TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxoplasma transcription factor TgAP2XI-5 regulates the expression of genes involved in parasite virulence and host invasion
AU - Walker, Robert
AU - Gissot, Mathieu
AU - Huot, Ludovic
AU - Alayi, Tchilabalo Dilezitoko
AU - Hot, David
AU - Marot, Guillemette
AU - Schaeffer-Reiss, Christine
AU - Van Dorsselaer, Alain
AU - Kim, Kami
AU - Tomavo, Stanislas
PY - 2013/10/25
Y1 - 2013/10/25
N2 - Gene regulation in apicomplexan parasites, a phylum containing important protozoan parasites such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma, is poorly understood. The life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii is complex, with multiple proliferation and differentiation steps, of which tachyzoite proliferation is the most relevant to pathogenesis in humans and animals. Tachyzoites express invasion and virulence factors that are crucial for their survival and manipulation of host cell functions. The expressionofthose factors is tightly controlled during the tachyzoite cell cycle to permit their correct packaging in newly formed apical secretory organelles named micronemes and rhoptries in the daughter cells. However, little is known about the factors that control the expression of genes encoding the virulence factors present in these parasite-specific secretory organelles. We report that the plant-like nuclear factor TgAP2XI-5 targets more than 300 gene promoters and actively controls the transcriptionof these genes. Most of these target genes, including those that are essential for parasite virulence, showed a peak of expression in the S and M phases of the cell cycle. Furthermore, we identified the cisregulatory element recognized by TgAP2XI-5 and demonstrated its ability to actively drive gene transcription. Our results demonstrated that TgAP2XI-5 is a novel DNA sequence-specific transcription factor associated with promoter activation. TgAP2XI-5 may regulate gene transcription of crucial virulence factors in T. gondii.
AB - Gene regulation in apicomplexan parasites, a phylum containing important protozoan parasites such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma, is poorly understood. The life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii is complex, with multiple proliferation and differentiation steps, of which tachyzoite proliferation is the most relevant to pathogenesis in humans and animals. Tachyzoites express invasion and virulence factors that are crucial for their survival and manipulation of host cell functions. The expressionofthose factors is tightly controlled during the tachyzoite cell cycle to permit their correct packaging in newly formed apical secretory organelles named micronemes and rhoptries in the daughter cells. However, little is known about the factors that control the expression of genes encoding the virulence factors present in these parasite-specific secretory organelles. We report that the plant-like nuclear factor TgAP2XI-5 targets more than 300 gene promoters and actively controls the transcriptionof these genes. Most of these target genes, including those that are essential for parasite virulence, showed a peak of expression in the S and M phases of the cell cycle. Furthermore, we identified the cisregulatory element recognized by TgAP2XI-5 and demonstrated its ability to actively drive gene transcription. Our results demonstrated that TgAP2XI-5 is a novel DNA sequence-specific transcription factor associated with promoter activation. TgAP2XI-5 may regulate gene transcription of crucial virulence factors in T. gondii.
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U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M113.486589
DO - 10.1074/jbc.M113.486589
M3 - Article
C2 - 24025328
AN - SCOPUS:84886714273
SN - 0021-9258
VL - 288
SP - 31127
EP - 31138
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry
IS - 43
ER -