Project description:The propensity of viruses to acquire genetic material from relatives and possibly from infected hosts makes them excellent candidates as vectors for horizontal gene transfer. However, virus-mediated acquisition of host genetic material, as deduced from historical events, appears to be rare. Here, we report spontaneous and surprisingly efficient generation of hybrid virus/host DNA molecules in the form of minicircles during infection of Beta vulgaris by Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV), a single-stranded DNA virus. The hybrid minicircles replicate, become encapsidated into viral particles, and spread systemically throughout infected plants in parallel with the viral infection. Importantly, when co-infected with BCTIV, B. vulgaris DNA captured in minicircles replicate and is transcribed in other plant species that are sensitive to BCTIV infection. Thus, we have likely documented in real time the initial steps of a possible path of virus-mediated horizontal transfer of chromosomal DNA between plant species.
Project description:Archaeal viruses display unusually high genetic and morphologic diversity. The Sulfolobus islandicus Rod Shaped Virus 2 (SIRV2) is a model to study virus-host interactions in Archaea. It is a lytic virus that exploits a unique egress mechanism based on formation of remarkable pyramidal structures on the host cell envelope. The hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus islandicus LAL14/1 is the natural host for SIRV2. RNA was isolated at 0,1,2,3,5,7 and 9 hours after SIRV2 infection of two S.islandicus cultures and analysed with whole transcriptome sequencing (RNAseq). As a control RNA was isolated at the same time points from two uninfected cultures.
Project description:Transcriptome sequencing was carried out on an Illumina HiSeq platform to investigate CRISPR-Cas and DNA repair systems by Csa3b in Sulfolobus islandicus Rey15A. We compared the differently expressed genes in Sulfolobus islandicus Rey15A strain with csa3a overexpression vs. Sulfolobus islandicus Rey15A strain carrying an empty expression vector,We find thatcmr-α (SiRe_0890 ~ SiRe_0895) and cmr-β (SiRe_0597 ~ SiRe_0603)、the DNA double strand break (DSB)repair genes, including nurA, rad50, mre11, and herA (SiRe_0061 ~ SiRe_0064), as well as two subunits of DNA polymerase II (SiRe_0615 and SiRe_0617) that function in DNA repair, were significantly up-regulated. Our data indicated that the Csa3b regulator couples transcriptional activation of cmr genes, DNA repair genes.
Project description:Transcriptome sequencing was carried out on an Illumina HiSeq platform to investigate the activation of CRISPR-Cas and DNA repair systems by Csa3a in Sulfolobus islandicus Rey15A. We compared the differently expressed genes in Sulfolobus islandicus Rey15A strain with csa3a overexpression vs. Sulfolobus islandicus Rey15A strain carrying an empty expression vector, cas1 deletion strain with csa3a overexpression vs. cas1 deletion strain carrying an empty expression vector, as well as interference-deficient strain with csa3a overexpression vs. interference-deficient strain carrying an empty expression vector. We find that cas genes (SiRe_0760, SiRe_0761, SiRe_0762, SiRe_0763), nucleotidyltransferase domain of DNA polymerase beta (SiRe_0459), chromosome segregation protein (SMC)-related ATPase (SiRe_0649), SMC-related protein (SiRe_1142) and three HerA helicases involved in DNA double break repair (encoded by SiRe_0064 and SiRe_0095 of nurA-herA operons, and SiRe_1857) were significantly up-regulated. Our data indicated that the Csa3a regulator couples transcriptional activation of spacer acquisition genes, CRISPR RNA transcription, DNA repair and genome stability genes.
Project description:A whole transcriptome study was performed on Sulfolobus islandicus REY15A actively undergoing CRISPR spacer acquisition from the crenarchaeal monocaudavirus STSV2 in rich (TYS) and basal (SCV) media over a 6 day period. Spacer acquisition preceded strong host growth retardation, and changes in viral transcript abundance and virus copy numbers showed significant differences between the two media. Results showed that rich medium favoured CRISPR-Cas immunity generation.
Project description:Human CMV (hCMV) establishes lifelong infections in most of us, causing developmental defects in human embryos and life-threatening disease in immunocompromised individuals. During productive infection, the viral >230,000-bp dsDNA genome is expressed widely and in a temporal cascade. The hCMV genome does not carry histones when encapsidated but has been proposed to form nucleosomes after release into the host cell nucleus. Here, we present hCMV genome-wide nucleosome occupancy and nascent transcript maps during infection of permissive human primary cells. We show that nucleosomes occupy nuclear viral DNA in a nonrandom and highly predictable fashion. At early times of infection, nucleosomes associate with the hCMV genome largely according to their intrinsic DNA sequence preferences, indicating that initial nucleosome formation is genetically encoded in the virus. However, as infection proceeds to the late phase, nucleosomes redistribute extensively to establish patterns mostly determined by nongenetic factors. We propose that these factors include key regulators of viral gene expression encoded at the hCMV major immediate-early (IE) locus. Indeed, mutant virus genomes defcient for IE1 expression exhibit globally increased nucleosome loads and reduced nucleosome dynamics compared with WT genomes. The temporal nucleosome occupancy differences between IE1-defcient and WT viruses correlate inversely with changes in the pattern of viral nascent and total transcript accumulation. These results provide a framework of spatial and temporal nucleosome organization across the genome of a major human pathogen and suggest that an hCMV major IE protein governs overall viral chromatin structure and function. [i] H3 ChIP-chip measurements of WT human cytomegalovirus (strain TB40E) following infection of MRC-5 cells. WT 8 hours postinfection, with corresponding mock IgG input control: 3 replicates; WT virus, 48 hours postinfection with corresponding mock IgG input contro: 3 replicates. [ii] MNase-chip measurements of WT and dlIE1 human cytomegalovirus nucleosomes following infection of MRC-5 cells. WT 8 hours postinfection, with corresponding sonicated DNA input control: 6 replicates; WT virus 48 hours postinfection, with corresponding sonicated DNA input control: 6 replicates; WT 96 hours postinfection, with corresponding sonicated DNA input control: 2 replicates; dlIE1 virus 8 hours postinfection, with corresponding sonicated DNA input control: 2 replicates; dlIE1 virus 96 hours postinfection, with corresponding sonicated DNA input control: 2 replicates. [iii] Total and nascent RNA measurements of WT and dlIE1 human cytomegalovirus transcripts following infection of MRC-5 cells. WT 8 hours postinfection: 2 replicates; WT virus 96 hours postinfection: 2 replicates; dlIE1 8 hours postinfection: 2 replicates; dlIE1 virus 96 hours postinfection: 2 replicates; sonicated DNA input control: 10 replicates.
Project description:Human CMV (hCMV) establishes lifelong infections in most of us, causing developmental defects in human embryos and life-threatening disease in immunocompromised individuals. During productive infection, the viral >230,000-bp dsDNA genome is expressed widely and in a temporal cascade. The hCMV genome does not carry histones when encapsidated but has been proposed to form nucleosomes after release into the host cell nucleus. Here, we present hCMV genome-wide nucleosome occupancy and nascent transcript maps during infection of permissive human primary cells. We show that nucleosomes occupy nuclear viral DNA in a nonrandom and highly predictable fashion. At early times of infection, nucleosomes associate with the hCMV genome largely according to their intrinsic DNA sequence preferences, indicating that initial nucleosome formation is genetically encoded in the virus. However, as infection proceeds to the late phase, nucleosomes redistribute extensively to establish patterns mostly determined by nongenetic factors. We propose that these factors include key regulators of viral gene expression encoded at the hCMV major immediate-early (IE) locus. Indeed, mutant virus genomes defcient for IE1 expression exhibit globally increased nucleosome loads and reduced nucleosome dynamics compared with WT genomes. The temporal nucleosome occupancy differences between IE1-defcient and WT viruses correlate inversely with changes in the pattern of viral nascent and total transcript accumulation. These results provide a framework of spatial and temporal nucleosome organization across the genome of a major human pathogen and suggest that an hCMV major IE protein governs overall viral chromatin structure and function.
Project description:Analysis of transcriptional response to UV irradiation in two related crenarchaea, Sulfolobus solfataricus and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius.