meanwhile, some infection events indicate that, circumstances permitting, some "host-specific" protozoa, can actually infect various hosts. These repeated changes in our understanding are linked intrinsically to the investigative tools available. Here we review how molecular tools have assisted, or sometimes confused, our understanding of the public health threat from nine enteric protozoa and example wildlife hosts (Balantoides coli - wild boar; Blastocystis sp. - wild rodents; Cryptosporidium spp. - wild fish; Encephalitozoon spp. - wild birds; Entamoeba spp. - non-human primates; Enterocytozoon bieneusi - wild cervids; Giardia duodenalis - red foxes; Sarcocystis nesbitti - snakes; Toxoplasma gondii - bobcats). Molecular tools have provided evidence that some enteric protozoa in wildlife may infect humans, but due to limited discriminatory power, often only the zoonotic potential of the parasite is indicated. Molecular analyses, which should be as discriminatory as possible, are one, but not the only, component of the toolbox for investigating potential public health impacts from pathogenic enteric protozoa in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy J. Robertson
- Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, 0102, Oslo, Norway
| | - C. Graham Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - John J. Debenham
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 369 Sentrum, 0102, Oslo, Norway
| | - J.P. Dubey
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Building 1001, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA
| | - Martin Kváč
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Studentská 1668, 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Junqiang Li
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Francisco Ponce-Gordo
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Una Ryan
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia
| | - Gereon Schares
- Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, 17493, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Chunlei Su
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1937, USA
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
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25
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Miller CN, Panagos CG, Mosedale WRT, Kváč M, Howard MJ, Tsaousis AD. NMR metabolomics reveals effects of Cryptosporidium infections on host cell metabolome. Gut Pathog 2019; 11:13. [PMID: 30984292 PMCID: PMC6446323 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-019-0293-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cryptosporidium is an important gut microbe whose contributions towards infant and immunocompromise patient mortality rates are steadily increasing. Over the last decade, we have seen the development of various tools and methods for studying Cryptosporidium infection and its interactions with their hosts. One area that is sorely overlooked is the effect infection has on host metabolic processes. Results Using a 1H nuclear magnetic resonance approach to metabolomics, we have explored the nature of the mouse gut metabolome as well as providing the first insight into the metabolome of an infected cell line. Statistical analysis and predictive modelling demonstrated new understandings of the effects of a Cryptosporidium infection, while verifying the presence of known metabolic changes. Of note is the potential contribution of host derived taurine to the diarrhoeal aspects of the disease previously attributed to a solely parasite-based alteration of the gut environment, in addition to other metabolites involved with host cell catabolism. Conclusion This approach will spearhead our understanding of the Cryptosporidium-host metabolic exchange and provide novel targets for tackling this deadly parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher N Miller
- 1Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Charalampos G Panagos
- 2Biomolecular NMR Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.,5Present Address: Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - William R T Mosedale
- 1Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Martin Kváč
- 3Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,4Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Mark J Howard
- 2Biomolecular NMR Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.,6Present Address: School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- 1Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
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26
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Kazana E, von der Haar T, Tsaousis AD. Developing genetic manipulation platforms for Naegleria gruberi. Access Microbiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1099/acmi.ac2019.po0313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eleanna Kazana
- University of Kent, School of Biosciences, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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27
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Li FJ, Tsaousis AD, Purton T, Chow VTK, He CY, Tan KSW. Successful Genetic Transfection of the Colonic Protistan Parasite Blastocystis for Reliable Expression of Ectopic Genes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3159. [PMID: 30816225 PMCID: PMC6395660 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39094-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The microbial parasite Blastocystis colonizes the large intestines of numerous animal species and increasing evidence has linked Blastocystis infection to enteric diseases with signs and symptoms including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and flatulence. It has also recently been reported to be an important member of the host intestinal microbiota. Despite significant advances in our understanding of Blastocystis cell biology and host-parasite interactions, a genetic modification tool is absent. In this study, we successfully established a robust gene delivery protocol for Blastocystis subtype 7 (ST7) and ectopic protein expression was further tested using a high sensitivity nano-luciferase (Nluc) reporter system, with promoter regions from several genes. Among them, a strong promoter encompassing a region upstream of the legumain 5' UTR was identified. Using this promoter combined with the legumain 3' UTR, which contains a conserved, precise polyadenylation signal, a robust transient transfection technique was established for the first time in Blastocystis. This system was validated by ectopic expression of proteins harbouring specific localization signals. The establishment of a robust, reproducible gene modification system for Blastocystis is a significant advance for Blastocystis research both in vitro and in vivo. This technique will spearhead further research to understand the parasite's biology, its role in health and disease, along with novel ways to combat the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng-Jun Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117545, Singapore.,Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, United Kingdom
| | - Tracy Purton
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ, United Kingdom
| | - Vincent T K Chow
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117545, Singapore
| | - Cynthia Y He
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
| | - Kevin S W Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore, 117545, Singapore.
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28
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Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a genus of ubiquitous unicellular parasites belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa. Cryptosporidium species are the second largest cause of childhood diarrhea and are associated with increased morbidity. Accompanying this is the low availability of treatment and lack of vaccines. The major barrier to developing effective treatment is the lack of reliable in vitro culture methods. Recently, our lab has successfully cultivated C. parvum in the esophageal cancer-derived cell line COLO-680N, and has been able to maintain infection for several weeks. The success of this cell line was assessed with a combination of various techniques including fluorescent microscopy and qPCR. In addition, to tackle the issue of long-term oocyst production in vitro, a simple, low-cost bioreactor system using the COLO-680N cell line was established, which produced infectious oocysts for 4 months. This chapter provides details on the methodologies used to culture, maintain, and assess Cryptosporidium infection and propagation in COLO-680N. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyne Jossé
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander J Bones
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.,Current address: Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Tracey Purton
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Michaelis
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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29
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Bones AJ, Jossé L, More C, Miller CN, Michaelis M, Tsaousis AD. Past and future trends of Cryptosporidium in vitro research. Exp Parasitol 2018; 196:28-37. [PMID: 30521793 PMCID: PMC6333944 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a genus of single celled parasites capable of infecting a wide range of animals including humans. Cryptosporidium species are members of the phylum apicomplexa, which includes well-known genera such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Cryptosporidium parasites cause a severe gastro-intestinal disease known as cryptosporidiosis. They are one of the most common causes of childhood diarrhoea worldwide, and infection can have prolonged detrimental effects on the development of children, but also can be life threatening to HIV/AIDS patients and transplant recipients. A variety of hosts can act as reservoirs, and Cryptosporidium can persist in the environment for prolonged times as oocysts. While there has been substantial interest in these parasites, there is very little progress in terms of treatment development and understanding the majority of the life cycle of this unusual organism. In this review, we will provide an overview on the existing knowledge of the biology of the parasite and the current progress in developing in vitro cultivation systems. We will then describe a synopsis of current and next generation approaches that could spearhead further research in combating the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Bones
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Lyne Jossé
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Charlotte More
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Christopher N Miller
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | | | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK.
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30
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Tsaousis AD, Hamblin KA, Elliott CR, Young L, Rosell-Hidalgo A, Gourlay CW, Moore AL, van der Giezen M. The Human Gut Colonizer Blastocystis Respires Using Complex II and Alternative Oxidase to Buffer Transient Oxygen Fluctuations in the Gut. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:371. [PMID: 30406045 PMCID: PMC6204527 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis is the most common eukaryotic microbe in the human gut. It is linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but its role in disease has been contested considering its widespread nature. This organism is well-adapted to its anoxic niche and lacks typical eukaryotic features, such as a cytochrome-driven mitochondrial electron transport. Although generally considered a strict or obligate anaerobe, its genome encodes an alternative oxidase. Alternative oxidases are energetically wasteful enzymes as they are non-protonmotive and energy is liberated in heat, but they are considered to be involved in oxidative stress protective mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that the Blastocystis cells themselves respire oxygen via this alternative oxidase thereby casting doubt on its strict anaerobic nature. Inhibition experiments using alternative oxidase and Complex II specific inhibitors clearly demonstrate their role in cellular respiration. We postulate that the alternative oxidase in Blastocystis is used to buffer transient oxygen fluctuations in the gut and that it likely is a common colonizer of the human gut and not causally involved in IBS. Additionally the alternative oxidase could act as a protective mechanism in a dysbiotic gut and thereby explain the absence of Blastocystis in established IBS environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- RAPID Group, Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Karleigh A. Hamblin
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine R. Elliott
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Luke Young
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Alicia Rosell-Hidalgo
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Campbell W. Gourlay
- Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony L. Moore
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
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31
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Betts EL, Gentekaki E, Thomasz A, Breakell V, Carpenter AI, Tsaousis AD. Genetic diversity of Blastocystis in non-primate animals. Parasitology 2018; 145:1228-1234. [PMID: 29338807 PMCID: PMC5912512 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017002347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Blastocystis is an anaerobic protist, commonly inhabiting the intestinal tract of both humans and other animals. Blastocystis is extremely diverse comprising 17 genetically distinct subtypes in mammals and birds. Pathogenicity of this enteric microbe is currently disputed and knowledge regarding its distribution, diversity and zoonotic potential is fragmentary. Most research has focused on Blastocystis from primates, while sampling from other animals remains limited. Herein, we investigated the prevalence and distribution of Blastocystis in animals held within a conservation park in South East England. A total of 118 samples were collected from 27 vertebrate species. The barcoding region of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA was used for molecular identification and subtyping. Forty one per cent of the species were sequence positive for Blastocystis indicating a high prevalence and wide distribution among the animals in the park. Six subtypes were identified, one of which is potentially novel. Moreover, the majority of animals were asymptomatic carriers, suggesting that Blastocystis is not pathogenic in animals. This study provides a thorough investigation of Blastocystis prevalence within a wildlife park in the UK and can be used as a platform for further investigations on the distribution of other eukaryotic gut microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Betts
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Eleni Gentekaki
- School of Science and Human Gut Microbiome for Health Research Unit, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | | | | | | | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
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32
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Miller CN, Jossé L, Tsaousis AD. Localization of Fe-S Biosynthesis Machinery in Cryptosporidium parvum Mitosome. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2018; 65:913-922. [PMID: 29932290 PMCID: PMC6282951 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a protozoan, apicomplexan, parasite that poses significant risk to humans and animals, as a common cause of potentially fatal diarrhea in immunodeficient hosts. The parasites have evolved a number of unique biological features that allow them to thrive in a highly specialized parasitic lifestyle. For example, the genome of Cryptosporidium parvum is highly reduced, encoding only 3,805 proteins, which is also reflected in its reduced cellular and organellar content and functions. As such, its remnant mitochondrion, dubbed a mitosome, is one of the smallest mitochondria yet found. While numerous studies have attempted to discover the function(s) of the C. parvum mitosome, most of them have been focused on in silico predictions. Here, we have localized components of a biochemical pathway in the C. parvum mitosome, in our investigations into the functions of this peculiar mitochondrial organelle. We have shown that three proteins involved in the mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster biosynthetic pathway are localized in the organelle, and one of them can functionally replace its yeast homolog. Thus, it seems that the C. parvum mitosome is involved in iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis, supporting the organellar and cytosolic apoproteins. These results spearhead further research on elucidating the functions of the mitosome and broaden our understanding in the minimalistic adaptations of these organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher N Miller
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Lyne Jossé
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
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33
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Herman EK, Yiangou L, Cantoni DM, Miller CN, Marciano-Cabral F, Anthonyrajah E, Dacks JB, Tsaousis AD. Identification and characterisation of a cryptic Golgi complex in Naegleria gruberi. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs213306. [PMID: 29535209 PMCID: PMC5963838 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.213306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the Golgi complex has a conserved morphology of flattened stacked cisternae in most eukaryotes, it has lost the stacked organisation in several lineages, raising the question of what range of morphologies is possible for the Golgi. In order to understand this diversity, it is necessary to characterise the Golgi in many different lineages. Here, we identify the Golgi complex in Naegleria, one of the first descriptions of an unstacked Golgi organelle in a non-parasitic eukaryote, other than fungi. We provide a comprehensive list of Golgi-associated membrane trafficking genes encoded in two species of Naegleria and show that nearly all are expressed in mouse-passaged N. fowleri cells. We then study distribution of the Golgi marker (Ng)CopB by fluorescence in Naegleria gruberi, identifying membranous structures that are disrupted by Brefeldin A treatment, consistent with Golgi localisation. Confocal and immunoelectron microscopy reveals that NgCOPB localises to tubular membranous structures. Our data identify the Golgi organelle for the first time in this major eukaryotic lineage, and provide the rare example of a tubular morphology, representing an important sampling point for the comparative understanding of Golgi organellar diversity.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Herman
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2H7
| | - Lyto Yiangou
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Diego M Cantoni
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Christopher N Miller
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Francine Marciano-Cabral
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, 1101 E. Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23298-0678, USA
| | - Erin Anthonyrajah
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Joel B Dacks
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2H7
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK
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Miller CN, Jossé L, Brown I, Blakeman B, Povey J, Yiangou L, Price M, Cinatl J, Xue WF, Michaelis M, Tsaousis AD. A cell culture platform for Cryptosporidium that enables long-term cultivation and new tools for the systematic investigation of its biology. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:197-201. [PMID: 29195082 PMCID: PMC5854368 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 10/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parasites are a major cause of diarrhoea that pose a particular threat to children in developing areas and immunocompromised individuals. Curative therapies and vaccines are lacking, mainly due to lack of a long-term culturing system of this parasite. Here, we show that COLO-680N cells infected with two different Cryptosporidium parvum strains produce sufficient infectious oocysts to infect subsequent cultures, showing a substantial fold increase in production, depending on the experiment, over the most optimistic HCT-8 models. Oocyst identity was confirmed using a variety of microscopic- and molecular-based methods. This culturing system will accelerate research on Cryptosporidium and the development of anti-Cryptosporidium drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher N Miller
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Lyne Jossé
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Industrial Biotechnology Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Ian Brown
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Ben Blakeman
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Jane Povey
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Lyto Yiangou
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Industrial Biotechnology Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Mark Price
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Jindrich Cinatl
- Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wei-Feng Xue
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Martin Michaelis
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Industrial Biotechnology Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
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Rueckert S, Tsaousis AD. Report of the 2017 Protistology-UK Spring Meeting. Eur J Protistol 2017; 61:307-310. [PMID: 29173840 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2017.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Rueckert
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
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Gentekaki E, Curtis BA, Stairs CW, Klimeš V, Eliáš M, Salas-Leiva DE, Herman EK, Eme L, Arias MC, Henrissat B, Hilliou F, Klute MJ, Suga H, Malik SB, Pightling AW, Kolisko M, Rachubinski RA, Schlacht A, Soanes DM, Tsaousis AD, Archibald JM, Ball SG, Dacks JB, Clark CG, van der Giezen M, Roger AJ. Extreme genome diversity in the hyper-prevalent parasitic eukaryote Blastocystis. PLoS Biol 2017; 15:e2003769. [PMID: 28892507 PMCID: PMC5608401 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [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: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastocystis is the most prevalent eukaryotic microbe colonizing the human gut, infecting approximately 1 billion individuals worldwide. Although Blastocystis has been linked to intestinal disorders, its pathogenicity remains controversial because most carriers are asymptomatic. Here, the genome sequence of Blastocystis subtype (ST) 1 is presented and compared to previously published sequences for ST4 and ST7. Despite a conserved core of genes, there is unexpected diversity between these STs in terms of their genome sizes, guanine-cytosine (GC) content, intron numbers, and gene content. ST1 has 6,544 protein-coding genes, which is several hundred more than reported for ST4 and ST7. The percentage of proteins unique to each ST ranges from 6.2% to 20.5%, greatly exceeding the differences observed within parasite genera. Orthologous proteins also display extreme divergence in amino acid sequence identity between STs (i.e., 59%-61% median identity), on par with observations of the most distantly related species pairs of parasite genera. The STs also display substantial variation in gene family distributions and sizes, especially for protein kinase and protease gene families, which could reflect differences in virulence. It remains to be seen to what extent these inter-ST differences persist at the intra-ST level. A full 26% of genes in ST1 have stop codons that are created on the mRNA level by a novel polyadenylation mechanism found only in Blastocystis. Reconstructions of pathways and organellar systems revealed that ST1 has a relatively complete membrane-trafficking system and a near-complete meiotic toolkit, possibly indicating a sexual cycle. Unlike some intestinal protistan parasites, Blastocystis ST1 has near-complete de novo pyrimidine, purine, and thiamine biosynthesis pathways and is unique amongst studied stramenopiles in being able to metabolize α-glucans rather than β-glucans. It lacks all genes encoding heme-containing cytochrome P450 proteins. Predictions of the mitochondrion-related organelle (MRO) proteome reveal an expanded repertoire of functions, including lipid, cofactor, and vitamin biosynthesis, as well as proteins that may be involved in regulating mitochondrial morphology and MRO/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) interactions. In sharp contrast, genes for peroxisome-associated functions are absent, suggesting Blastocystis STs lack this organelle. Overall, this study provides an important window into the biology of Blastocystis, showcasing significant differences between STs that can guide future experimental investigations into differences in their virulence and clarifying the roles of these organisms in gut health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Gentekaki
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Bruce A. Curtis
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Courtney W. Stairs
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Vladimír Klimeš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Eliáš
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Dayana E. Salas-Leiva
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Emily K. Herman
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Laura Eme
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Maria C. Arias
- Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR8576 CNRS-USTL, Cité Scientifique, Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- CNRS UMR 7257, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
- INRA, USC 1408 AFMB, Marseille, France
- Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mary J. Klute
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hiroshi Suga
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Nanatsuka 562, Shobara, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shehre-Banoo Malik
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Arthur W. Pightling
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Martin Kolisko
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | | | - Alexander Schlacht
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Darren M. Soanes
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - John M. Archibald
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, CIFAR Program in Integrated Microbial Biodiversity, Toronto, Canada
| | - Steven G. Ball
- Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, UMR8576 CNRS-USTL, Cité Scientifique, Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France
| | - Joel B. Dacks
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - C. Graham Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrew J. Roger
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, CIFAR Program in Integrated Microbial Biodiversity, Toronto, Canada
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Saintas E, Abrahams L, Ahmad GT, Ajakaiye AOM, AlHumaidi ASHAM, Ashmore-Harris C, Clark I, Dura UK, Fixmer CN, Ike-Morris C, Mato Prado M, Mccullough D, Mishra S, Schöler KMU, Timur H, Williamson MDC, Alatsatianos M, Bahsoun B, Blackburn E, Hogwood CE, Lithgow PE, Rowe M, Yiangou L, Rothweiler F, Cinatl J, Zehner R, Baines AJ, Garrett MD, Gourlay CW, Griffin DK, Gullick WJ, Hargreaves E, Howard MJ, Lloyd DR, Rossman JS, Smales CM, Tsaousis AD, von der Haar T, Wass MN, Michaelis M. Acquired resistance to oxaliplatin is not directly associated with increased resistance to DNA damage in SK-N-ASrOXALI4000, a newly established oxaliplatin-resistant sub-line of the neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-AS. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0172140. [PMID: 28192521 PMCID: PMC5305101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of acquired drug resistance is a major reason for the failure of anti-cancer therapies after initial response. Here, we introduce a novel model of acquired oxaliplatin resistance, a sub-line of the non-MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell line SK-N-AS that was adapted to growth in the presence of 4000 ng/mL oxaliplatin (SK-N-ASrOXALI4000). SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells displayed enhanced chromosomal aberrations compared to SK-N-AS, as indicated by 24-chromosome fluorescence in situ hybridisation. Moreover, SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells were resistant not only to oxaliplatin but also to the two other commonly used anti-cancer platinum agents cisplatin and carboplatin. SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells exhibited a stable resistance phenotype that was not affected by culturing the cells for 10 weeks in the absence of oxaliplatin. Interestingly, SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells showed no cross resistance to gemcitabine and increased sensitivity to doxorubicin and UVC radiation, alternative treatments that like platinum drugs target DNA integrity. Notably, UVC-induced DNA damage is thought to be predominantly repaired by nucleotide excision repair and nucleotide excision repair has been described as the main oxaliplatin-induced DNA damage repair system. SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells were also more sensitive to lysis by influenza A virus, a candidate for oncolytic therapy, than SK-N-AS cells. In conclusion, we introduce a novel oxaliplatin resistance model. The oxaliplatin resistance mechanisms in SK-N-ASrOXALI4000 cells appear to be complex and not to directly depend on enhanced DNA repair capacity. Models of oxaliplatin resistance are of particular relevance since research on platinum drugs has so far predominantly focused on cisplatin and carboplatin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Saintas
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Abrahams
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Gulshan T. Ahmad
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Iain Clark
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Usha K. Dura
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Carine N. Fixmer
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mireia Mato Prado
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | - Shishir Mishra
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | - Husne Timur
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Basma Bahsoun
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Edith Blackburn
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine E. Hogwood
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Pamela E. Lithgow
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Rowe
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Lyto Yiangou
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Florian Rothweiler
- Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jindrich Cinatl
- Institut für Medizinische Virologie, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Richard Zehner
- Institut für Rechtsmedizin, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anthony J. Baines
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Darren K. Griffin
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | - Emma Hargreaves
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J. Howard
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel R. Lloyd
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy S. Rossman
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - C. Mark Smales
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Mark N. Wass
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Michaelis
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Industrial Biotechnology Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Naegleria gruberi is a free-living heterotrophic aerobic amoeba well known for its ability to transform from an amoeba to a flagellate form. The genome of N. gruberi has been recently published, and in silico predictions demonstrated that Naegleria has the capacity for both aerobic respiration and anaerobic biochemistry to produce molecular hydrogen in its mitochondria. This finding was considered to have fundamental implications on the evolution of mitochondrial metabolism and of the last eukaryotic common ancestor. However, no actual experimental data have been shown to support this hypothesis. For this reason, we have decided to investigate the anaerobic metabolism of the mitochondrion of N. gruberi. Using in vivo biochemical assays, we have demonstrated that N. gruberi has indeed a functional [FeFe]-hydrogenase, an enzyme that is attributed to anaerobic organisms. Surprisingly, in contrast to the published predictions, we have demonstrated that hydrogenase is localized exclusively in the cytosol, while no hydrogenase activity was associated with mitochondria of the organism. In addition, cytosolic localization displayed for HydE, a marker component of hydrogenase maturases. Naegleria gruberi, an obligate aerobic organism and one of the earliest eukaryotes, is producing hydrogen, a function that raises questions on the purpose of this pathway for the lifestyle of the organism and potentially on the evolution of eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
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Tsaousis AD, Leger MM, Stairs CAW, Roger AJ. The Biochemical Adaptations of Mitochondrion-Related Organelles of Parasitic and Free-Living Microbial Eukaryotes to Low Oxygen Environments. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-1896-8_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Long S, Changmai P, Tsaousis AD, Skalický T, Verner Z, Wen YZ, Roger AJ, Lukeš J. Stage-specific requirement for Isa1 and Isa2 proteins in the mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei and heterologous rescue by human and Blastocystis orthologues. Mol Microbiol 2011; 81:1403-18. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07769.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Tsaousis AD, Gaston D, Stechmann A, Walker PB, Lithgow T, Roger AJ. A functional Tom70 in the human parasite Blastocystis sp.: implications for the evolution of the mitochondrial import apparatus. Mol Biol Evol 2010; 28:781-91. [PMID: 20871025 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msq252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Core proteins of mitochondrial protein import are found in all mitochondria, suggesting a common origin of this import machinery. Despite the presence of a universal core import mechanism, there are specific proteins found only in a few groups of organisms. One of these proteins is the translocase of outer membrane 70 (Tom70), a protein that is essential for the import of preproteins with internal targeting sequences into the mitochondrion. Until now, Tom70 has only been found in animals and Fungi. We have identified a tom70 gene in the human parasitic anaerobic stramenopile Blastocystis sp. that is neither an animal nor a fungus. Using a combination of bioinformatics, genetic complementation, and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses, we demonstrate that this protein functions as a typical Tom70 in Blastocystis mitochondrion-related organelles. Additionally, we identified putative tom70 genes in the genomes of other stramenopiles and a haptophyte, that, in phylogenies, form a monophyletic group distinct from the animal and the fungal homologues. The presence of Tom70 in these lineages significantly expands the evolutionary spectrum of eukaryotes that contain this protein and suggests that it may have been part of the core mitochondrial protein import apparatus of the last common ancestral eukaryote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios D Tsaousis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.
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Hjort K, Goldberg AV, Tsaousis AD, Hirt RP, Embley TM. Diversity and reductive evolution of mitochondria among microbial eukaryotes. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:713-27. [PMID: 20124340 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
All extant eukaryotes are now considered to possess mitochondria in one form or another. Many parasites or anaerobic protists have highly reduced versions of mitochondria, which have generally lost their genome and the capacity to generate ATP through oxidative phosphorylation. These organelles have been called hydrogenosomes, when they make hydrogen, or remnant mitochondria or mitosomes when their functions were cryptic. More recently, organelles with features blurring the distinction between mitochondria, hydrogenosomes and mitosomes have been identified. These organelles have retained a mitochondrial genome and include the mitochondrial-like organelle of Blastocystis and the hydrogenosome of the anaerobic ciliate Nyctotherus. Studying eukaryotic diversity from the perspective of their mitochondrial variants has yielded important insights into eukaryote molecular cell biology and evolution. These investigations are contributing to understanding the essential functions of mitochondria, defined in the broadest sense, and the limits to which reductive evolution can proceed while maintaining a viable organelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Hjort
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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Abstract
In eukaryotes, determination of the subcellular location of a novel protein encoded in genomic or transcriptomic data provides useful clues as to its possible function. However, experimental localization studies are expensive and time-consuming. As a result, accurate in silico prediction of subcellular localization from sequence data alone is an extremely important field of study in bioinformatics. This is especially so as genomic studies expand beyond model system organisms to encompass the full diversity of eukaryotes. Here we review some of the more commonly used programs for prediction of proteins that function in mitochondria, or mitochondrion-related organelles in diverse eukaryotic lineages and provide recommendations on how to apply these methods. Furthermore, we compare the predictive performance of these programs on a mixed set of mitochondrial and non-mitochondrial proteins. Although N-terminal targeting peptide prediction programs tend to have the highest accuracy, they cannot be effectively used for partial coding sequences derived from high-throughput expressed sequence tag surveys where data for the N-terminus of the encoded protein is often missing. Therefore methods that do not rely on the presence of an N-terminal targeting sequence alone are extremely useful, especially for expressed sequence tag data. The best strategy for classification of unknown proteins is to use multiple programs, incorporating a variety of prediction strategies, and closely examine the predictions with an understanding of how each of those programs will likely handle the data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gaston
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Goldberg AV, Molik S, Tsaousis AD, Neumann K, Kuhnke G, Delbac F, Vivares CP, Hirt RP, Lill R, Embley TM. Localization and functionality of microsporidian iron-sulphur cluster assembly proteins. Nature 2008; 452:624-8. [PMID: 18311129 DOI: 10.1038/nature06606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2007] [Accepted: 12/21/2007] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Microsporidia are highly specialized obligate intracellular parasites of other eukaryotes (including humans) that show extreme reduction at the molecular, cellular and biochemical level. Although microsporidia have long been considered as early branching eukaryotes that lack mitochondria, they have recently been shown to contain a tiny mitochondrial remnant called a mitosome. The function of the mitosome is unknown, because microsporidians lack the genes for canonical mitochondrial functions, such as aerobic respiration and haem biosynthesis. However, microsporidial genomes encode several components of the mitochondrial iron-sulphur (Fe-S) cluster assembly machinery. Here we provide experimental insights into the metabolic function and localization of these proteins. We cloned, functionally characterized and localized homologues of several central mitochondrial Fe-S cluster assembly components for the microsporidians Encephalitozoon cuniculi and Trachipleistophora hominis. Several microsporidial proteins can functionally replace their yeast counterparts in Fe-S protein biogenesis. In E. cuniculi, the iron (frataxin) and sulphur (cysteine desulphurase, Nfs1) donors and the scaffold protein (Isu1) co-localize with mitochondrial Hsp70 to the mitosome, consistent with it being the functional site for Fe-S cluster biosynthesis. In T. hominis, mitochondrial Hsp70 and the essential sulphur donor (Nfs1) are still in the mitosome, but surprisingly the main pools of Isu1 and frataxin are cytosolic, creating a conundrum of how these key components of Fe-S cluster biosynthesis coordinate their function. Together, our studies identify the essential biosynthetic process of Fe-S protein assembly as a key function of microsporidian mitosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina V Goldberg
- Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, The Catherine Cookson Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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45
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Abstract
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) recombination has been observed in several animal species, but there are doubts as to whether it is common or only occurs under special circumstances. Animal mtDNA sequences retrieved from public databases were unambiguously aligned and rigorously tested for evidence of recombination. At least 30 recombination events were detected among 186 alignments examined. Recombinant sequences were found in invertebrates and vertebrates, including primates. It appears that mtDNA recombination may occur regularly in the animal cell but rarely produces new haplotypes because of homoplasmy. Common animal mtDNA recombination would necessitate a reexamination of phylogenetic and biohistorical inference based on the assumption of clonal mtDNA transmission. Recombination may also have an important role in producing and purging mtDNA mutations and thus in mtDNA-based diseases and senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Tsaousis
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Iraklio, Crete, Greece
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