A MORC-driven transcriptional switch controls Toxoplasma developmental trajectories and sexual commitment
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
PROVIDER: PRJNA561343 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
Dataset's files
| Action | DRS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SRR10009935_1.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz | |||
| SRR10009935_2.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz | |||
| SRR10009936_1.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz | |||
| SRR10009936_2.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz | |||
| SRR10009937_1.fastq.gz | Fastqsanger.gz |
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Similar Datasets
Project description:Toxoplasma gondii has a complex life cycle that is typified by asexual development that takes place in vertebrates, and sexual reproduction, which occurs exclusively in felids and is therefore less studied. The developmental transitions rely on changes in the patterns of gene expression, and recent studies have assigned roles for chromatin shapers, including histone modifications, in establishing specific epigenetic programs for each given stage. Here, we identified the T. gondii microrchidia (MORC) protein as an upstream transcriptional repressor of sexual commitment. MORC, in a complex with Apetala 2 (AP2) transcription factors, was shown to recruit the histone deacetylase HDAC3, thereby impeding the accessibility of chromatin at the genes that are exclusively expressed during sexual stages. We found that MORC-depleted cells underwent marked transcriptional changes, resulting in the expression of a specific repertoire of genes, and revealing a shift from asexual proliferation to sexual differentiation. MORC acts as a master regulator that directs the hierarchical expression of secondary AP2 transcription factors, and these transcription factors potentially contribute to the unidirectionality of the life cycle. Thus, MORC plays a cardinal role in the T. gondii life cycle, and its conditional depletion offers a method to study the sexual development of the parasite in vitro, and is proposed as an alternative to the requirement of T. gondii infections in cats.
2019-12-21 | GSE136060 | GEO
Project description:A MORC-driven transcriptional switch controls Toxoplasma developmental trajectories and sexual commitment
| PRJNA561145 | ENA
Project description:A MORC-driven transcriptional switch controls Toxoplasma developmental trajectories and sexual commitment
| PRJNA561343 | ENA
Project description:Purpose: T. gondii has a complex life cycle typified by an asexual development taking place in vertebrate and a sexual reproduction occurring exclusively in felids and thereby is less studied. The developmental transitions rely on changes in gene expression patterns, and recent studies have assigned roles for chromatin shapers, including histone modifications, in establishing specific programs for a given stage. Here, we identified T. gondii microrchidia (MORC) protein as an upstream transcriptional repressor of sexual commitment. MORC, in partnership with Apetala (AP2) transcription factors, was shown to recruit the histone deacetylase HDAC3, thereby impeding the chromatin accessibility of the genes predestined to be exclusively expressed in sexual stages. As such, MORC-depleted cells underwent marked transcriptional changes, resulting in the expression of a specific repertoire of genes, thus revealing a shift from asexual proliferation to sexual differentiation. MORC acts as a master regulator that directs the hierarchical expression of secondary AP2 factors, with these latter potentially contributing to the unidirectionality of the life cycle. Thus, MORC plays a cardinal role in the T. gondii life cycle, and its conditional depletion offers a way to study the parasite’s sexual development in vitro, and proposes an alternative to the requirement of cat infections.
2019-12-21 | GSE136123 | GEO
Project description:Toxoplasma gondii has a complex life cycle that is typified by asexual development that takes place in vertebrates, and sexual reproduction, which occurs exclusively in felids and is therefore less studied. The developmental transitions rely on changes in the patterns of gene expression, and recent studies have assigned roles for chromatin shapers, including histone modifications, in establishing specific epigenetic programs for each given stage. Here, we identified the T. gondii microrchidia (MORC) protein as an upstream transcriptional repressor of sexual commitment. MORC, in a complex with Apetala 2 (AP2) transcription factors, was shown to recruit the histone deacetylase HDAC3, thereby impeding the accessibility of chromatin at the genes that are exclusively expressed during sexual stages. We found that MORC-depleted cells underwent marked transcriptional changes, resulting in the expression of a specific repertoire of genes, and revealing a shift from asexual proliferation to sexual differentiation. MORC acts as a master regulator that directs the hierarchical expression of secondary AP2 transcription factors, and these transcription factors potentially contribute to the unidirectionality of the life cycle. Thus, MORC plays a cardinal role in the T. gondii life cycle, and its conditional depletion offers a method to study the sexual development of the parasite in vitro, and is proposed as an alternative to the requirement of T. gondii infections in cats.
| S-EPMC7104380 | biostudies-literature
Project description:T. gondii has a complex life cycle typified by an asexual development taking place in vertebrate, and a sexual reproduction which occurs exclusively in felids and thereby is less studied. The developmental transitions rely on changes in gene expression patterns, and recent studies have assigned roles for chromatin shapers, including histone modifications, in establishing specific epigenetic programs for each given stage. Here, we identified T. gondii microrchidia (MORC) protein as an upstream transcriptional repressor of sexual commitment. We performed affinity purification coupled to tandem mass spectrometry analyses to identify its binding partners.
2020-01-09 | PXD016846 | Pride
Project description:Toxoplasma gondii is a medically and veterinary important intracellular parasite that undergoes distinct developmental transitions in its intermediate and definitive hosts. The switch between stages of T. gondii is meticulously regulated by a variety of factors. Previous studies have explored the role of the microrchidia (MORC) protein complex as a transcriptional suppressor of sexual commitment. By utilizing immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry, constituents of this protein complex have been identified, including MORC, Histone Deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), and several ApiApiAP2 transcription factors. Conditional knockout of MORC or inhibition of HDAC3 results in upregulation of a set of genes associated with schizogony and sexual stages in T. gondii tachyzoites. Here, our focus extends to three primary ApiAP2s: ApiAP2XII-1, ApiAP2XI-2, and ApiAP2V-2, demonstrating their significant impact on the fitness of asexual tachyzoites and their target genes. Notably, the targeted disruption of ApiAP2XII-1 and ApiAP2XI-2 resulted in a more profound alteration in merozoite-specific genes targeted by the MORC/HDAC3 complex compared to ApiAP2V-2. Additionally, considerable overlap was observed in downstream gene profiles between ApiAP2XII-1 and ApiAP2XI-2, with ApiAP2XII-1 specifically binding to a subset of ApiAP2 transcription factors, including ApiAP2XI-2. These findings reveal an intricate cascade of ApiAP2 regulatory networks involved in T. gondii schizogony development, orchestrated by ApiAP2XII-1 and ApiAP2XI-2. This study provides valuable insights into the transcriptional regulation of T. gondii growth and development, shedding light on the intricate life cycle of this parasitic pathogen.
2023-12-10 | GSE249604 | GEO
Project description:Here we show that AP2XII-1 and AP2XI-2, two transcription factors expressed in tachyzoites, a stage that causes acute toxoplasmosis, silence genes specific to merozoites, a developmental stage critical for sexual commitment and transmission to the next host, including humans. Their conditional and simultaneous depletion leads to a drastic change in the transcriptional program, promoting a complete transition from tachyzoites to merozoites. Pre-gametes produced in vitro are characterized by specific protein markers and undergo typical asexual endopolygenic division cycles. AP2XII-1 and AP2XI-2 bind DNA as heterodimers at merozoite promoters and recruit the epigenitors MORC and HDAC3, which in turn restrict the accessibility of chromatin to the transcriptional machinery.
2023-09-16 | GSE222819 | GEO
Project description:Here we show that AP2XII-1 and AP2XI-2, two transcription factors expressed in tachyzoites, a stage that causes acute toxoplasmosis, silence genes specific to merozoites, a developmental stage critical for sexual commitment and transmission to the next host, including humans. Their conditional and simultaneous depletion leads to a drastic change in the transcriptional program, promoting a complete transition from tachyzoites to merozoites. Pre-gametes produced in vitro are characterized by specific protein markers and undergo typical asexual endopolygenic division cycles. AP2XII-1 and AP2XI-2 bind DNA as heterodimers at merozoite promoters and recruit the epigenitors MORC and HDAC3, which in turn restrict the accessibility of chromatin to the transcriptional machinery.
2023-09-16 | GSE222832 | GEO
Project description:Commitment to and completion of sexual development are essential for Toxoplasma gondii to produce oocysts in the intestine of the feline host. Understanding of the molecular mechanism responsible for sexual commitment is extremely limited due to the lack of model systems. Here, we show that the transcription factors AP2XI-2 and AP2XII-1 associated with the epigenetic repressors MORC/HDAC3 complex are constitutively expressed in both tachyzoite and bradyzoite stages but not in the merozoite stage. Depletion of AP2XI-2 or AP2XII-1 elicits the expression of genes specific to merozoites, but they play different roles in the merogony process. Depletion of AP2XI-2 in type II Pru strain induced parasites to undergo merogony and produce mature merozoites in alkaline medium but not in neutral medium, whereas the AP2XII-1 depleted Pru strain underwent several rounds of schizogony and produced merozoites in neutral medium and more markedly under alkaline conditions. Furthermore, we show that two AP2XI-2 interacting proteins are also involved in repressing merozoite programming. Overall, these findings indicate that the merozoite primed pre-sexual commitment is controlled by an intricate regulatory network and that AP2XI-2 or AP2XII-1 depleted parasites can be used as a model to study the merogony in vitro.
2023-12-20 | PXD043808 | Pride