Translational control by Trypanosoma brucei DRBD18 contributes to the maintenance of the procyclic state
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ABSTRACT: Trypanosoma brucei occupies distinct niches throughout its life cycle, both within the vertebrate host (fat tissue, bloodstream, central nervous system) and within the insect host, the tsetse fly (taken up with a bloodmeal and passing through the midgut, and migrating to the salivary glands). The immunological and biochemical complexity and variability of each of these environments require a reshaping of the protein landscape of the parasite both to evade surveillance and face changing metabolic demands. Whereas most well-studied organisms rely on transcriptional control as the main regulator of gene expression, post-transcriptional control mechanisms are particularly important in T. brucei, and these are often mediated by RNA-binding proteins. DRBD18 is a T. brucei RNA binding protein that interacts with ribosomal proteins and translation factors. Here, we tested a role for DRBD18 in translational control. We show that DRBD18 depletion by RNA interference leads to altered polysomal profiles with a specific depletion of heavy polysomes. RiboSeq analysis reveals that 101 transcripts change in translational efficiency (TE) upon DRBD18 depletion: 41 of them exhibit decreased TE and 60 increased TE. A further 66 transcripts are buffered, i.e. changes in transcript abundance are compensated by changes in TE such that the total translational output is expected not to change. Proteomic analysis validates much of these data. In DRBD18 depleted cells, a cohort of transcripts that code for procyclic form specific proteins are translationally repressed while, conversely, transcripts that code for bloodstream form specific proteins are translationally enhanced. These data suggest that DRBD18 contributes to the maintenance of the procyclic state through both positive and negative translational control of specific mRNAs.
INSTRUMENT(S): Orbitrap Fusion Lumos
ORGANISM(S): Trypanosoma Brucei
SUBMITTER: Shichen Shen
LAB HEAD: Jun Qu
PROVIDER: PXD039064 | Pride | 2024-01-26
REPOSITORIES: Pride
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