Project description:Proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates from the harmful algal bloom (HAB)-causing organism Pyrodinium bahamense were characterized to obtain insights into the biochemical processes in this environmentally relevant dinoflagellate. Shotgun proteomics using label-free quantitation followed by proteome mapping using the P. bahamense transcriptome and translated protein databases of Marinovum algicola, Alexandrium sp., Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, and Symbiodinium kawagutii for annotation enabled the characterization of the proteins in P. bahamense. The highest number of annotated hits were obtained from M. algicola and highlighted the contribution of microorganisms associated with P. bahamense. Proteins involved in dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) degradation such as propionyl CoA synthethase and acryloyl-CoA reductase were identified, suggesting the DMSP cleavage pathway as the preferred route in this dinoflagellate. Most of the annotated proteins were involved in amino acid biosynthesis and carbohydrate degradation and metabolism, indicating the active roles of these molecules in the vegetative stage of P. bahamense. This characterization provides baseline information on the cellular machinery and the molecular basis of the ecophysiology of P. bahamense.
Project description:Saxitoxin (STX) is a secondary metabolite and potent neurotoxin produced by several genera of harmful algal bloom (HAB) marine dinoflagellates. The basis for variability in STX production within natural bloom populations is undefined as both toxic and non-toxic strains (of the same species) have been isolated from the same geographic locations. Pyrodinium bahamense is a STX-producing bioluminescent dinoflagellate that blooms along the east coast of Florida as well as the bioluminescent bays in Puerto Rico (PR), though no toxicity reports exist for PR populations. The core genes in the dinoflagellate STX biosynthetic pathway have been identified, and the sxtA4 gene is essential for toxin production. Using sxtA4 as a molecular proxy for the genetic capacity of STX production, we examined sxtA4+ and sxtA4- genotype frequency at the single cell level in P. bahamense populations from different locations in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), FL, and Mosquito Bay (MB), a bioluminescent bay in PR. Multiplex PCR was performed on individual cells with Pyrodinium-specific primers targeting the 18S rRNA gene and sxtA4. The results reveal that within discrete natural populations of P. bahamense, both sxtA4+ and sxtA4- genotypes occur, and the sxtA4+ genotype dominates. In the IRL, the frequency of the sxtA4+ genotype ranged from ca. 80-100%. In MB, sxtA4+ genotype frequency ranged from ca 40-66%. To assess the extent of sxtA4 variation within individual cells, sxtA4 amplicons from single cells representative of the different sampling sites were cloned and sequenced. Overall, two variants were consistently obtained, one of which is likely a pseudogene based on alignment with cDNA sequences. These are the first data demonstrating the existence of both genotypes in natural P. bahamense sub-populations, as well as sxtA4 presence in P. bahamense from PR. These results provide insights on underlying genetic factors influencing the potential for toxin variability among natural sub-populations of HAB species and highlight the need to study the genetic diversity within HAB sub-populations at a fine level in order to identify the molecular mechanisms driving HAB evolution.
Project description:Epigenetic regulation of mutually exclusive transcription within the var gene family is important for infection and pathogenesis of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. var genes are kept transcriptionally silent via heterochromatic clusters located at the nuclear periphery; however, only a few proteins have been shown to play a direct role in var gene transcriptional regulation. Importantly, the chromatin components that contribute to var gene nuclear organization remain unknown. Here, we adapted a CRISPR-based immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry approach for de novo identification of factors associated with specific transcriptional regulatory sequences of var genes. Tagged, catalytically inactive Cas9 (“dCas9”) was targeted to var gene promoters or introns, cross-linked, and immunoprecipitated with all DNA, proteins, and RNA associated with the targeted locus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing demonstrated that genome-wide dCas9 binding was specific and robust. Proteomics analysis of dCas9-immunoprecipitates identified specific proteins for each target region, including known and novel factors such as DNA binding proteins, chromatin remodelers, and structural proteins. We also demonstrate the ability to immunoprecipitate RNA that is closely associated to the targeted locus. Our CRISPR/dCas9 study establishes a new tool for targeted purification of specific genomic loci and advances understanding of virulence gene regulation in the human malaria parasite.
Project description:The parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for severe malaria, which remains a major cause of death, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The reference strain NF54 (or its subclone 3D7) is commonly used for controlled human malaria infection (CHMI), but recently strains with a different geographic and genomic background have become available for CHMI, including 7G8, which was subcloned from the Brazilian isolate IMTM22 in 1984 (Burkot TR et al. 1984. Infectivity to mosquitoes of Plasmodium falciparum clones grown in vitro from the same isolate. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 78 (3):339-41. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(84)90114-7). In contrast to NF54, in which var gene expression resets after mosquito transmission, 7G8 shows a partial reset with retention of the C-type var gene PF7G8_040025600 in the human host. The three subclones A1G9 (almost exclusive var2csa expression, control), A2E10, and A2G2 (both predominantly expressing var gene PF7G8_040025600) recently obtained by limited dilution from the Sanaria 7G8 parasite working cell bank (Lot: SAN03-021214 dated 20. February 2014) were selected for gDNA sequencing to test whether parasite subclones expressing PF7G8_040025600 differ in their genomic background. 150 mL of P. falciparum cell culture with >10% parasitemia was harvested and gDNA isolation was performed using the MasterPure™ Complete DNA Purification Kit (Lucigen). The gDNA samples were tested for degradation and RNA contamination on an agarose gel and quantified using the Qubit™ dsDNA BR Assay Kit (ThermoFischer). DNA-seq was performed at BGI Genomics (Shenzhen, China) on the DNBseq platform to generate 150 bp paired-end sequencing reads.