Project description:Trypanosomatid parasites undergo developmental regulation to adapt to the different environments encountered during their life cycle. In Trypanosoma brucei, a genome wide selectional screen previously identified a regulator of the protein family ESAG9, which is highly expressed in stumpy forms, a morphologically distinct bloodstream stage adapted for tsetse transmission. This regulator, TbREG9.1, has an orthologue in Trypanosoma congolense, despite the absence of a stumpy morphotype in that parasite species, which is an important cause of livestock trypanosomosis. RNAi mediated gene silencing of TcREG9.1 in Trypanosoma congolense caused a loss of attachment of the parasites to a surface substrate in vitro, a key feature of the biology of these parasites that is distinct from T. brucei. This detachment was phenocopied by treatment of the parasites with a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, which also promotes detachment in the insect trypanosomatid Crithidia fasciculata. RNAseq analysis revealed that TcREG9.1 silencing caused the upregulation of mRNAs for several classes of surface molecules, including transferrin receptor-like molecules, immunodominant proteins, and molecules related to those associated with stumpy development in T. brucei. Depletion of TcREG9.1 in vivo also generated an enhanced level of parasites in the blood circulation consistent with reduced parasite attachment to the microvasculature. The morphological progression to insect forms of the parasite was also perturbed. We propose a model whereby TcREG9.1 acts as a regulator of attachment and development, with detached parasites being adapted for transmission.
Project description:In a phenotypic screening approach of novel molecules composed of a synergistic combination of phthalimide, benzimidazole, and triazole scaffolds we discovered compounds with potent anti-leishmanial activity. The resulting early-lead compound PHT-39, which contains a trifluoromethyl substitution, demonstrated the highest efficacy in a Leishmania infantum intramacrophage assay, with an EC50 of 1.2+/- 3.2 μM.Cytotoxicity testing of PHT-39 in Hep-G2 cells indicated high selectivity of over 90-fold. To investigate the mechanism of action we carried out experiments in Trypanosoma brucei, which is also sensitive to PHT-39. Here we used a genome-wide RNAi library approach (PMID: 22278056; PMID: 21363968) to detect sensitivity determinants. This high-throughput phenotyping approach identified sensitivity determinants for PHT-39, which included a P-type ATPase that is crucial for the uptake of miltefosine and amphotericin, strongly indicating a shared route for cellular entry.
Project description:A direct comparison of RNAi in vitro with RNAi in vivo is being performed using RNA interference (RNAi) target sequencing (RIT-Seq) of Trypanosoma brucei to identify all genes specifically required for growth in vivo (the infectome). Assembly of the bloodstream-form T. brucei RNAi library and the RNAi target sequencing (RIT-seq) approach in African trypanosomes were reported previously in Alsford, S. et al. High-throughput phenotyping using parallel sequencing of RNA interference targets in the African trypanosome. Genome Res 21, 915-924, 264 doi:gr.115089.110 [pii] 265 10.1101/gr.115089.110 (2011) and Alsford,S et al. High-throughput decoding of antitrypanosomal drug efficacy and resistance. Nature 482, 232236 doi:10.1038/nature10771 (2012). This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/
Project description:The African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei is a unicellular eukaryote, which relies on a protective Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) coat for survival in the mammalian host. A single trypanosome has >2000 VSG genes and pseudogenes of which only one is expressed from one of ~15 telomeric bloodstream form expression sites (BESs). Infectious metacyclic trypanosomes present within the tsetse fly vector also express VSG from a separate set of telomeric metacyclic ESs (MESs). All MESs are silenced in bloodstream form T. brucei. As very little is known about how this is mediated, we performed a whole genome RNAi library screen to identify MES repressors. This allowed us to identify a novel SAP domain containing DNA binding protein which we called TbSAP. TbSAP is enriched at the nuclear periphery and binds both MESs and BESs. Knockdown of TbSAP in bloodstream form trypanosomes did not result in cells becoming more ‘metacyclic’-like. Instead, there was extensive global upregulation of transcripts including MES VSGs, VSGs within the silent VSG arrays as well as genes immediately downstream of BES promoters. TbSAP therefore appears to be a novel architectural chromatin protein playing an important role in silencing the extensive VSG repertoire of bloodstream form T. brucei.
2020-11-04 | GSE160713 | GEO
Project description:Trypanosoma brucei genome-wide library for yeast surface display
Project description:Gradient fractions of RNAi of XAC1 (Tb927.7.2780) in Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms. RNAi was induced using tetracycline and cell extracts were fractionated into polysomal and monosome-non-ribosome-associated fractions.
Project description:Individual-nucleotide resolution UV-crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) combined with high-throughput sequencing was performed to generate genome-wide binding maps of two U1-snRNP proteins: U1C and U1-70K in Trypanosoma brucei.