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Sample records for falciparum reveals histone-rich

  1. Global histone analysis by mass spectrometry reveals a high content of acetylated lysine residues in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trelle, Morten Beck; Salcedo-Amaya, Adriana M; Cohen, Adrian

    2009-01-01

    Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histone tails play a key role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression in a range of organisms from yeast to human, however, little is known about histone proteins from the parasite that causes malaria in humans, Plasmodium falciparum. We characterize...... comprehensive map of histone modifications in Plasmodium falciparum and highlight the utility of tandem MS for detailed analysis of peptides containing multiple PTMs....

  2. Histone deacetylases play a major role in the transcriptional regulation of the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle.

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    Balbir K Chaal

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The apparent paucity of molecular factors of transcriptional control in the genomes of Plasmodium parasites raises many questions about the mechanisms of life cycle regulation in these malaria parasites. Epigenetic regulation has been suggested to play a major role in the stage specific gene expression during the Plasmodium life cycle. To address some of these questions, we analyzed global transcriptional responses of Plasmodium falciparum to a potent inhibitor of histone deacetylase activities (HDAC. The inhibitor apicidin induced profound transcriptional changes in multiple stages of the P. falciparum intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC that were characterized by rapid activation and repression of a large percentage of the genome. A major component of this response was induction of genes that are otherwise suppressed during that particular stage of the IDC or specific for the exo-erythrocytic stages. In the schizont stage, apicidin induced hyperacetylation of histone lysine residues H3K9, H4K8 and the tetra-acetyl H4 (H4Ac4 and demethylation of H3K4me3. Interestingly, we observed overlapping patterns of chromosomal distributions between H4K8Ac and H3K4me3 and between H3K9Ac and H4Ac4. There was a significant but partial association between the apicidin-induced gene expression and histone modifications, which included a number of stage specific transcription factors. Taken together, inhibition of HDAC activities leads to dramatic de-regulation of the IDC transcriptional cascade, which is a result of both disruption of histone modifications and up-regulation of stage specific transcription factors. These findings suggest an important role of histone modification and chromatin remodeling in transcriptional regulation of the Plasmodium life cycle. This also emphasizes the potential of P. falciparum HDACs as drug targets for malaria chemotherapy.

  3. Histone deacetylases play a major role in the transcriptional regulation of the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaal, Balbir K; Gupta, Archna P; Wastuwidyaningtyas, Brigitta D; Luah, Yen-Hoon; Bozdech, Zbynek

    2010-01-22

    The apparent paucity of molecular factors of transcriptional control in the genomes of Plasmodium parasites raises many questions about the mechanisms of life cycle regulation in these malaria parasites. Epigenetic regulation has been suggested to play a major role in the stage specific gene expression during the Plasmodium life cycle. To address some of these questions, we analyzed global transcriptional responses of Plasmodium falciparum to a potent inhibitor of histone deacetylase activities (HDAC). The inhibitor apicidin induced profound transcriptional changes in multiple stages of the P. falciparum intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC) that were characterized by rapid activation and repression of a large percentage of the genome. A major component of this response was induction of genes that are otherwise suppressed during that particular stage of the IDC or specific for the exo-erythrocytic stages. In the schizont stage, apicidin induced hyperacetylation of histone lysine residues H3K9, H4K8 and the tetra-acetyl H4 (H4Ac4) and demethylation of H3K4me3. Interestingly, we observed overlapping patterns of chromosomal distributions between H4K8Ac and H3K4me3 and between H3K9Ac and H4Ac4. There was a significant but partial association between the apicidin-induced gene expression and histone modifications, which included a number of stage specific transcription factors. Taken together, inhibition of HDAC activities leads to dramatic de-regulation of the IDC transcriptional cascade, which is a result of both disruption of histone modifications and up-regulation of stage specific transcription factors. These findings suggest an important role of histone modification and chromatin remodeling in transcriptional regulation of the Plasmodium life cycle. This also emphasizes the potential of P. falciparum HDACs as drug targets for malaria chemotherapy.

  4. Capture ELISA for IgM antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum glutamate rich protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dziegiel, M; Borre, Mette; Petersen, E

    1992-01-01

    This report describes a novel mu chain capture ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies against a Plasmodium falciparum antigen. A fragment of the 220 kDa P. falciparum glutamate rich protein containing amino acid residues 489-1271 was expressed in E. coli as a recombinant chimeric beta-galactos......This report describes a novel mu chain capture ELISA for the detection of IgM antibodies against a Plasmodium falciparum antigen. A fragment of the 220 kDa P. falciparum glutamate rich protein containing amino acid residues 489-1271 was expressed in E. coli as a recombinant chimeric beta...

  5. Expression of P. falciparum var Genes Involves Exchange of the Histone Variant H2A.Z at the Promoter

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    Petter, Michaela; Lee, Chin Chin; Byrne, Timothy J.; Boysen, Katja E.; Volz, Jennifer; Ralph, Stuart A.; Cowman, Alan F.; Brown, Graham V.; Duffy, Michael F.

    2011-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum employs antigenic variation to evade the human immune response by switching the expression of different variant surface antigens encoded by the var gene family. Epigenetic mechanisms including histone modifications and sub-nuclear compartmentalization contribute to transcriptional regulation in the malaria parasite, in particular to control antigenic variation. Another mechanism of epigenetic control is the exchange of canonical histones with alternative variants to generate functionally specialized chromatin domains. Here we demonstrate that the alternative histone PfH2A.Z is associated with the epigenetic regulation of var genes. In many eukaryotic organisms the histone variant H2A.Z mediates an open chromatin structure at promoters and facilitates diverse levels of regulation, including transcriptional activation. Throughout the asexual, intraerythrocytic lifecycle of P. falciparum we found that the P. falciparum ortholog of H2A.Z (PfH2A.Z) colocalizes with histone modifications that are characteristic of transcriptionally-permissive euchromatin, but not with markers of heterochromatin. Consistent with this finding, antibodies to PfH2A.Z co-precipitate the permissive modification H3K4me3. By chromatin-immunoprecipitation we show that PfH2A.Z is enriched in nucleosomes around the transcription start site (TSS) in both transcriptionally active and silent stage-specific genes. In var genes, however, PfH2A.Z is enriched at the TSS only during active transcription in ring stage parasites. Thus, in contrast to other genes, temporal var gene regulation involves histone variant exchange at promoter nucleosomes. Sir2 histone deacetylases are important for var gene silencing and their yeast ortholog antagonises H2A.Z function in subtelomeric yeast genes. In immature P. falciparum parasites lacking Sir2A or Sir2B high var transcription levels correlate with enrichment of PfH2A.Z at the TSS. As Sir2A knock out parasites mature the var genes are

  6. Arginine-rich histones have strong antiviral activity for influenza A viruses.

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    Hoeksema, Marloes; Tripathi, Shweta; White, Mitchell; Qi, Li; Taubenberger, Jeffery; van Eijk, Martin; Haagsman, Henk; Hartshorn, Kevan L

    2015-10-01

    While histones are best known for DNA binding and transcription-regulating properties, they also have antimicrobial activity against a broad range of potentially pathogenic organisms. Histones are abundant in neutrophil extracellular traps, where they play an important role in NET-mediated antimicrobial killing. Here, we show anti-influenza activity of histones against both seasonal H3N2 and H1N1, but not pandemic H1N1. The arginine rich histones, H3 and H4, had greater neutralizing and viral aggregating activity than the lysine rich histones, H2A and H2B. Of all core histones, histone H4 is most potent in neutralizing IAV, and incubation with IAV with histone H4 results in a decrease in uptake and viral replication by epithelial cells when measured by qRT-PCR. The antiviral activity of histone H4 is mediated principally by direct effects on viral particles. Histone H4 binds to IAV as assessed by ELISA and co-sedimentation of H4 with IAV. H4 also induces aggregation, as assessed by confocal microscopy and light transmission assays. Despite strong antiviral activity against the seasonal IAV strains, H4 was inactive against pandemic H1N1. These findings indicate a possible role for histones in the innate immune response against IAV. © The Author(s) 2015.

  7. Antibodies to a recombinant glutamate-rich Plasmodium falciparum protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hogh, B; Petersen, E; Dziegiel, Morten Hanefeld

    1992-01-01

    A Plasmodium falciparum antigen gene coding for a 220-kD glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) has been cloned, and the 783 C-terminal amino acids of this protein (GLURP489-1271) have been expressed as a beta-galactosidase fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The encoded 783 amino acid residues contain two...... areas of repeated amino acid sequences. Antibodies against recombinant GLURP489-1271, as well as against a synthetic peptide corresponding to GLURP899-916, and against a synthetic peptide representing the major glutamate rich repeat sequence from the P. falciparum ring erythrocyte surface antigen (Pf155...... between the anti-GLURP489-1271 and anti-(EENV)6 antibody responses. The data provide indirect evidence for a protective role of antibodies reacting with recombinant GLURP489-1271 as well as with the synthetic peptide (EENV)6 from the Pf155/RESA....

  8. Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum proliferation in vitro by double-stranded RNA directed against malaria histone deacetylase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sriwilaijaroen, N.; Boonma, S.; Attasart, P.; Pothikasikorn, J.; Panyim, S.; Noonpakdee, W.

    2009-01-01

    Acetylation and deacetylation of histones play important roles in transcription regulation, cell cycle progression and development events. The steady state status of histone acetylation is controlled by a dynamic equilibrium between competing histone acetylase and deacetylase (HDAC). We have used long PfHDAC-1 double-stranded (ds)RNA to interfere with its cognate mRNA expression and determined the effect on malaria parasite growth and development. Chloroquine- and pyrimethamine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum K1 strain was exposed to 1-25 μg of dsRNA/ml of culture for 48 h and growth was determined by [ 3 H]-hypoxanthine incorporation and microscopic examination. Parasite culture treated with 10 μg/ml pfHDAC-1 dsRNA exhibited 47% growth inhibition when compared with either untreated control or culture treated with an unrelated dsRNA. PfHDAC-1 dsRNA specifically blocked maturation of trophozoite to schizont stages and decreased PfHDAC-1 transcript 44% in treated trophozoites. These results indicate the potential of HDAC-1 as a target for development of novel antimalarials.

  9. Plasmodium falciparum centromeres display a unique epigenetic makeup and cluster prior to and during schizogony.

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    Hoeijmakers, Wieteke A M; Flueck, Christian; Françoijs, Kees-Jan; Smits, Arne H; Wetzel, Johanna; Volz, Jennifer C; Cowman, Alan F; Voss, Till; Stunnenberg, Hendrik G; Bártfai, Richárd

    2012-09-01

    Centromeres are essential for the faithful transmission of chromosomes to the next generation, therefore being essential in all eukaryotic organisms. The centromeres of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most severe form of malaria, have been broadly mapped on most chromosomes, but their epigenetic composition remained undefined. Here, we reveal that the centromeric histone variant PfCENH3 occupies a 4-4.5 kb region on each P. falciparum chromosome, which is devoid of pericentric heterochromatin but harbours another histone variant, PfH2A.Z. These CENH3 covered regions pinpoint the exact position of the centromere on all chromosomes and revealed that all centromeric regions have similar size and sequence composition. Immunofluorescence assay of PfCENH3 strongly suggests that P. falciparum centromeres cluster to a single nuclear location prior to and during mitosis and cytokinesis but dissociate soon after invasion. In summary, we reveal a dynamic association of Plasmodium centromeres, which bear a unique epigenetic signature and conform to a strict structure. These findings suggest that DNA-associated and epigenetic elements play an important role in centromere establishment in this important human pathogen. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  10. Valproic Acid as a Potential Inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum Histone Deacetylase 1 (PfHDAC1: An in Silico Approach

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    Mohamed A. Abdallah Elbadawi

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available A new Plasmodium falciparum histone deacetylase1 (PfHDAC1 homology model was built based on the highest sequence identity available template human histone deacetylase 2 structure. The generated model was carefully evaluated for stereochemical accuracy, folding correctness and overall structure quality. All evaluations were acceptable and consistent. Docking a group of hydroxamic acid histone deacetylase inhibitors and valproic acid has shown binding poses that agree well with inhibitor-bound histone deacetylase-solved structural interactions. Docking affinity dG scores were in agreement with available experimental binding affinities. Further, enzyme-ligand complex stability and reliability were investigated by running 5-nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations. Thorough analysis of the simulation trajectories has shown that enzyme-ligand complexes were stable during the simulation period. Interestingly, the calculated theoretical binding energies of the docked hydroxamic acid inhibitors have shown that the model can discriminate between strong and weaker inhibitors and agrees well with the experimental affinities reported in the literature. The model and the docking methodology can be used in screening virtual libraries for PfHDAC1 inhibitors, since the docking scores have ranked ligands in accordance with experimental binding affinities. Valproic acid calculated theoretical binding energy suggests that it may inhibit PfHDAC1.

  11. Genetic polymorphisms in the glutamate-rich protein of Plasmodium falciparum field isolates from a malaria-endemic area of Brazil

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pratt-Riccio, Lilian Rose; Perce-da-Silva, Daiana de Souza; Lima-Junior, Josué da Costa

    2013-01-01

    The genetic diversity displayed by Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly Plasmodium species, is a significant obstacle for effective malaria vaccine development. In this study, we identified genetic polymorphisms in P. falciparum glutamate-rich protein (GLURP), which is currently being tested in...

  12. Biochemical Analysis Reveals the Multifactorial Mechanism of Histone H3 Clipping by Chicken Liver Histone H3 Protease

    KAUST Repository

    Chauhan, Sakshi

    2016-09-02

    Proteolytic clipping of histone H3 has been identified in many organisms. Despite several studies, the mechanism of clipping, the substrate specificity, and the significance of this poorly understood epigenetic mechanism are not clear. We have previously reported histone H3 specific proteolytic clipping and a protein inhibitor in chicken liver. However, the sites of clipping are still not known very well. In this study, we attempt to identify clipping sites in histone H3 and to determine the mechanism of inhibition by stefin B protein, a cysteine protease inhibitor. By employing site-directed mutagenesis and in vitro biochemical assays, we have identified three distinct clipping sites in recombinant human histone H3 and its variants (H3.1, H3.3, and H3t). However, post-translationally modified histones isolated from chicken liver and Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type cells showed different clipping patterns. Clipping of histone H3 N-terminal tail at three sites occurs in a sequential manner. We have further observed that clipping sites are regulated by the structure of the N-terminal tail as well as the globular domain of histone H3. We also have identified the QVVAG region of stefin B protein to be very crucial for inhibition of the protease activity. Altogether, our comprehensive biochemical studies have revealed three distinct clipping sites in histone H3 and their regulation by the structure of histone H3, histone modifications marks, and stefin B.

  13. Effect of gamma irradiation on rat thymus arginine-rich H3 histone in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patil, M.S.; Narasimhan, Saroja; Sreenivasan, A.

    1977-01-01

    Physicochemical properties of rat thymus H3 histone have been studied following gamma radiation (25-90 krad) in 0.2 N HCl. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic pattern (PGE) of H3 histone indicated that aggregates were formed in the histone fraction following gamma irradiation. The PGE pattern of the irradiated-histone fraction remained unaltered even after it was treated with 8.0 M urea to eliminate noncovalent bonding. On the other hand, the irradiated sample treated with β-mercaptoethanol exhibited the PGE pattern which was essentially similar to that of unirradiated sample. These results indicate that the aggregates seen in the PGE pattern of irradiated-H3 histone may be formed through interpolypeptide chain disulphide linkeges rather than by noncovalent bonding. This contention is also supported by the fact that irradiated-H3 histone exhibited hyperchromic shift at 240-250 nm region as well as increased disulphide content. Other results revealed that DNA-dependent RNA synthesis in vitro was inhibited to a greater extent by irradiated-H3 histone than by unirradiated-H3 histone. (author)

  14. Antibody reactivities to glutamate-rich peptides of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in humans from areas of different malaria endemicity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, P.H.; Theander, T.G.; Hvid, L

    1996-01-01

    Synthetic P. falciparum peptides were evaluated as tools in epidemiological investigations of malaria. Plasma IgM and IgG antibody reactivities against synthetic peptides covering sequences of glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) and acidic-basic repeat antigen (ABRA) were measured by ELISA...

  15. Immunoglobulin M and G antibody responses to Plasmodium falciparum glutamate-rich protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dziegiel, Morten Hanefeld; Rowe, P; Bennett, S

    1993-01-01

    were measured with a recombinant fusion protein consisting of the carboxy-terminal 783 amino acids of the GLURP. Samples for the study were obtained during a longitudinal malaria morbidity survey performed in The Gambia; cross-sectional surveys were performed at the beginning of the transmission season......The aims of the present study were to describe the age-related immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG response to part of a 220-kDa glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) from Plasmodium falciparum and to determine possible correlations of possession of these antibodies with malaria morbidity. IgM and IgG levels...

  16. In silico discovery of transcription regulatory elements in Plasmodium falciparum

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    Le Roch Karine G

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the sequence of the Plasmodium falciparum genome and several global mRNA and protein life cycle expression profiling projects now completed, elucidating the underlying networks of transcriptional control important for the progression of the parasite life cycle is highly pertinent to the development of new anti-malarials. To date, relatively little is known regarding the specific mechanisms the parasite employs to regulate gene expression at the mRNA level, with studies of the P. falciparum genome sequence having revealed few cis-regulatory elements and associated transcription factors. Although it is possible the parasite may evoke mechanisms of transcriptional control drastically different from those used by other eukaryotic organisms, the extreme AT-rich nature of P. falciparum intergenic regions (~90% AT presents significant challenges to in silico cis-regulatory element discovery. Results We have developed an algorithm called Gene Enrichment Motif Searching (GEMS that uses a hypergeometric-based scoring function and a position-weight matrix optimization routine to identify with high-confidence regulatory elements in the nucleotide-biased and repeat sequence-rich P. falciparum genome. When applied to promoter regions of genes contained within 21 co-expression gene clusters generated from P. falciparum life cycle microarray data using the semi-supervised clustering algorithm Ontology-based Pattern Identification, GEMS identified 34 putative cis-regulatory elements associated with a variety of parasite processes including sexual development, cell invasion, antigenic variation and protein biosynthesis. Among these candidates were novel motifs, as well as many of the elements for which biological experimental evidence already exists in the Plasmodium literature. To provide evidence for the biological relevance of a cell invasion-related element predicted by GEMS, reporter gene and electrophoretic mobility shift assays

  17. Molecular characterization of Plasmodium falciparum in Arunachal Pradesh from Northeast India based on merozoite surface protein 1 & glutamate-rich protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarmah, Nilanju Pran; Sarma, Kishore; Bhattacharyya, Dibya Ranjan; Sultan, Ali; Bansal, Devendra; Singh, Neeru; Bharti, Praveen K; Kaur, Hargobinder; Sehgal, Rakesh; Mohapatra, Pradyumna Kishore; Mahanta, Jagadish

    2017-09-01

    Northeast (NE) India is one of the high endemic regions for malaria with a preponderance of Plasmodium falciparum, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. The P. falciparum parasite of this region showed high polymorphism in drug-resistant molecular biomarkers. However, there is a paucity of information related to merozoite surface protein 1 (msp-1) and glutamate-rich protein (glurp) which have been extensively studied in various parts of the world. The present study was, therefore, aimed at investigating the genetic diversity of P. falciparum based on msp-1 and glurp in Arunachal Pradesh, a State in NE India. Two hundred and forty nine patients with fever were screened for malaria, of whom 75 were positive for P. falciparum. Blood samples were collected from each microscopically confirmed patient. The DNA was extracted; nested polymerase chain reaction and sequencing were performed to study the genetic diversity of msp-1 (block 2) and glurp. The block 2 of msp-1 gene was found to be highly polymorphic, and overall allelic distribution showed that RO33 was the dominant allele (63%), followed by MAD20 (29%) and K1 (8%) alleles. However, an extensive diversity (9 alleles and 4 genotypes) and 6-10 repeat regions exclusively of R2 type were observed in glurp. The P. falciparum population of NE India was diverse which might be responsible for higher plasticity leading to the survival of the parasite and in turn to the higher endemicity of falciparum malaria of this region.

  18. [Change in histone proteins in rat liver chromatin during exposure of the animal to functional stress].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panin, L E; Svechnikova, I G; Maianskaia, N N

    1996-01-01

    Pattern of rat liver histones at intensive physical exercises with preliminary injection of lysosomotropic drugs was studied by method of electrophoresis in PAAG. Elevation of the acetylated forms of histone H4 was revealed. The increased proteolysis of lysine-rich histones (H1, H2A, H2B) was shown in swimming rats previously stimulated by prodigiosan. The possible role of lysosomal proteinases of liver cells in mechanism of chromatine activation is discussed.

  19. Interactions of acetylated histones with DNA as revealed by UV laser induced histone-DNA crosslinking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefanovsky, V.Yu.; Dimitrov, S.I.; Angelov, D.; Pashev, I.G.

    1989-01-01

    The interaction of acetylated histones with DNA in chromatin has been studied by UV laser-induced crosslinking histones to DNA. After irradiation of the nuclei, the covalently linked protein-DNA complexes were isolated and the presence of histones in them demonstrated immunochemically. When chromatin from irradiated nuclei was treated with clostripain, which selectively cleaved the N-terminal tails of core histones, no one of them was found covalently linked to DNA, thus showing that crosslinking proceeded solely via the N-terminal regions. However, the crosslinking ability of the laser was preserved both upon physiological acetylation of histones, known to be restricted to the N-terminal tails, and with chemically acetylated chromatin. This finding is direct evidence that the postsynthetic histone acetylation does not release the N-terminal tails from interaction with DNA

  20. Role of Chromatin assembly factor 1 in DNA replication of Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Mohit Kumar; Agarawal, Meetu; Banu, Khadija; Reddy, K Sony; Gaur, Deepak; Dhar, Suman Kumar

    2018-01-01

    Nucleosome assembly in P. falciparum could be the key process in maintaining its genomic integrity as DNA replicates more than once per cell cycle during several stages of its life cycle. Here, we report the functional characterization of P. falciparum chromatin assembly factor 1 (CAF1), which interacts with several proteins namely PfCAF2, Histones, PfHP1 and others. Consistent with the above findings, we demonstrate the presence of PfCAF1 at the telomeric repeat regions, central and subtelomeric var genes of multiple var gene family along with PfHP1. Further, we report the upregulation of PfCAF1 after treatment with genotoxic agents like MMS and HU. Together, these findings establish role of PfCAF1 in heterochromatin maintenance and as histone chaperone in nucleosome assembly and DNA damage repair. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Widespread occurrence of lysine methylation in Plasmodium falciparum proteins at asexual blood stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Inderjeet; Zeeshan, Mohammad; Saini, Ekta; Kaushik, Abhinav; Mohmmed, Asif; Gupta, Dinesh; Malhotra, Pawan

    2016-10-20

    Post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications play a major role in Plasmodium life cycle regulation. Lysine methylation of histone proteins is well documented in several organisms, however in recent years lysine methylation of proteins outside histone code is emerging out as an important post-translational modification (PTM). In the present study we have performed global analysis of lysine methylation of proteins in asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum development. We immunoprecipitated stage specific Plasmodium lysates using anti-methyl lysine specific antibodies that immunostained the asexual blood stage parasites. Using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry analysis, 570 lysine methylated proteins at three different blood stages were identified. Analysis of the peptide sequences identified 605 methylated sites within 422 proteins. Functional classification of the methylated proteins revealed that the proteins are mainly involved in nucleotide metabolic processes, chromatin organization, transport, homeostatic processes and protein folding. The motif analysis of the methylated lysine peptides reveals novel motifs. Many of the identified lysine methylated proteins are also interacting partners/substrates of PfSET domain proteins as revealed by STRING database analysis. Our findings suggest that the protein methylation at lysine residues is widespread in Plasmodium and plays an important regulatory role in diverse set of the parasite pathways.

  2. Multiple genetic origins of histidine-rich protein 2 gene deletion in Plasmodium falciparum parasites from Peru

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinyi, Sheila; Hayden, Tonya; Gamboa, Dionicia; Torres, Katherine; Bendezu, Jorge; Abdallah, Joseph F.; Griffing, Sean M.; Quezada, Wilmer Marquiño; Arrospide, Nancy; De Oliveira, Alexandre Macedo; Lucas, Carmen; Magill, Alan J.; Bacon, David J.; Barnwell, John W.; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam

    2013-01-01

    The majority of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) detect Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2), encoded by the pfhrp2 gene. Recently, P. falciparum isolates from Peru were found to lack pfhrp2 leading to false-negative RDT results. We hypothesized that pfhrp2-deleted parasites in Peru derived from a single genetic event. We evaluated the parasite population structure and pfhrp2 haplotype of samples collected between 1998 and 2005 using seven neutral and seven chromosome 8 microsatellite markers, respectively. Five distinct pfhrp2 haplotypes, corresponding to five neutral microsatellite-based clonal lineages, were detected in 1998-2001; pfhrp2 deletions occurred within four haplotypes. In 2003-2005, outcrossing among the parasite lineages resulted in eight population clusters that inherited the five pfhrp2 haplotypes seen previously and a new haplotype; pfhrp2 deletions occurred within four of these haplotypes. These findings indicate that the genetic origin of pfhrp2 deletion in Peru was not a single event, but likely occurred multiple times. PMID:24077522

  3. Dynamic epigenetic regulation of gene expression during the life cycle of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

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    Archna P Gupta

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Epigenetic mechanisms are emerging as one of the major factors of the dynamics of gene expression in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. To elucidate the role of chromatin remodeling in transcriptional regulation associated with the progression of the P. falciparum intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC, we mapped the temporal pattern of chromosomal association with histone H3 and H4 modifications using ChIP-on-chip. Here, we have generated a broad integrative epigenomic map of twelve histone modifications during the P. falciparum IDC including H4K5ac, H4K8ac, H4K12ac, H4K16ac, H3K9ac, H3K14ac, H3K56ac, H4K20me1, H4K20me3, H3K4me3, H3K79me3 and H4R3me2. While some modifications were found to be associated with the vast majority of the genome and their occupancy was constant, others showed more specific and highly dynamic distribution. Importantly, eight modifications displaying tight correlations with transcript levels showed differential affinity to distinct genomic regions with H4K8ac occupying predominantly promoter regions while others occurred at the 5' ends of coding sequences. The promoter occupancy of H4K8ac remained unchanged when ectopically inserted at a different locus, indicating the presence of specific DNA elements that recruit histone modifying enzymes regardless of their broad chromatin environment. In addition, we showed the presence of multivalent domains on the genome carrying more than one histone mark, highlighting the importance of combinatorial effects on transcription. Overall, our work portrays a substantial association between chromosomal locations of various epigenetic markers, transcriptional activity and global stage-specific transitions in the epigenome.

  4. Dynamic epigenetic regulation of gene expression during the life cycle of malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Archna P; Chin, Wai Hoe; Zhu, Lei; Mok, Sachel; Luah, Yen-Hoon; Lim, Eng-How; Bozdech, Zbynek

    2013-02-01

    Epigenetic mechanisms are emerging as one of the major factors of the dynamics of gene expression in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. To elucidate the role of chromatin remodeling in transcriptional regulation associated with the progression of the P. falciparum intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC), we mapped the temporal pattern of chromosomal association with histone H3 and H4 modifications using ChIP-on-chip. Here, we have generated a broad integrative epigenomic map of twelve histone modifications during the P. falciparum IDC including H4K5ac, H4K8ac, H4K12ac, H4K16ac, H3K9ac, H3K14ac, H3K56ac, H4K20me1, H4K20me3, H3K4me3, H3K79me3 and H4R3me2. While some modifications were found to be associated with the vast majority of the genome and their occupancy was constant, others showed more specific and highly dynamic distribution. Importantly, eight modifications displaying tight correlations with transcript levels showed differential affinity to distinct genomic regions with H4K8ac occupying predominantly promoter regions while others occurred at the 5' ends of coding sequences. The promoter occupancy of H4K8ac remained unchanged when ectopically inserted at a different locus, indicating the presence of specific DNA elements that recruit histone modifying enzymes regardless of their broad chromatin environment. In addition, we showed the presence of multivalent domains on the genome carrying more than one histone mark, highlighting the importance of combinatorial effects on transcription. Overall, our work portrays a substantial association between chromosomal locations of various epigenetic markers, transcriptional activity and global stage-specific transitions in the epigenome.

  5. Histones and their phosphorylation during germination of rice seeds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iqbal Ahmed, C.M.; Padayatti, J.D.

    1980-01-01

    Histones from nuclei of rice embryos were identified by their mobilities on 15% acid-urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoreogram, incorporation of ( 3 H)lysine and ( 14 C) arginine and lack of incorporation of ( 3 H)tryptophan. The ratio of histone to DNA in ungerminated embryos was 2.7 which decreased during germination reaching unity by 48 hr. There was preferential phosphorylation of lysine-rich histones, which paralleled the synthesis of DNA. In the presence of cytosine arabinoside and mitomycin-C, which inhibited the synthesis of DNA to the extend of 75-80% the phosphorylation of lysine-rich histone was reduced by 50-60% suggesting the dependence of phosphorylation on the ongoing synthesis of DNA. (auth.)

  6. Antibodies against the Plasmodium falciparum glutamate-rich protein from naturally exposed individuals living in a Brazilian malaria-endemic area can inhibit in vitro parasite growth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pratt-Riccio, Lilian Rose; Bianco, Cesare; Totino, Paulo Renato Rivas

    2011-01-01

    The glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) is an exoantigen expressed in all stages of the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle in humans. Anti-GLURP antibodies can inhibit parasite growth in the presence of monocytes via antibody-dependent cellular inhibition (ADCI), and a major parasite-inhibitory region h...

  7. Transcription and expression of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich proteins in different stages and strains: implications for rapid diagnostic tests.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanne Baker

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Although rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs for Plasmodium falciparum infection that target histidine rich protein 2 (PfHRP2 are generally sensitive, their performance has been reported to be variable. One possible explanation for variable test performance is differences in expression level of PfHRP in different parasite isolates. METHODS: Total RNA and protein were extracted from synchronised cultures of 7 P. falciparum lines over 5 time points of the life cycle, and from synchronised ring stages of 10 falciparum lines. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis and ELISA we investigated variations in the transcription and protein levels of pfhrp2, pfhrp3 and PfHRP respectively in the different parasite lines, over the parasite intraerythrocytic life cycle. RESULTS: Transcription of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 in different parasite lines over the parasite life cycle was observed to vary relative to the control parasite K1. In some parasite lines very low transcription of these genes was observed. The peak transcription was observed in ring-stage parasites. Pfhrp2 transcription was observed to be consistently higher than pfhrp3 transcription within parasite lines. The intraerythrocytic lifecycle stage at which the peak level of protein was present varied across strains. Total protein levels were more constant relative to total mRNA transcription, however a maximum 24 fold difference in expression at ring-stage parasites relative to the K1 strain was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The levels of transcription of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3, and protein expression of PfHRP varied between different P. falciparum strains. This variation may impact on the detection sensitivity of PfHRP2-detecting RDTs.

  8. Radiation damage to histones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mee, L.K.; Adelstein, S.J.

    1985-01-01

    The damage to histones irradiated in isolation is being elaborated to aid the identification of the crosslinking sites in radiation-induced DNA-histone adducts. Histones are being examined by amino acid analysis to determine the destruction of residues and by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to delineate changes in conformation. For the slightly lysine-rich histone, H2A, a specific attack on selective residues has been established, the aromatic residues, tyrosine and phenylalanine, and the heterocyclic residue, histidine, being significantly destroyed. In addition, a significant increase in aspartic acid was found; this may represent a radiation product from scission of the ring in the histidine residues. The similarity of the effects on residues in nitrous oxide-saturated and nitrogen-saturated solutions suggests that OH . and e/sub aq//sup -/ are equally efficient and selective in their attack. On gel electrophoresis degradation of the histone H2A was found to be greatest for irradiations in nitrous oxide-saturated solutions, suggesting CH . is the most effective radical for producing changes in conformation; O/sub 2//sup -/ was essentially ineffective. Other histones are being examined for changes in amino acid composition, conformation, and for the formation of radiation products

  9. Genetic polymorphism of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Loreto, Peru.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hijar, Gisely; Padilla, Carlos; Marquiño, Wilmer; Falconi, Eduardo; Montoya, Ysabel

    2002-04-01

    Eight genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum were detected after analysing blood samples obtained from 30 Peruvian jungle-dwelling patients in Loreto, a high transmission area for P. falciparum, using amplification of the polymorphic marker gene GLURP (glutamate-rich protein). Genotypes I (GLURP450) and VIII (GLURP800) were the most common (15/30 and 13/30, respectively). This single copy gene showed 15 patients to be infected with a single genotype of P. falciparum; the other 15 were infected with mixed genotypes, one of them with 4 genotypes. These findings are compatible with a high genetic complexity of P. falciparum. Further investigations are needed, using this and other markers, in order to design malaria control measures in Peru.

  10. Comparative gene expression profiling of P. falciparum malaria parasites exposed to three different histone deacetylase inhibitors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine T Andrews

    Full Text Available Histone deacetylase (HDAC inhibitors are being intensively pursued as potential new drugs for a range of diseases, including malaria. HDAC inhibitors are also important tools for the study of epigenetic mechanisms, transcriptional control, and other important cellular processes. In this study the effects of three structurally related antimalarial HDAC inhibitors on P. falciparum malaria parasite gene expression were compared. The three hydroxamate-based compounds, trichostatin A (TSA, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; Vorinostat® and a 2-aminosuberic acid derivative (2-ASA-9, all caused profound transcriptional effects, with ~2-21% of genes having >2-fold altered expression following 2 h exposure to the compounds. Only two genes, alpha tubulin II and a hydrolase, were up-regulated by all three compounds after 2 h exposure in all biological replicates examined. The transcriptional changes observed after 2 h exposure to HDAC inhibitors were found to be largely transitory, with only 1-5% of genes being regulated after removing the compounds and culturing for a further 2 h. Despite some structural similarity, the three inhibitors caused quite diverse transcriptional effects, possibly reflecting subtle differences in mode of action or cellular distribution. This dataset represents an important contribution to our understanding of how HDAC inhibitors act on malaria parasites and identifies alpha tubulin II as a potential transcriptional marker of HDAC inhibition in malaria parasites that may be able to be exploited for future development of HDAC inhibitors as new antimalarial agents.

  11. Primary structure and localization of a conserved immunogenic Plasmodium falciparum glutamate rich protein (GLURP) expressed in both the preerythrocytic and erythrocytic stages of the vertebrate life cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borre, M B; Dziegiel, M; Høgh, B

    1991-01-01

    A gene coding for a 220-kDa glutamate rich protein (GLURP), an exoantigen of Plasmodium falciparum, was isolated and its nucleotide sequence was determined. The deduced amino acid sequence contains 2 repeat regions. The sequence of one of these was shown to be conserved among geographically...

  12. Stage-specific histone modification profiles reveal global transitions in the Xenopus embryonic epigenome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tobias D Schneider

    Full Text Available Vertebrate embryos are derived from a transitory pool of pluripotent cells. By the process of embryonic induction, these precursor cells are assigned to specific fates and differentiation programs. Histone post-translational modifications are thought to play a key role in the establishment and maintenance of stable gene expression patterns underlying these processes. While on gene level histone modifications are known to change during differentiation, very little is known about the quantitative fluctuations in bulk histone modifications during development. To investigate this issue we analysed histones isolated from four different developmental stages of Xenopus laevis by mass spectrometry. In toto, we quantified 59 modification states on core histones H3 and H4 from blastula to tadpole stages. During this developmental period, we observed in general an increase in the unmodified states, and a shift from histone modifications associated with transcriptional activity to transcriptionally repressive histone marks. We also compared these naturally occurring patterns with the histone modifications of murine ES cells, detecting large differences in the methylation patterns of histone H3 lysines 27 and 36 between pluripotent ES cells and pluripotent cells from Xenopus blastulae. By combining all detected modification transitions we could cluster their patterns according to their embryonic origin, defining specific histone modification profiles (HMPs for each developmental stage. To our knowledge, this data set represents the first compendium of covalent histone modifications and their quantitative flux during normogenesis in a vertebrate model organism. The HMPs indicate a stepwise maturation of the embryonic epigenome, which may be causal to the progressing restriction of cellular potency during development.

  13. Cell shape regulates global histone acetylation in human mammaryepithelial cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Le Beyec, Johanne; Xu, Ren; Lee, Sun-Young; Nelson, Celeste M.; Rizki, Aylin; Alcaraz, Jordi; Bissell, Mina J.

    2007-02-28

    Extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates cell morphology and gene expression in vivo; these relationships are maintained in three-dimensional (3D) cultures of mammary epithelial cells. In the presence of laminin-rich ECM (lrECM), mammary epithelial cells round up and undergo global histone deacetylation, a process critical for their functional differentiation. However, it remains unclear whether lrECM-dependent cell rounding and global histone deacetylation are indeed part of a common physical-biochemical pathway. Using 3D cultures as well as nonadhesive and micropatterned substrata, here we showed that the cell 'rounding' caused by lrECM was sufficient to induce deacetylation of histones H3 and H4 in the absence of biochemical cues. Microarray and confocal analysis demonstrated that this deacetylation in 3D culture is associated with a global increase in chromatin condensation and a reduction in gene expression. Whereas cells cultured on plastic substrata formed prominent stress fibers, cells grown in 3D lrECM or on micropatterns lacked these structures. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton with cytochalasin D phenocopied the lrECM-induced cell rounding and histone deacetylation. These results reveal a novel link between ECM-controlled cell shape and chromatin structure, and suggest that this link is mediated by changes in the actin cytoskeleton.

  14. Structure of Prokaryotic Polyamine Deacetylase Reveals Evolutionary Functional Relationships with Eukaryotic Histone Deacetylases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    P Lombardi; H Angell; D Whittington; E Flynn; K Rajashankar; D Christianson

    2011-12-31

    Polyamines are a ubiquitous class of polycationic small molecules that can influence gene expression by binding to nucleic acids. Reversible polyamine acetylation regulates nucleic acid binding and is required for normal cell cycle progression and proliferation. Here, we report the structures of Mycoplana ramosa acetylpolyamine amidohydrolase (APAH) complexed with a transition state analogue and a hydroxamate inhibitor and an inactive mutant complexed with two acetylpolyamine substrates. The structure of APAH is the first of a histone deacetylase-like oligomer and reveals that an 18-residue insert in the L2 loop promotes dimerization and the formation of an 18 {angstrom} long 'L'-shaped active site tunnel at the dimer interface, accessible only to narrow and flexible substrates. The importance of dimerization for polyamine deacetylase function leads to the suggestion that a comparable dimeric or double-domain histone deacetylase could catalyze polyamine deacetylation reactions in eukaryotes.

  15. In-depth comparative analysis of malaria parasite genomes reveals protein-coding genes linked to human disease in Plasmodium falciparum genome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xuewu; Wang, Yuanyuan; Liang, Jiao; Wang, Luojun; Qin, Na; Zhao, Ya; Zhao, Gang

    2018-05-02

    Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent malaria parasite capable of parasitizing human erythrocytes. The identification of genes related to this capability can enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying human malaria and lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for malaria control. With the availability of several malaria parasite genome sequences, performing computational analysis is now a practical strategy to identify genes contributing to this disease. Here, we developed and used a virtual genome method to assign 33,314 genes from three human malaria parasites, namely, P. falciparum, P. knowlesi and P. vivax, and three rodent malaria parasites, namely, P. berghei, P. chabaudi and P. yoelii, to 4605 clusters. Each cluster consisted of genes whose protein sequences were significantly similar and was considered as a virtual gene. Comparing the enriched values of all clusters in human malaria parasites with those in rodent malaria parasites revealed 115 P. falciparum genes putatively responsible for parasitizing human erythrocytes. These genes are mainly located in the chromosome internal regions and participate in many biological processes, including membrane protein trafficking and thiamine biosynthesis. Meanwhile, 289 P. berghei genes were included in the rodent parasite-enriched clusters. Most are located in subtelomeric regions and encode erythrocyte surface proteins. Comparing cluster values in P. falciparum with those in P. vivax and P. knowlesi revealed 493 candidate genes linked to virulence. Some of them encode proteins present on the erythrocyte surface and participate in cytoadhesion, virulence factor trafficking, or erythrocyte invasion, but many genes with unknown function were also identified. Cerebral malaria is characterized by accumulation of infected erythrocytes at trophozoite stage in brain microvascular. To discover cerebral malaria-related genes, fast Fourier transformation (FFT) was introduced to extract

  16. Proteomic analysis revealed alterations of the Plasmodium falciparum metabolism following salicylhydroxamic acid exposure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Torrentino-Madamet M

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Marylin Torrentino-Madamet1, Lionel Almeras2, Christelle Travaillé1, Véronique Sinou1, Matthieu Pophillat3, Maya Belghazi4, Patrick Fourquet3, Yves Jammes5, Daniel Parzy11UMR-MD3, Université de la Méditerranée, Antenne IRBA de Marseille (IMTSSA, Le Pharo, 2Unité de Recherche en Biologie et Epidémiologie Parasitaires, Antenne IRBA de Marseille (IMTSSA, Le Pharo, 3Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille Luminy, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de la Méditerranée, 4Centre d'Analyse Protéomique de Marseille, Institut Fédératif de Recherche Jean Roche, Faculté de Médecine Nord, 5UMR-MD2, Physiologie et Physiopathologie en Conditions d'Oxygénations Extrêmes, Institut Fédératif de Recherche Jean Roche, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille, FranceObjectives: Although human respiratory metabolism is characterized by the mitochondrial electron transport chain, some organisms present a “branched respiratory chain.” This branched pathway includes both a classical and an alternative respiratory chain. The latter involves an alternative oxidase. Though the Plasmodium falciparum alternative oxidase is not yet identified, a specific inhibitor of this enzyme, salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM, showed a drug effect on P. falciparum respiratory function using oxygen consumption measurements. The present study aimed to highlight the metabolic pathways that are affected in P. falciparum following SHAM exposure.Design: A proteomic approach was used to analyze the P. falciparum proteome and determine the metabolic pathways altered following SHAM treatment. To evaluate the SHAM effect on parasite growth, the phenotypic alterations of P. falciparum after SHAM or/and hyperoxia exposure were observed.Results: After SHAM exposure, 26 proteins were significantly deregulated using a fluorescent two dimensional-differential gel electrophoresis. Among these deregulated proteins

  17. Histone modifications influence mediator interactions with chromatin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xuefeng; Zhang, Yongqiang; Bjornsdottir, Gudrun; Liu, Zhongle; Quan, Amy; Costanzo, Michael; Dávila López, Marcela; Westholm, Jakub Orzechowski; Ronne, Hans; Boone, Charles; Gustafsson, Claes M.; Myers, Lawrence C.

    2011-01-01

    The Mediator complex transmits activation signals from DNA bound transcription factors to the core transcription machinery. Genome wide localization studies have demonstrated that Mediator occupancy not only correlates with high levels of transcription, but that the complex also is present at transcriptionally silenced locations. We provide evidence that Mediator localization is guided by an interaction with histone tails, and that this interaction is regulated by their post-translational modifications. A quantitative, high-density genetic interaction map revealed links between Mediator components and factors affecting chromatin structure, especially histone deacetylases. Peptide binding assays demonstrated that pure wild-type Mediator forms stable complexes with the tails of Histone H3 and H4. These binding assays also showed Mediator—histone H4 peptide interactions are specifically inhibited by acetylation of the histone H4 lysine 16, a residue critical in transcriptional silencing. Finally, these findings were validated by tiling array analysis that revealed a broad correlation between Mediator and nucleosome occupancy in vivo, but a negative correlation between Mediator and nucleosomes acetylated at histone H4 lysine 16. Our studies show that chromatin structure and the acetylation state of histones are intimately connected to Mediator localization. PMID:21742760

  18. Histone Lysine Methylation and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeong-Hoon Kim

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Methylation of several lysine residues of histones is a crucial mechanism for relatively long-term regulation of genomic activity. Recent molecular biological studies have demonstrated that the function of histone methylation is more diverse and complex than previously thought. Moreover, studies using newly available genomics techniques, such as exome sequencing, have identified an increasing number of histone lysine methylation-related genes as intellectual disability-associated genes, which highlights the importance of accurate control of histone methylation during neurogenesis. However, given the functional diversity and complexity of histone methylation within the cell, the study of the molecular basis of histone methylation-related neurodevelopmental disorders is currently still in its infancy. Here, we review the latest studies that revealed the pathological implications of alterations in histone methylation status in the context of various neurodevelopmental disorders and propose possible therapeutic application of epigenetic compounds regulating histone methylation status for the treatment of these diseases.

  19. Nickel compounds induce histone ubiquitination by inhibiting histone deubiquitinating enzyme activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ke Qingdong; Ellen, Thomas P.; Costa, Max

    2008-01-01

    Nickel (Ni) compounds are known carcinogens but underlying mechanisms are not clear. Epigenetic changes are likely to play an important role in nickel ion carcinogenesis. Previous studies have shown epigenetic effects of nickel ions, including the loss of histone acetylation and a pronounced increase in dimethylated H3K9 in nickel-exposed cells. In this study, we demonstrated that both water-soluble and insoluble nickel compounds induce histone ubiquitination (uH2A and uH2B) in a variety of cell lines. Investigations of the mechanism by which nickel increases histone ubiquitination in cells reveal that nickel does not affect cellular levels of the substrates of this modification, i.e., ubiquitin, histones, and other non-histone ubiquitinated proteins. In vitro ubiquitination and deubiquitination assays have been developed to further investigate possible effects of nickel on enzymes responsible for histone ubiquitination. Results from the in vitro assays demonstrate that the presence of nickel did not affect the levels of ubiquitinated histones in the ubiquitinating assay. Instead, the addition of nickel significantly prevents loss of uH2A and uH2B in the deubiquitinating assay, suggesting that nickel-induced histone ubiquitination is the result of inhibition of (a) putative deubiquitinating enzyme(s). Additional supporting evidence comes from the comparison of the response to nickel ions with a known deubiquitinating enzyme inhibitor, iodoacetamide (IAA). This study is the first to demonstrate such effects of nickel ions on histone ubiquitination. It also sheds light on the possible mechanisms involved in altering the steady state of this modification. The study provides further evidence that supports the notion that nickel ions alter epigenetic homeostasis in cells, which may lead to altered programs of gene expression and carcinogenesis

  20. Plasmodium falciparum transcriptome analysis reveals pregnancy malaria associated gene expression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tuikue Ndam, Nicaise; Bischoff, Emmanuel; Proux, Caroline

    2008-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) causing maternal anemia and low birth weight is among the multiple manifestations of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Infected erythrocytes (iEs) can acquire various adhesive properties that mediate the clinical severity of malaria. Recent advances...

  1. Recruitment of PfSET2 by RNA polymerase II to variant antigen encoding loci contributes to antigenic variation in P. falciparum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Uchechi E Ukaegbu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Histone modifications are important regulators of gene expression in all eukaryotes. In Plasmodium falciparum, these epigenetic marks regulate expression of genes involved in several aspects of host-parasite interactions, including antigenic variation. While the identities and genomic positions of many histone modifications have now been cataloged, how they are targeted to defined genomic regions remains poorly understood. For example, how variant antigen encoding loci (var are targeted for deposition of unique histone marks is a mystery that continues to perplex the field. Here we describe the recruitment of an ortholog of the histone modifier SET2 to var genes through direct interactions with the C-terminal domain (CTD of RNA polymerase II. In higher eukaryotes, SET2 is a histone methyltransferase recruited by RNA pol II during mRNA transcription; however, the ortholog in P. falciparum (PfSET2 has an atypical architecture and its role in regulating transcription is unknown. Here we show that PfSET2 binds to the unphosphorylated form of the CTD, a property inconsistent with its recruitment during mRNA synthesis. Further, we show that H3K36me3, the epigenetic mark deposited by PfSET2, is enriched at both active and silent var gene loci, providing additional evidence that its recruitment is not associated with mRNA production. Over-expression of a dominant negative form of PfSET2 designed to disrupt binding to RNA pol II induced rapid var gene expression switching, confirming both the importance of PfSET2 in var gene regulation and a role for RNA pol II in its recruitment. RNA pol II is known to transcribe non-coding RNAs from both active and silent var genes, providing a possible mechanism by which it could recruit PfSET2 to var loci. This work unifies previous reports of histone modifications, the production of ncRNAs, and the promoter activity of var introns into a mechanism that contributes to antigenic variation by malaria parasites.

  2. Histidine-rich protein 2 (pfhrp2) and pfhrp3 gene deletions in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from select sites in Brazil and Bolivia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachid Viana, Giselle Maria; Akinyi Okoth, Sheila; Silva-Flannery, Luciana; Lima Barbosa, Danielle Regina; Macedo de Oliveira, Alexandre; Goldman, Ira F; Morton, Lindsay C; Huber, Curtis; Anez, Arletta; Dantas Machado, Ricardo Luiz; Aranha Camargo, Luís Marcelo; Costa Negreiros do Valle, Suiane; Marins Póvoa, Marinete; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam; Barnwell, John W

    2017-01-01

    More than 80% of available malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are based on the detection of histidine-rich protein-2 (PfHRP2) for diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Recent studies have shown the genes that code for this protein and its paralog, histidine-rich protein-3 (PfHRP3), are absent in parasites from the Peruvian Amazon Basin. Lack of PfHRP2 protein through deletion of the pfhrp2 gene leads to false-negative RDT results for P. falciparum. We have evaluated the extent of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions in a convenience sample of 198 isolates from six sites in three states across the Brazilian Amazon Basin (Acre, Rondonia and Para) and 25 isolates from two sites in Bolivia collected at different times between 2010 and 2012. Pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene and their flanking genes on chromosomes 7 and 13, respectively, were amplified from 198 blood specimens collected in Brazil. In Brazil, the isolates collected in Acre state, located in the western part of the Brazilian Amazon, had the highest percentage of deletions for pfhrp2 25 (31.2%) of 79, while among those collected in Rondonia, the prevalence of pfhrp2 gene deletion was only 3.3% (2 out of 60 patients). In isolates from Para state, all parasites were pfhrp2-positive. In contrast, we detected high proportions of isolates from all 3 states that were pfhrp3-negative ranging from 18.3% (11 out of 60 samples) to 50.9% (30 out of 59 samples). In Bolivia, only one of 25 samples (4%) tested had deleted pfhrp2 gene, while 68% (17 out of 25 samples) were pfhrp3-negative. Among the isolates tested, P. falciparum pfhrp2 gene deletions were present mainly in those from Acre State in the Brazilian Amazon. These results indicate it is important to reconsider the use of PfHRP2-based RDTs in the western region of the Brazilian Amazon and to implement appropriate surveillance systems to monitor pfhrp2 gene deletions in this and other parts of the Amazon region.

  3. PfSETvs methylation of histone H3K36 represses virulence genes in Plasmodium falciparum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jiang, Lubin; Mu, Jianbing; Zhang, Qingfeng

    2013-01-01

    The variant antigen Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), which is expressed on the surface of P. falciparum-infected red blood cells, is a critical virulence factor for malaria. Each parasite has 60 antigenically distinct var genes that each code for a different PfEMP1...... parasite nuclei and their expression as proteins on the surface of individual infected red blood cells. PfSETvs-dependent H3K36me3 is present along the entire gene body, including the transcription start site, to silence var genes. With low occupancy of PfSETvs at both the transcription start site of var...... protein. During infection the clonal parasite population expresses only one gene at a time before switching to the expression of a new variant antigen as an immune-evasion mechanism to avoid the host antibody response. The mechanism by which 59 of the 60 var genes are silenced remains largely unknown...

  4. Real-Time Tracking of Parental Histones Reveals Their Contribution to Chromatin Integrity Following DNA Damage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adam, Salomé; Dabin, Juliette; Chevallier, Odile; Leroy, Olivier; Baldeyron, Céline; Corpet, Armelle; Lomonte, Patrick; Renaud, Olivier; Almouzni, Geneviève; Polo, Sophie E

    2016-10-06

    Chromatin integrity is critical for cell function and identity but is challenged by DNA damage. To understand how chromatin architecture and the information that it conveys are preserved or altered following genotoxic stress, we established a system for real-time tracking of parental histones, which characterize the pre-damage chromatin state. Focusing on histone H3 dynamics after local UVC irradiation in human cells, we demonstrate that parental histones rapidly redistribute around damaged regions by a dual mechanism combining chromatin opening and histone mobilization on chromatin. Importantly, parental histones almost entirely recover and mix with new histones in repairing chromatin. Our data further define a close coordination of parental histone dynamics with DNA repair progression through the damage sensor DDB2 (DNA damage-binding protein 2). We speculate that this mechanism may contribute to maintaining a memory of the original chromatin landscape and may help preserve epigenome stability in response to DNA damage. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Antibody reactivities to glutamate-rich peptides of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in humans from areas of different malaria endemicity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jakobsen, P H; Theander, T G; Hviid, L

    1996-01-01

    Synthetic P. falciparum peptides were evaluated as tools in epidemiological investigations of malaria. Plasma IgM and IgG antibody reactivities against synthetic peptides covering sequences of glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) and acidic-basic repeat antigen (ABRA) were measured by ELISA...... in individuals from malaria-endemic areas of Sudan, Indonesia and The Gambia to study antibody responses to these peptides in donors living in areas of different malaria endemicity. IgG and IgM reactivities to the peptides increased with malaria endemicity, although there were no differences in reactivities...... tested were shortlived in most patients. In Gambian children with malaria, IgM reactivities but not IgG antibody reactivities against the ABRA peptide were higher in those with mild malaria than in those with severe malaria. The peptides may be useful in future epidemiological studies, especially...

  6. Interactions of Histone Acetyltransferase p300 with the Nuclear Proteins Histone and HMGB1, As Revealed by Single Molecule Atomic Force Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, S; Rakshit, T; Sett, S; Mukhopadhyay, R

    2015-10-22

    One of the important properties of the transcriptional coactivator p300 is histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity that enables p300 to influence chromatin action via histone modulation. p300 can exert its HAT action upon the other nuclear proteins too--one notable example being the transcription-factor-like protein HMGB1, which functions also as a cytokine, and whose accumulation in the cytoplasm, as a response to tissue damage, is triggered by its acetylation. Hitherto, no information on the structure and stability of the complexes between full-length p300 (p300FL) (300 kDa) and the histone/HMGB1 proteins are available, probably due to the presence of unstructured regions within p300FL that makes it difficult to be crystallized. Herein, we have adopted the high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) approach, which allows molecularly resolved three-dimensional contour mapping of a protein molecule of any size and structure. From the off-rate and activation barrier values, obtained using single molecule dynamic force spectroscopy, the biochemical proposition of preferential binding of p300FL to histone H3, compared to the octameric histone, can be validated. Importantly, from the energy landscape of the dissociation events, a model for the p300-histone and the p300-HMGB1 dynamic complexes that HAT forms, can be proposed. The lower unbinding forces of the complexes observed in acetylating conditions, compared to those observed in non-acetylating conditions, indicate that upon acetylation, p300 tends to weakly associate, probably as an outcome of charge alterations on the histone/HMGB1 surface and/or acetylation-induced conformational changes. To our knowledge, for the first time, a single molecule level treatment of the interactions of HAT, where the full-length protein is considered, is being reported.

  7. Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum populations in southeast and western Myanmar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soe, Than Naing; Wu, Yanrui; Tun, Myo Win; Xu, Xin; Hu, Yue; Ruan, Yonghua; Win, Aung Ye Naung; Nyunt, Myat Htut; Mon, Nan Cho Nwe; Han, Kay Thwe; Aye, Khin Myo; Morris, James; Su, Pincan; Yang, Zhaoqing; Kyaw, Myat Phone; Cui, Liwang

    2017-07-04

    The genetic diversity of malaria parasites reflects the complexity and size of the parasite populations. This study was designed to explore the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum populations collected from two southeastern areas (Shwekyin and Myawaddy bordering Thailand) and one western area (Kyauktaw bordering Bangladesh) of Myanmar. A total of 267 blood samples collected from patients with acute P. falciparum infections during 2009 and 2010 were used for genotyping at the merozoite surface protein 1 (Msp1), Msp2 and glutamate-rich protein (Glurp) loci. One hundred and eighty four samples were successfully genotyped at three genes. The allelic distributions of the three genes were all significantly different among three areas. MAD20 and 3D7 were the most prevalent alleles in three areas for Msp1 and Msp2, respectively. The Glurp allele with a bin size of 700-750 bp was the most prevalent both in Shwekyin and Myawaddy, whereas two alleles with bin sizes of 800-850 bp and 900-1000 bp were the most prevalent in the western site Kyauktaw. Overall, 73.91% of samples contained multiclonal infections, resulting in a mean multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1.94. Interestingly, the MOI level presented a rising trend with the order of Myawaddy, Kyauktaw and Shwekyin, which also paralleled with the increasing frequencies of Msp1 RO33 and Msp2 FC27 200-250 bp alleles. Msp1 and Msp2 genes displayed higher levels of diversity and higher MOI rates than Glurp. PCR revealed four samples (two from Shwekyin and two from Myawaddy) with mixed infections of P. falciparum and P. vivax. This study genotyped parasite clinical samples from two southeast regions and one western state of Myanmar at the Msp1, Msp2 and Glurp loci, which revealed high levels of genetic diversity and mixed-strain infections of P. falciparum populations at these sites. The results indicated that malaria transmission intensity in these regions remained high and more strengthened control efforts are

  8. Nitric Oxide Modulates Histone Acetylation at Stress Genes by Inhibition of Histone Deacetylases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mengel, Alexander; Ageeva, Alexandra; Georgii, Elisabeth; Bernhardt, Jörg; Wu, Keqiang; Durner, Jörg; Lindermayr, Christian

    2017-02-01

    Histone acetylation, which is an important mechanism to regulate gene expression, is controlled by the opposing action of histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases (HDACs). In animals, several HDACs are subjected to regulation by nitric oxide (NO); in plants, however, it is unknown whether NO affects histone acetylation. We found that treatment with the physiological NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) increased the abundance of several histone acetylation marks in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which was strongly diminished in the presence of the NO scavenger 2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide. This increase was likely triggered by NO-dependent inhibition of HDAC activity, since GSNO and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-dl-penicillamine significantly and reversibly reduced total HDAC activity in vitro (in nuclear extracts) and in vivo (in protoplasts). Next, genome-wide H3K9/14ac profiles in Arabidopsis seedlings were generated by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, and changes induced by GSNO, GSNO/2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide or trichostatin A (an HDAC inhibitor) were quantified, thereby identifying genes that display putative NO-regulated histone acetylation. Functional classification of these genes revealed that many of them are involved in the plant defense response and the abiotic stress response. Furthermore, salicylic acid, which is the major plant defense hormone against biotrophic pathogens, inhibited HDAC activity and increased histone acetylation by inducing endogenous NO production. These data suggest that NO affects histone acetylation by targeting and inhibiting HDAC complexes, resulting in the hyperacetylation of specific genes. This mechanism might operate in the plant stress response by facilitating the stress-induced transcription of genes. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  9. The structure of Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase reveals a novel redox switch that regulates its activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chitnumsub, Penchit; Ittarat, Wanwipa; Jaruwat, Aritsara; Noytanom, Krittikar [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Amornwatcharapong, Watcharee [Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Pornthanakasem, Wichai [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Chaiyen, Pimchai [Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Leartsakulpanich, Ubolsree [National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Paholyothin Road, Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand)

    2014-06-01

    The crystal structure of P. falciparum SHMT revealed snapshots of an intriguing disulfide/sulfhydryl switch controlling the functional activity. Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase (PfSHMT), an enzyme in the dTMP synthesis cycle, is an antimalarial target because inhibition of its expression or function has been shown to be lethal to the parasite. As the wild-type enzyme could not be crystallized, protein engineering of residues on the surface was carried out. The surface-engineered mutant PfSHMT-F292E was successfully crystallized and its structure was determined at 3 Å resolution. The PfSHMT-F292E structure is a good representation of PfSHMT as this variant revealed biochemical properties similar to those of the wild type. Although the overall structure of PfSHMT is similar to those of other SHMTs, unique features including the presence of two loops and a distinctive cysteine pair formed by Cys125 and Cys364 in the tetrahydrofolate (THF) substrate binding pocket were identified. These structural characteristics have never been reported in other SHMTs. Biochemical characterization and mutation analysis of these two residues confirm that they act as a disulfide/sulfhydryl switch to regulate the THF-dependent catalytic function of the enzyme. This redox switch is not present in the human enzyme, in which the cysteine pair is absent. The data reported here can be further exploited as a new strategy to specifically disrupt the activity of the parasite enzyme without interfering with the function of the human enzyme.

  10. The structure of Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase reveals a novel redox switch that regulates its activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chitnumsub, Penchit; Ittarat, Wanwipa; Jaruwat, Aritsara; Noytanom, Krittikar; Amornwatcharapong, Watcharee; Pornthanakasem, Wichai; Chaiyen, Pimchai; Yuthavong, Yongyuth; Leartsakulpanich, Ubolsree

    2014-01-01

    The crystal structure of P. falciparum SHMT revealed snapshots of an intriguing disulfide/sulfhydryl switch controlling the functional activity. Plasmodium falciparum serine hydroxymethyltransferase (PfSHMT), an enzyme in the dTMP synthesis cycle, is an antimalarial target because inhibition of its expression or function has been shown to be lethal to the parasite. As the wild-type enzyme could not be crystallized, protein engineering of residues on the surface was carried out. The surface-engineered mutant PfSHMT-F292E was successfully crystallized and its structure was determined at 3 Å resolution. The PfSHMT-F292E structure is a good representation of PfSHMT as this variant revealed biochemical properties similar to those of the wild type. Although the overall structure of PfSHMT is similar to those of other SHMTs, unique features including the presence of two loops and a distinctive cysteine pair formed by Cys125 and Cys364 in the tetrahydrofolate (THF) substrate binding pocket were identified. These structural characteristics have never been reported in other SHMTs. Biochemical characterization and mutation analysis of these two residues confirm that they act as a disulfide/sulfhydryl switch to regulate the THF-dependent catalytic function of the enzyme. This redox switch is not present in the human enzyme, in which the cysteine pair is absent. The data reported here can be further exploited as a new strategy to specifically disrupt the activity of the parasite enzyme without interfering with the function of the human enzyme

  11. The relationship between DNA synthesis and incorporation of (14C) lysine into different histone fractions in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malec, J.; Kornacka, L.; Wojnarowska, M.; Moscicka, M.

    1974-01-01

    The effect of inhibition of DNA synthesis by hydroxyurea on ( 14 C) lysine incorporation into the main four histone fractions in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, was examined in vitro. The radioactivity of lysine-rich histones, especially of histone f1, was preferentially decreased. The smallest decrease was observed for histone f3. The incorporation into other cellular proteins was but slightly affected. (author)

  12. Recombinant thrombomodulin protects mice against histone-induced lethal thromboembolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mayumi Nakahara

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have shown that histones, the chief protein component of chromatin, are released into the extracellular space during sepsis, trauma, and ischemia-reperfusion injury, and act as major mediators of the death of an organism. This study was designed to elucidate the cellular and molecular basis of histone-induced lethality and to assess the protective effects of recombinant thrombomodulin (rTM. rTM has been approved for the treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC in Japan, and is currently undergoing a phase III clinical trial in the United States. METHODS: Histone H3 levels in plasma of healthy volunteers and patients with sepsis and DIC were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Male C57BL/6 mice were injected intravenously with purified histones, and pathological examinations were performed. The protective effects of rTM against histone toxicity were analyzed both in vitro and in mice. RESULTS: Histone H3 was not detectable in plasma of healthy volunteers, but significant levels were observed in patients with sepsis and DIC. These levels were higher in non-survivors than in survivors. Extracellular histones triggered platelet aggregation, leading to thrombotic occlusion of pulmonary capillaries and subsequent right-sided heart failure in mice. These mice displayed symptoms of DIC, including thrombocytopenia, prolonged prothrombin time, decreased fibrinogen, fibrin deposition in capillaries, and bleeding. Platelet depletion protected mice from histone-induced death in the first 30 minutes, suggesting that vessel occlusion by platelet-rich thrombi might be responsible for death during the early phase. Furthermore, rTM bound to extracellular histones, suppressed histone-induced platelet aggregation, thrombotic occlusion of pulmonary capillaries, and dilatation of the right ventricle, and rescued mice from lethal thromboembolism. CONCLUSIONS: Extracellular histones cause massive

  13. Microsatellite analysis of chloroquine resistance associated alleles and neutral loci reveal genetic structure of Indian Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallick, Prashant K; Sutton, Patrick L; Singh, Ruchi; Singh, Om P; Dash, Aditya P; Singh, Ashok K; Carlton, Jane M; Bhasin, Virendra K

    2013-10-01

    Efforts to control malignant malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum are hampered by the parasite's acquisition of resistance to antimalarial drugs, e.g., chloroquine. This necessitates evaluating the spread of chloroquine resistance in any malaria-endemic area. India displays highly variable malaria epidemiology and also shares porous international borders with malaria-endemic Southeast Asian countries having multi-drug resistant malaria. Malaria epidemiology in India is believed to be affected by two major factors: high genetic diversity and evolving drug resistance in P. falciparum. How transmission intensity of malaria can influence the genetic structure of chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum population in India is unknown. Here, genetic diversity within and among P. falciparum populations is analyzed with respect to their prevalence and chloroquine resistance observed in 13 different locations in India. Microsatellites developed for P. falciparum, including three putatively neutral and seven microsatellites thought to be under a hitchhiking effect due to chloroquine selection were used. Genetic hitchhiking is observed in five of seven microsatellites flanking the gene responsible for chloroquine resistance. Genetic admixture analysis and F-statistics detected genetically distinct groups in accordance with transmission intensity of different locations and the probable use of chloroquine. A large genetic break between the chloroquine-resistant parasite of the Northeast-East-Island group and Southwest group (FST=0.253, Pstructure for Indian P. falciparum population. Overall, the study suggests that transmission intensity can be an efficient driver for genetic differentiation at both neutral and adaptive loci across India. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. In vitro adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum reveal variations in cultivability

    OpenAIRE

    White, John; Mascarenhas, Anjali; Pereira, Ligia; Dash, Rashmi; Walke, Jayashri T.; Gawas, Pooja; Sharma, Ambika; Manoharan, Suresh Kumar; Guler, Jennifer L.; Maki, Jennifer N.; Kumar, Ashwani; Mahanta, Jagadish; Valecha, Neena; Dubhashi, Nagesh; Vaz, Marina

    2016-01-01

    Background Culture-adapted Plasmodium falciparum parasites can offer deeper understanding of geographic variations in drug resistance, pathogenesis and immune evasion. To help ground population-based calculations and inferences from culture-adapted parasites, the complete range of parasites from a study area must be well represented in any collection. To this end, standardized adaptation methods and determinants of successful in vitro adaption were sought. Methods Venous blood was collected f...

  15. Nitric Oxide Modulates Histone Acetylation at Stress Genes by Inhibition of Histone Deacetylases1[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mengel, Alexander; Ageeva, Alexandra; Durner, Jörg

    2017-01-01

    Histone acetylation, which is an important mechanism to regulate gene expression, is controlled by the opposing action of histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases (HDACs). In animals, several HDACs are subjected to regulation by nitric oxide (NO); in plants, however, it is unknown whether NO affects histone acetylation. We found that treatment with the physiological NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) increased the abundance of several histone acetylation marks in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which was strongly diminished in the presence of the NO scavenger 2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide. This increase was likely triggered by NO-dependent inhibition of HDAC activity, since GSNO and S-nitroso-N-acetyl-dl-penicillamine significantly and reversibly reduced total HDAC activity in vitro (in nuclear extracts) and in vivo (in protoplasts). Next, genome-wide H3K9/14ac profiles in Arabidopsis seedlings were generated by chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, and changes induced by GSNO, GSNO/2-4-carboxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide or trichostatin A (an HDAC inhibitor) were quantified, thereby identifying genes that display putative NO-regulated histone acetylation. Functional classification of these genes revealed that many of them are involved in the plant defense response and the abiotic stress response. Furthermore, salicylic acid, which is the major plant defense hormone against biotrophic pathogens, inhibited HDAC activity and increased histone acetylation by inducing endogenous NO production. These data suggest that NO affects histone acetylation by targeting and inhibiting HDAC complexes, resulting in the hyperacetylation of specific genes. This mechanism might operate in the plant stress response by facilitating the stress-induced transcription of genes. PMID:27980017

  16. Phylogeography of var gene repertoires reveals fine-scale geospatial clustering of Plasmodium falciparum populations in a highly endemic area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tessema, Sofonias K; Monk, Stephanie L; Schultz, Mark B; Tavul, Livingstone; Reeder, John C; Siba, Peter M; Mueller, Ivo; Barry, Alyssa E

    2015-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a major global health problem that is being targeted for progressive elimination. Knowledge of local disease transmission patterns in endemic countries is critical to these elimination efforts. To investigate fine-scale patterns of malaria transmission, we have compared repertoires of rapidly evolving var genes in a highly endemic area. A total of 3680 high-quality DBLα-sequences were obtained from 68 P. falciparum isolates from ten villages spread over two distinct catchment areas on the north coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Modelling of the extent of var gene diversity in the two parasite populations predicts more than twice as many var gene alleles circulating within each catchment (Mugil = 906; Wosera = 1094) than previously recognized in PNG (Amele = 369). In addition, there were limited levels of var gene sharing between populations, consistent with local parasite population structure. Phylogeographic analyses demonstrate that while neutrally evolving microsatellite markers identified population structure only at the catchment level, var gene repertoires reveal further fine-scale geospatial clustering of parasite isolates. The clustering of parasite isolates by village in Mugil, but not in Wosera was consistent with the physical and cultural isolation of the human populations in the two catchments. The study highlights the microheterogeneity of P. falciparum transmission in highly endemic areas and demonstrates the potential of var genes as markers of local patterns of parasite population structure. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Histones link inflammation and thrombosis through the induction of Weibel-Palade body exocytosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michels, A; Albánez, S; Mewburn, J; Nesbitt, K; Gould, T J; Liaw, P C; James, P D; Swystun, L L; Lillicrap, D

    2016-11-01

    Essentials Dysregulated DNA and histone release can promote pathological immunothrombosis. Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs) are sentinel-like organelles that respond to proinflammatory stimuli. Histones induce WPB exocytosis in a caspase, calcium and charge-dependent mechanism. A targetable axis may exist between DNA/histones and WPBs in inflammation and immunothrombosis. Background Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), including molecules such as DNA and histones, are released into the blood following cell death. DAMPs promote a procoagulant phenotype through enhancement of thrombin generation and platelet activation, thereby contributing to immunothrombosis. Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs) are dynamic endothelial cell organelles that contain procoagulant and proinflammatory mediators, such as von Willebrand factor (VWF), and are released in response to cell stresses. VWF mediates platelet adhesion and aggregation, and has been implicated as a procoagulant component of the innate immune response. Objective To determine the influence of histones and DNA on WPB release, and characterize their association in models of inflammation. Methods We treated C57BL/6J mice and cultured endothelial cells with histones (unfractionated, lysine-rich or arginine-rich) and DNA, and measured WPB exocytosis. We used inhibitors to determine a mechanism of histone-induced WPB release in vitro. We characterized the release of DAMPs and WPBs in response to acute and chronic inflammation in human and murine models. Results and conclusions Histones, but not DNA, induced the release of VWF (1.46-fold) from WBPs and caused thrombocytopenia (0.74-fold), which impaired arterial thrombus formation in mice. Histones induced WPB release from endothelial cells in a caspase-dependent, calcium-dependent and charge-dependent manner, and promoted platelet capture in a flow chamber model of VWF-platelet string formation. The levels of DAMPs and WPB-released proteins were elevated during inflammation

  18. Deletion of Plasmodium falciparum Histidine-Rich Protein 2 (pfhrp2) and Histidine-Rich Protein 3 (pfhrp3) Genes in Colombian Parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murillo Solano, Claribel; Akinyi Okoth, Sheila; Abdallah, Joseph F; Pava, Zuleima; Dorado, Erika; Incardona, Sandra; Huber, Curtis S; Macedo de Oliveira, Alexandre; Bell, David; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam; Barnwell, John W

    2015-01-01

    A number of studies have analyzed the performance of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in Colombia with discrepancies in performance being attributed to a combination of factors such as parasite levels, interpretation of RDT results and/or the handling and storage of RDT kits. However, some of the inconsistencies observed with results from Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2)-based RDTs could also be explained by the deletion of the gene that encodes the protein, pfhrp2, and its structural homolog, pfhrp3, in some parasite isolates. Given that pfhrp2- and pfhrp3-negative P. falciparum isolates have been detected in the neighboring Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon regions, we hypothesized that parasites with deletions of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 may also be present in Colombia. In this study we tested 100 historical samples collected between 1999 and 2009 from six Departments in Colombia for the presence of pfhrp2, pfhrp3 and their flanking genes. Seven neutral microsatellites were also used to determine the genetic background of these parasites. In total 18 of 100 parasite isolates were found to have deleted pfhrp2, a majority of which (14 of 18) were collected from Amazonas Department, which borders Peru and Brazil. pfhrp3 deletions were found in 52 of the 100 samples collected from all regions of the country. pfhrp2 flanking genes PF3D7_0831900 and PF3D7_0831700 were deleted in 22 of 100 and in 1 of 100 samples, respectively. pfhrp3 flanking genes PF3D7_1372100 and PF3D7_1372400 were missing in 55 of 100 and in 57 of 100 samples. Structure analysis of microsatellite data indicated that Colombian samples tested in this study belonged to four clusters and they segregated mostly based on their geographic region. Most of the pfhrp2-deleted parasites were assigned to a single cluster and originated from Amazonas Department although a few pfhrp2-negative parasites originated from the other three clusters. The presence of a high proportion of pfhrp2

  19. Biochemical Analysis Reveals the Multifactorial Mechanism of Histone H3 Clipping by Chicken Liver Histone H3 Protease

    KAUST Repository

    Chauhan, Sakshi; Mandal, Papita; Tomar, Raghuvir S.

    2016-01-01

    Proteolytic clipping of histone H3 has been identified in many organisms. Despite several studies, the mechanism of clipping, the substrate specificity, and the significance of this poorly understood epigenetic mechanism are not clear. We have

  20. The organization structure and regulatory elements of Chlamydomonas histone genes reveal features linking plant and animal genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fabry, S; Müller, K; Lindauer, A; Park, P B; Cornelius, T; Schmitt, R

    1995-09-01

    The genome of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii contains approximately 15 gene clusters of the nucleosomal (or core) histone H2A, H2B, H3 and H4 genes and at least one histone H1 gene. Seven non-allelic histone gene loci were isolated from a genomic library, physically mapped, and the nucleotide sequences of three isotypes of each core histone gene species and one linked H1 gene determined. The core histone genes are organized in clusters of H2A-H2B and H3-H4 pairs, in which each gene pair shows outwardly divergent transcription from a short (< 300 bp) intercistronic region. These intercistronic regions contain typically conserved promoter elements, namely a TATA-box and the three motifs TGGCCAG-G(G/C)-CGAG, CGTTGACC and CGGTTG. Different from the genes of higher plants, but like those of animals and the related alga Volvox, the 3' untranslated regions contain no poly A signal, but a palindromic sequence (3' palindrome) essential for mRNA processing is present. One single H1 gene was found in close linkage to a H2A-H2B pair. The H1 upstream region contains the octameric promoter element GGTTGACC (also found upstream of the core histone genes) and two specific sequence motifs that are shared only with the Volvox H1 promoters. This suggests differential transcription of the H1 and the core histone genes. The H1 gene is interrupted by two introns. Unlike Volvox H3 genes, the three sequenced H3 isoforms are intron-free. Primer-directed PCR of genomic DNA demonstrated, however, that at least 8 of the about 15 H3 genes do contain one intron at a conserved position. In synchronized C. reinhardtii cells, H4 mRNA levels (representative of all core histone mRNAs) peak during cell division, suggesting strict replication-dependent gene control. The derived peptide sequences place C. reinhardtii core histones closer to plants than to animals, except that the H2A histones are more animal-like. The peptide sequence of histone H1 is closely related to the V. carteri VH1-II

  1. Role of extracellular histones in the cardiomyopathy of sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalbitz, Miriam; Grailer, Jamison J; Fattahi, Fatemeh; Jajou, Lawrence; Herron, Todd J; Campbell, Katherine F; Zetoune, Firas S; Bosmann, Markus; Sarma, J Vidya; Huber-Lang, Markus; Gebhard, Florian; Loaiza, Randall; Valdivia, Hector H; Jalife, José; Russell, Mark W; Ward, Peter A

    2015-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to define the relationship in polymicrobial sepsis (in adult male C57BL/6 mice) between heart dysfunction and the appearance in plasma of extracellular histones. Procedures included induction of sepsis by cecal ligation and puncture and measurement of heart function using echocardiogram/Doppler parameters. We assessed the ability of histones to cause disequilibrium in the redox status and intracellular [Ca(2+)]i levels in cardiomyocytes (CMs) (from mice and rats). We also studied the ability of histones to disturb both functional and electrical responses of hearts perfused with histones. Main findings revealed that extracellular histones appearing in septic plasma required C5a receptors, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), and the Nacht-, LRR-, and PYD-domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. In vitro exposure of CMs to histones caused loss of homeostasis of the redox system and in [Ca(2+)]i, as well as defects in mitochondrial function. Perfusion of hearts with histones caused electrical and functional dysfunction. Finally, in vivo neutralization of histones in septic mice markedly reduced the parameters of heart dysfunction. Histones caused dysfunction in hearts during polymicrobial sepsis. These events could be attenuated by histone neutralization, suggesting that histones may be targets in the setting of sepsis to reduce cardiac dysfunction. © FASEB.

  2. Recombinant Plasmodium falciparum glutamate rich protein; purification and use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dziegiel, Morten Hanefeld; Borre, M B; Jepsen, S

    1991-01-01

    New Guinea (MAD20) and Honduras (HB3) completely absorbed specific antibodies, indicating the presence of conserved epitopes produced by all isolates of P. falciparum. Recombinant GLURP489-1271 ELISA is sensitive and rapid, and therefore well-suited for sero-epidemiological studies, and for control...

  3. In vitro adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum reveal variations in cultivability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, John; Mascarenhas, Anjali; Pereira, Ligia; Dash, Rashmi; Walke, Jayashri T; Gawas, Pooja; Sharma, Ambika; Manoharan, Suresh Kumar; Guler, Jennifer L; Maki, Jennifer N; Kumar, Ashwani; Mahanta, Jagadish; Valecha, Neena; Dubhashi, Nagesh; Vaz, Marina; Gomes, Edwin; Chery, Laura; Rathod, Pradipsinh K

    2016-01-22

    Culture-adapted Plasmodium falciparum parasites can offer deeper understanding of geographic variations in drug resistance, pathogenesis and immune evasion. To help ground population-based calculations and inferences from culture-adapted parasites, the complete range of parasites from a study area must be well represented in any collection. To this end, standardized adaptation methods and determinants of successful in vitro adaption were sought. Venous blood was collected from 33 P. falciparum-infected individuals at Goa Medical College and Hospital (Bambolim, Goa, India). Culture variables such as whole blood versus washed blood, heat-inactivated plasma versus Albumax, and different starting haematocrit levels were tested on fresh blood samples from patients. In vitro adaptation was considered successful when two four-fold or greater increases in parasitaemia were observed within, at most, 33 days of attempted culture. Subsequently, parasites from the same patients, which were originally cryopreserved following blood draw, were retested for adaptability for 45 days using identical host red blood cells (RBCs) and culture media. At a new endemic area research site, ~65% of tested patient samples, with varied patient history and clinical presentation, were successfully culture-adapted immediately after blood collection. Cultures set up at 1% haematocrit and 0.5% Albumax adapted most rapidly, but no single test condition was uniformly fatal to culture adaptation. Success was not limited by low patient parasitaemia nor by patient age. Some parasites emerged even after significant delays in sample processing and even after initiation of treatment with anti-malarials. When 'day 0' cryopreserved samples were retested in parallel many months later using identical host RBCs and media, speed to adaptation appeared to be an intrinsic property of the parasites collected from individual patients. Culture adaptation of P. falciparum in a field setting is formally shown to be

  4. Species Richness and Diversity Reveal that Human-Modified ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Family diversity and richness showed no significant differences across the sites. The spider species consisted of primarily three functional groups: ground wanderers, web builders and plant wanderers, and showed no within-group differences in abundance between sites. Similarity index between the study sites revealed a ...

  5. Identification of histone modifications in biomedical text for supporting epigenomic research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolárik, Corinna; Klinger, Roman; Hofmann-Apitius, Martin

    2009-01-30

    Posttranslational modifications of histones influence the structure of chromatine and in such a way take part in the regulation of gene expression. Certain histone modification patterns, distributed over the genome, are connected to cell as well as tissue differentiation and to the adaption of organisms to their environment. Abnormal changes instead influence the development of disease states like cancer. The regulation mechanisms for modifying histones and its functionalities are the subject of epigenomics investigation and are still not completely understood. Text provides a rich resource of knowledge on epigenomics and modifications of histones in particular. It contains information about experimental studies, the conditions used, and results. To our knowledge, no approach has been published so far for identifying histone modifications in text. We have developed an approach for identifying histone modifications in biomedical literature with Conditional Random Fields (CRF) and for resolving the recognized histone modification term variants by term standardization. For the term identification F1 measures of 0.84 by 10-fold cross-validation on the training corpus and 0.81 on an independent test corpus have been obtained. The standardization enabled the correct transformation of 96% of the terms from training and 98% from test the corpus. Due to the lack of terminologies exhaustively covering specific histone modification types, we developed a histone modification term hierarchy for use in a semantic text retrieval system. The developed approach highly improves the retrieval of articles describing histone modifications. Since text contains context information about performed studies and experiments, the identification of histone modifications is the basis for supporting literature-based knowledge discovery and hypothesis generation to accelerate epigenomic research.

  6. Microsatellite analysis of chloroquine resistance associated alleles and neutral loci reveal genetic structure of Indian Plasmodium falciparum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallick, Prashant K.; Sutton, Patrick L.; Singh, Ruchi; Singh, Om P.; Dash, Aditya P.; Singh, Ashok K.; Carlton, Jane M.; Bhasin, Virendra K.

    2013-01-01

    Efforts to control malignant malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum are hampered by the parasite’s acquisition of resistance to antimalarial drugs, e.g., chloroquine. This necessitates evaluating the spread of chloroquine resistance in any malaria-endemic area. India displays highly variable malaria epidemiology and also shares porous international borders with malaria-endemic Southeast Asian countries having multi-drug resistant malaria. Malaria epidemiology in India is believed to be affected by two major factors: high genetic diversity and evolving drug resistance in P. falciparum. How transmission intensity of malaria can influence the genetic structure of chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum population in India is unknown. Here, genetic diversity within and among P. falciparum populations is analyzed with respect to their prevalence and chloroquine resistance observed in 13 different locations in India. Microsatellites developed for P. falciparum, including three putatively neutral and seven microsatellites thought to be under a hitchhiking effect due to chloroquine selection were used. Genetic hitchhiking is observed in five of seven microsatellites flanking the gene responsible for chloroquine resistance. Genetic admixture analysis and F-statistics detected genetically distinct groups in accordance with transmission intensity of different locations and the probable use of chloroquine. A large genetic break between the chloroquine-resistant parasite of the Northeast-East-Island group and Southwest group (FST = 0.253, P<0.001) suggests a long period of isolation or a possibility of different origin between them. A pattern of significant isolation by distance was observed in low transmission areas (r = 0.49, P=0.003, N = 83, Mantel test). An unanticipated pattern of spread of hitchhiking suggests genetic structure for Indian P. falciparum population. Overall, the study suggests that transmission intensity can be an efficient driver for genetic differentiation

  7. Co-regulation of histone-modifying enzymes in cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abul B M M K Islam

    Full Text Available Cancer is characterized by aberrant patterns of expression of multiple genes. These major shifts in gene expression are believed to be due to not only genetic but also epigenetic changes. The epigenetic changes are communicated through chemical modifications, including histone modifications. However, it is unclear whether the binding of histone-modifying proteins to genomic regions and the placing of histone modifications efficiently discriminates corresponding genes from the rest of the genes in the human genome. We performed gene expression analysis of histone demethylases (HDMs and histone methyltransferases (HMTs, their target genes and genes with relevant histone modifications in normal and tumor tissues. Surprisingly, this analysis revealed the existence of correlations in the expression levels of different HDMs and HMTs. The observed HDM/HMT gene expression signature was specific to particular normal and cancer cell types and highly correlated with target gene expression and the expression of genes with histone modifications. Notably, we observed that trimethylation at lysine 4 and lysine 27 separated preferentially expressed and underexpressed genes, which was strikingly different in cancer cells compared to normal cells. We conclude that changes in coordinated regulation of enzymes executing histone modifications may underlie global epigenetic changes occurring in cancer.

  8. Histone H4 Lysine 20 methylation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Stine; Schotta, Gunnar; Sørensen, Claus Storgaard

    2013-01-01

    of histones have emerged as key regulators of genomic integrity. Intense research during the past few years has revealed histone H4 lysine 20 methylation (H4K20me) as critically important for the biological processes that ensure genome integrity, such as DNA damage repair, DNA replication and chromatin...... compaction. The distinct H4K20 methylation states are mediated by SET8/PR-Set7 that catalyses monomethylation of H4K20, whereas SUV4-20H1 and SUV4-20H2 enzymes mediate further H4K20 methylation to H4K20me2 and H4K20me3. Disruption of these H4K20-specific histone methyltransferases leads to genomic...

  9. Rapid divergence of histones in Hydrozoa (Cnidaria) and evolution of a novel histone involved in DNA damage response in hydra.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reddy, Puli Chandramouli; Ubhe, Suyog; Sirwani, Neha; Lohokare, Rasika; Galande, Sanjeev

    2017-08-01

    Histones are fundamental components of chromatin in all eukaryotes. Hydra, an emerging model system belonging to the basal metazoan phylum Cnidaria, provides an ideal platform to understand the evolution of core histone components at the base of eumetazoan phyla. Hydra exhibits peculiar properties such as tremendous regenerative capacity, lack of organismal senescence and rarity of malignancy. In light of the role of histone modifications and histone variants in these processes it is important to understand the nature of histones themselves and their variants in hydra. Here, we report identification of the complete repertoire of histone-coding genes in the Hydra magnipapillata genome. Hydra histones were classified based on their copy numbers, gene structure and other characteristic features. Genomic organization of canonical histone genes revealed the presence of H2A-H2B and H3-H4 paired clusters in high frequency and also a cluster with all core histones along with H1. Phylogenetic analysis of identified members of H2A and H2B histones suggested rapid expansion of these groups in Hydrozoa resulting in the appearance of unique subtypes. Amino acid sequence level comparisons of H2A and H2B forms with bilaterian counterparts suggest the possibility of a highly mobile nature of nucleosomes in hydra. Absolute quantitation of transcripts confirmed the high copy number of histones and supported the canonical nature of H2A. Furthermore, functional characterization of H2A.X.1 and a unique variant H2A.X.2 in the gastric region suggest their role in the maintenance of genome integrity and differentiation processes. These findings provide insights into the evolution of histones and their variants in hydra. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  10. Effect of extraction of histones and their reconstitution on [3H] actinomycin D binding to isolated nuclei of the roots of Pinus silvestris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Michniewicz, H.

    1976-01-01

    The purpose of the study presented was to investigate the effect of the extraction of histones on the template activity of DNA, measured by the autoradiographically evaluated intensity of [ 3 H] actinomycin D([ 3 H]AMD) binding. The study was carried out on nuclei isolated from the root meristem of Pinus silvestris. Histones were removed selectively from them and reconstituted in the nuclei deprived of these proteins. The greatest rise in radioactivity was found after the extraction of the arginine fraction and that of lysine-rich and moderately lysine-rich fractions removed together, whereas the extraction of the lysine-rich fraction does not cause such a considerable increase in radioactivity. The reconstitution of particular histone fractions induced a fall in radioactivity to the level of controls in all the cases examined. No [ 3 H]AMD binding to the nucleolus was found. The extraction of lysine histones results in the decondensation of chromatin and their reconstitution in the formation of complexes of compact chromatin. (author)

  11. Visualization of multivalent histone modification in a single cell reveals highly concerted epigenetic changes on differentiation of embryonic stem cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hattori, Naoko; Niwa, Tohru; Kimura, Kana

    2013-01-01

    . Bivalent modification was clearly visualized by iChmo in wild-type embryonic stem cells (ESCs) known to have it, whereas rarely in Suz12 knockout ESCs and mouse embryonic fibroblasts known to have little of it. iChmo was applied to analysis of epigenetic and phenotypic changes of heterogeneous cell......Combinations of histone modifications have significant biological roles, such as maintenance of pluripotency and cancer development, but cannot be analyzed at the single cell level. Here, we visualized a combination of histone modifications by applying the in situ proximity ligation assay, which...... population, namely, ESCs at an early stage of differentiation, and this revealed that the bivalent modification disappeared in a highly concerted manner, whereas phenotypic differentiation proceeded with large variations among cells. Also, using this method, we were able to visualize a combination...

  12. Molecular modelling of calcium dependent protein kinase 4 (CDPK4) from Plasmodium falciparum

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Tsekoa, Tsepo L

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available eukaryotic protein kinases (ePKs) as defined in model organisms. A novel family of phylogenetically distinct ePK-related genes in P. falciparum has been identified. These kinases (up to 20 in number [2], designated the FIKK family due to a conserved amino...]. The protein kinase complement of Plasmodium falciparum, the main infectious agent of lethal malaria in humans, has been analysed in detail [2, 3]. These analyses revealed that the P. falciparum kinome comprises as many as 65 sequences related to typical...

  13. Quantitative proteomic analysis of post-translational modifications of human histones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beck, Hans Christian; Nielsen, Eva C; Matthiesen, Rune

    2006-01-01

    , and H4 in a site-specific and dose-dependent manner. This unbiased analysis revealed that a relative increase in acetylated peptide from the histone variants H2A, H2B, and H4 was accompanied by a relative decrease of dimethylated Lys(57) from histone H2B. The dose-response results obtained...... by quantitative proteomics of histones from HDACi-treated cells were consistent with Western blot analysis of histone acetylation, cytotoxicity, and dose-dependent expression profiles of p21 and cyclin A2. This demonstrates that mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomic analysis of post-translational...

  14. High performance of histidine-rich protein 2 based rapid diagnostic tests in French Guiana are explained by the absence of pfhrp2 gene deletion in P. falciparum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mélanie Trouvay

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Care for malaria patients in endemic areas has been improved through the increasing use of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs. Most RDTs target the histidine-rich protein-2 antigen (PfHRP2 to detect P. falciparum, as it is abundant and shows great heat stability. However, their use in South America has been widely questioned following a recent publication that pinpoints the high prevalence of Peruvian field isolates lacking the gene encoding this protein. In the remote rural health centers of French Guiana, RDTs are the main diagnosis tools. Therefore, a study of PfHRP2 RDT performances and pfhrp2 genotyping was conducted to determine whether a replacement of the current pLDH-based kit could be considered. METHODS: The performance study compared the SD Malaria Ag test P.f/Pan® kit with the current gold standard diagnosis by microscopy. The prevalence of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions were evaluated from 221 P. falciparum isolates collected between 2009 and 2011 in French Guiana. RESULTS: Between January 2010 and August 2011, 960 suspected cases of malaria were analyzed using microscopy and RDTs. The sensitivity of the SD Malaria Ag test P.f/Pan® for detection of P. falciparum was 96.8% (95% CI: 90.9-99.3, and 86.0% (95% CI: 78.9-91.5 for the detection of P. vivax. No isolates (95% CI: 0-4.5 lacking either exon of the pfhrp2 gene were identified among the 221 P. falciparum isolates analyzed, but 7.4% (95% CI: 2.8-15.4 lacked the exon 2 part of the pfhrp3 gene. CONCLUSIONS: Field isolates lacking either exon of the pfhrp2 gene are absent in this western part of South America. Despite its sensibility to detect P. vivax, the SD Malaria Ag test P.f/Pan® kit is a satisfying alternative to microscopy in remote health centers, where it is difficult to provide highly skilled microscopists and to maintain the necessary equipment.

  15. Global sequence diversity of the lactate dehydrogenase gene in Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simpalipan, Phumin; Pattaradilokrat, Sittiporn; Harnyuttanakorn, Pongchai

    2018-01-09

    Antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been recommended by the World Health Organization for use in remote areas to improve malaria case management. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of Plasmodium falciparum is one of the main parasite antigens employed by various commercial RDTs. It has been hypothesized that the poor detection of LDH-based RDTs is attributed in part to the sequence diversity of the gene. To test this, the present study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of the P. falciparum ldh gene in Thailand and to construct the map of LDH sequence diversity in P. falciparum populations worldwide. The ldh gene was sequenced for 50 P. falciparum isolates in Thailand and compared with hundreds of sequences from P. falciparum populations worldwide. Several indices of molecular variation were calculated, including the proportion of polymorphic sites, the average nucleotide diversity index (π), and the haplotype diversity index (H). Tests of positive selection and neutrality tests were performed to determine signatures of natural selection on the gene. Mean genetic distance within and between species of Plasmodium ldh was analysed to infer evolutionary relationships. Nucleotide sequences of P. falciparum ldh could be classified into 9 alleles, encoding 5 isoforms of LDH. L1a was the most common allelic type and was distributed in P. falciparum populations worldwide. Plasmodium falciparum ldh sequences were highly conserved, with haplotype and nucleotide diversity values of 0.203 and 0.0004, respectively. The extremely low genetic diversity was maintained by purifying selection, likely due to functional constraints. Phylogenetic analysis inferred the close genetic relationship of P. falciparum to malaria parasites of great apes, rather than to other human malaria parasites. This study revealed the global genetic variation of the ldh gene in P. falciparum, providing knowledge for improving detection of LDH-based RDTs and supporting the candidacy of

  16. Analysis of Histones H3 and H4 Reveals Novel and Conserved Post-Translational Modifications in Sugarcane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moraes, Izabel; Yuan, Zuo-Fei; Liu, Shichong; Souza, Glaucia Mendes; Garcia, Benjamin A; Casas-Mollano, J Armando

    2015-01-01

    Histones are the main structural components of the nucleosome, hence targets of many regulatory proteins that mediate processes involving changes in chromatin. The functional outcome of many pathways is "written" in the histones in the form of post-translational modifications that determine the final gene expression readout. As a result, modifications, alone or in combination, are important determinants of chromatin states. Histone modifications are accomplished by the addition of different chemical groups such as methyl, acetyl and phosphate. Thus, identifying and characterizing these modifications and the proteins related to them is the initial step to understanding the mechanisms of gene regulation and in the future may even provide tools for breeding programs. Several studies over the past years have contributed to increase our knowledge of epigenetic gene regulation in model organisms like Arabidopsis, yet this field remains relatively unexplored in crops. In this study we identified and initially characterized histones H3 and H4 in the monocot crop sugarcane. We discovered a number of histone genes by searching the sugarcane ESTs database. The proteins encoded correspond to canonical histones, and their variants. We also purified bulk histones and used them to map post-translational modifications in the histones H3 and H4 using mass spectrometry. Several modifications conserved in other plants, and also novel modified residues, were identified. In particular, we report O-acetylation of serine, threonine and tyrosine, a recently identified modification conserved in several eukaryotes. Additionally, the sub-nuclear localization of some well-studied modifications (i.e., H3K4me3, H3K9me2, H3K27me3, H3K9ac, H3T3ph) is described and compared to other plant species. To our knowledge, this is the first report of histones H3 and H4 as well as their post-translational modifications in sugarcane, and will provide a starting point for the study of chromatin regulation in

  17. Erasing the methyl mark: histone demethylases at the center of cellular differentiation and disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cloos, Paul A C; Christensen, Jesper; Agger, Karl

    2008-01-01

    The enzymes catalyzing lysine and arginine methylation of histones are essential for maintaining transcriptional programs and determining cell fate and identity. Until recently, histone methylation was regarded irreversible. However, within the last few years, several families of histone...... demethylases erasing methyl marks associated with gene repression or activation have been identified, underscoring the plasticity and dynamic nature of histone methylation. Recent discoveries have revealed that histone demethylases take part in large multiprotein complexes synergizing with histone deacetylases......, histone methyltransferases, and nuclear receptors to control developmental and transcriptional programs. Here we review the emerging biochemical and biological functions of the histone demethylases and discuss their potential involvement in human diseases, including cancer....

  18. Dual chromatin recognition by the histone deacetylase complex HCHC is required for proper DNA methylation in Neurospora crassa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honda, Shinji; Bicocca, Vincent T.; Gessaman, Jordan D.; Rountree, Michael R.; Yokoyama, Ayumi; Yu, Eun Y.; Selker, Jeanne M. L.; Selker, Eric U.

    2016-01-01

    DNA methylation, heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation, histone deacetylation, and highly repeated sequences are prototypical heterochromatic features, but their interrelationships are not fully understood. Prior work showed that H3K9 methylation directs DNA methylation and histone deacetylation via HP1 in Neurospora crassa and that the histone deacetylase complex HCHC is required for proper DNA methylation. The complex consists of the chromodomain proteins HP1 and chromodomain protein 2 (CDP-2), the histone deacetylase HDA-1, and the AT-hook motif protein CDP-2/HDA-1–associated protein (CHAP). We show that the complex is required for proper chromosome segregation, dissect its function, and characterize interactions among its components. Our analyses revealed the existence of an HP1-based DNA methylation pathway independent of its chromodomain. The pathway partially depends on CHAP but not on the CDP-2 chromodomain. CDP-2 serves as a bridge between the recognition of H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) by HP1 and the histone deacetylase activity of HDA-1. CHAP is also critical for HDA-1 localization to heterochromatin. Specifically, the CHAP zinc finger interacts directly with the HDA-1 argonaute-binding protein 2 (Arb2) domain, and the CHAP AT-hook motifs recognize heterochromatic regions by binding to AT-rich DNA. Our data shed light on the interrelationships among the prototypical heterochromatic features and support a model in which dual recognition by the HP1 chromodomain and the CHAP AT-hooks are required for proper heterochromatin formation. PMID:27681634

  19. HISTONE DEACETYLASE 9 represses seedling traits in Arabidopsis thaliana dry seeds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Zanten, Martijn; Zöll, C.; Wang, Z.; Philipp, C.; Carles, A.; Li, Y.; Kornet, N.G.; Liu, Y.; Soppe, W.J.J.

    2014-01-01

    Plant life is characterized by major phase changes. We studied the role of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity in the transition from seed to seedling in Arabidopsis. Pharmacological inhibition of HDAC stimulated germination of freshly harvested seeds. Subsequent analysis revealed that histone

  20. Dysregulation of Histone Acetyltransferases and Deacetylases in Cardiovascular Diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yonggang Wang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cardiovascular disease (CVD remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide despite advances in its prevention and management. A comprehensive understanding of factors which contribute to CVD is required in order to develop more effective treatment options. Dysregulation of epigenetic posttranscriptional modifications of histones in chromatin is thought to be associated with the pathology of many disease models, including CVD. Histone acetyltransferases (HATs and deacetylases (HDACs are regulators of histone lysine acetylation. Recent studies have implicated a fundamental role of reversible protein acetylation in the regulation of CVDs such as hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, diabetic cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, and heart failure. This reversible acetylation is governed by enzymes that HATs add or HDACs remove acetyl groups respectively. New evidence has revealed that histone acetylation regulators blunt cardiovascular and related disease states in certain cellular processes including myocyte hypertrophy, apoptosis, fibrosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The accumulating evidence of the detrimental role of histone acetylation in cardiac disease combined with the cardioprotective role of histone acetylation regulators suggests that the use of histone acetylation regulators may serve as a novel approach to treating the millions of patients afflicted by cardiac diseases worldwide.

  1. Removal of histone tails from nucleosome dissects the physical mechanisms of salt-induced aggregation, linker histone H1-induced compaction, and 30-nm fiber formation of the nucleosome array

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hizume, Kohji; Nakai, Tonau; Araki, Sumiko; Prieto, Eloise; Yoshikawa, Kenichi; Takeyasu, Kunio

    2009-01-01

    In order to reveal the roles of histone tails in the formation of higher-order chromatin structures, we employed atomic force microscopy (AFM), and an in vitro reconstitution system to examine the properties of reconstituted chromatin composed of tail-less histones and a long DNA (106-kb plasmid) template. The tail-less nucleosomes did not aggregate at high salt concentrations or with an excess amount of core histones, in contrast with the behavior of nucleosomal arrays composed of nucleosomes containing normal, N-terminal tails. Analysis of our nucleosome distributions reveals that the attractive interaction between tail-less nucleosomes is weakened. Addition of linker histone H1 into the tail-less nucleosomal array failed to promote the formation of 30 nm chromatin fibers that are usually formed in the normal nucleosomal array. These results demonstrate that the attractive interaction between nucleosomes via histone tails plays a critical role in the formation of the uniform 30-nm chromatin fiber.

  2. Application of machine learning methods to histone methylation ChIP-Seq data reveals H4R3me2 globally represses gene expression

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    Background In the last decade, biochemical studies have revealed that epigenetic modifications including histone modifications, histone variants and DNA methylation form a complex network that regulate the state of chromatin and processes that depend on it including transcription and DNA replication. Currently, a large number of these epigenetic modifications are being mapped in a variety of cell lines at different stages of development using high throughput sequencing by members of the ENCODE consortium, the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program and the Human Epigenome Project. An extremely promising and underexplored area of research is the application of machine learning methods, which are designed to construct predictive network models, to these large-scale epigenomic data sets. Results Using a ChIP-Seq data set of 20 histone lysine and arginine methylations and histone variant H2A.Z in human CD4+ T-cells, we built predictive models of gene expression as a function of histone modification/variant levels using Multilinear (ML) Regression and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS). Along with extensive crosstalk among the 20 histone methylations, we found H4R3me2 was the most and second most globally repressive histone methylation among the 20 studied in the ML and MARS models, respectively. In support of our finding, a number of experimental studies show that PRMT5-catalyzed symmetric dimethylation of H4R3 is associated with repression of gene expression. This includes a recent study, which demonstrated that H4R3me2 is required for DNMT3A-mediated DNA methylation--a known global repressor of gene expression. Conclusion In stark contrast to univariate analysis of the relationship between H4R3me2 and gene expression levels, our study showed that the regulatory role of some modifications like H4R3me2 is masked by confounding variables, but can be elucidated by multivariate/systems-level approaches. PMID:20653935

  3. Cell cycle-regulated oscillator coordinates core histone gene transcription through histone acetylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurat, Christoph F; Lambert, Jean-Philippe; Petschnigg, Julia; Friesen, Helena; Pawson, Tony; Rosebrock, Adam; Gingras, Anne-Claude; Fillingham, Jeffrey; Andrews, Brenda

    2014-09-30

    DNA replication occurs during the synthetic (S) phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle and features a dramatic induction of histone gene expression for concomitant chromatin assembly. Ectopic production of core histones outside of S phase is toxic, underscoring the critical importance of regulatory pathways that ensure proper expression of histone genes. Several regulators of histone gene expression in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are known, yet the key oscillator responsible for restricting gene expression to S phase has remained elusive. Here, we show that suppressor of Ty (Spt)10, a putative histone acetyltransferase, and its binding partner Spt21 are key determinants of S-phase-specific histone gene expression. We show that Spt21 abundance is restricted to S phase in part by anaphase promoting complex Cdc20-homologue 1 (APC(Cdh1)) and that it is recruited to histone gene promoters in S phase by Spt10. There, Spt21-Spt10 enables the recruitment of a cascade of regulators, including histone chaperones and the histone-acetyltransferase general control nonderepressible (Gcn) 5, which we hypothesize lead to histone acetylation and consequent transcription activation.

  4. Cell cycle-regulated oscillator coordinates core histone gene transcription through histone acetylation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurat, Christoph F.; Lambert, Jean-Philippe; Petschnigg, Julia; Friesen, Helena; Pawson, Tony; Rosebrock, Adam; Gingras, Anne-Claude; Fillingham, Jeffrey; Andrews, Brenda

    2014-01-01

    DNA replication occurs during the synthetic (S) phase of the eukaryotic cell cycle and features a dramatic induction of histone gene expression for concomitant chromatin assembly. Ectopic production of core histones outside of S phase is toxic, underscoring the critical importance of regulatory pathways that ensure proper expression of histone genes. Several regulators of histone gene expression in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are known, yet the key oscillator responsible for restricting gene expression to S phase has remained elusive. Here, we show that suppressor of Ty (Spt)10, a putative histone acetyltransferase, and its binding partner Spt21 are key determinants of S-phase–specific histone gene expression. We show that Spt21 abundance is restricted to S phase in part by anaphase promoting complex Cdc20-homologue 1 (APCCdh1) and that it is recruited to histone gene promoters in S phase by Spt10. There, Spt21-Spt10 enables the recruitment of a cascade of regulators, including histone chaperones and the histone-acetyltransferase general control nonderepressible (Gcn) 5, which we hypothesize lead to histone acetylation and consequent transcription activation. PMID:25228766

  5. Methyl Effect in Azumamides Provides Insight Into Histone Deacetylase Inhibition by Macrocycles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maolanon, Alex; Villadsen, Jesper; Christensen, Niels Johan

    2014-01-01

    Natural, nonribosomal cyclotetrapeptides have traditionally been a rich source of inspiration for design of potent histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. We recently disclosed the total synthesis and full HDAC pro fi ling of the naturally occurring azumamides ( J. Med. Chem. 2013 , 56 , 6512...

  6. The Plasmodium falciparum transcriptome in severe malaria reveals altered expression of genes involved in important processes including surface antigen–encoding var genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonkin-Hill, Gerry Q.; Trianty, Leily; Noviyanti, Rintis; Nguyen, Hanh H. T.; Sebayang, Boni F.; Lampah, Daniel A.; Marfurt, Jutta; Cobbold, Simon A.; Rambhatla, Janavi S.; McConville, Malcolm J.; Rogerson, Stephen J.; Brown, Graham V.; Day, Karen P.; Price, Ric N.; Anstey, Nicholas M.

    2018-01-01

    Within the human host, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is exposed to multiple selection pressures. The host environment changes dramatically in severe malaria, but the extent to which the parasite responds to—or is selected by—this environment remains unclear. From previous studies, the parasites that cause severe malaria appear to increase expression of a restricted but poorly defined subset of the PfEMP1 variant, surface antigens. PfEMP1s are major targets of protective immunity. Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNAseq) to analyse gene expression in 44 parasite isolates that caused severe and uncomplicated malaria in Papuan patients. The transcriptomes of 19 parasite isolates associated with severe malaria indicated that these parasites had decreased glycolysis without activation of compensatory pathways; altered chromatin structure and probably transcriptional regulation through decreased histone methylation; reduced surface expression of PfEMP1; and down-regulated expression of multiple chaperone proteins. Our RNAseq also identified novel associations between disease severity and PfEMP1 transcripts, domains, and smaller sequence segments and also confirmed all previously reported associations between expressed PfEMP1 sequences and severe disease. These findings will inform efforts to identify vaccine targets for severe malaria and also indicate how parasites adapt to—or are selected by—the host environment in severe malaria. PMID:29529020

  7. Histone and RNA-binding protein interaction creates crosstalk network for regulation of alternative splicing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Yong-Eun; Park, Chungoo; Kim, Kyoon Eon; Kim, Kee K

    2018-04-30

    Alternative splicing is an essential process in eukaryotes, as it increases the complexity of gene expression by generating multiple proteins from a single pre-mRNA. However, information on the regulatory mechanisms for alternative splicing is lacking, because splicing occurs over a short period via the transient interactions of proteins within functional complexes of the spliceosome. Here, we investigated in detail the molecular mechanisms connecting alternative splicing with epigenetic mechanisms. We identified interactions between histone proteins and splicing factors such as Rbfox2, Rbfox3, and splicing factor proline and glutamine rich protein (SFPQ) by in vivo crosslinking and immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, we confirmed that splicing factors were bound to specific modified residues of histone proteins. Additionally, changes in histone methylation due to histone methyltransferase inhibitor treatment notably affected alternative splicing in selected genes. Therefore, we suggested that there may be crosstalk mechanisms connecting histone modifications and RNA-binding proteins that increase the local concentration of RNA-binding proteins in alternative exon loci of nucleosomes by binding specific modified histone proteins, leading to alternative splicing. This crosstalk mechanism may play a major role in epigenetic processes such as histone modification and the regulation of alternative splicing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. A histone H3K9M mutation traps histone methyltransferase Clr4 to prevent heterochromatin spreading

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shan, Chun-Min; Wang, Jiyong; Xu, Ke; Chen, Huijie; Yue, Jia-Xing; Andrews, Stuart; Moresco, James J.; Yates, John R.; Nagy, Peter L.; Tong, Liang; Jia, Songtao

    2016-09-20

    Histone lysine-to-methionine (K-to-M) mutations are associated with multiple cancers, and they function in a dominant fashion to block the methylation of corresponding lysines on wild type histones. However, their mechanisms of function are controversial. Here we show that in fission yeast, introducing the K9M mutation into one of the three histone H3 genes dominantly blocks H3K9 methylation on wild type H3 across the genome. In addition, H3K9M enhances the interaction of histone H3 tail with the H3K9 methyltransferase Clr4 in a SAM (S-adenosyl-methionine)-dependent manner, and Clr4 is trapped at nucleation sites to prevent its spreading and the formation of large heterochromatin domains. We further determined the crystal structure of an H3K9M peptide in complex with human H3K9 methyltransferase G9a and SAM, which reveales that the methionine side chain had enhanced van der Waals interactions with G9a. Therefore, our results provide a detailed mechanism by which H3K9M regulates H3K9 methylation.

  9. A unique binding mode enables MCM2 to chaperone histones H3-H4 at replication forks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Hongda; Strømme, Caroline B; Saredi, Giulia; Hödl, Martina; Strandsby, Anne; González-Aguilera, Cristina; Chen, Shoudeng; Groth, Anja; Patel, Dinshaw J

    2015-08-01

    During DNA replication, chromatin is reassembled by recycling of modified old histones and deposition of new ones. How histone dynamics integrates with DNA replication to maintain genome and epigenome information remains unclear. Here, we reveal how human MCM2, part of the replicative helicase, chaperones histones H3-H4. Our first structure shows an H3-H4 tetramer bound by two MCM2 histone-binding domains (HBDs), which hijack interaction sites used by nucleosomal DNA. Our second structure reveals MCM2 and ASF1 cochaperoning an H3-H4 dimer. Mutational analyses show that the MCM2 HBD is required for MCM2-7 histone-chaperone function and normal cell proliferation. Further, we show that MCM2 can chaperone both new and old canonical histones H3-H4 as well as H3.3 and CENPA variants. The unique histone-binding mode of MCM2 thus endows the replicative helicase with ideal properties for recycling histones genome wide during DNA replication.

  10. Replication stress interferes with histone recycling and predeposition marking of new histones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jasencakova, Zuzana; Scharf, Annette N D; Ask, Katrine

    2010-01-01

    To restore chromatin on new DNA during replication, recycling of histones evicted ahead of the fork is combined with new histone deposition. The Asf1 histone chaperone, which buffers excess histones under stress, is a key player in this process. Yet how histones handled by human Asf1 are modified...... remains unclear. Here we identify marks on histones H3-H4 bound to Asf1 and changes induced upon replication stress. In S phase, distinct cytosolic and nuclear Asf1b complexes show ubiquitous H4K5K12diAc and heterogeneous H3 marks, including K9me1, K14ac, K18ac, and K56ac. Upon acute replication arrest......, the predeposition mark H3K9me1 and modifications typical of chromatin accumulate in Asf1 complexes. In parallel, ssDNA is generated at replication sites, consistent with evicted histones being trapped with Asf1. During recovery, histones stored with Asf1 are rapidly used as replication resumes. This shows...

  11. Genetic diversity of the merozoite surface protein-3 gene in Plasmodium falciparum populations in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pattaradilokrat, Sittiporn; Sawaswong, Vorthon; Simpalipan, Phumin; Kaewthamasorn, Morakot; Siripoon, Napaporn; Harnyuttanakorn, Pongchai

    2016-10-21

    An effective malaria vaccine is an urgently needed tool to fight against human malaria, the most deadly parasitic disease of humans. One promising candidate is the merozoite surface protein-3 (MSP-3) of Plasmodium falciparum. This antigenic protein, encoded by the merozoite surface protein (msp-3) gene, is polymorphic and classified according to size into the two allelic types of K1 and 3D7. A recent study revealed that both the K1 and 3D7 alleles co-circulated within P. falciparum populations in Thailand, but the extent of the sequence diversity and variation within each allelic type remains largely unknown. The msp-3 gene was sequenced from 59 P. falciparum samples collected from five endemic areas (Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi, Ranong, Trat and Ubon Ratchathani) in Thailand and analysed for nucleotide sequence diversity, haplotype diversity and deduced amino acid sequence diversity. The gene was also subject to population genetic analysis (F st ) and neutrality tests (Tajima's D, Fu and Li D* and Fu and Li' F* tests) to determine any signature of selection. The sequence analyses revealed eight unique DNA haplotypes and seven amino acid sequence variants, with a haplotype and nucleotide diversity of 0.828 and 0.049, respectively. Neutrality tests indicated that the polymorphism detected in the alanine heptad repeat region of MSP-3 was maintained by positive diversifying selection, suggesting its role as a potential target of protective immune responses and supporting its role as a vaccine candidate. Comparison of MSP-3 variants among parasite populations in Thailand, India and Nigeria also inferred a close genetic relationship between P. falciparum populations in Asia. This study revealed the extent of the msp-3 gene diversity in P. falciparum in Thailand, providing the fundamental basis for the better design of future blood stage malaria vaccines against P. falciparum.

  12. Developmentally Regulated Post-translational Modification of Nucleoplasmin Controls Histone Sequestration and Deposition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takashi Onikubo

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Nucleoplasmin (Npm is an abundant histone chaperone in vertebrate oocytes and embryos. During embryogenesis, regulation of Npm histone binding is critical for its function in storing and releasing maternal histones to establish and maintain the zygotic epigenome. Here, we demonstrate that Xenopus laevis Npm post-translational modifications (PTMs specific to the oocyte and egg promote either histone deposition or sequestration, respectively. Mass spectrometry and Npm phosphomimetic mutations used in chromatin assembly assays identified hyperphosphorylation on the N-terminal tail as a critical regulator for sequestration. C-terminal tail phosphorylation and PRMT5-catalyzed arginine methylation enhance nucleosome assembly by promoting histone interaction with the second acidic tract of Npm. Electron microscopy reconstructions of Npm and TTLL4 activity toward the C-terminal tail demonstrate that oocyte- and egg-specific PTMs cause Npm conformational changes. Our results reveal that PTMs regulate Npm chaperoning activity by modulating Npm conformation and Npm-histone interaction, leading to histone sequestration in the egg.

  13. Quantitative analysis of histone modifications: formaldehyde is a source of pathological n(6-formyllysine that is refractory to histone deacetylases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bahar Edrissi

    Full Text Available Aberrant protein modifications play an important role in the pathophysiology of many human diseases, in terms of both dysfunction of physiological modifications and the formation of pathological modifications by reaction of proteins with endogenous electrophiles. Recent studies have identified a chemical homolog of lysine acetylation, N(6-formyllysine, as an abundant modification of histone and chromatin proteins, one possible source of which is the reaction of lysine with 3'-formylphosphate residues from DNA oxidation. Using a new liquid chromatography-coupled to tandem mass spectrometry method to quantify all N(6-methyl-, -acetyl- and -formyl-lysine modifications, we now report that endogenous formaldehyde is a major source of N(6-formyllysine and that this adduct is widespread among cellular proteins in all compartments. N(6-formyllysine was evenly distributed among different classes of histone proteins from human TK6 cells at 1-4 modifications per 10(4 lysines, which contrasted strongly with lysine acetylation and mono-, di-, and tri-methylation levels of 1.5-380, 5-870, 0-1400, and 0-390 per 10(4 lysines, respectively. While isotope labeling studies revealed that lysine demethylation is not a source of N(6-formyllysine in histones, formaldehyde exposure was observed to cause a dose-dependent increase in N(6-formyllysine, with use of [(13C,(2H2]-formaldehyde revealing unchanged levels of adducts derived from endogenous sources. Inhibitors of class I and class II histone deacetylases did not affect the levels of N(6-formyllysine in TK6 cells, and the class III histone deacetylase, SIRT1, had minimal activity (<10% with a peptide substrate containing the formyl adduct. These data suggest that N(6-formyllysine is refractory to removal by histone deacetylases, which supports the idea that this abundant protein modification could interfere with normal regulation of gene expression if it arises at conserved sites of physiological protein secondary

  14. Origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum in gorillas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Weimin; Li, Yingying; Learn, Gerald H; Rudicell, Rebecca S; Robertson, Joel D; Keele, Brandon F; Ndjango, Jean-Bosco N; Sanz, Crickette M; Morgan, David B; Locatelli, Sabrina; Gonder, Mary K; Kranzusch, Philip J; Walsh, Peter D; Delaporte, Eric; Mpoudi-Ngole, Eitel; Georgiev, Alexander V; Muller, Martin N; Shaw, George M; Peeters, Martine; Sharp, Paul M; Rayner, Julian C; Hahn, Beatrice H

    2010-09-23

    Plasmodium falciparum is the most prevalent and lethal of the malaria parasites infecting humans, yet the origin and evolutionary history of this important pathogen remain controversial. Here we develop a single-genome amplification strategy to identify and characterize Plasmodium spp. DNA sequences in faecal samples from wild-living apes. Among nearly 3,000 specimens collected from field sites throughout central Africa, we found Plasmodium infection in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), but not in eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei) or bonobos (Pan paniscus). Ape plasmodial infections were highly prevalent, widely distributed and almost always made up of mixed parasite species. Analysis of more than 1,100 mitochondrial, apicoplast and nuclear gene sequences from chimpanzees and gorillas revealed that 99% grouped within one of six host-specific lineages representing distinct Plasmodium species within the subgenus Laverania. One of these from western gorillas comprised parasites that were nearly identical to P. falciparum. In phylogenetic analyses of full-length mitochondrial sequences, human P. falciparum formed a monophyletic lineage within the gorilla parasite radiation. These findings indicate that P. falciparum is of gorilla origin and not of chimpanzee, bonobo or ancient human origin.

  15. TRF2 Protein Interacts with Core Histones to Stabilize Chromosome Ends.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Konishi, Akimitsu; Izumi, Takashi; Shimizu, Shigeomi

    2016-09-23

    Mammalian chromosome ends are protected by a specialized nucleoprotein complex called telomeres. Both shelterin, a telomere-specific multi-protein complex, and higher order telomeric chromatin structures combine to stabilize the chromosome ends. Here, we showed that TRF2, a component of shelterin, binds to core histones to protect chromosome ends from inappropriate DNA damage response and loss of telomeric DNA. The N-terminal Gly/Arg-rich domain (GAR domain) of TRF2 directly binds to the globular domain of core histones. The conserved arginine residues in the GAR domain of TRF2 are required for this interaction. A TRF2 mutant with these arginine residues substituted by alanine lost the ability to protect telomeres and induced rapid telomere shortening caused by the cleavage of a loop structure of the telomeric chromatin. These findings showed a previously unnoticed interaction between the shelterin complex and nucleosomal histones to stabilize the chromosome ends. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  16. TRF2 Protein Interacts with Core Histones to Stabilize Chromosome Ends*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izumi, Takashi; Shimizu, Shigeomi

    2016-01-01

    Mammalian chromosome ends are protected by a specialized nucleoprotein complex called telomeres. Both shelterin, a telomere-specific multi-protein complex, and higher order telomeric chromatin structures combine to stabilize the chromosome ends. Here, we showed that TRF2, a component of shelterin, binds to core histones to protect chromosome ends from inappropriate DNA damage response and loss of telomeric DNA. The N-terminal Gly/Arg-rich domain (GAR domain) of TRF2 directly binds to the globular domain of core histones. The conserved arginine residues in the GAR domain of TRF2 are required for this interaction. A TRF2 mutant with these arginine residues substituted by alanine lost the ability to protect telomeres and induced rapid telomere shortening caused by the cleavage of a loop structure of the telomeric chromatin. These findings showed a previously unnoticed interaction between the shelterin complex and nucleosomal histones to stabilize the chromosome ends. PMID:27514743

  17. A unique binding mode enables MCM2 to chaperone histones H3-H4 at replication forks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Hongda; Strømme, Caroline B; Saredi, Giulia

    2015-01-01

    During DNA replication, chromatin is reassembled by recycling of modified old histones and deposition of new ones. How histone dynamics integrates with DNA replication to maintain genome and epigenome information remains unclear. Here, we reveal how human MCM2, part of the replicative helicase......, chaperones histones H3-H4. Our first structure shows an H3-H4 tetramer bound by two MCM2 histone-binding domains (HBDs), which hijack interaction sites used by nucleosomal DNA. Our second structure reveals MCM2 and ASF1 cochaperoning an H3-H4 dimer. Mutational analyses show that the MCM2 HBD is required...... for MCM2-7 histone-chaperone function and normal cell proliferation. Further, we show that MCM2 can chaperone both new and old canonical histones H3-H4 as well as H3.3 and CENPA variants. The unique histone-binding mode of MCM2 thus endows the replicative helicase with ideal properties for recycling...

  18. Genetic characterization of an epidemic of Plasmodium falciparum malaria among Yanomami Amerindians.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laserson, K F; Petralanda, I; Almera, R; Barker, R H; Spielman, A; Maguire, J H; Wirth, D F

    1999-12-01

    Malaria parasites are genetically diverse at all levels of endemicity. In contrast, the merozoite surface protein (MSP) alleles in samples from 2 isolated populations of Yanomami Amerindians during an epidemic of Plasmodium falciparum were identical. The nonvariable restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns further suggested that the sequential outbreak comprised only a single P. falciparum genotype. By examination of serial samples from single human infections, the MSP characteristics were found to remain constant throughout the course of infection. An apparent clonal population structure of parasites seemed to cause outbreaks in small isolated villages. The use of standard molecular epidemiologic methods to measure genetic diversity in malaria revealed the occurrence of a genetically monomorphic population of P. falciparum within a human community.

  19. Rapid purification of recombinant histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klinker, Henrike; Haas, Caroline; Harrer, Nadine; Becker, Peter B; Mueller-Planitz, Felix

    2014-01-01

    The development of methods to assemble nucleosomes from recombinant histones decades ago has transformed chromatin research. Nevertheless, nucleosome reconstitution remains time consuming to this day, not least because the four individual histones must be purified first. Here, we present a streamlined purification protocol of recombinant histones from bacteria. We termed this method "rapid histone purification" (RHP) as it circumvents isolation of inclusion bodies and thereby cuts out the most time-consuming step of traditional purification protocols. Instead of inclusion body isolation, whole cell extracts are prepared under strongly denaturing conditions that directly solubilize inclusion bodies. By ion exchange chromatography, the histones are purified from the extracts. The protocol has been successfully applied to all four canonical Drosophila and human histones. RHP histones and histones that were purified from isolated inclusion bodies had similar purities. The different purification strategies also did not impact the quality of octamers reconstituted from these histones. We expect that the RHP protocol can be readily applied to the purification of canonical histones from other species as well as the numerous histone variants.

  20. Tracking Glideosome-associated protein 50 reveals the development and organization of the inner membrane complex of Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeoman, Jeffrey A; Hanssen, Eric; Maier, Alexander G; Klonis, Nectarios; Maco, Bohumil; Baum, Jake; Turnbull, Lynne; Whitchurch, Cynthia B; Dixon, Matthew W A; Tilley, Leann

    2011-04-01

    The most deadly of the human malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, has different stages specialized for invasion of hepatocytes, erythrocytes, and the mosquito gut wall. In each case, host cell invasion is powered by an actin-myosin motor complex that is linked to an inner membrane complex (IMC) via a membrane anchor called the glideosome-associated protein 50 (PfGAP50). We generated P. falciparum transfectants expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimeras of PfGAP50 (PfGAP50-GFP). Using immunoprecipitation and fluorescence photobleaching, we show that C-terminally tagged PfGAP50-GFP can form a complex with endogenous copies of the linker protein PfGAP45 and the myosin A tail domain-interacting protein (MTIP). Full-length PfGAP50-GFP is located in the endoplasmic reticulum in early-stage parasites and then redistributes to apical caps during the formation of daughter merozoites. In the final stage of schizogony, the PfGAP50-GFP profile extends further around the merozoite surface. Three-dimensional (3D) structured illumination microscopy reveals the early-stage IMC as a doubly punctured flat ellipsoid that separates to form claw-shaped apposed structures. A GFP fusion of PfGAP50 lacking the C-terminal membrane anchor is misdirected to the parasitophorous vacuole. Replacement of the acid phosphatase homology domain of PfGAP50 with GFP appears to allow correct trafficking of the chimera but confers a growth disadvantage.

  1. Characterization of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Core Histones by Top-Down Mass Spectrometry Reveals Unique Algae-Specific Variants and Post-Translational Modifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Aliyya; Eikani, Carlo K; Khan, Hana; Iavarone, Anthony T; Pesavento, James J

    2018-01-05

    The unicellular microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has played an instrumental role in the development of many new fields (bioproducts, biofuels, etc.) as well as the advancement of basic science (photosynthetic apparati, flagellar function, etc.). Chlamydomonas' versatility ultimately derives from the genes encoded in its genome and the way that the expression of these genes is regulated, which is largely influenced by a family of DNA binding proteins called histones. We characterize C. reinhardtii core histones, both variants and their post-translational modifications, by chromatographic separation, followed by top-down mass spectrometry (TDMS). Because TDMS has not been previously used to study Chlamydomonas proteins, we show rampant artifactual protein oxidation using established nuclei purification and histone extraction methods. After addressing oxidation, both histones H3 and H4 are found to each have a single polypeptide sequence that is minimally acetylated and methylated. Surprisingly, we uncover a novel monomethylation at lysine 79 on histone H4 present on all observed molecules. Histone H2B and H2A are found to have two and three variants, respectively, and both are minimally modified. This study provides an updated assessment of the core histone proteins in the green alga C. reinhardtii by top-down mass spectrometry and lays the foundation for further investigation of these essential proteins.

  2. Organ distribution of histones after intravenous infusion of FITC histones or after sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattahi, Fatemeh; Grailer, Jamison J; Jajou, Lawrence; Zetoune, Firas S; Andjelkovic, Anuska V; Ward, Peter A

    2015-03-01

    Histones appear in plasma during infectious or non-infectious sepsis and are associated with multiorgan injury. In the current studies, intravenous infusion of histones resulted in their localization in major organs. In vitro exposure of mouse macrophages to histones caused a buildup of histones on cell membranes followed by localization into cytosol and into the nucleus. After polymicrobial sepsis (cecal ligation and puncture), histones appeared in plasma as well as in a multiorgan pattern, peaking at 8 h followed by decline. In lungs, histones and neutrophils appeared together, with evidence for formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which represent an innate immune response to trap and kill bacteria and other infectious agents. In liver, there was intense NET formation, featuring linear patterns containing histones and strands of DNA. When neutrophils were activated in vitro with C5a or phorbol myristate acetate, NET formation ensued. While formation of NETs represents entrapment and killing of infectious agents, the simultaneous release from neutrophils of histones often results in tissue/organ damage.

  3. Organ Distribution of Histones after Intravenous Infusion of FITC-Histones or after Sepsis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fattahi, Fatemeh; Grailer, Jamison J.; Jajou, Lawrence; Zetoune, Firas S.; Andjelkovic, Anuska V.; Ward, Peter A.

    2015-01-01

    Histones appear in plasma during infectious or non-infectious sepsis and are associated with multiorgan injury. In the current studies, intravenous infusion of histones resulted in their localization in major organs. In vitro exposure of mouse macrophages to histones caused a buildup of histones on cell membranes followed by localization into cytosol and into the nucleus. After polymicrobial sepsis (cecal ligation and puncture, CLP), histones appeared in plasma as well as in a multiorgan pattern, peaking at 8 hr followed by decline. In lungs, histones and neutrophils appeared together, with evidence for formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which represent an innate immune response to trap and kill bacteria and other infectious agents. In liver, there was intense NET formation, featuring linear patterns containing histones and strands of DNA. When neutrophils were activated in vitro with C5a or phorbol myristate acetate, NET formation ensued. While formation of NETs represents entrapment and killing of infectious agents, the simultaneous release from neutrophils of histones often results in tissue/organ damage. PMID:25680340

  4. The transcriptome of the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle of Plasmodium falciparum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zbynek Bozdech

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of the most burdensome form of human malaria, affecting 200-300 million individuals per year worldwide. The recently sequenced genome of P. falciparum revealed over 5,400 genes, of which 60% encode proteins of unknown function. Insights into the biochemical function and regulation of these genes will provide the foundation for future drug and vaccine development efforts toward eradication of this disease. By analyzing the complete asexual intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC transcriptome of the HB3 strain of P. falciparum, we demonstrate that at least 60% of the genome is transcriptionally active during this stage. Our data demonstrate that this parasite has evolved an extremely specialized mode of transcriptional regulation that produces a continuous cascade of gene expression, beginning with genes corresponding to general cellular processes, such as protein synthesis, and ending with Plasmodium-specific functionalities, such as genes involved in erythrocyte invasion. The data reveal that genes contiguous along the chromosomes are rarely coregulated, while transcription from the plastid genome is highly coregulated and likely polycistronic. Comparative genomic hybridization between HB3 and the reference genome strain (3D7 was used to distinguish between genes not expressed during the IDC and genes not detected because of possible sequence variations. Genomic differences between these strains were found almost exclusively in the highly antigenic subtelomeric regions of chromosomes. The simple cascade of gene regulation that directs the asexual development of P. falciparum is unprecedented in eukaryotic biology. The transcriptome of the IDC resembles a "just-in-time" manufacturing process whereby induction of any given gene occurs once per cycle and only at a time when it is required. These data provide to our knowledge the first comprehensive view of the timing of transcription throughout the

  5. Integrative modelling reveals mechanisms linking productivity and plant species richness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grace, James B; Anderson, T Michael; Seabloom, Eric W; Borer, Elizabeth T; Adler, Peter B; Harpole, W Stanley; Hautier, Yann; Hillebrand, Helmut; Lind, Eric M; Pärtel, Meelis; Bakker, Jonathan D; Buckley, Yvonne M; Crawley, Michael J; Damschen, Ellen I; Davies, Kendi F; Fay, Philip A; Firn, Jennifer; Gruner, Daniel S; Hector, Andy; Knops, Johannes M H; MacDougall, Andrew S; Melbourne, Brett A; Morgan, John W; Orrock, John L; Prober, Suzanne M; Smith, Melinda D

    2016-01-21

    How ecosystem productivity and species richness are interrelated is one of the most debated subjects in the history of ecology. Decades of intensive study have yet to discern the actual mechanisms behind observed global patterns. Here, by integrating the predictions from multiple theories into a single model and using data from 1,126 grassland plots spanning five continents, we detect the clear signals of numerous underlying mechanisms linking productivity and richness. We find that an integrative model has substantially higher explanatory power than traditional bivariate analyses. In addition, the specific results unveil several surprising findings that conflict with classical models. These include the isolation of a strong and consistent enhancement of productivity by richness, an effect in striking contrast with superficial data patterns. Also revealed is a consistent importance of competition across the full range of productivity values, in direct conflict with some (but not all) proposed models. The promotion of local richness by macroecological gradients in climatic favourability, generally seen as a competing hypothesis, is also found to be important in our analysis. The results demonstrate that an integrative modelling approach leads to a major advance in our ability to discern the underlying processes operating in ecological systems.

  6. ATRX ADD domain links an atypical histone methylation recognition mechanism to human mental-retardation syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iwase, Shigeki; Xiang, Bin; Ghosh, Sharmistha; Ren, Ting; Lewis, Peter W.; Cochrane, Jesse C.; Allis, C. David; Picketts, David J.; Patel, Dinshaw J.; Li, Haitao; Shi, Yang (Harvard-Med); (Ottawa Hosp.); (MSKCC); (Rockefeller); (CH-Boston); (Tsinghua); (Mass. Gen. Hosp.)

    2011-07-19

    ATR-X (alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation, X-linked) syndrome is a human congenital disorder that causes severe intellectual disabilities. Mutations in the ATRX gene, which encodes an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeler, are responsible for the syndrome. Approximately 50% of the missense mutations in affected persons are clustered in a cysteine-rich domain termed ADD (ATRX-DNMT3-DNMT3L, ADD{sub ATRX}), whose function has remained elusive. Here we identify ADD{sub ATRX} as a previously unknown histone H3-binding module, whose binding is promoted by lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) but inhibited by lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). The cocrystal structure of ADD{sub ATRX} bound to H3{sub 1-15}K9me3 peptide reveals an atypical composite H3K9me3-binding pocket, which is distinct from the conventional trimethyllysine-binding aromatic cage. Notably, H3K9me3-pocket mutants and ATR-X syndrome mutants are defective in both H3K9me3 binding and localization at pericentromeric heterochromatin; thus, we have discovered a unique histone-recognition mechanism underlying the ATR-X etiology.

  7. ATRX ADD Domain Links an Atypical Histone Methylation Recognition Mechanism to Human Mental-Retardation Syndrome

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    S Iwase; B Xiang; S Ghosh; T Ren; P Lewis; J Cochrane; C Allis; D Picketts; D Patel; et al.

    2011-12-31

    ATR-X (alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation, X-linked) syndrome is a human congenital disorder that causes severe intellectual disabilities. Mutations in the ATRX gene, which encodes an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeler, are responsible for the syndrome. Approximately 50% of the missense mutations in affected persons are clustered in a cysteine-rich domain termed ADD (ATRX-DNMT3-DNMT3L, ADD{sub ATRX}), whose function has remained elusive. Here we identify ADD{sub ATRX} as a previously unknown histone H3-binding module, whose binding is promoted by lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) but inhibited by lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). The cocrystal structure of ADD{sub ATRX} bound to H3{sub 1-15}K9me3 peptide reveals an atypical composite H3K9me3-binding pocket, which is distinct from the conventional trimethyllysine-binding aromatic cage. Notably, H3K9me3-pocket mutants and ATR-X syndrome mutants are defective in both H3K9me3 binding and localization at pericentromeric heterochromatin; thus, we have discovered a unique histone-recognition mechanism underlying the ATR-X etiology.

  8. Genome-Wide Identification of Histone Modifiers and Their Expression Patterns during Fruit Abscission in Litchi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianguo Li

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Modifications to histones, including acetylation and methylation processes, play crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression in plant development as well as in stress responses. However, limited information on the enzymes catalyzing histone acetylation and methylation in non-model plants is currently available. In this study, several histone modifier (HM types, including six histone acetyltransferases (HATs, 11 histone deacetylases (HDACs, 48 histone methyltransferases (HMTs, and 22 histone demethylases (HDMs, are identified in litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn. cv. Feizixiao based on similarities in their sequences to homologs in Arabidopsis (A. thaliana, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, and rice (Oryza sativa. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that HM enzymes can be grouped into four HAT, two HDAC, two HMT, and two HDM subfamilies, respectively, while further expression profile analyses demonstrate that 17 HMs were significantly altered during fruit abscission in two field treatments. Analyses reveal that these genes exhibit four distinct patterns of expression in response to fruit abscission, while an in vitro assay was used to confirm the HDAC activity of LcHDA2, LcHDA6, and LcSRT2. Our findings are the first in-depth analysis of HMs in the litchi genome, and imply that some are likely to play important roles in fruit abscission in this commercially important plant.

  9. MS_HistoneDB, a manually curated resource for proteomic analysis of human and mouse histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    El Kennani, Sara; Adrait, Annie; Shaytan, Alexey K; Khochbin, Saadi; Bruley, Christophe; Panchenko, Anna R; Landsman, David; Pflieger, Delphine; Govin, Jérôme

    2017-01-01

    Histones and histone variants are essential components of the nuclear chromatin. While mass spectrometry has opened a large window to their characterization and functional studies, their identification from proteomic data remains challenging. Indeed, the current interpretation of mass spectrometry data relies on public databases which are either not exhaustive (Swiss-Prot) or contain many redundant entries (UniProtKB or NCBI). Currently, no protein database is ideally suited for the analysis of histones and the complex array of mammalian histone variants. We propose two proteomics-oriented manually curated databases for mouse and human histone variants. We manually curated >1700 gene, transcript and protein entries to produce a non-redundant list of 83 mouse and 85 human histones. These entries were annotated in accordance with the current nomenclature and unified with the "HistoneDB2.0 with Variants" database. This resource is provided in a format that can be directly read by programs used for mass spectrometry data interpretation. In addition, it was used to interpret mass spectrometry data acquired on histones extracted from mouse testis. Several histone variants, which had so far only been inferred by homology or detected at the RNA level, were detected by mass spectrometry, confirming the existence of their protein form. Mouse and human histone entries were collected from different databases and subsequently curated to produce a non-redundant protein-centric resource, MS_HistoneDB. It is dedicated to the proteomic study of histones in mouse and human and will hopefully facilitate the identification and functional study of histone variants.

  10. Large scale analysis of co-existing post-translational modifications in histone tails reveals global fine structure of cross-talk

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schwämmle, Veit; Aspalter, Claudia-Maria; Sidoli, Simone

    2014-01-01

    Mass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical method for the identification and quantification of co-existing post-translational modifications in histone proteins. One of the most important challenges in current chromatin biology is to characterize the relationships between co-existing histone...... sample-specific patterns for the co-frequency of histone post-translational modifications. We implemented a new method to identify positive and negative interplay between pairs of methylation and acetylation marks in proteins. Many of the detected features were conserved between different cell types...... sites but negative cross-talk for distant ones, and for discrete methylation states at Lys-9, Lys-27, and Lys-36 of histone H3, suggesting a more differentiated functional role of methylation beyond the general expectation of enhanced activity at higher methylation states....

  11. Extracellular histones promote thrombin generation through platelet-dependent mechanisms: involvement of platelet TLR2 and TLR4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semeraro, Fabrizio; Ammollo, Concetta T.; Morrissey, James H.; Dale, George L.; Friese, Paul; Esmon, Naomi L.

    2011-01-01

    The release of histones from dying cells is associated with microvascular thrombosis and, because histones activate platelets, this could represent a possible pathogenic mechanism. In the present study, we assessed the influence of histones on the procoagulant potential of human platelets in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and in purified systems. Histones dose-dependently enhanced thrombin generation in PRP in the absence of any trigger, as evaluated by calibrated automated thrombinography regardless of whether the contact phase was inhibited. Activation of coagulation required the presence of fully activatable platelets and was not ascribable to platelet tissue factor, whereas targeting polyphosphate with phosphatase reduced thrombin generation even when factor XII (FXII) was blocked or absent. In the presence of histones, purified polyphosphate was able to induce thrombin generation in plasma independently of FXII. In purified systems, histones induced platelet aggregation; P-selectin, phosphatidylserine, and FV/Va expression; and prothrombinase activity. Blocking platelet TLR2 and TLR4 with mAbs reduced the percentage of activated platelets and lowered the amount of thrombin generated in PRP. These data show that histone-activated platelets possess a procoagulant phenotype that drives plasma thrombin generation and suggest that TLR2 and TLR4 mediate the activation process. PMID:21673343

  12. Quantitative assessment of chemical artefacts produced by propionylation of histones prior to mass spectrometry analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soldi, Monica; Cuomo, Alessandro; Bonaldi, Tiziana

    2016-07-01

    Histone PTMs play a crucial role in regulating chromatin structure and function, with impact on gene expression. MS is nowadays widely applied to study histone PTMs systematically. Because histones are rich in arginine and lysine, classical shot-gun approaches based on trypsin digestion are typically not employed for histone modifications mapping. Instead, different protocols of chemical derivatization of lysines in combination with trypsin have been implemented to obtain "Arg-C like" digestion products that are more suitable for LC-MS/MS analysis. Although widespread, these strategies have been recently described to cause various side reactions that result in chemical modifications prone to be misinterpreted as native histone marks. These artefacts can also interfere with the quantification process, causing errors in histone PTMs profiling. The work of Paternoster V. et al. is a quantitative assessment of methyl-esterification and other side reactions occurring on histones after chemical derivatization of lysines with propionic anhydride [Proteomics 2016, 16, 2059-2063]. The authors estimate the effect of different solvents, incubation times, and pH on the extent of these side reactions. The results collected indicate that the replacement of methanol with isopropanol or ACN not only blocks methyl-esterification, but also significantly reduces other undesired unspecific reactions. Carefully titrating the pH after propionic anhydride addition is another way to keep methyl-esterification under control. Overall, the authors describe a set of experimental conditions that allow reducing the generation of various artefacts during histone propionylation. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Structure of the human histone chaperone FACT Spt16 N-terminal domain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marcianò, G.; Huang, D. T., E-mail: d.huang@beatson.gla.ac.uk [Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, Scotland (United Kingdom)

    2016-01-22

    The Spt16–SSRP1 heterodimer is a histone chaperone that plays an important role in regulating chromatin assembly. Here, a crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of human Spt16 is presented and it is shown that this domain may contribute to histone binding. The histone chaperone FACT plays an important role in facilitating nucleosome assembly and disassembly during transcription. FACT is a heterodimeric complex consisting of Spt16 and SSRP1. The N-terminal domain of Spt16 resembles an inactive aminopeptidase. How this domain contributes to the histone chaperone activity of FACT remains elusive. Here, the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain (NTD) of human Spt16 is reported at a resolution of 1.84 Å. The structure adopts an aminopeptidase-like fold similar to those of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe Spt16 NTDs. Isothermal titration calorimetry analyses show that human Spt16 NTD binds histones H3/H4 with low-micromolar affinity, suggesting that Spt16 NTD may contribute to histone binding in the FACT complex. Surface-residue conservation and electrostatic analysis reveal a conserved acidic patch that may be involved in histone binding.

  14. Structure of the human histone chaperone FACT Spt16 N-terminal domain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marcianò, G.; Huang, D. T.

    2016-01-01

    The Spt16–SSRP1 heterodimer is a histone chaperone that plays an important role in regulating chromatin assembly. Here, a crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of human Spt16 is presented and it is shown that this domain may contribute to histone binding. The histone chaperone FACT plays an important role in facilitating nucleosome assembly and disassembly during transcription. FACT is a heterodimeric complex consisting of Spt16 and SSRP1. The N-terminal domain of Spt16 resembles an inactive aminopeptidase. How this domain contributes to the histone chaperone activity of FACT remains elusive. Here, the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain (NTD) of human Spt16 is reported at a resolution of 1.84 Å. The structure adopts an aminopeptidase-like fold similar to those of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe Spt16 NTDs. Isothermal titration calorimetry analyses show that human Spt16 NTD binds histones H3/H4 with low-micromolar affinity, suggesting that Spt16 NTD may contribute to histone binding in the FACT complex. Surface-residue conservation and electrostatic analysis reveal a conserved acidic patch that may be involved in histone binding

  15. Putative DNA G-quadruplex formation within the promoters of Plasmodium falciparum var genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rowe J

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Guanine-rich nucleic acid sequences are capable of folding into an intramolecular four-stranded structure called a G-quadruplex. When found in gene promoter regions, G-quadruplexes can downregulate gene expression, possibly by blocking the transcriptional machinery. Here we have used a genome-wide bioinformatic approach to identify Putative G-Quadruplex Sequences (PQS in the Plasmodium falciparum genome, along with biophysical techniques to examine the physiological stability of P. falciparum PQS in vitro. Results We identified 63 PQS in the non-telomeric regions of the P. falciparum clone 3D7. Interestingly, 16 of these PQS occurred in the upstream region of a subset of the P. falciparum var genes (group B var genes. The var gene family encodes PfEMP1, the parasite's major variant antigen and adhesin expressed at the surface of infected erythrocytes, that plays a key role in malaria pathogenesis and immune evasion. The ability of the PQS found in the upstream regions of group B var genes (UpsB-Q to form stable G-quadruplex structures in vitro was confirmed using 1H NMR, circular dichroism, UV spectroscopy, and thermal denaturation experiments. Moreover, the synthetic compound BOQ1 that shows a higher affinity for DNA forming quadruplex rather than duplex structures was found to bind with high affinity to the UpsB-Q. Conclusion This is the first demonstration of non-telomeric PQS in the genome of P. falciparum that form stable G-quadruplexes under physiological conditions in vitro. These results allow the generation of a novel hypothesis that the G-quadruplex sequences in the upstream regions of var genes have the potential to play a role in the transcriptional control of this major virulence-associated multi-gene family.

  16. Use of chloroquine in uncomplicated falciparum malaria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Use of chloroquine in uncomplicated falciparum malaria chemotherapy: The past, the present and the future. ... regions. It was initially highly effective against the four Plasmodium species (P. falciparum, P. malaria, P. ovale and P. vivax) infecting human. It is also effective against gametocytes except those of P. falciparum.

  17. Histone turnover within nonproliferating cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Commerford, S.L.; Carsten, A.L.; Cronkite, E.P.

    1982-01-01

    The turnover of DNA and histones in the livers and brains of mice has been determined. These mice had been exposed to constant levels of tritiated water from conception until they were 8 months old. At this point, exposure to tritium was discontinued, and the tritium remaining in DNA and histones was measured at various intervals afterward. The half-lives calculated for these components (with 95% confidence limits given in parentheses) were 117 (85 to 188) days for liver histone, 318 (241 to 466) days for liver DNA, 159 (129 to 208) days for brain histone and 593 (376 to 1406) days for brain DNA. The difference between histone and DNA turnover is statistically significant for both tissues and indicates that histone turnover within tissues cannot be solely accounted for by cell turnover within the tissue but also must include histone turnover within living cells. The half-life of histone within cells is estimated to be 117 (88 to 178) days in liver and 223 (187 to 277) days in brain

  18. Operational trial of ParaSight-F (dipstick) in the diagnosis of falciparum malaria at the primary health care level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banchongaksorn, T; Prajakwong, S; Rooney, W; Vickers, P

    1997-06-01

    The rapid manual ParaSight-F test of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, an antigen capture test for detecting trophozoite-derived histidine rich protein-2 (PF HRP-2), is simple to perform and provides a definite diagnosis within 10 minutes. During an operational trial at health centers and mobile malaria units where microscopical diagnosis is not available and using defined symptom screening criteria, 3,361 subjects were tested yielding 618 positives (18.4%) for PF-HRP-2 by ParaSight-F. Microscopic examination of the same subjects by thick blood film examined 7 days later at a malaria clinic showed 578 falciparum, and 349 vivax and mixed infection (F+V) 41. The technology proved highly effective in detecting falciparum malaria at the peripheral levels where access to malaria laboratory services are difficult, thus allowing immediate administration of a complete course of treatment in the absence of a microscopic examination.

  19. A cytochemical study of histones in the muscular cells of Triturus cristatus limbs in normal regeneration of limbs irradiated by X-rays, of irradiated limbs in which the regenerative power is restored by cartilage implants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desselle, J.-C.

    1976-01-01

    The muscular cells of regenerating limbs and of limbs in which regenerative power is restored, show an important decrease in the amount of cytophotometrically detected histones. This decrease is owing to the arginine rich fraction and to the lysine rich fraction. The muscular cells of irradiated limbs show a decrease in the amount of histones. This decrease is owing only to the arginine rich fraction and continues after the thirtieth day of irradiation and amputation [fr

  20. Biochemical profiling of histone binding selectivity of the yeast bromodomain family.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiang Zhang

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available It has been shown that molecular interactions between site-specific chemical modifications such as acetylation and methylation on DNA-packing histones and conserved structural modules present in transcriptional proteins are closely associated with chromatin structural changes and gene activation. Unlike methyl-lysine that can interact with different protein modules including chromodomains, Tudor and MBT domains, as well as PHD fingers, acetyl-lysine (Kac is known thus far to be recognized only by bromodomains. While histone lysine acetylation plays a crucial role in regulation of chromatin-mediated gene transcription, a high degree of sequence variation of the acetyl-lysine binding site in the bromodomains has limited our understanding of histone binding selectivity of the bromodomain family. Here, we report a systematic family-wide analysis of 14 yeast bromodomains binding to 32 lysine-acetylated peptides derived from known major acetylation sites in four core histones that are conserved in eukaryotes.The histone binding selectivity of purified recombinant yeast bromodomains was assessed by using the native core histones in an overlay assay, as well as N-terminally biotinylated lysine-acetylated histone peptides spotted on streptavidin-coated nitrocellulose membrane in a dot blot assay. NMR binding analysis further validated the interactions between histones and selected bromodomain. Structural models of all yeast bromodomains were built using comparative modeling to provide insights into the molecular basis of their histone binding selectivity.Our study reveals that while not all members of the bromodomain family are privileged to interact with acetylated-lysine, identifiable sequence features from those that bind histone emerge. These include an asparagine residue at the C-terminus of the third helix in the 4-helix bundle, negatively charged residues around the ZA loop, and preponderance of aromatic amino acid residues in the binding pocket

  1. Genetic diversity and population structure of Plasmodium falciparum in Thailand, a low transmission country.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pumpaibool, Tepanata; Arnathau, Céline; Durand, Patrick; Kanchanakhan, Naowarat; Siripoon, Napaporn; Suegorn, Aree; Sitthi-Amorn, Chitr; Renaud, François; Harnyuttanakorn, Pongchai

    2009-07-14

    structure of P. falciparum populations in Thailand with those in the French Guyana, Congo and Cameroon revealed a significant genetic differentiation between all of them, except the two African countries, whilst the genetic variability of P. falciparum amongst countries showed overlapping distributions. Plasmodium falciparum shows genetically structured populations across local areas of Thailand. Although Thailand is considered to be a low transmission area, a relatively high level of genetic diversity and no linkage disequilibrium was found in five of the studied areas, the exception being the Yala province (Southern peninsular Thailand), where a clonal population structure was revealed and in Kanchanaburi province (Western Thailand). This finding is particularly relevant in the context of malaria control, because it could help in understanding the special dynamics of parasite populations in areas with different histories of, and exposure to, drug regimens.

  2. Histone H2A mobility is regulated by its tails and acetylation of core histone tails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Higashi, Tsunehito; Matsunaga, Sachihiro; Isobe, Keisuke; Morimoto, Akihiro; Shimada, Tomoko; Kataoka, Shogo; Watanabe, Wataru; Uchiyama, Susumu; Itoh, Kazuyoshi; Fukui, Kiichi

    2007-01-01

    Histone tail domains play important roles in cellular processes, such as replication, transcription, and chromosome condensation. Histone H2A has one central and two tail domains, and their functions have mainly been studied from a biochemical perspective. In addition, analyses based on visualization have been employed for functional analysis of some chromatin proteins. In this study, we analyzed histone H2A mobility in vivo by two-photon FRAP, and elucidated that the histone H2A N- and C-terminal tails regulate its mobility. We found that histone H2A mobility was increased following treatment of host cells with a histone deacetylase inhibitor. Our results support a model in which core histone tails directly regulate transcription by interacting with nucleosome DNA via electrostatic interactions

  3. Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Alleviates the Neurodegenerative Phenotypes and Histone Dysregulation in Presenilins-Deficient Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ting Cao

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Histone acetylation has been shown to play a crucial role in memory formation, and histone deacetylase (HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate (NaB has been demonstrated to improve memory performance and rescue the neurodegeneration of several Alzheimer’s Disease (AD mouse models. The forebrain presenilin-1 and presenilin-2 conditional double knockout (cDKO mice showed memory impairment, forebrain degeneration, tau hyperphosphorylation and inflammation that closely mimics AD-like phenotypes. In this article, we have investigated the effects of systemic administration of NaB on neurodegenerative phenotypes in cDKO mice. We found that chronic NaB treatment significantly restored contextual memory but did not alter cued memory in cDKO mice while such an effect was not permanent after treatment withdrawal. We further revealed that NaB treatment did not rescue reduced synaptic numbers and cortical shrinkage in cDKO mice, but significantly increased the neurogenesis in subgranular zone of dentate gyrus (DG. We also observed that tau hyperphosphorylation and inflammation related protein glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP level were decreased in cDKO mice by NaB. Furthermore, GO and pathway analysis for the RNA-Seq data demonstrated that NaB treatment induced enrichment of transcripts associated with inflammation/immune processes and cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions. RT-PCR confirmed that NaB treatment inhibited the expression of inflammation related genes such as S100a9 and Ccl4 found upregulated in the brain of cDKO mice. Surprisingly, the level of brain histone acetylation in cDKO mice was dramatically increased and was decreased by the administration of NaB, which may reflect dysregulation of histone acetylation underlying memory impairment in cDKO mice. These results shed some lights on the possible molecular mechanisms of HDAC inhibitor in alleviating the neurodegenerative phenotypes of cDKO mice and provide a promising target for treating AD.

  4. Genome-wide analysis of histone modifiers in tomato: gaining an insight into their developmental roles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiese Cigliano, Riccardo; Sanseverino, Walter; Cremona, Gaetana; Ercolano, Maria R; Conicella, Clara; Consiglio, Federica M

    2013-01-28

    Histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs) including acetylation and methylation have been recognized as playing a crucial role in epigenetic regulation of plant growth and development. Although Solanum lycopersicum is a dicot model plant as well as an important crop, systematic analysis and expression profiling of histone modifier genes (HMs) in tomato are sketchy. Based on recently released tomato whole-genome sequences, we identified in silico 32 histone acetyltransferases (HATs), 15 histone deacetylases (HDACs), 52 histone methytransferases (HMTs) and 26 histone demethylases (HDMs), and compared them with those detected in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa) orthologs. Comprehensive analysis of the protein domain architecture and phylogeny revealed the presence of non-canonical motifs and new domain combinations, thereby suggesting for HATs the existence of a new family in plants. Due to species-specific diversification during evolutionary history tomato has fewer HMs than Arabidopsis. The transcription profiles of HMs within tomato organs revealed a broad functional role for some HMs and a more specific activity for others, suggesting key HM regulators in tomato development. Finally, we explored S. pennellii introgression lines (ILs) and integrated the map position of HMs, their expression profiles and the phenotype of ILs. We thereby proved that the strategy was useful to identify HM candidates involved in carotenoid biosynthesis in tomato fruits. In this study, we reveal the structure, phylogeny and spatial expression of members belonging to the classical families of HMs in tomato. We provide a framework for gene discovery and functional investigation of HMs in other Solanaceae species.

  5. Genome-wide analysis of histone modifiers in tomato: gaining an insight into their developmental roles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiese Cigliano Riccardo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs including acetylation and methylation have been recognized as playing a crucial role in epigenetic regulation of plant growth and development. Although Solanum lycopersicum is a dicot model plant as well as an important crop, systematic analysis and expression profiling of histone modifier genes (HMs in tomato are sketchy. Results Based on recently released tomato whole-genome sequences, we identified in silico 32 histone acetyltransferases (HATs, 15 histone deacetylases (HDACs, 52 histone methytransferases (HMTs and 26 histone demethylases (HDMs, and compared them with those detected in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana, maize (Zea mays and rice (Oryza sativa orthologs. Comprehensive analysis of the protein domain architecture and phylogeny revealed the presence of non-canonical motifs and new domain combinations, thereby suggesting for HATs the existence of a new family in plants. Due to species-specific diversification during evolutionary history tomato has fewer HMs than Arabidopsis. The transcription profiles of HMs within tomato organs revealed a broad functional role for some HMs and a more specific activity for others, suggesting key HM regulators in tomato development. Finally, we explored S. pennellii introgression lines (ILs and integrated the map position of HMs, their expression profiles and the phenotype of ILs. We thereby proved that the strategy was useful to identify HM candidates involved in carotenoid biosynthesis in tomato fruits. Conclusions In this study, we reveal the structure, phylogeny and spatial expression of members belonging to the classical families of HMs in tomato. We provide a framework for gene discovery and functional investigation of HMs in other Solanaceae species.

  6. 5C analysis of the Epidermal Differentiation Complex locus reveals distinct chromatin interaction networks between gene-rich and gene-poor TADs in skin epithelial cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krzysztof Poterlowicz

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Mammalian genomes contain several dozens of large (>0.5 Mbp lineage-specific gene loci harbouring functionally related genes. However, spatial chromatin folding, organization of the enhancer-promoter networks and their relevance to Topologically Associating Domains (TADs in these loci remain poorly understood. TADs are principle units of the genome folding and represents the DNA regions within which DNA interacts more frequently and less frequently across the TAD boundary. Here, we used Chromatin Conformation Capture Carbon Copy (5C technology to characterize spatial chromatin interaction network in the 3.1 Mb Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC locus harbouring 61 functionally related genes that show lineage-specific activation during terminal keratinocyte differentiation in the epidermis. 5C data validated by 3D-FISH demonstrate that the EDC locus is organized into several TADs showing distinct lineage-specific chromatin interaction networks based on their transcription activity and the gene-rich or gene-poor status. Correlation of the 5C results with genome-wide studies for enhancer-specific histone modifications (H3K4me1 and H3K27ac revealed that the majority of spatial chromatin interactions that involves the gene-rich TADs at the EDC locus in keratinocytes include both intra- and inter-TAD interaction networks, connecting gene promoters and enhancers. Compared to thymocytes in which the EDC locus is mostly transcriptionally inactive, these interactions were found to be keratinocyte-specific. In keratinocytes, the promoter-enhancer anchoring regions in the gene-rich transcriptionally active TADs are enriched for the binding of chromatin architectural proteins CTCF, Rad21 and chromatin remodeler Brg1. In contrast to gene-rich TADs, gene-poor TADs show preferential spatial contacts with each other, do not contain active enhancers and show decreased binding of CTCF, Rad21 and Brg1 in keratinocytes. Thus, spatial interactions between gene

  7. Profiling the anti-protozoal activity of anti-cancer HDAC inhibitors against Plasmodium and Trypanosoma parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engel, Jessica A; Jones, Amy J; Avery, Vicky M; Sumanadasa, Subathdrage D M; Ng, Susanna S; Fairlie, David P; Skinner-Adams, Tina; Andrews, Katherine T

    2015-12-01

    Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes work together with histone acetyltransferases (HATs) to reversibly acetylate both histone and non-histone proteins. As a result, these enzymes are involved in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression as well as other important cellular processes. HDACs are validated drug targets for some types of cancer, with four HDAC inhibitors clinically approved. However, they are also showing promise as novel drug targets for other indications, including malaria and other parasitic diseases. In this study the in vitro activity of four anti-cancer HDAC inhibitors was examined against parasites that cause malaria and trypanosomiasis. Three of these inhibitors, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; vorinostat(®)), romidepsin (Istodax(®)) and belinostat (Beleodaq(®)), are clinically approved for the treatment of T-cell lymphoma, while the fourth, panobinostat, has recently been approved for combination therapy use in certain patients with multiple myeloma. All HDAC inhibitors were found to inhibit the growth of asexual-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites in the nanomolar range (IC50 10-200 nM), while only romidepsin was active at sub-μM concentrations against bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei brucei parasites (IC50 35 nM). The compounds were found to have some selectivity for malaria parasites compared with mammalian cells, but were not selective for trypanosome parasites versus mammalian cells. All compounds caused hyperacetylation of histone and non-histone proteins in P. falciparum asexual stage parasites and inhibited deacetylase activity in P. falciparum nuclear extracts in addition to recombinant PfHDAC1 activity. P. falciparum histone hyperacetylation data indicate that HDAC inhibitors may differentially affect the acetylation profiles of histone H3 and H4.

  8. Higher Complexity of Infection and Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium vivax Than Plasmodium falciparum across all Malaria Transmission Zones of Papua New Guinea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fola, Abebe A.; Harrison, G. L. Abby; Hazairin, Mita Hapsari; Barnadas, Céline; Hetzel, Manuel W.; Iga, Jonah; Siba, Peter M.; Mueller, Ivo; Barry, Alyssa E.

    2017-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax have varying transmission dynamics that are informed by molecular epidemiology. This study aimed to determine the complexity of infection and genetic diversity of P. vivax and P. falciparum throughout Papua New Guinea (PNG) to evaluate transmission dynamics across the country. In 2008–2009, a nationwide malaria indicator survey collected 8,936 samples from all 16 endemic provinces of PNG. Of these, 892 positive P. vivax samples were genotyped at PvMS16 and PvmspF3, and 758 positive P. falciparum samples were genotyped at Pfmsp2. The data were analyzed for multiplicity of infection (MOI) and genetic diversity. Overall, P. vivax had higher polyclonality (71%) and mean MOI (2.32) than P. falciparum (20%, 1.39). These measures were significantly associated with prevalence for P. falciparum but not for P. vivax. The genetic diversity of P. vivax (PvMS16: expected heterozygosity = 0.95, 0.85–0.98; PvMsp1F3: 0.78, 0.66–0.89) was higher and less variable than that of P. falciparum (Pfmsp2: 0.89, 0.65–0.97). Significant associations of MOI with allelic richness (rho = 0.69, P = 0.009) and expected heterozygosity (rho = 0.87, P < 0.001) were observed for P. falciparum. Conversely, genetic diversity was not correlated with polyclonality nor mean MOI for P. vivax. The results demonstrate higher complexity of infection and genetic diversity of P. vivax across the country. Although P. falciparum shows a strong association of these parameters with prevalence, a lack of association was observed for P. vivax and is consistent with higher potential for outcrossing of this species. PMID:28070005

  9. Histone variants and lipid metabolism

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Borghesan, Michela; Mazzoccoli, Gianluigi; Sheedfar, Fareeba; Oben, Jude; Pazienza, Valerio; Vinciguerra, Manlio

    2014-01-01

    Within nucleosomes, canonical histones package the genome, but they can be opportunely replaced with histone variants. The incorporation of histone variants into the nucleosome is a chief cellular strategy to regulate transcription and cellular metabolism. In pathological terms, cellular steatosis

  10. A brief histone in time: understanding the combinatorial functions of histone PTMs in the nucleosome context.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Marlee K; Cheung, Peter

    2016-02-01

    It has been over 50 years since Allfrey et al. proposed that histone acetylation regulates RNA synthesis, and the study of histone modifications has progressed at an extraordinary pace for the past two decades. In this review, we provide a perspective on some key events and advances in our understanding of histone modifications. We also highlight reagents and tools from past to present that facilitated progress in this research field. Using histone H3 phosphorylation as an underlying thread, we review the rationale that led to the proposal of the histone code hypothesis, as well as examples that illustrate the concepts of combinatorial histone modifications and cross-talk pathways. We further highlight the importance of investigating these mechanisms in the context of nucleosomes rather than just at the histone level and present current and developing approaches for such studies. Overall, research on histone modifications has yielded great mechanistic insights into the regulation of genomic functions, and extending these studies using nucleosomes will further elucidate the complexity of these pathways in a more physiologically relevant context.

  11. Post-Translational Modifications of Histones in Human Sperm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krejčí, Jana; Stixová, Lenka; Pagáčová, Eva; Legartová, Soňa; Kozubek, Stanislav; Lochmanová, Gabriela; Zdráhal, Zbyněk; Sehnalová, Petra; Dabravolski, Siarhei; Hejátko, Jan; Bártová, Eva

    2015-10-01

    We examined the levels and distribution of post-translationally modified histones and protamines in human sperm. Using western blot immunoassay, immunofluorescence, mass spectrometry (MS), and FLIM-FRET approaches, we analyzed the status of histone modifications and the protamine P2. Among individual samples, we observed variability in the levels of H3K9me1, H3K9me2, H3K27me3, H3K36me3, and H3K79me1, but the level of acetylated (ac) histones H4 was relatively stable in the sperm head fractions, as demonstrated by western blot analysis. Sperm heads with lower levels of P2 exhibited lower levels of H3K9ac, H3K9me1, H3K27me3, H3K36me3, and H3K79me1. A very strong correlation was observed between the levels of P2 and H3K9me2. FLIM-FRET analysis additionally revealed that acetylated histones H4 are not only parts of sperm chromatin but also appear in a non-integrated form. Intriguingly, H4ac and H3K27me3 were detected in sperm tail fractions via western blot analysis. An appearance of specific histone H3 and H4 acetylation and H3 methylation in sperm tail fractions was also confirmed by both LC-MS/MS and MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Taken together, these data indicate that particular post-translational modifications of histones are uniquely distributed in human sperm, and this distribution varies among individuals and among the sperm of a single individual. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Biological significance of lysine mono-, di- and trimethylation on histone and non-histone proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perez-Burgos, L.

    2006-01-01

    Histones are the proteins that compact DNA into the repeating unit of chromatin known as the nucleosome. The N-termini of histones are subject to a series of post-translational modifications, one of which is methylation. This modification is termed 'epigenetic' because it extends the information encoded in the genome. Lysines can be mono-, di- or tri-methylated at different positions on histones H1, H3 and H4. In order to study the biological role of histone lysine methylation, antibodies were generated against mono-, di- and trimethylated H3-K9 and H3-27. Indeed, different chromatin domains in the mouse nucleus are enriched in distinct forms of histone lysine methylation, such as pericentric heterochromatin and the inactive X chromosome. Interestingly, heterochromatin in Arabidopsis thaliana is enriched in the mono- and di-, but not the trimethylated form of H3-K9. Furthermore, there exists a hierarchy of epigenetic modifications in which H3-K9 trimethylation is found to be upstream of DNA methylation on mouse major satellites. Histone lysine methylation is also involved in gene regulation upon development. One example is the chicken 61538;-globin locus, a region of facultative chromatin that undergoes a loss of di- and trimethylated H3-K27 in mature red blood cells, concomitant with expression of the 61538;-globin genes. SET-domain proteins are enzymes that methylate histones, but some of them are also able to methylate non-histone substrates. In particular, p53 is methylated by Set9 on lysine 372, G9a and Glp-1 on lysine 373 and by Smyd2 on lysine 370. Smyd2 transcript levels are greatly increased upon irradiation and dimethylated p53-370 specifically binds to 53BP1, a protein involved in recognizing DNA double-stranded breaks upon ionizing radiation. These results argue for a novel role of p53-K370 methylation in the biology of DNA damage. In summary, lysine methylation is a post-translational modification that can occur both on histone and non-histone proteins

  13. Efficacy of Artemether in Unresolving Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The emergence of possible resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria to artemisinin known for its immense benefit in malaria chemotherapy is worrisome. We report a case of unresolving Plasmodium falciparum malaria to Artesunate treatment in a 29- year old man in Enugu Nigeria. Plasmodium falciparum count of Giemsa ...

  14. Possible role of specific immunoglobulin M antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum antigens in immunoprotection of humans living in a hyperendemic area, Burkina Faso

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boudin, C; Chumpitazi, B; Dziegiel, M

    1993-01-01

    of antibodies to crude extracts of Plasmodium falciparum (IgG or IgM antisomatic and IgG antiexoantigens) were tested by IFI or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and were followed up according to the fluctuations of the parasite densities. Specific IgG antibodies had the same evolution as parasite densities....... Group 3 was composed of immunoprotected adults. Specific IgM and IgG antibodies to crude extracts or a recombinant antigen (glutamate-rich protein) of P. falciparum were tested. Specific IgM antibodies were lower in group 1 (nonimmune) than in groups 2 (semiimmune) and 3 (immunoprotected). Furthermore...

  15. Genetic structure of Plasmodium falciparum populations across the Honduras-Nicaragua border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larrañaga, Nerea; Mejía, Rosa E; Hormaza, José I; Montoya, Alberto; Soto, Aida; Fontecha, Gustavo A

    2013-10-04

    The Caribbean coast of Central America remains an area of malaria transmission caused by Plasmodium falciparum despite the fact that morbidity has been reduced in recent years. Parasite populations in that region show interesting characteristics such as chloroquine susceptibility and low mortality rates. Genetic structure and diversity of P. falciparum populations in the Honduras-Nicaragua border were analysed in this study. Seven neutral microsatellite loci were analysed in 110 P. falciparum isolates from endemic areas of Honduras (n = 77) and Nicaragua (n = 33), mostly from the border region called the Moskitia. Several analyses concerning the genetic diversity, linkage disequilibrium, population structure, molecular variance, and haplotype clustering were conducted. There was a low level of genetic diversity in P. falciparum populations from Honduras and Nicaragua. Expected heterozigosity (H(e)) results were similarly low for both populations. A moderate differentiation was revealed by the F(ST) index between both populations, and two putative clusters were defined through a structure analysis. The main cluster grouped most of samples from Honduras and Nicaragua, while the second cluster was smaller and included all the samples from the Siuna community in Nicaragua. This result could partially explain the stronger linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the parasite population from that country. These findings are congruent with the decreasing rates of malaria endemicity in Central America.

  16. Tandem affinity purification of histones, coupled to mass spectrometry, identifies associated proteins and new sites of post-translational modification in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valero, M Luz; Sendra, Ramon; Pamblanco, Mercè

    2016-03-16

    Histones and their post-translational modifications contribute to regulating fundamental biological processes in all eukaryotic cells. We have applied a conventional tandem affinity purification strategy to histones H3 and H4 of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mass spectrometry analysis of the co-purified proteins revealed multiple associated proteins, including core histones, which indicates that tagged histones may be incorporated to the nucleosome particle. Among the many other co-isolated proteins there are histone chaperones, elements of chromatin remodeling, of nucleosome assembly/disassembly, and of histone modification complexes. The histone chaperone Rtt106p, two members of chromatin assembly FACT complex and Psh1p, an ubiquitin ligase, were the most abundant proteins obtained with both H3-TAP and H4-TAP, regardless of the cell extraction medium stringency. Our mass spectrometry analyses have also revealed numerous novel post-translational modifications, including 30 new chemical modifications in histones, mainly by ubiquitination. We have discovered not only new sites of ubiquitination but that, besides lysine, also serine and threonine residues are targets of ubiquitination on yeast histones. Our results show the standard tandem affinity purification procedure is suitable for application to yeast histones, in order to isolate and characterize histone-binding proteins and post-translational modifications, avoiding the bias caused by histone purification from a chromatin-enriched fraction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Top-down and Middle-down Protein Analysis Reveals that Intact and Clipped Human Histones Differ in Post-translational Modification Patterns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tvardovskiy, Andrey; Wrzesinski, Krzysztof; Sidoli, Simone

    2015-01-01

    Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histone proteins play a fundamental role in regulation of DNA-templated processes. There is also growing evidence that proteolytic cleavage of histone N-terminal tails, known as histone clipping, influences nucleosome dynamics and functional properties...... hepatocytes and the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2/C3A when grown in spheroid (3D) culture, but not in a flat (2D) culture. Using tandem mass spectrometry we localized four different clipping sites in H3 and one clipping site in H2B. We show that in spheroid culture clipped H3 proteoforms are mainly...

  18. Sharing of antigens between Plasmodium falciparum and Anopheles albimanus Antígenos compartidos entre Plasmodium falciparum y Anopheles albimanus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albina Wide

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available The presence of common antigens between Plasmodium falciparum and Anopheles albimanus was demonstrated. Different groups of rabbits were immunized with: crude extract from female An. albimanus (EAaF, red blood cells infected with Plasmodium falciparum (EPfs, and the SPf66 synthetic malaria vaccine. The rabbit's polyclonal antibodies were evaluated by ELISA, Multiple Antigen Blot Assay (MABA, and immunoblotting. All extracts were immunogenic in rabbits according to these three techniques, when they were evaluated against the homologous antigens. Ten molecules were identified in female mosquitoes and also in P. falciparum antigens by the autologous sera. The electrophoretic pattern by SDS-PAGE was different for the three antigens evaluated. Cross-reactions between An. albimanus and P. falciparum were found by ELISA, MABA, and immunoblotting. Anti-P. falciparum and anti-SPf66 antibodies recognized ten and five components in the EAaF crude extract, respectively. Likewise, immune sera against female An. albimanus identified four molecules in the P. falciparum extract antigen. As far as we know, this is the first work that demonstrates shared antigens between anophelines and malaria parasites. This finding could be useful for diagnosis, vaccines, and the study of physiology of the immune response to malaria.Epítopes de antígenos compartidos entre Plasmodium falciparum y Anopheles albimanus fueron identificados. Diferentes grupos de conejos fueron inmunizados con: extracto crudo de mosquito hembra de An. albimanus (EAaH, glóbulos rojos infectados con P. falciparum (EPfs y la vacuna antimalárica sintética SPf66. Los anticuerpos policlonales producidos en conejos fueron evaluados por ELISA, inmunoensayo simultáneo de múltiples antígenos (MABA e Immunoblotting. Todos los extractos resultaron inmunogénicos cuando se evaluaron por ELISA, MABA e Immunoblotting. Diez moléculas fueron identificadas en los mosquitos hembras y diez en los antígenos de

  19. Histone deacetylases: revealing the molecular base of dimorphism in pathogenic fungi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Elías-Villalobos

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Fungi, as every living organism, interact with the external world and have to adapt to its fluctuations. For pathogenic fungi, such interaction involves adapting to the hostile environment of their host. Survival depends on the capacity of fungi to detect and respond to external stimuli, which is achieved through a tight and efficient genetic control. Chromatin modifications represent a well-known layer of regulation that controls gene expression in response to environmental signals. However, less is known about the chromatin modifications that are involved in fungal virulence and the specific cues and signalling pathways that target chromatin modifications to specific genes. In a recently published study, our research group identified one such regulatory pathway. We demonstrated that the histone deacetylase (HDAC Hos2 is involved in yeast-to-hyphal transition (dimorphism and it is associated with the virulence of the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis, the causative agent of smut disease in corn. Hos2 activates mating-type genes by directly binding to their gene bodies. Furthermore, Hos2 acts downstream of the nutrient-sensing cyclic AMP-Protein Kinase A pathway. We also found that another HDAC, Clr3, contributes to this regulation, possibly in cooperation with Hos2. As a whole, our data suggest that there is a direct link between changes in the environment and acetylation of nucleosomes within certain genes. We propose that histone acetylation is critical to the proper timing and induction of transcription of the genes encoding factors that coordinate changes in morphology with pathogenesis.

  20. Allelic Diversity and Geographical Distribution of the Gene Encoding Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein-3 in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawaswong, Vorthon; Simpalipan, Phumin; Siripoon, Napaporn; Harnyuttanakorn, Pongchai; Pattaradilokrat, Sittiporn

    2015-04-01

    Merozoite surface proteins (MSPs) of malaria parasites play critical roles during the erythrocyte invasion and so are potential candidates for malaria vaccine development. However, because MSPs are often under strong immune selection, they can exhibit extensive genetic diversity. The gene encoding the merozoite surface protein-3 (MSP-3) of Plasmodium falciparum displays 2 allelic types, K1 and 3D7. In Thailand, the allelic frequency of the P. falciparum msp-3 gene was evaluated in a single P. falciparum population in Tak at the Thailand and Myanmar border. However, no study has yet looked at the extent of genetic diversity of the msp-3 gene in P. falciparum populations in other localities. Here, we genotyped the msp-3 alleles of 63 P. falciparum samples collected from 5 geographical populations along the borders of Thailand with 3 neighboring countries (Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia). Our study indicated that the K1 and 3D7 alleles coexisted, but at different proportions in different Thai P. falciparum populations. K1 was more prevalent in populations at the Thailand-Myanmar and Thailand-Cambodia borders, whilst 3D7 was more prevalent at the Thailand-Laos border. Global analysis of the msp-3 allele frequencies revealed that proportions of K1 and 3D7 alleles of msp-3 also varied in different continents, suggesting the divergence of malaria parasite populations. In conclusion, the variation in the msp-3 allelic patterns of P. falciparum in Thailand provides fundamental knowledge for inferring the P. falciparum population structure and for the best design of msp-3 based malaria vaccines.

  1. Dynamics of gene expression with positive feedback to histone modifications at bivalent domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Rongsheng; Lei, Jinzhi

    2018-03-01

    Experiments have shown that in embryonic stem cells, the promoters of many lineage-control genes contain “bivalent domains”, within which the nucleosomes possess both active (H3K4me3) and repressive (H3K27me3) marks. Such bivalent modifications play important roles in maintaining pluripotency in embryonic stem cells. Here, to investigate gene expression dynamics when there are regulations in bivalent histone modifications and random partition in cell divisions, we study how positive feedback to histone methylation/demethylation controls the transition dynamics of the histone modification patterns along with cell cycles. We constructed a computational model that includes dynamics of histone marks, three-stage chromatin state transitions, transcription and translation, feedbacks from protein product to enzymes to regulate the addition and removal of histone marks, and the inheritance of nucleosome state between cell cycles. The model reveals how dynamics of both nucleosome state transition and gene expression are dependent on the enzyme activities and feedback regulations. Results show that the combination of stochastic histone modification at each cell division and the deterministic feedback regulation work together to adjust the dynamics of chromatin state transition in stem cell regenerations.

  2. Profiling the anti-protozoal activity of anti-cancer HDAC inhibitors against Plasmodium and Trypanosoma parasites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica A. Engel

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Histone deacetylase (HDAC enzymes work together with histone acetyltransferases (HATs to reversibly acetylate both histone and non-histone proteins. As a result, these enzymes are involved in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression as well as other important cellular processes. HDACs are validated drug targets for some types of cancer, with four HDAC inhibitors clinically approved. However, they are also showing promise as novel drug targets for other indications, including malaria and other parasitic diseases. In this study the in vitro activity of four anti-cancer HDAC inhibitors was examined against parasites that cause malaria and trypanosomiasis. Three of these inhibitors, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; vorinostat®, romidepsin (Istodax® and belinostat (Beleodaq®, are clinically approved for the treatment of T-cell lymphoma, while the fourth, panobinostat, has recently been approved for combination therapy use in certain patients with multiple myeloma. All HDAC inhibitors were found to inhibit the growth of asexual-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites in the nanomolar range (IC50 10–200 nM, while only romidepsin was active at sub-μM concentrations against bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei brucei parasites (IC50 35 nM. The compounds were found to have some selectivity for malaria parasites compared with mammalian cells, but were not selective for trypanosome parasites versus mammalian cells. All compounds caused hyperacetylation of histone and non-histone proteins in P. falciparum asexual stage parasites and inhibited deacetylase activity in P. falciparum nuclear extracts in addition to recombinant PfHDAC1 activity. P. falciparum histone hyperacetylation data indicate that HDAC inhibitors may differentially affect the acetylation profiles of histone H3 and H4.

  3. Analysis of the plasmodium falciparum proteome by high-accuracy mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lasonder, Edwin; Ishihama, Yasushi; Andersen, Jens S

    2002-01-01

    -accuracy (average deviation less than 0.02 Da at 1,000 Da) mass spectrometric proteome analysis of selected stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The analysis revealed 1,289 proteins of which 714 proteins were identified in asexual blood stages, 931 in gametocytes and 645 in gametes. The last...

  4. Epigenetic control of skull morphogenesis by histone deacetylase 8

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haberland, Michael; Mokalled, Mayssa H.; Montgomery, Rusty L.; Olson, Eric N.

    2009-01-01

    Histone deacetylases (Hdacs) are transcriptional repressors with crucial roles in mammalian development. Here we provide evidence that Hdac8 specifically controls patterning of the skull by repressing a subset of transcription factors in cranial neural crest cells. Global deletion of Hdac8 in mice leads to perinatal lethality due to skull instability, and this is phenocopied by conditional deletion of Hdac8 in cranial neural crest cells. Hdac8 specifically represses the aberrant expression of homeobox transcription factors such as Otx2 and Lhx1. These findings reveal how the identity and patterning of vertebrate-specific portions of the skull are epigenetically controlled by a histone deacetylase. PMID:19605684

  5. Histone deacetylases (HDACs and brain function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claude-Henry Volmar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Modulation of gene expression is a constant and necessary event for mammalian brain function. An important way of regulating gene expression is through the remodeling of chromatin, the complex of DNA, and histone proteins around which DNA wraps. The “histone code hypothesis” places histone post-translational modifications as a significant part of chromatin remodeling to regulate transcriptional activity. Acetylation of histones by histone acetyl transferases and deacetylation by histone deacetylases (HDACs at lysine residues are the most studied histone post-translational modifications in cognition and neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we review the literature regarding the role of HDACs in brain function. Among the roles of HDACs in the brain, studies show that they participate in glial lineage development, learning and memory, neuropsychiatric diseases, and even rare neurologic diseases. Most HDACs can be targeted with small molecules. However, additional brain-penetrant specific inhibitors with high central nervous system exposure are needed to determine the cause-and-effect relationship between individual HDACs and brain-associated diseases.

  6. Mapping the genome of Plasmodium falciparum on the drug-like chemical space reveals novel anti-malarial targets and potential drug leads

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Kasper; Plichta, Damian Rafal; Panagiotou, Gianni

    2012-01-01

    , in order to uncover the weak links in the proteome of the parasite. We predicted 293 proteins of P. falciparum, including the six out of the seven verified targets for P. falciparum malaria treatment, as targets of 4645 GSK active compounds. Furthermore, we prioritized druggable targets, based on a number...... of factors, such as essentiality for growth, lack of homology with human proteins, and availability of experimental data on ligand activity with a non-human homologue of a parasite protein. We have additionally prioritized predicted ligands based on their polypharmacology profile, with focus on validated...

  7. Immunogenicity and in vitro Protective Efficacy of a Recombinant Multistage Plasmodium falciparum Candidate Vaccine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Ya Ping; Hasnain, Seyed E.; Sacci, John B.; Holloway, Brian P.; Fujioka, Hisashi; Kumar, Nirbhay; Wohlhueter, Robert; Hoffman, Stephen L.; Collins, William E.; Lal, Altaf A.

    1999-02-01

    Compared with a single-stage antigen-based vaccine, a multistage and multivalent Plasmodium falciparum vaccine would be more efficacious by inducing "multiple layers" of immunity. We have constructed a synthetic gene that encodes for 12 B cell, 6 T cell proliferative, and 3 cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes derived from 9 stage-specific P. falciparum antigens corresponding to the sporozoite, liver, erythrocytic asexual, and sexual stages. The gene was expressed in the baculovirus system, and a 41-kDa antigen, termed CDC/NIIMALVAC-1, was purified. Immunization in rabbits with the purified protein in the presence of different adjuvants generated antibody responses that recognized vaccine antigen, linear peptides contained in the vaccine, and all stages of P. falciparum. In vitro assays of protection revealed that the vaccine-elicited antibodies strongly inhibited sporozoite invasion of hepatoma cells and growth of blood-stage parasites in the presence of monocytes. These observations demonstrate that a multicomponent, multistage malaria vaccine can induce immune responses that inhibit parasite development at multiple stages. The rationale and approach used in the development of a multicomponent P. falciparum vaccine will be useful in the development of a multispecies human malaria vaccine and vaccines against other infectious diseases.

  8. Mosquito Vectors and the Globalization of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Cruz, Alvaro; Zilversmit, Martine M; Neafsey, Daniel E; Hartl, Daniel L; Barillas-Mury, Carolina

    2016-11-23

    Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a devastating public health problem. Recent discoveries have shed light on the origin and evolution of Plasmodium parasites and their interactions with their vertebrate and mosquito hosts. P. falciparum malaria originated in Africa from a single horizontal transfer between an infected gorilla and a human, and became global as the result of human migration. Today, P. falciparum malaria is transmitted worldwide by more than 70 different anopheline mosquito species. Recent studies indicate that the mosquito immune system can be a barrier to malaria transmission and that the P. falciparum Pfs47 gene allows the parasite to evade mosquito immune detection. Here, we review the origin and globalization of P. falciparum and integrate this history with analysis of the biology, evolution, and dispersal of the main mosquito vectors. This new perspective broadens our understanding of P. falciparum population structure and the dispersal of important parasite genetic traits.

  9. Blockage of spontaneous Ca2+ oscillation causes cell death in intraerythrocitic Plasmodium falciparum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masahiro Enomoto

    Full Text Available Malaria remains one of the world's most important infectious diseases and is responsible for enormous mortality and morbidity. Resistance to antimalarial drugs is a challenging problem in malaria control. Clinical malaria is associated with the proliferation and development of Plasmodium parasites in human erythrocytes. Especially, the development into the mature forms (trophozoite and schizont of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum causes severe malaria symptoms due to a distinctive property, sequestration which is not shared by any other human malaria. Ca(2+ is well known to be a highly versatile intracellular messenger that regulates many different cellular processes. Cytosolic Ca(2+ increases evoked by extracellular stimuli are often observed in the form of oscillating Ca(2+ spikes (Ca(2+ oscillation in eukaryotic cells. However, in lower eukaryotic and plant cells the physiological roles and the molecular mechanisms of Ca(2+ oscillation are poorly understood. Here, we showed the observation of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphospate (IP(3-dependent spontaneous Ca(2+ oscillation in P. falciparum without any exogenous extracellular stimulation by using live cell fluorescence Ca(2+ imaging. Intraerythrocytic P. falciparum exhibited stage-specific Ca(2+ oscillations in ring form and trophozoite stages which were blocked by IP(3 receptor inhibitor, 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate (2-APB. Analyses of parasitaemia and parasite size and electron micrograph of 2-APB-treated P. falciparum revealed that 2-APB severely obstructed the intraerythrocytic maturation, resulting in cell death of the parasites. Furthermore, we confirmed the similar lethal effect of 2-APB on the chloroquine-resistant strain of P. falciparum. To our best knowledge, we for the first time showed the existence of the spontaneous Ca(2+ oscillation in Plasmodium species and clearly demonstrated that IP(3-dependent spontaneous Ca(2+ oscillation in P. falciparum is critical for the development

  10. Histones induce rapid and profound thrombocytopenia in mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhandari, Ashish A.

    2011-01-01

    Histones are released from dying cells and contribute to antimicrobial defense during infection. However, extracellular histones are a double-edged sword because they also damage host tissue and may cause death. We studied the interactions of histones with platelets. Histones bound to platelets, induced calcium influx, and recruited plasma adhesion proteins such as fibrinogen to induce platelet aggregation. Hereby fibrinogen cross-linked histone-bearing platelets and triggered microaggregation. Fibrinogen interactions with αIIbβ3 integrins were not required for this process but were necessary for the formation of large platelet aggregates. Infused histones associated with platelets in vivo and caused a profound thrombocytopenia within minutes after administration. Mice lacking platelets or αIIbβ3 integrins were protected from histone-induced death but not from histone-induced tissue damage. Heparin, at high concentrations, prevented histone interactions with platelets and protected mice from histone-induced thrombocytopenia, tissue damage, and death. Heparin and histones are evolutionary maintained. Histones may combine microbicidal with prothrombotic properties to fight invading microbes and maintain hemostasis after injury. Heparin may provide an innate counter mechanism to neutralize histones and diminish collateral tissue damage. PMID:21700775

  11. Adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum to its transmission environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rono, Martin K; Nyonda, Mary A; Simam, Joan J; Ngoi, Joyce M; Mok, Sachel; Kortok, Moses M; Abdullah, Abdullah S; Elfaki, Mohammed M; Waitumbi, John N; El-Hassan, Ibrahim M; Marsh, Kevin; Bozdech, Zbynek; Mackinnon, Margaret J

    2018-02-01

    Success in eliminating malaria will depend on whether parasite evolution outpaces control efforts. Here, we show that Plasmodium falciparum parasites (the deadliest of the species causing human malaria) found in low-transmission-intensity areas have evolved to invest more in transmission to new hosts (reproduction) and less in within-host replication (growth) than parasites found in high-transmission areas. At the cellular level, this adaptation manifests as increased production of reproductive forms (gametocytes) early in the infection at the expense of processes associated with multiplication inside red blood cells, especially membrane transport and protein trafficking. At the molecular level, this manifests as changes in the expression levels of genes encoding epigenetic and translational machinery. Specifically, expression levels of the gene encoding AP2-G-the transcription factor that initiates reproduction-increase as transmission intensity decreases. This is accompanied by downregulation and upregulation of genes encoding HDAC1 and HDA1-two histone deacetylases that epigenetically regulate the parasite's replicative and reproductive life-stage programmes, respectively. Parasites in reproductive mode show increased reliance on the prokaryotic translation machinery found inside the plastid-derived organelles. Thus, our dissection of the parasite's adaptive regulatory architecture has identified new potential molecular targets for malaria control.

  12. Histone chaperone networks shaping chromatin function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hammond, Colin; Strømme, Caroline Bianchi; Huang, Hongda

    2017-01-01

    and fate, which affects all chromosomal processes, including gene expression, chromosome segregation and genome replication and repair. Here, we review the distinct structural and functional properties of the expanding network of histone chaperones. We emphasize how chaperones cooperate in the histone...... chaperone network and via co-chaperone complexes to match histone supply with demand, thereby promoting proper nucleosome assembly and maintaining epigenetic information by recycling modified histones evicted from chromatin....

  13. Malaria falciparum y síndrome nefrótico: nuestras experiencias Falciparum malaria and nephrotic Síndrome: Our experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jesús Juan Rodríguez

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available Las especies de Plasmodium que infectan al hombre son: P. vivax, P. Malariae, P. Ovale y P. Falciparum. En Mozambique, como en la mayor parte de la llamada África Subsahariana, la especie predominante es P. falciparum cloroquina resistente. La infección por P. falciparum es potencialmente mortal, tiende a manifestarse como una enfermedad febril sin signos localizados o específicos. En los casos más graves, sin embargo puede presentarse asociada a variados síndromes clínicos que plantean serios retos terapéuticos.Es reconocido que la malaria o paludismo puede asociarse a síndrome nefrótico y se han dado explicaciones de esta relación patogénica. En Mozambique, en un período de seis meses, tuvimos la oportunidad de tratar tres casos de Malaria falciparum grave, asociado a síndrome nefrótico.Divulgar y trasmitir las experiencias prácticas y consideraciones teóricas a propósito de uno de estos casos es la motivación de los autores de este trabajo.Plasmodiumspecies infecting man are the following: P.vivax, P. Malariae, P. Ovale and P. Falciparum. In Mozambique, like the biggest area from the so called Subsaharian Africa,the resistent-chloroquine P. Falciparum is the predominating specie in this area. The P. Falciparum infection is potentially fatal, with a trend to show as a febrile condition with no localized or specific signs. In more severe cases, however, it may be presented in association with different clinical syndromes which represent serious therapeutic challenges. It is not unknown that Malaria or Paludism may be associated with the Nephrotic Syndrome, and many explanations have been given on this pathogenic relatioship. In a sixth month's period in Mozambique we had the chance to test three severe cases of Falciparum Malaria associated with a Nephrotic Syndrome. Spreading the practical experience and theoretic considerations on one of these cases is the aim of this work.

  14. Structure of Plasmodium falciparum orotate phosphoribosyltransferase with autologous inhibitory protein–protein interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, Shiva; Krishnamoorthy, Kalyanaraman; Mudeppa, Devaraja G.; Rathod, Pradipsinh K.

    2015-01-01

    P. falciparum orotate phosphoribosyltransferase, a potential target for antimalarial drugs and a conduit for prodrugs, crystallized as a structure with eight molecules per asymmetric unit that included some unique parasite-specific auto-inhibitory interactions between catalytic dimers. The most severe form of malaria is caused by the obligate parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRTase) is the fifth enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine-synthesis pathway in the parasite, which lacks salvage pathways. Among all of the malaria de novo pyrimidine-biosynthesis enzymes, the structure of P. falciparum OPRTase (PfOPRTase) was the only one unavailable until now. PfOPRTase that could be crystallized was obtained after some low-complexity sequences were removed. Four catalytic dimers were seen in the asymmetic unit (a total of eight polypeptides). In addition to revealing unique amino acids in the PfOPRTase active sites, asymmetric dimers in the larger structure pointed to novel parasite-specific protein–protein interactions that occlude the catalytic active sites. The latter could potentially modulate PfOPRTase activity in parasites and possibly provide new insights for blocking PfOPRTase functions

  15. Structure of Plasmodium falciparum orotate phosphoribosyltransferase with autologous inhibitory protein–protein interactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Shiva; Krishnamoorthy, Kalyanaraman; Mudeppa, Devaraja G.; Rathod, Pradipsinh K., E-mail: rathod@chem.washington.edu [University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States)

    2015-04-21

    P. falciparum orotate phosphoribosyltransferase, a potential target for antimalarial drugs and a conduit for prodrugs, crystallized as a structure with eight molecules per asymmetric unit that included some unique parasite-specific auto-inhibitory interactions between catalytic dimers. The most severe form of malaria is caused by the obligate parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRTase) is the fifth enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine-synthesis pathway in the parasite, which lacks salvage pathways. Among all of the malaria de novo pyrimidine-biosynthesis enzymes, the structure of P. falciparum OPRTase (PfOPRTase) was the only one unavailable until now. PfOPRTase that could be crystallized was obtained after some low-complexity sequences were removed. Four catalytic dimers were seen in the asymmetic unit (a total of eight polypeptides). In addition to revealing unique amino acids in the PfOPRTase active sites, asymmetric dimers in the larger structure pointed to novel parasite-specific protein–protein interactions that occlude the catalytic active sites. The latter could potentially modulate PfOPRTase activity in parasites and possibly provide new insights for blocking PfOPRTase functions.

  16. Histone H1x is highly expressed in human neuroendocrine cells and tumours

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Warneboldt, Julia; Haller, Florian; Horstmann, Olaf; Danner, Bernhard C; Füzesi, László; Doenecke, Detlef; Happel, Nicole

    2008-01-01

    Histone H1x is a ubiquitously expressed member of the H1 histone family. H1 histones, also called linker histones, stabilize compact, higher order structures of chromatin. In addition to their role as structural proteins, they actively regulate gene expression and participate in chromatin-based processes like DNA replication and repair. The epigenetic contribution of H1 histones to these mechanisms makes it conceivable that they also take part in malignant transformation. Based on results of a Blast data base search which revealed an accumulation of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of H1x in libraries from neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), we evaluated the expression of H1x in NETs from lung and the gastrointestinal tract using immunohistochemisty. Relative protein and mRNA levels of H1x were analysed by Western blot analysis and quantitative real-time RT-PCR, respectively. Since several reports describe a change of the expression level of the replacement subtype H1.0 during tumourigenesis, the analysis of this subtype was included in this study. We found an increased expression of H1x but not of H1.0 in NET tissues in comparison to corresponding normal tissues. Even though the analysed NETs were heterogenous regarding their grade of malignancy, all except one showed a considerably higher protein amount of H1x compared with corresponding non-neoplastic tissue. Furthermore, double-labelling of H1x and chromogranin A in sections of pancreas and small intestine revealed that H1x is highly expressed in neuroendocrine cells of these tissues. We conclude that the high expression of histone H1x in NETs is probably due to the abundance of this protein in the cells from which these tumours originate

  17. In silico and biological survey of transcription-associated proteins implicated in the transcriptional machinery during the erythrocytic development of Plasmodium falciparum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bischoff Emmanuel

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Malaria is the most important parasitic disease in the world with approximately two million people dying every year, mostly due to Plasmodium falciparum infection. During its complex life cycle in the Anopheles vector and human host, the parasite requires the coordinated and modulated expression of diverse sets of genes involved in epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. However, despite the availability of the complete sequence of the Plasmodium falciparum genome, we are still quite ignorant about Plasmodium mechanisms of transcriptional gene regulation. This is due to the poor prediction of nuclear proteins, cognate DNA motifs and structures involved in transcription. Results A comprehensive directory of proteins reported to be potentially involved in Plasmodium transcriptional machinery was built from all in silico reports and databanks. The transcription-associated proteins were clustered in three main sets of factors: general transcription factors, chromatin-related proteins (structuring, remodelling and histone modifying enzymes, and specific transcription factors. Only a few of these factors have been molecularly analysed. Furthermore, from transcriptome and proteome data we modelled expression patterns of transcripts and corresponding proteins during the intra-erythrocytic cycle. Finally, an interactome of these proteins based either on in silico or on 2-yeast-hybrid experimental approaches is discussed. Conclusion This is the first attempt to build a comprehensive directory of potential transcription-associated proteins in Plasmodium. In addition, all complete transcriptome, proteome and interactome raw data were re-analysed, compared and discussed for a better comprehension of the complex biological processes of Plasmodium falciparum transcriptional regulation during the erythrocytic development.

  18. MAPK-triggered chromatin reprogramming by histone deacetylase in plant innate immunity

    KAUST Repository

    Latrasse, David; Jé gu, Teddy; Li, Huchen; Zé licourt, Axel de; Raynaud, Cé cile; Legras, Sté phanie; Gust, Andrea; Samajova, Olga; Veluchamy, Alaguraj; Rayapuram, Naganand; Ramirez Prado, Juan Sebastian; Kulikova, Olga; Colcombet, Jean; Bigeard, Jean; Genot, Baptiste; Bisseling, Ton; Benhamed, Moussa; Hirt, Heribert

    2017-01-01

    Microbial-associated molecular patterns activate several MAP kinases, which are major regulators of the innate immune response in Arabidopsis thaliana that induce large-scale changes in gene expression. Here, we determine whether microbial-associated molecular pattern-triggered gene expression involves modifications at the chromatin level.Histone acetylation and deacetylation are major regulators of microbial-associated molecular pattern-triggered gene expression and implicate the histone deacetylase HD2B in the reprogramming of defence gene expression and innate immunity. The MAP kinase MPK3 directly interacts with and phosphorylates HD2B, thereby regulating the intra-nuclear compartmentalization and function of the histone deacetylase.By studying a number of gene loci that undergo microbial-associated molecular pattern-dependent activation or repression, our data reveal a mechanistic model for how protein kinase signaling directly impacts chromatin reprogramming in plant defense.

  19. MAPK-triggered chromatin reprogramming by histone deacetylase in plant innate immunity

    KAUST Repository

    Latrasse, David

    2017-07-06

    Microbial-associated molecular patterns activate several MAP kinases, which are major regulators of the innate immune response in Arabidopsis thaliana that induce large-scale changes in gene expression. Here, we determine whether microbial-associated molecular pattern-triggered gene expression involves modifications at the chromatin level.Histone acetylation and deacetylation are major regulators of microbial-associated molecular pattern-triggered gene expression and implicate the histone deacetylase HD2B in the reprogramming of defence gene expression and innate immunity. The MAP kinase MPK3 directly interacts with and phosphorylates HD2B, thereby regulating the intra-nuclear compartmentalization and function of the histone deacetylase.By studying a number of gene loci that undergo microbial-associated molecular pattern-dependent activation or repression, our data reveal a mechanistic model for how protein kinase signaling directly impacts chromatin reprogramming in plant defense.

  20. Spatial and temporal distribution of falciparum malaria in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Hualiang

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Falciparum malaria is the most deadly among the four main types of human malaria. Although great success has been achieved since the launch of the National Malaria Control Programme in 1955, malaria remains a serious public health problem in China. This paper aimed to analyse the geographic distribution, demographic patterns and time trends of falciparum malaria in China. Methods The annual numbers of falciparum malaria cases during 1992–2003 and the individual case reports of each clinical falciparum malaria during 2004–2005 were extracted from communicable disease information systems in China Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. The annual number of cases and the annual incidence were mapped by matching them to corresponding province- and county-level administrative units in a geographic information system. The distribution of falciparum malaria by age, gender and origin of infection was analysed. Time-series analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship between the falciparum malaria in the endemic provinces and the imported falciparum malaria in non-endemic provinces. Results Falciparum malaria was endemic in two provinces of China during 2004–05. Imported malaria was reported in 26 non-endemic provinces. Annual incidence of falciparum malaria was mapped at county level in the two endemic provinces of China: Yunnan and Hainan. The sex ratio (male vs. female for the number of cases in Yunnan was 1.6 in the children of 0–15 years and it reached 5.7 in the adults over 15 years of age. The number of malaria cases in Yunnan was positively correlated with the imported malaria of concurrent months in the non-endemic provinces. Conclusion The endemic area of falciparum malaria in China has remained restricted to two provinces, Yunnan and Hainan. Stable transmission occurs in the bordering region of Yunnan and the hilly-forested south of Hainan. The age and gender distribution in the endemic area is

  1. A cross strain Plasmodium falciparum microarray optimized for the transcriptome analysis of Plasmodium falciparum patient derived isolates

    KAUST Repository

    Subudhi, Amit

    2016-07-20

    Malarial parasite P. falciparum, an apicomplexan protozoan has a 23.3 MB nuclear genome and encodes ~ 5600 transcripts. The genetic diversity of the parasite within and across geographical zones is a challenge to gene expression studies which are essential for understanding of disease process, outcome and developing markers for diagnostics and prognostics. Here, we describe the strategy involved in designing a custom P. falciparum 15K array using the Agilent platform and Genotypic\\'s Right Design methodology to study the transcriptome of Indian field isolates for which genome sequence information is limited. The array contains probes representing genome sequences of two distinct geographical isolates (i.e. 3D7 and HB3) and sub-telomeric var gene sequences of a third isolate (IT4) known to adhere in culture condition. Probes in the array have been selected based on their efficiency to detect transcripts through a 244K array experimentation. Array performance for the 15K array, was evaluated and validated using RNA materials from P. falciparum clinical isolates. A large percentage (91%) of the represented transcripts was detected from Indian P. falciparum patient isolates. Replicated probes and multiple probes representing the same gene showed perfect correlation between them suggesting good probe performance. Additional transcripts could be detected due to inclusion of unique probes representing HB3 strain transcripts. Variant surface antigen (VSA) transcripts were detected by optimized probes representing the VSA genes of three geographically distinct strains. The 15K cross strain P. falciparum array has shown good efficiency in detecting transcripts from P. falciparum parasite samples isolated from patients. The low parasite loads and presence of host RNA makes arrays a preferred platform for gene expression studies over RNA-Seq.

  2. A cross strain Plasmodium falciparum microarray optimized for the transcriptome analysis of Plasmodium falciparum patient derived isolates

    KAUST Repository

    Subudhi, Amit; Boopathi, P.A.; Middha, Sheetal; Acharya, Jyoti; Rao, Sudha Narayana; Mugasimangalam, Raja C.; Sirohi, Paramendra; Kochar, Sanjay K.; Kochar, Dhanpat K.; Das, Ashis

    2016-01-01

    Malarial parasite P. falciparum, an apicomplexan protozoan has a 23.3 MB nuclear genome and encodes ~ 5600 transcripts. The genetic diversity of the parasite within and across geographical zones is a challenge to gene expression studies which are essential for understanding of disease process, outcome and developing markers for diagnostics and prognostics. Here, we describe the strategy involved in designing a custom P. falciparum 15K array using the Agilent platform and Genotypic's Right Design methodology to study the transcriptome of Indian field isolates for which genome sequence information is limited. The array contains probes representing genome sequences of two distinct geographical isolates (i.e. 3D7 and HB3) and sub-telomeric var gene sequences of a third isolate (IT4) known to adhere in culture condition. Probes in the array have been selected based on their efficiency to detect transcripts through a 244K array experimentation. Array performance for the 15K array, was evaluated and validated using RNA materials from P. falciparum clinical isolates. A large percentage (91%) of the represented transcripts was detected from Indian P. falciparum patient isolates. Replicated probes and multiple probes representing the same gene showed perfect correlation between them suggesting good probe performance. Additional transcripts could be detected due to inclusion of unique probes representing HB3 strain transcripts. Variant surface antigen (VSA) transcripts were detected by optimized probes representing the VSA genes of three geographically distinct strains. The 15K cross strain P. falciparum array has shown good efficiency in detecting transcripts from P. falciparum parasite samples isolated from patients. The low parasite loads and presence of host RNA makes arrays a preferred platform for gene expression studies over RNA-Seq.

  3. The Structure of Plasmodium falciparum Blood-Stage 6-Cys Protein Pf41 Reveals an Unexpected Intra-Domain Insertion Required for Pf12 Coordination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle L Parker

    Full Text Available Plasmodium falciparum is an apicomplexan parasite and the etiological agent of severe human malaria. The complex P. falciparum life cycle is supported by a diverse repertoire of surface proteins including the family of 6-Cys s48/45 antigens. Of these, Pf41 is localized to the surface of the blood-stage merozoite through its interaction with the glycophosphatidylinositol-anchored Pf12. Our recent structural characterization of Pf12 revealed two juxtaposed 6-Cys domains (D1 and D2. Pf41, however, contains an additional segment of 120 residues predicted to form a large spacer separating its two 6-Cys domains. To gain insight into the assembly mechanism and overall architecture of the Pf12-Pf41 complex, we first determined the 2.45 Å resolution crystal structure of Pf41 using zinc single-wavelength anomalous dispersion. Structural analysis revealed an unexpected domain organization where the Pf41 6-Cys domains are, in fact, intimately associated and the additional residues instead map predominately to an inserted domain-like region (ID located between two β-strands in D1. Notably, the ID is largely proteolyzed in the final structure suggesting inherent flexibility. To assess the contribution of the ID to complex formation, we engineered a form of Pf41 where the ID was replaced by a short glycine-serine linker and showed by isothermal titration calorimetry that binding to Pf12 was abrogated. Finally, protease protection assays showed that the proteolytic susceptibility of the ID was significantly reduced in the complex, consistent with the Pf41 ID directly engaging Pf12. Collectively, these data establish the architectural organization of Pf41 and define an essential role for the Pf41 ID in promoting assembly of the Pf12-Pf41 heterodimeric complex.

  4. Simplified Method for Rapid Purification of Soluble Histones

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nives Ivić

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Functional and structural studies of histone-chaperone complexes, nucleosome modifications, their interactions with remodelers and regulatory proteins rely on obtaining recombinant histones from bacteria. In the present study, we show that co-expression of Xenopus laevis histone pairs leads to production of soluble H2AH2B heterodimer and (H3H42 heterotetramer. The soluble histone complexes are purified by simple chromatographic techniques. Obtained H2AH2B dimer and H3H4 tetramer are proficient in histone chaperone binding and histone octamer and nucleosome formation. Our optimized protocol enables rapid purification of multiple soluble histone variants with a remarkable high yield and simplifies histone octamer preparation. We expect that this simple approach will contribute to the histone chaperone and chromatin research. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

  5. Detection of histone acetylation levels in the dorsal hippocampus reveals early tagging on specific residues of H2B and H4 histones in response to learning.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivier Bousiges

    Full Text Available The recent literature provides evidence that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modification are crucial to gene transcription linked to synaptic plasticity in the mammalian brain--notably in the hippocampus--and memory formation. We measured global histone acetylation levels in the rat hippocampus at an early stage of spatial or fear memory formation. We found that H3, H4 and H2B underwent differential acetylation at specific sites depending on whether rats had been exposed to the context of a task without having to learn or had to learn about a place or fear therein: H3K9K14 acetylation was mostly responsive to any experimental conditions compared to naive animals, whereas H2B N-terminus and H4K12 acetylations were mostly associated with memory for either spatial or fear learning. Altogether, these data suggest that behavior/experience-dependent changes differently regulate specific acetylation modifications of histones in the hippocampus, depending on whether a memory trace is established or not: tagging of H3K9K14 could be associated with perception/processing of testing-related manipulations and context, thereby enhancing chromatin accessibility, while tagging of H2B N-terminus tail and H4K12 could be more closely associated with the formation of memories requiring an engagement of the hippocampus.

  6. Extracellular histones induce erythrocyte fragility and anemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kordbacheh, Farzaneh; O'Meara, Connor H; Coupland, Lucy A; Lelliott, Patrick M; Parish, Christopher R

    2017-12-28

    Extracellular histones have been shown to play an important pathogenic role in many diseases, primarily through their cytotoxicity toward nucleated cells and their ability to promote platelet activation with resultant thrombosis and thrombocytopenia. In contrast, little is known about the effect of extracellular histones on erythrocyte function. We demonstrate in this study that histones promote erythrocyte aggregation, sedimentation, and using a novel in vitro shear stress model, we show that histones induce erythrocyte fragility and lysis in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, histones impair erythrocyte deformability based on reduced passage of erythrocytes through an artificial spleen. These in vitro results were mirrored in vivo with the injection of histones inducing anemia within minutes of administration, with a concomitant increase in splenic hemoglobin content. Thrombocytopenia and leukopenia were also observed. These findings suggest that histones binding to erythrocytes may contribute to the elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates observed in inflammatory conditions. Furthermore, histone-induced increases in red blood cell lysis and splenic clearance may be a significant factor in the unexplained anemias seen in critically ill patients. © 2017 by The American Society of Hematology.

  7. Quantitative mass spectrometry of histones H3.2 and H3.3 in Suz12-deficient mouse embryonic stem cells reveals distinct, dynamic post-translational modifications at Lys-27 and Lys-36

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jung, Hye Ryung; Pasini, Diego; Helin, Kristian

    2010-01-01

    distinct coexisting modifications. In certain cases, high mass accuracy LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS allowed precise localization of near isobaric coexisting PTMs such as trimethylation and acetylation within individual peptides. ETD MS/MS facilitated sequencing and annotation of phosphorylated histone peptides....... The combined use of ETD and CID MS/MS increased the total number of identified modified peptides. Comparative quantitative analysis of histones from wild type and Suz12-deficient ESCs using stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture and LC-MS/MS revealed a dramatic reduction of H3K27me2 and H3K27......me3 and an increase of H3K27ac, thereby uncovering an antagonistic methyl/acetyl switch at H3K27. The reduction in H3K27 methylation and increase in H3K27 acetylation was accompanied by H3K36 acetylation and methylation. Estimation of the global isoform percentage of unmodified and modified histone...

  8. HiHiMap: single-cell quantitation of histones and histone posttranslational modifications across the cell cycle by high-throughput imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zane, Linda; Chapus, Fleur; Pegoraro, Gianluca; Misteli, Tom

    2017-08-15

    We describe Hi gh-throughput Hi stone Map ping (HiHiMap), a high-throughput imaging method to measure histones and histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in single cells. HiHiMap uses imaging-based quantification of DNA and cyclin A to stage individual cells in the cell cycle to determine the levels of histones or histone PTMs in each stage of the cell cycle. As proof of principle, we apply HiHiMap to measure the level of 21 core histones, histone variants, and PTMs in primary, immortalized, and transformed cells. We identify several histone modifications associated with oncogenic transformation. HiHiMap allows the rapid, high-throughput study of histones and histone PTMs across the cell cycle and the study of subpopulations of cells. © 2017 Zane et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  9. Cytoadherence and sequestration in Plasmodium falciparum: defining the ties that bind.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sherman, Irwin W; Eda, Shigetoshi; Winograd, Enrique

    2003-08-01

    Infected erythrocytes containing the more mature stages of the human malaria Plasmodium falciparum may adhere to endothelial cells and uninfected red cells. These phenomena, called sequestration and rosetting, respectively, are involved in both host pathogenesis and parasite survival. This review provides a critical summary of recent advances in the characterization of the molecules of the infected red blood cell involved in adhesion, i.e. parasite-encoded molecules (PfEMP1, MESA, rifins, stevor, clag 9, histidine-rich protein), a modified host membrane protein (band 3) and exofacial exposure of phosphatidylserine, as well as receptors on the endothelium, i.e. thrombospondin, CD36, ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule), and chondroitin sulfate.

  10. Histones bundle F-actin filaments and affect actin structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blotnick, Edna; Sol, Asaf; Muhlrad, Andras

    2017-01-01

    Histones are small polycationic proteins complexed with DNA located in the cell nucleus. Upon apoptosis they are secreted from the cells and react with extracellular polyanionic compounds. Actin which is a polyanionic protein, is also secreted from necrotic cells and interacts with histones. We showed that both histone mixture (histone type III) and the recombinant H2A histone bundles F-actin, increases the viscosity of the F-actin containing solution and polymerizes G-actin. The histone-actin bundles are relatively insensitive to increase of ionic strength, unlike other polycation, histatin, lysozyme, spermine and LL-37 induced F-actin bundles. The histone-actin bundles dissociate completely only in the presence of 300-400 mM NaCl. DNA, which competes with F-actin for histones, disassembles histone induced actin bundles. DNase1, which depolymerizes F- to G-actin, actively unbundles the H2A histone induced but slightly affects the histone mixture induced actin bundles. Cofilin decreases the amount of F-actin sedimented by low speed centrifugation, increases light scattering and viscosity of F-actin-histone mixture containing solutions and forms star like superstructures by copolymerizing G-actin with H2A histone. The results indicate that histones are tightly attached to F-actin by strong electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. Since both histones and F-actin are present in the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis, therefore, the formation of the stable histone-actin bundles can contribute to the pathology of this disease by increasing the viscosity of the sputum. The actin-histone interaction in the nucleus might affect gene expression.

  11. Encapsulation of metalloporphyrins improves their capacity to block the viability of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Eduardo; Iglesias, Bernardo A; Deda, Daiana K; Budu, Alexandre; Matias, Tiago A; Bueno, Vânia B; Maluf, Fernando V; Guido, Rafael V C; Oliva, Glaucius; Catalani, Luiz H; Araki, Koiti; Garcia, Celia R S

    2015-02-01

    Several synthetic metallated protoporphyrins (M-PPIX) were tested for their ability to block the cell cycle of the lethal human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. After encapsulating the porphyrin derivatives in micro- and nanocapsules of marine atelocollagen, their effects on cultures of red blood cells infected (RBC) with P. falciparum were verified. RBCs infected with synchronized P. falciparum incubated for 48 h showed a toxic effect over a micromolar range. Strikingly, the IC50 of encapsulated metalloporphyrins reached nanomolar concentrations, where Zn-PPIX showed the best antimalarial effect, with an IC50=330 nM. This value is an 80-fold increase in the antimalarial activity compared to the antimalarial effect of non-encapsulated Zn-PPIX. These findings reveal that the incubation of P. falciparum infected-RBCs with 20 μM Zn-PPIX reduced the size of hemozoin crystal by 34%, whereas a 28% reduction was noticed with chloroquine, confirming the importance of heme detoxification pathway in drug therapy. In this study, synthetic metalloporphyrins were tested as therapeutics that target Plasmodium falciparum. The IC50 of encapsulated metalloporphyrins was found to be in the nanomolar concentration range, with encapsulated Zn-PPIX showing an 80-fold increase in its antimalarial activity compared to the non-encapsulated form. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Overview of the Classical Histone Deacetylase Enzymes and Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors

    OpenAIRE

    Ververis, Katherine; Karagiannis, Tom C.

    2012-01-01

    The important role of histone deacetylase enzymes in regulating gene expression, cellular proliferation, and survival has made them attractive targets for the development of histone deacetylase inhibitors as anticancer drugs. Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (Vorinostat, Zolinza), a structural analogue of the prototypical Trichostatin A, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in 2006. This was followed by approval of the cycl...

  13. Identification and Interrogation of Combinatorial Histone Modifications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly R Karch

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Histone proteins are dynamically modified to mediate a variety of cellular processes including gene transcription, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis. Regulation of these processes occurs through the recruitment of non-histone proteins to chromatin by specific combinations of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs. Mass spectrometry has emerged as an essential tool to discover and quantify histone PTMs both within and between samples in an unbiased manner. Developments in mass spectrometry that allow for characterization of large histone peptides or intact protein has made it possible to determine which modifications occur simultaneously on a single histone polypeptide. A variety of techniques from biochemistry, biophysics, and chemical biology have been employed to determine the biological relevance of discovered combinatorial codes. This review first describes advancements in the field of mass spectrometry that have facilitated histone PTM analysis and then covers notable approaches to probe the biological relevance of these modifications in their nucleosomal context.

  14. Histones bundle F-actin filaments and affect actin structure.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edna Blotnick

    Full Text Available Histones are small polycationic proteins complexed with DNA located in the cell nucleus. Upon apoptosis they are secreted from the cells and react with extracellular polyanionic compounds. Actin which is a polyanionic protein, is also secreted from necrotic cells and interacts with histones. We showed that both histone mixture (histone type III and the recombinant H2A histone bundles F-actin, increases the viscosity of the F-actin containing solution and polymerizes G-actin. The histone-actin bundles are relatively insensitive to increase of ionic strength, unlike other polycation, histatin, lysozyme, spermine and LL-37 induced F-actin bundles. The histone-actin bundles dissociate completely only in the presence of 300-400 mM NaCl. DNA, which competes with F-actin for histones, disassembles histone induced actin bundles. DNase1, which depolymerizes F- to G-actin, actively unbundles the H2A histone induced but slightly affects the histone mixture induced actin bundles. Cofilin decreases the amount of F-actin sedimented by low speed centrifugation, increases light scattering and viscosity of F-actin-histone mixture containing solutions and forms star like superstructures by copolymerizing G-actin with H2A histone. The results indicate that histones are tightly attached to F-actin by strong electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. Since both histones and F-actin are present in the sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis, therefore, the formation of the stable histone-actin bundles can contribute to the pathology of this disease by increasing the viscosity of the sputum. The actin-histone interaction in the nucleus might affect gene expression.

  15. Histones H10a and H10b are the same as CHO histones H1(III) and H1(IV):new features of H10 phosphorylation during the cell cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Anna, J.A.; Gurley, L.R.; Becker, R.R.

    1981-01-01

    Two histone H1 fractions [H1(I) and H1(II) and two histone H1 0 fractions (H1 0 a and H1 0 b) have been isolated from butyrate-treated Chinese hamster (line CHO) cells by guanidine hydrochloride gradient chromatography on Bio-Rex 70 ion-exchange resin. The fractions have been identified by electrophoresis and amino acid analyses. Electrophoretic analysis of cyanogen bromide treated H1 0 in long acid-urea-polyacrylamide gels suggests that H1 0 a and H1 0 b differ, at least, within the 20-30 residue fragment(s) removed by the cyanogen bromide clevage. Shallow-gradient Bio-Rex 70 chromatography indicates that histones H1 0 a and H1 0 b are the same as the respective CHO histones, H1(III) and H1(IV). This identification and the phosphate incorporation data of Gurley et al. (1975) reveal new features about H1 0 phosphorylation: (1) following release from G 1 arrest, H1 0 a and H1 0 b become phosphorylated in late G 1 prior to DNA synthesis; (2) H1 0 a and H1 0 b are phosphorylated at similar rates throughout the cell cycle. These and other data demonstrate that histone H1 0 is phosphorylated in a cell cycle dependent fashion which mimics that of histone H1

  16. DNA methylation-histone modification relationships across the desmin locus in human primary cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Clelland Gayle K

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We present here an extensive epigenetic analysis of a 500 kb region, which encompasses the human desmin gene (DES and its 5' locus control region (LCR, the only muscle-specific transcriptional regulatory element of this type described to date. These data complement and extend Encyclopaedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE studies on region ENr133. We analysed histone modifications and underlying DNA methylation patterns in physiologically relevant DES expressing (myoblast/myotube and non-expressing (peripheral blood mononuclear primary human cells. Results We found that in expressing myoblast/myotube but not peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC cultures, histone H4 acetylation displays a broadly distributed enrichment across a gene rich 200 kb region whereas H3 acetylation localizes at the transcriptional start site (TSS of genes. We show that the DES LCR and TSS of DES are enriched with hyperacetylated domains of acetylated histone H3, with H3 lysine 4 di- and tri-methylation (H3K4me2 and me3 exhibiting a different distribution pattern across this locus. The CpG island that extends into the first intron of DES is methylation-free regardless of the gene's expression status and in non-expressing PBMCs is marked with histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3. Conclusion Overall, our results constitute the first study correlating patterns of histone modifications and underlying DNA methylation of a muscle-specific LCR and its associated downstream gene region whilst additionally placing this within a much broader genomic context. Our results clearly show that there are distinct patterns of histone H3 and H4 acetylation and H3 methylation at the DES LCR, promoter and intragenic region. In addition, the presence of H3K27me3 at the DES methylation-free CpG only in non-expressing PBMCs may serve to silence this gene in non-muscle tissues. Generally, our work demonstrates the importance of using multiple, physiologically relevant

  17. Molecular mechanisms and potential functions of histone demethylases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kooistra, Susanne Marije; Helin, Kristian

    2012-01-01

    of two families of enzymes that can demethylate histones has changed this notion. The biochemical activities of these histone demethylases towards specific Lys residues on histones, and in some cases non-histone substrates, have highlighted their importance in developmental control, cell-fate decisions...

  18. The histone codes for meiosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lina; Xu, Zhiliang; Khawar, Muhammad Babar; Liu, Chao; Li, Wei

    2017-09-01

    Meiosis is a specialized process that produces haploid gametes from diploid cells by a single round of DNA replication followed by two successive cell divisions. It contains many special events, such as programmed DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation, homologous recombination, crossover formation and resolution. These events are associated with dynamically regulated chromosomal structures, the dynamic transcriptional regulation and chromatin remodeling are mainly modulated by histone modifications, termed 'histone codes'. The purpose of this review is to summarize the histone codes that are required for meiosis during spermatogenesis and oogenesis, involving meiosis resumption, meiotic asymmetric division and other cellular processes. We not only systematically review the functional roles of histone codes in meiosis but also discuss future trends and perspectives in this field. © 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

  19. Dynamic changes of histone H3 marks during Caenorhabditis elegans lifecycle revealed by middle-down proteomics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sidoli, Simone; Vandamme, Julien; Elisabetta Salcini, Anna

    2016-01-01

    We applied a middle-down proteomics strategy for large scale protein analysis during in vivo development of Caenorhabditis elegans. We characterized post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone H3 N-terminal tails at eight time points during the C. elegans lifecycle, including embryo, larval......-occurring PTMs. We measured temporally distinct combinatorial PTM profiles during C. elegans development. We show that the doubly modified form H3K23me3K27me3, which is rare or non-existent in mammals, is the most abundant PTM in all stages of C. elegans lifecycle. The abundance of H3K23me3 increased during...... that is transmitted during dauer formation. Collectively, our data describe the dynamics of histone H3 combinatorial code during C. elegans lifecycle and demonstrate the feasibility of using middle-down proteomics to study in vivo development of multicellular organisms. This article is protected by copyright. All...

  20. Distinct genomic architecture of Plasmodium falciparum populations from South Asia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Shiva; Mudeppa, Devaraja G; Sharma, Ambika; Mascarenhas, Anjali; Dash, Rashmi; Pereira, Ligia; Shaik, Riaz Basha; Maki, Jennifer N; White, John; Zuo, Wenyun; Tuljapurkar, Shripad; Duraisingh, Manoj T; Gomes, Edwin; Chery, Laura; Rathod, Pradipsinh K

    Previous whole genome comparisons of Plasmodium falciparum populations have not included collections from the Indian subcontinent, even though two million Indians contract malaria and about 50,000 die from the disease every year. Stratification of global parasites has revealed spatial relatedness of parasite genotypes on different continents. Here, genomic analysis was further improved to obtain country-level resolution by removing var genes and intergenic regions from distance calculations. P. falciparum genomes from India were found to be most closely related to each other. Their nearest neighbors were from Bangladesh and Myanmar, followed by Thailand. Samples from the rest of Southeast Asia, Africa and South America were increasingly more distant, demonstrating a high-resolution genomic-geographic continuum. Such genome stratification approaches will help monitor variations of malaria parasites within South Asia and future changes in parasite populations that may arise from in-country and cross-border migrations. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Structure and Functions of Linker Histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyubitelev, A V; Nikitin, D V; Shaytan, A K; Studitsky, V M; Kirpichnikov, M P

    2016-03-01

    Linker histones such as variants H1, H5, and other similar proteins play an important role in regulation of chromatin structure and dynamics. However, interactions of linker histones with DNA and proteins, as well as specific functions of their different variants, are poorly studied. This is because they acquire tertiary structure only when interacting with a nucleosome, and because of limitations of currently available methods. However, deeper investigation of linker histones and their interactions with other proteins will address a number of important questions - from structure of compacted chromatin to regulation of early embryogenesis. In this review, structures of histone H1 variants and its interaction with chromatin DNA are considered. A possible functional significance of different H1 variants, a role of these proteins in maintaining interphase chromatin structure, and interactions of linker histones with other cellular proteins are also discussed.

  2. Molecular Investigation into a Malaria Outbreak in Cusco, Peru: Plasmodium falciparum BV1 Lineage is Linked to a Second Outbreak in Recent Times

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okoth, Sheila Akinyi; Chenet, Stella M.; Arrospide, Nancy; Gutierrez, Sonia; Cabezas, Cesar; Matta, Jose Antonio; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam

    2016-01-01

    In November 2013, a Plasmodium falciparum malaria outbreak of 11 cases occurred in Cusco, southern Peru, where falciparum malaria had not been reported since 1946. Although initial microscopic diagnosis reported only Plasmodium vivax infection in each of the specimens, subsequent examination by the national reference laboratory confirmed P. falciparum infection in all samples. Molecular typing of four available isolates revealed identity as the B-variant (BV1) strain that was responsible for a malaria outbreak in Tumbes, northern Peru, between 2010 and 2012. The P. falciparum BV1 strain is multidrug resistant, can escape detection by PfHRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests, and has contributed to two malaria outbreaks in Peru. This investigation highlights the importance of accurate species diagnosis given the potential for P. falciparum to be reintroduced to regions where it may have been absent. Similar molecular epidemiological investigations can track the probable source(s) of outbreak parasite strains for malaria surveillance and control purposes. PMID:26483121

  3. dKDM2 couples histone H2A ubiquitylation to histone H3 demethylation during Polycomb group silencing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A. Lagarou (Anna); A.B. Mohd Sarip; Y.M. Moshkin (Yuri); G.E. Chalkley (Gillian); K. Bezstarosti (Karel); J.A.A. Demmers (Jeroen); C.P. Verrijzer (Peter)

    2008-01-01

    textabstractTranscription regulation involves enzyme-mediated changes in chromatin structure. Here, we describe a novel mode of histone crosstalk during gene silencing, in which histone H2A monoubiquitylation is coupled to the removal of histone H3 Lys 36 dimethylation (H3K36me2). This pathway was

  4. Nuclear lactate dehydrogenase modulates histone modification in human hepatocytes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Castonguay, Zachary; Auger, Christopher; Thomas, Sean C.; Chahma, M’hamed; Appanna, Vasu D., E-mail: vappanna@laurentian.ca

    2014-11-07

    Highlights: • Nuclear LDH is up-regulated under oxidative stress. • SIRT1 is co-immunoprecipitated bound to nuclear LDH. • Nuclear LDH is involved in histone deacetylation and epigenetics. - Abstract: It is becoming increasingly apparent that the nucleus harbors metabolic enzymes that affect genetic transforming events. Here, we describe a nuclear isoform of lactate dehydrogenase (nLDH) and its ability to orchestrate histone deacetylation by controlling the availability of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD{sup +}), a key ingredient of the sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) deacetylase system. There was an increase in the expression of nLDH concomitant with the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) in the culture medium. Under oxidative stress, the NAD{sup +} generated by nLDH resulted in the enhanced deacetylation of histones compared to the control hepatocytes despite no discernable change in the levels of SIRT1. There appeared to be an intimate association between nLDH and SIRT1 as these two enzymes co-immunoprecipitated. The ability of nLDH to regulate epigenetic modifications by manipulating NAD{sup +} reveals an intricate link between metabolism and the processing of genetic information.

  5. Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium falciparum Populations in Malaria Declining Areas of Sabah, East Malaysia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohd Ridzuan Mohd Abd Razak

    Full Text Available Malaysia has a national goal to eliminate malaria by 2020. Understanding the genetic diversity of malaria parasites in residual transmission foci can provide invaluable information which may inform the intervention strategies used to reach elimination targets. This study was conducted to determine the genetic diversity level of P. falciparum isolates in malaria residual foci areas of Sabah. Malaria active case detection was conducted in Kalabakan and Kota Marudu. All individuals in the study sites were screened for malaria infection by rapid diagnostic test. Blood from P. falciparum-infected individuals were collected on filter paper prior to DNA extraction. Genotyping was performed using merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1, merozoite surface protein-2 (MSP-2, glutamate rich protein (GLURP and 10 neutral microsatellite loci markers. The size of alleles, multiplicity of infection (MOI, mean number of alleles (Na, expected heterozygosity (He, linkage disequilibrium (LD and genetic differentiation (FST were determined. In Kalabakan, the MSP-1 and MSP-2 alleles were predominantly K1 and FC27 family types, respectively. The GLURP genotype VI (751-800 bp was predominant. The MOI for MSP-1 and MSP-2 were 1.65 and 1.20, respectively. The Na per microsatellite locus was 1.70. The He values for MSP-1, MSP-2, GLURP and neutral microsatellites were 0.17, 0.37, 0.70 and 0.33, respectively. In Kota Marudu, the MSP-1 and MSP-2 alleles were predominantly MAD20 and 3D7 family types, respectively. The GLURP genotype IV (651-700 bp was predominant. The MOI for both MSP-1 and MSP-2 was 1.05. The Na per microsatellite locus was 3.60. The He values for MSP-1, MSP-2, GLURP and neutral microsatellites were 0.24, 0.25, 0.69 and 0.30, respectively. A significant LD was observed in Kalabakan (0.495, p<0.01 and Kota Marudu P. falciparum populations (0.601, p<0.01. High genetic differentiation between Kalabakan and Kota Marudu P. falciparum populations was observed (FST = 0

  6. Antimalarial activity of potential inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase enzyme selected by docking studies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia Penna-Coutinho

    Full Text Available The Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (PfLDH has been considered as a potential molecular target for antimalarials due to this parasite's dependence on glycolysis for energy production. Because the LDH enzymes found in P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale (pLDH all exhibit ∼90% identity to PfLDH, it would be desirable to have new anti-pLDH drugs, particularly ones that are effective against P. falciparum, the most virulent species of human malaria. Our present work used docking studies to select potential inhibitors of pLDH, which were then tested for antimalarial activity against P. falciparum in vitro and P. berghei malaria in mice. A virtual screening in DrugBank for analogs of NADH (an essential cofactor to pLDH and computational studies were undertaken, and the potential binding of the selected compounds to the PfLDH active site was analyzed using Molegro Virtual Docker software. Fifty compounds were selected based on their similarity to NADH. The compounds with the best binding energies (itraconazole, atorvastatin and posaconazole were tested against P. falciparum chloroquine-resistant blood parasites. All three compounds proved to be active in two immunoenzymatic assays performed in parallel using monoclonals specific to PfLDH or a histidine rich protein (HRP2. The IC(50 values for each drug in both tests were similar, were lowest for posaconazole (<5 µM and were 40- and 100-fold less active than chloroquine. The compounds reduced P. berghei parasitemia in treated mice, in comparison to untreated controls; itraconazole was the least active compound. The results of these activity trials confirmed that molecular docking studies are an important strategy for discovering new antimalarial drugs. This approach is more practical and less expensive than discovering novel compounds that require studies on human toxicology, since these compounds are already commercially available and thus approved for human use.

  7. Increased prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Honduras, Central America Aumento de la prevalencia de malaria por Plasmodium falciparum en Honduras, Centroamerica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carol J. Palmer

    1998-07-01

    Full Text Available We report on our investigation of a malaria outbreak in Honduras, Central America, in January 1997. We tested 202 patients with fever and chills using thin and thick blood film microscopy. Sixteen patients lived in the city and the rest lived in rural areas. A total of 95 samples (47% were positive for malaria parasites. Seventy-nine percent (63/80 of the rural patients were infected with Plasmodium vivax and 21% (17/80 were infected with P. falciparum. In the urban area, all 15 infected patients had P. vivax malaria and none showed evidence of P. falciparum. Since previous reports indicate that falciparum malaria accounts for only 2% of the overall malaria infections in Honduras, the results reported here suggest that there is a dramatic increase in falciparum malaria in the area of Honduras investigated in this study.Notificamos los resultados de un estudio de un brote de malaria que se produjo en Honduras, Centroamérica, en enero de 1997. Sometimos a examen microscópico frotis delgados y frotis gruesos de la sangre de 202 pacientes con fiebre y escalofríos. Dieciséis pacientes eran habitantes de la zona urbana y el resto de la zona rural. Un total de 95 especímenes (47% fueron positivos a parásitos de la malaria. Setenta y ocho por ciento (62/80 de los pacientes del área rural estaban infestados con Plasmodium vivax y 22% (17/80 con P. falciparum. En la zona urbana, todos los 15 pacientes que estaban infestados tenían P. vivax y en ninguno se detectó P. falciparum. Ya que según informes previos la malaria de tipo falciparum representa solamente 2% de todos los casos de malaria en Honduras, nuestros resultados sugieren que hay un gran incremento del número de casos de malaria falciparum en la zona de Honduras en que se llevó a cabo esta investigación.

  8. Interleukin-10 regulates hepcidin in Plasmodium falciparum malaria

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Honglei; Lamikanra, Abigail A.; Alkaitis, Matthew S.; Thé zé nas, Marie L.; Ramaprasad, Abhinay; Moussa, Ehab; Roberts, David J.; Casals-Pascual, Climent

    2014-01-01

    . falciparum malaria. Methods: We have measured secretion of hepcidin by primary macrophages and the hepatoma cell line HepG2 stimulated with IL-10, IL-6 and Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Findings: We have observed that IL-10 and IL-6 production

  9. Regulation of human histone gene expression: transcriptional and posttranscriptional control in the coupling of histone messenger RNA stability with DNA replication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baumbach, L.L.; Stein, G.S.; Stein, J.L.

    1987-01-01

    The extent to which transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation contributes to the coupling of histone gene expression and DNA replication was examined during the cell cycle in synchronized HeLa S3 cells. Rates of transcription were determined in vitro in isolated nuclei. A 3-5-fold increase in cell cycle dependent histone gene transcription was observed in early S phase, prior to the peak of DNA synthesis. This result is consistent with a previous determination of histone mRNA synthesis in intact cells. The transcription of these genes did not change appreciably after inhibition of DNA replication by hydroxyurea treatment, although Northern blot analysis indicated that cellular levels of histone mRNA decreased rapidly in the presence of the drug. Total cellular levels of histone mRNA closely parallel the rate of DNA synthesis as a function of cell cycle progression, reaching a maximal 20-fold increase as compared with non S phase levels. This DNA synthesis dependent accumulation of histone mRNA occurs predominantly in the cytoplasm and appears to be mediated primarily by control of histone mRNA stability. Changes in nuclear histone mRNA levels were less pronounced. These combined observations suggest that both transcriptional regulation and posttranscriptional regulation contribute toward control of the cell cycle dependent accumulation of histone mRNA during S phase, while the stability of histone mRNA throughout S phase and the selective turnover of histone mRNAs, either at the natural termination of S phase or following inhibition of DNA synthesis, are posttranscriptionally regulated

  10. Histone Acetylation in Fungal Pathogens of Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junhyun Jeon

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Acetylation of histone lysine residues occurs in different organisms ranging from yeast to plants and mammals for the regulation of diverse cellular processes. With the identification of enzymes that create or reverse this modification, our understanding on histone acetylation has expanded at an amazing pace during the last two decades. In fungal pathogens of plants, however, the importance of such modification has only just begun to be appreciated in the recent years and there is a dearth of information on how histone acetylation is implicated in fungal pathogenesis. This review covers the current status of research related to histone acetylation in plant pathogenic fungi and considers relevant findings in the interaction between fungal pathogens and host plants. We first describe the families of histone acetyltransferases and deacetylases. Then we provide the cases where histone acetylation was investigated in the context of fungal pathogenesis. Finally, future directions and perspectives in epigenetics of fungal pathogenesis are discussed.

  11. Extracellular histones in tissue injury and inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allam, Ramanjaneyulu; Kumar, Santhosh V R; Darisipudi, Murthy N; Anders, Hans-Joachim

    2014-05-01

    Neutrophil NETosis is an important element of host defense as it catapults chromatin out of the cell to trap bacteria, which then are killed, e.g., by the chromatin's histone component. Also, during sterile inflammation TNF-alpha and other mediators trigger NETosis, which elicits cytotoxic effects on host cells. The same mechanism should apply to other forms of regulated necrosis including pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and cyclophilin D-mediated regulated necrosis. Beyond these toxic effects, extracellular histones also trigger thrombus formation and innate immunity by activating Toll-like receptors and the NLRP3 inflammasome. Thereby, extracellular histones contribute to the microvascular complications of sepsis, major trauma, small vessel vasculitis as well as acute liver, kidney, brain, and lung injury. Finally, histones prevent the degradation of extracellular DNA, which promotes autoimmunization, anti-nuclear antibody formation, and autoimmunity in susceptible individuals. Here, we review the current evidence on the pathogenic role of extracellular histones in disease and discuss how to target extracellular histones to improve disease outcomes.

  12. Histones of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Synthesis, acetylation, and methylation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waterborg, J.H.; Robertson, A.J.; Tatar, D.L.; Borza, C.M.; Davie, J.R.

    1995-01-01

    Histones of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were prepared by a new method and fractionated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Acid-urea-Triton gel analysis and tritiated acetate labeling demonstrated high levels of steady-state acetylation for the single histone H3 protein, in contrast to low levels on histones H4 and H2B. Twenty percent of histone H3 is subject to dynamic acetylation with, on average, three acetylated lysine residues per protein molecule. Histone synthesis in light-dark-synchronized cultures was biphasic with pattern differences between two histone H1 variants, between two H2A variants, and between H2B and ubiquitinated H2B. Automated protein sequence analysis of histone H3 demonstrated a site-specific pattern of steady-state acetylation between 7 and 17% at five of the six amino-terminal lysines and of monomethylation between 5 and 81% at five of the eight amino-terminal lysines in a pattern that may limit dynamic acetylation. An algal histone H3 sequence was confirmed by protein sequencing with a since threonine as residue 28 instead of the serine(28)-alanine(29) sequence, present in all other known plant and animal H3 histones

  13. Artemisinin resistance marker of Plasmodium falciparum in Osogbo ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Artemisinin derivatives constitute a key component of the present-day treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Resistance with artemisinins is generally associated with S769N point mutation in the sarco-endoplasmic reticulumdependant ATPase6 (SERCA ATPase6) gene of Plasmodium falciparum, few studies have ...

  14. Population genomics diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in malaria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous malaria parasite species to humans remains an important public health concern in Okelele, a rural community in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. There is however little information about the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in Nigeria. Objective: To determine ...

  15. Enhancing dopaminergic signaling and histone acetylation promotes long-term rescue of deficient fear extinction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whittle, N; Maurer, V; Murphy, C; Rainer, J; Bindreither, D; Hauschild, M; Scharinger, A; Oberhauser, M; Keil, T; Brehm, C; Valovka, T; Striessnig, J; Singewald, N

    2016-01-01

    Extinction-based exposure therapy is used to treat anxiety- and trauma-related disorders; however, there is the need to improve its limited efficacy in individuals with impaired fear extinction learning and to promote greater protection against return-of-fear phenomena. Here, using 129S1/SvImJ mice, which display impaired fear extinction acquisition and extinction consolidation, we revealed that persistent and context-independent rescue of deficient fear extinction in these mice was associated with enhanced expression of dopamine-related genes, such as dopamine D1 (Drd1a) and -D2 (Drd2) receptor genes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and amygdala, but not hippocampus. Moreover, enhanced histone acetylation was observed in the promoter of the extinction-regulated Drd2 gene in the mPFC, revealing a potential gene-regulatory mechanism. Although enhancing histone acetylation, via administering the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor MS-275, does not induce fear reduction during extinction training, it promoted enduring and context-independent rescue of deficient fear extinction consolidation/retrieval once extinction learning was initiated as shown following a mild conditioning protocol. This was associated with enhanced histone acetylation in neurons of the mPFC and amygdala. Finally, as a proof-of-principle, mimicking enhanced dopaminergic signaling by L-dopa treatment rescued deficient fear extinction and co-administration of MS-275 rendered this effect enduring and context-independent. In summary, current data reveal that combining dopaminergic and epigenetic mechanisms is a promising strategy to improve exposure-based behavior therapy in extinction-impaired individuals by initiating the formation of an enduring and context-independent fear-inhibitory memory. PMID:27922638

  16. Gametocytogenesis : the puberty of Plasmodium falciparum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ariey Frédéric

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The protozoan Plasmodium falciparum has a complex life cycle in which asexual multiplication in the vertebrate host alternates with an obligate sexual reproduction in the anopheline mosquito. Apart from the apparent recombination advantages conferred by sex, P. falciparum has evolved a remarkable biology and adaptive phenotypes to insure its transmission despite the dangers of sex. This review mainly focuses on the current knowledge on commitment to sexual development, gametocytogenesis and the evolutionary significance of various aspects of gametocyte biology. It goes further than pure biology to look at the strategies used to improve successful transmission. Although gametocytes are inevitable stages for transmission and provide a potential target to fight malaria, they have received less attention than the pathogenic asexual stages. There is a need for research on gametocytes, which are a fascinating stage, responsible to a large extent for the success of P. falciparum.

  17. Selection of glutamate-rich protein long synthetic peptides for vaccine development: antigenicity and relationship with clinical protection and immunogenicity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Theisen, M; Dodoo, D; Toure-Balde, A

    2001-01-01

    Antibodies against three long synthetic peptides (LSPs) derived from the glutamate-rich protein (GLURP) of Plasmodium falciparum were analyzed in three cohorts from Liberia, Ghana, and Senegal. Two overlapping LSPs, LR67 and LR68, are derived from the relatively conserved N-terminal nonrepeat...

  18. Aging and radiation induced alternations in liver histones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozurkova, M.; Misurova, E.; Kropacova, K.

    1994-01-01

    Age-related changes in histones in the liver of normal rats and in rats irradiated with 5.7 Gy gamma rays were examined. Quantitative histone changes in growing and aging rats (from 1 to 28 months of age) were found to be mild only. As they paralleled the DNA changes, the histone /DNA ratio remained stable with age. In total extracted histones there was a decrease in the H1 proportion in older groups with preceding increase in the H1 grad proportion. Thirty minutes after irradiation the amount of histones was reduced with age, probably due to an impaired extractability of histones. As the quantitative DNA changes were milder, the histone?DNA ratio decreased in aging liver after irradiation. Similar patterns of changes in proportion of the H1 fraction and H1 grad sub-fraction were observed in irradiated and nonirradiated animals in the former with an earlier onset. Irradiation, therefore, accelerated spontaneous age-related alternations. (author)

  19. Histones as mediators of host defense, inflammation and thrombosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoeksema, Marloes; van Eijk, Martin; Haagsman, Henk P; Hartshorn, Kevan L

    2016-01-01

    Histones are known for their ability to bind to and regulate expression of DNA. However, histones are also present in cytoplasm and extracellular fluids where they serve host defense functions and promote inflammatory responses. Histones are a major component of neutrophil extracellular traps that contribute to bacterial killing but also to inflammatory injury. Histones can act as antimicrobial peptides and directly kill bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, in vitro and in a variety of animal hosts. In addition, histones can trigger inflammatory responses in some cases acting through Toll-like receptors or inflammasome pathways. Extracellular histones mediate organ injury (lung, liver), sepsis physiology, thrombocytopenia and thrombin generation and some proteins can bind histones and reduce these potentially harmful effects.

  20. Posttranslational Modifications of the Histone 3 Tail and Their Impact on the Activity of Histone Lysine Demethylases In Vitro

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lohse, Brian; Helgstrand, Charlotte; Andersson, Jan Legaard

    2013-01-01

    mimicking histone H3. Various combinations with other PTMs were employed to study possible cross-talk effects by comparing enzyme kinetic characteristics. We compared the kinetics of histone tail substrates for truncated histone lysine demethylases KDM4A and KDM4C containing only the catalytic core (cc...... toward bis-trimethylated substrates could be observed. Furthermore, a significant difference in the catalytic activity between dimethylated and trimethylated substrates was found for full length demethylases in line with what has been reported previously for truncated demethylases. Histone peptide...

  1. SET oncoprotein accumulation regulates transcription through DNA demethylation and histone hypoacetylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, Luciana O; Neto, Marinaldo P C; Sousa, Lucas O; Tannous, Maryna A; Curti, Carlos; Leopoldino, Andreia M

    2017-04-18

    Epigenetic modifications are essential in the control of normal cellular processes and cancer development. DNA methylation and histone acetylation are major epigenetic modifications involved in gene transcription and abnormal events driving the oncogenic process. SET protein accumulates in many cancer types, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); SET is a member of the INHAT complex that inhibits gene transcription associating with histones and preventing their acetylation. We explored how SET protein accumulation impacts on the regulation of gene expression, focusing on DNA methylation and histone acetylation. DNA methylation profile of 24 tumour suppressors evidenced that SET accumulation decreased DNA methylation in association with loss of 5-methylcytidine, formation of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and increased TET1 levels, indicating an active DNA demethylation mechanism. However, the expression of some suppressor genes was lowered in cells with high SET levels, suggesting that loss of methylation is not the main mechanism modulating gene expression. SET accumulation also downregulated the expression of 32 genes of a panel of 84 transcription factors, and SET directly interacted with chromatin at the promoter of the downregulated genes, decreasing histone acetylation. Gene expression analysis after cell treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA) and Trichostatin A (TSA) revealed that histone acetylation reversed transcription repression promoted by SET. These results suggest a new function for SET in the regulation of chromatin dynamics. In addition, TSA diminished both SET protein levels and SET capability to bind to gene promoter, suggesting that administration of epigenetic modifier agents could be efficient to reverse SET phenotype in cancer.

  2. Deposition of newly synthesized histones: new histones H2A and H2B do not deposit in the same nucleosome with new Histones H3 and H4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, V.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have developed procedures to study histone-histone interactions during the deposition of histones in replicating cells. Cells are labeled for 60 min with dense amino acids, and subsequently, the histones within the nucleosomes are cross-linked into an octameric complex with formaldehyde. These complexes are sedimented to equilibrium in density gradients and octamer and dioctamer complexes separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. With reversal of the cross-link, the distribution of the individual density-labeled histones in the octamer is determined. Newly synthesized H3 and H4 deposits as a tetramer and are associated with old H2A and H2B. Newly synthesized H2A and H2B deposit as a dimer associated with old H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. The significance of these results with respect to the dynamics of histone interactions in the nucleus is discussed. Control experiments are presented to test for artifactual formation of these complexes during preparative procedures. In addition, reconstitution experiments were performed to demonstrate that the composition of these octameric complexes can be determined from their distribution of density gradients

  3. Modulation of histone deacetylase attenuates naloxone-precipitated opioid withdrawal syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehni, Ashish K; Singh, Nirmal; Rachamalla, Mahesh; Tikoo, Kulbhushan

    2012-06-01

    The present study has been designed to investigate the effect of selective inhibitors of histone deacetylase and/or N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-al (Ac-DEVD-CHO), a selective interleukin-1β converting enzyme inhibitor, on the development of naloxone-induced opioid withdrawal syndrome both in vitro and in vivo and the effect of histone deacetylase inhibition on histone H3 acetylation in brain. Sub-acute morphine administration followed by a single injection of naloxone (8 mg/kg, i.p.) was used to precipitate opioid withdrawal syndrome in mice. Behavioral observations were made immediately after naloxone treatment. Withdrawal syndrome was quantitatively assessed in terms of withdrawal severity score and frequency of jumping, rearing, fore paw licking and circling. Separately naloxone-induced contraction in morphine-dependent isolated rat ileum was employed as an in vitro model. An isobolographic study design was employed to assess potential synergistic activity between trichostatin A and Ac-DEVD-CHO. Brain histone acetylation status was examined by western blotting. Injection of naloxone precipitated a severe form of abstinence syndrome in morphine-dependent mice along with strong contracture in isolated rat ileum. Administration of tributyrin (1.5, 3 and 6 g/kg, p.o.), trichostatin A (0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg, p.o.) and Ac-DEVD-CHO (0.3, 1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg, p.o.) markedly and dose dependently attenuated naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome in vivo as well as in vitro in rat ileum. Trichostatin A was also observed to exert a synergistic interaction with Ac-DEVD-CHO. Western blot analysis revealed that multiple administration with the effective dose of tributyrin or trichostatin A in the in vivo experiments induced hyperacetylation of histone H3 in the mouse brain. Thus, it is proposed that histone deacetylase activation linked mechanism might be involved in the development of opioid dependence and the precipitation of its withdrawal syndrome.

  4. Arid5b facilitates chondrogenesis by recruiting the histone demethylase Phf2 to Sox9-regulated genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hata, Kenji; Takashima, Rikako; Amano, Katsuhiko; Ono, Koichiro; Nakanishi, Masako; Yoshida, Michiko; Wakabayashi, Makoto; Matsuda, Akio; Maeda, Yoshinobu; Suzuki, Yutaka; Sugano, Sumio; Whitson, Robert H.; Nishimura, Riko; Yoneda, Toshiyuki

    2013-11-01

    Histone modification, a critical step for epigenetic regulation, is an important modulator of biological events. Sox9 is a transcription factor critical for endochondral ossification; however, proof of its epigenetic regulation remains elusive. Here we identify AT-rich interactive domain 5b (Arid5b) as a transcriptional co-regulator of Sox9. Arid5b physically associates with Sox9 and synergistically induces chondrogenesis. Growth of Arid5b-/- mice is retarded with delayed endochondral ossification. Sox9-dependent chondrogenesis is attenuated in Arid5b-deficient cells. Arid5b recruits Phf2, a histone lysine demethylase, to the promoter region of Sox9 target genes and stimulates H3K9me2 demethylation of these genes. In the promoters of chondrogenic marker genes, H3K9me2 levels are increased in Arid5b-/- chondrocytes. Finally, we show that Phf2 knockdown inhibits Sox9-induced chondrocyte differentiation. Our findings establish an epigenomic mechanism of skeletal development, whereby Arid5b promotes chondrogenesis by facilitating Phf2-mediated histone demethylation of Sox9-regulated chondrogenic gene promoters.

  5. Construct design, production, and characterization of Plasmodium falciparum 48/45 R0.6C subunit protein produced in Lactococcus lactis as candidate vaccine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Singh, Susheel K; Roeffen, Will; Mistarz, Ulrik H

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The sexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum are responsible for the spread of the parasite in malaria endemic areas. The cysteine-rich Pfs48/45 protein, exposed on the surface of sexual stages, is one of the most advanced antigens for inclusion into a vaccine that will block transmissi...

  6. Diversity of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt exon 2 haplotypes in the Pacific from 1959 to 1979.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chim W Chan

    Full Text Available Nearly one million deaths are attributed to malaria every year. Recent reports of multi-drug treatment failure of falciparum malaria underscore the need to understand the molecular basis of drug resistance. Multiple mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt are involved in chloroquine resistance, but the evolution of complex haplotypes is not yet well understood. Using over 4,500 archival human serum specimens collected from 19 Pacific populations between 1959 and 1979, the period including and just prior to the appearance of chloroquine treatment failure in the Pacific, we PCR-amplified and sequenced a portion of the pfcrt exon 2 from 771 P. falciparum-infected individuals to explore the spatial and temporal variation in falciparum malaria prevalence and the evolution of chloroquine resistance. In the Pacific, the prevalence of P. falciparum varied considerably across ecological zones. On the island of New Guinea, the decreases in prevalence of P. falciparum in coastal, high-transmission areas over time were contrasted by the increase in prevalence during the same period in the highlands, where transmission was intermittent. We found 78 unique pfcrt haplotypes consisting of 34 amino acid substitutions and 28 synonymous mutations. More importantly, two pfcrt mutations (N75D and K76T implicated in chloroquine resistance were present in parasites from New Hebrides (now Vanuatu eight years before the first report of treatment failure. Our results also revealed unexpectedly high levels of genetic diversity in pfcrt exon 2 prior to the historical chloroquine resistance selective sweep, particularly in areas where disease burden was relatively low. In the Pacific, parasite genetic isolation, as well as host acquired immune status and genetic resistance to malaria, were important contributors to the evolution of chloroquine resistance in P. falciparum.

  7. Histone displacement during nucleotide excision repair

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dinant, C.; Bartek, J.; Bekker-Jensen, S.

    2012-01-01

    Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is an important DNA repair mechanism required for cellular resistance against UV light and toxic chemicals such as those found in tobacco smoke. In living cells, NER efficiently detects and removes DNA lesions within the large nuclear macromolecular complex called...... of histone variants and histone displacement (including nucleosome sliding). Here we review current knowledge, and speculate about current unknowns, regarding those chromatin remodeling activities that physically displace histones before, during and after NER....

  8. The specification and global reprogramming of histone epigenetic marks during gamete formation and early embryo development in C. elegans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Samson

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available In addition to the DNA contributed by sperm and oocytes, embryos receive parent-specific epigenetic information that can include histone variants, histone post-translational modifications (PTMs, and DNA methylation. However, a global view of how such marks are erased or retained during gamete formation and reprogrammed after fertilization is lacking. To focus on features conveyed by histones, we conducted a large-scale proteomic identification of histone variants and PTMs in sperm and mixed-stage embryo chromatin from C. elegans, a species that lacks conserved DNA methylation pathways. The fate of these histone marks was then tracked using immunostaining. Proteomic analysis found that sperm harbor ∼2.4 fold lower levels of histone PTMs than embryos and revealed differences in classes of PTMs between sperm and embryos. Sperm chromatin repackaging involves the incorporation of the sperm-specific histone H2A variant HTAS-1, a widespread erasure of histone acetylation, and the retention of histone methylation at sites that mark the transcriptional history of chromatin domains during spermatogenesis. After fertilization, we show HTAS-1 and 6 histone PTM marks distinguish sperm and oocyte chromatin in the new embryo and characterize distinct paternal and maternal histone remodeling events during the oocyte-to-embryo transition. These include the exchange of histone H2A that is marked by ubiquitination, retention of HTAS-1, removal of the H2A variant HTZ-1, and differential reprogramming of histone PTMs. This work identifies novel and conserved features of paternal chromatin that are specified during spermatogenesis and processed in the embryo. Furthermore, our results show that different species, even those with diverged DNA packaging and imprinting strategies, use conserved histone modification and removal mechanisms to reprogram epigenetic information.

  9. Histone Lysine Methylation in Diabetic Nephropathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guang-dong Sun

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Diabetic nephropathy (DN belongs to debilitating microvascular complications of diabetes and is the leading cause of end-stage renal diseases worldwide. Furthermore, outcomes from the DCCT/EDIC study showed that DN often persists and progresses despite intensive glucose control in many diabetes patients, possibly as a result of prior episode of hyperglycemia, which is called “metabolic memory.” The underlying mechanisms responsible for the development and progression of DN remain poorly understood. Activation of multiple signaling pathways and key transcription factors can lead to aberrant expression of DN-related pathologic genes in target renal cells. Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms in chromatin such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and methylation can influence the pathophysiology of DN and metabolic memory. Exciting researches from cell culture and experimental animals have shown that key histone methylation patterns and the related histone methyltransferases and histone demethylases can play important roles in the regulation of inflammatory and profibrotic genes in renal cells under diabetic conditions. Because histone methylation is dynamic and potentially reversible, it can provide a window of opportunity for the development of much-needed novel therapeutic potential for DN in the future. In this minireview, we discuss recent advances in the field of histone methylation and its roles in the pathogenesis and progression of DN.

  10. Plasmodium falciparum malaria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Durrheim, Karen Barnes. Objectives. To assess the therapeutic efficacy of sulfadoxine- pyrimethamine (SP) after 5 years of use as first-line treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, and thus guide the selection of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Design. An open-label ...

  11. Human borna disease virus infection impacts host proteome and histone lysine acetylation in human oligodendroglia cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Xia [Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Department of Neurology, The Fifth People' s Hospital of Shanghai, School of Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200240 (China); Zhao, Libo [Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Department of Neurology, The Third People' s Hospital of Chongqing, 400014 (China); Yang, Yongtao [Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); Bode, Liv [Bornavirus Research Group affiliated to the Free University of Berlin, Berlin (Germany); Huang, Hua [Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); Liu, Chengyu [Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); Huang, Rongzhong [Department of Rehabilitative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400010 (China); Zhang, Liang [Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016 (China); Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 (China); and others

    2014-09-15

    Background: Borna disease virus (BDV) replicates in the nucleus and establishes persistent infections in mammalian hosts. A human BDV strain was used to address the first time, how BDV infection impacts the proteome and histone lysine acetylation (Kac) of human oligodendroglial (OL) cells, thus allowing a better understanding of infection-driven pathophysiology in vitro. Methods: Proteome and histone lysine acetylation were profiled through stable isotope labeling for cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics. The quantifiable proteome was annotated using bioinformatics. Histone acetylation changes were validated by biochemistry assays. Results: Post BDV infection, 4383 quantifiable differential proteins were identified and functionally annotated to metabolism pathways, immune response, DNA replication, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation. Sixteen of the thirty identified Kac sites in core histones presented altered acetylation levels post infection. Conclusions: BDV infection using a human strain impacted the whole proteome and histone lysine acetylation in OL cells. - Highlights: • A human strain of BDV (BDV Hu-H1) was used to infect human oligodendroglial cells (OL cells). • This study is the first to reveal the host proteomic and histone Kac profiles in BDV-infected OL cells. • BDV infection affected the expression of many transcription factors and several HATs and HDACs.

  12. Human borna disease virus infection impacts host proteome and histone lysine acetylation in human oligodendroglia cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Xia; Zhao, Libo; Yang, Yongtao; Bode, Liv; Huang, Hua; Liu, Chengyu; Huang, Rongzhong; Zhang, Liang

    2014-01-01

    Background: Borna disease virus (BDV) replicates in the nucleus and establishes persistent infections in mammalian hosts. A human BDV strain was used to address the first time, how BDV infection impacts the proteome and histone lysine acetylation (Kac) of human oligodendroglial (OL) cells, thus allowing a better understanding of infection-driven pathophysiology in vitro. Methods: Proteome and histone lysine acetylation were profiled through stable isotope labeling for cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics. The quantifiable proteome was annotated using bioinformatics. Histone acetylation changes were validated by biochemistry assays. Results: Post BDV infection, 4383 quantifiable differential proteins were identified and functionally annotated to metabolism pathways, immune response, DNA replication, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation. Sixteen of the thirty identified Kac sites in core histones presented altered acetylation levels post infection. Conclusions: BDV infection using a human strain impacted the whole proteome and histone lysine acetylation in OL cells. - Highlights: • A human strain of BDV (BDV Hu-H1) was used to infect human oligodendroglial cells (OL cells). • This study is the first to reveal the host proteomic and histone Kac profiles in BDV-infected OL cells. • BDV infection affected the expression of many transcription factors and several HATs and HDACs

  13. Boric acid inhibits embryonic histone deacetylases: A suggested mechanism to explain boric acid-related teratogenicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Renzo, Francesca; Cappelletti, Graziella; Broccia, Maria L.; Giavini, Erminio; Menegola, Elena

    2007-01-01

    Histone deacetylases (HDAC) control gene expression by changing histonic as well as non histonic protein conformation. HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) are considered to be among the most promising drugs for epigenetic treatment for cancer. Recently a strict relationship between histone hyperacetylation in specific tissues of mouse embryos exposed to two HDACi (valproic acid and trichostatin A) and specific axial skeleton malformations has been demonstrated. The aim of this study is to verify if boric acid (BA), that induces in rodents malformations similar to those valproic acid and trichostatin A-related, acts through similar mechanisms: HDAC inhibition and histone hyperacetylation. Pregnant mice were treated intraperitoneally with a teratogenic dose of BA (1000 mg/kg, day 8 of gestation). Western blot analysis and immunostaining were performed with anti hyperacetylated histone 4 (H4) antibody on embryos explanted 1, 3 or 4 h after treatment and revealed H4 hyperacetylation at the level of somites. HDAC enzyme assay was performed on embryonic nuclear extracts. A significant HDAC inhibition activity (compatible with a mixed type partial inhibition mechanism) was evident with BA. Kinetic analyses indicate that BA modifies substrate affinity by a factor α = 0.51 and maximum velocity by a factor β = 0.70. This work provides the first evidence for HDAC inhibition by BA and suggests such a molecular mechanism for the induction of BA-related malformations

  14. On Programmed Cell Death in Plasmodium falciparum: Status Quo

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelbrecht, Dewaldt; Durand, Pierre Marcel; Coetzer, Thérèsa Louise

    2012-01-01

    Conflicting arguments and results exist regarding the occurrence and phenotype of programmed cell death (PCD) in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Inconsistencies relate mainly to the number and type of PCD markers assessed and the different methodologies used in the studies. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge and empirical evidence for PCD in the intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum. We consider possible reasons for discrepancies in the data and offer suggestions towards more standardised investigation methods in this field. Furthermore, we present genomic evidence for PCD machinery in P. falciparum. We discuss the potential adaptive or nonadaptive role of PCD in the parasite life cycle and its possible exploitation in the development of novel drug targets. Lastly, we pose pertinent unanswered questions concerning the PCD phenomenon in P. falciparum to provide future direction. PMID:22287973

  15. Decreased level of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and alteration of structural integrity in erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium falciparum in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubey, M L; Hegde, Ramakrishna; Ganguly, N K; Mahajan, R C

    2003-04-01

    2,3-Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), an intracellular metabolite of glycolytic pathway is known to affect the oxygen binding capacity of haemoglobin and mechanical properties of the red blood cells. 2,3-DPG levels have been reported to be elevated during anaemic conditions including visceral leishmaniasis. 2,3-DPG activity in P. falciparum infected red blood cells, particularly in cells infected with different stages of the parasite and its relationship with structural integrity of the cells is not known. Chloroquine sensitive and resistant strains of P. falciparum were cultured in vitro and synchronized cultures of ring, trophozoite and schizont stage rich cells along with the uninfected control erythrocytes were assayed for 2,3-DPG activity and osmotic fragility. It was observed that in both the strains, in infected erythrocytes the 2,3-DPG activity gradually decreased and osmotic fragility gradually increased as the parasite matured from ring to schizont stage. The decrease in 2,3-DPG may probably be due to increased pyruvate kinase activity of parasite origin, which has been shown in erythrocytes infected with several species of Plasmodium. The absence of compensatory increase in 2,3-DPG in P. falciparum infected erythrocytes may aggravate hypoxia due to anaemia in malaria and probably may contribute to hypoxia in cerebral malaria. As 2,3-DPG was not found to be increased in erythrocytes parasitized with P. falciparum, the increased osmotic fragility observed in these cells is not due to increased 2,3-DPG as has been suggested in visceral leishmaniasis.

  16. Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein-1 (block 2), glutamate-rich protein and sexual stage antigen Pfs25 from Chandigarh, North India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Hargobinder; Sehgal, Rakesh; Goyal, Kapil; Makkar, Nikita; Yadav, Richa; Bharti, Praveen K; Singh, Neeru; Sarmah, Nilanju P; Mohapatra, Pradyumna K; Mahanta, Jagadish; Bansal, Devendra; Sultan, Ali A; Kanwar, Jagat R

    2017-12-01

    To elucidate the genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in residual transmission foci of northern India. Clinically suspected patients with malaria were screened for malaria infection by microscopy. 48 P. falciparum-infected patients were enrolled from tertiary care hospital in Chandigarh, India. Blood samples were collected from enrolled patients, genomic DNA extraction and nested PCR was performed for further species confirmation. Sanger sequencing was carried out using block 2 region of msp1, R2 region of glurp and pfs25-specific primers. Extensive diversity was found in msp1 alleles with predominantly RO33 alleles. Overall allelic prevalence was 55.8% for RO33, 39.5% for MAD20 and 4.7% for K1. Six variants were observed in MAD20, whereas no variant was found in RO33 and K1 alleles. A phylogenetic analysis of RO33 alleles indicated more similarity to South African isolates, whereas MAD20 alleles showed similarity with South-East Asian isolates. In glurp, extensive variation was observed with eleven different alleles based on the AAU repeats. However, pfs25 showed less diversity and was the most stable among the targeted genes. Our findings document the genetic diversity among circulating strains of P. falciparum in an area of India with low malaria transmission and could have implications for control strategies to reach the national goal of malaria elimination. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Histone Deacetylase Inhibition Promotes Osteoblast Maturation by Altering the Histone H4 Epigenome and Reduces Akt Phosphorylation*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudakovic, Amel; Evans, Jared M.; Li, Ying; Middha, Sumit; McGee-Lawrence, Meghan E.; van Wijnen, Andre J.; Westendorf, Jennifer J.

    2013-01-01

    Bone has remarkable regenerative capacity, but this ability diminishes during aging. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) promote terminal osteoblast differentiation and extracellular matrix production in culture. The epigenetic events altered by HDIs in osteoblasts may hold clues for the development of new anabolic treatments for osteoporosis and other conditions of low bone mass. To assess how HDIs affect the epigenome of committed osteoblasts, MC3T3 cells were treated with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and subjected to microarray gene expression profiling and high-throughput ChIP-Seq analysis. As expected, SAHA induced differentiation and matrix calcification of osteoblasts in vitro. ChIP-Seq analysis revealed that SAHA increased histone H4 acetylation genome-wide and in differentially regulated genes, except for the 500 bp upstream of transcriptional start sites. Pathway analysis indicated that SAHA increased the expression of insulin signaling modulators, including Slc9a3r1. SAHA decreased phosphorylation of insulin receptor β, Akt, and the Akt substrate FoxO1, resulting in FoxO1 stabilization. Thus, SAHA induces genome-wide H4 acetylation and modulates the insulin/Akt/FoxO1 signaling axis, whereas it promotes terminal osteoblast differentiation in vitro. PMID:23940046

  18. Antimicrobial histones and DNA traps in invertebrate immunity: evidences in Crassostrea gigas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poirier, Aurore C; Schmitt, Paulina; Rosa, Rafael D; Vanhove, Audrey S; Kieffer-Jaquinod, Sylvie; Rubio, Tristan P; Charrière, Guillaume M; Destoumieux-Garzón, Delphine

    2014-09-05

    Although antimicrobial histones have been isolated from multiple metazoan species, their role in host defense has long remained unanswered. We found here that the hemocytes of the oyster Crassostrea gigas release antimicrobial H1-like and H5-like histones in response to tissue damage and infection. These antimicrobial histones were shown to be associated with extracellular DNA networks released by hemocytes, the circulating immune cells of invertebrates, in response to immune challenge. The hemocyte-released DNA was found to surround and entangle vibrios. This defense mechanism is reminiscent of the neutrophil extracellular traps (ETs) recently described in vertebrates. Importantly, oyster ETs were evidenced in vivo in hemocyte-infiltrated interstitial tissues surrounding wounds, whereas they were absent from tissues of unchallenged oysters. Consistently, antimicrobial histones were found to accumulate in oyster tissues following injury or infection with vibrios. Finally, oyster ET formation was highly dependent on the production of reactive oxygen species by hemocytes. This shows that ET formation relies on common cellular and molecular mechanisms from vertebrates to invertebrates. Altogether, our data reveal that ET formation is a defense mechanism triggered by infection and tissue damage, which is shared by relatively distant species suggesting either evolutionary conservation or convergent evolution within Bilateria. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. Histone demethylases in development and disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Marianne Terndrup; Helin, Kristian

    2010-01-01

    Histone modifications serve as regulatory marks that are instrumental for the control of transcription and chromatin architecture. Strict regulation of gene expression patterns is crucial during development and differentiation, where diverse cell types evolve from common predecessors. Since...... the first histone lysine demethylase was discovered in 2004, a number of demethylases have been identified and implicated in the control of gene expression programmes and cell fate decisions. Histone demethylases are now emerging as important players in developmental processes and have been linked to human...

  20. High-Dose Chloroquine for Treatment of Chloroquine-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum Malaria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ursing, Johan; Rombo, Lars; Bergqvist, Yngve

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND:  Due to development of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum new antimalarial therapies are needed. In Guinea-Bissau, routinely used triple standard-dose chloroquine remained effective for decades despite the existence of "chloroquine-resistant" P. falciparum. This study aimed...... to determine the in vivo efficacy of higher chloroquine concentrations against P. falciparum with resistance-conferring genotypes. METHODS:  Standard or double-dose chloroquine was given to 892 children aged ...-up. The P. falciparum resistance-conferring genotype (pfcrt 76T) and day 7 chloroquine concentrations were determined. Data were divided into age groups (chloroquine is prescribed according to body weight. RESULTS:  Adequate clinical...

  1. Flexible histone tails in a new mesoscopic oligonucleosome model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arya, Gaurav; Zhang, Qing; Schlick, Tamar

    2006-07-01

    We describe a new mesoscopic model of oligonucleosomes that incorporates flexible histone tails. The nucleosome cores are modeled using the discrete surface-charge optimization model, which treats the nucleosome as an electrostatic surface represented by hundreds of point charges; the linker DNAs are treated using a discrete elastic chain model; and the histone tails are modeled using a bead/chain hydrodynamic approach as chains of connected beads where each bead represents five protein residues. Appropriate charges and force fields are assigned to each histone chain so as to reproduce the electrostatic potential, structure, and dynamics of the corresponding atomistic histone tails at different salt conditions. The dynamics of resulting oligonucleosomes at different sizes and varying salt concentrations are simulated by Brownian dynamics with complete hydrodynamic interactions. The analyses demonstrate that the new mesoscopic model reproduces experimental results better than its predecessors, which modeled histone tails as rigid entities. In particular, our model with flexible histone tails: correctly accounts for salt-dependent conformational changes in the histone tails; yields the experimentally obtained values of histone-tail mediated core/core attraction energies; and considers the partial shielding of electrostatic repulsion between DNA linkers as a result of the spatial distribution of histone tails. These effects are crucial for regulating chromatin structure but are absent or improperly treated in models with rigid histone tails. The development of this model of oligonucleosomes thus opens new avenues for studying the role of histone tails and their variants in mediating gene expression through modulation of chromatin structure.

  2. Potential non-oncological applications of histone deacetylase inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ververis, Katherine; Karagiannis, Tom C

    2011-01-01

    Histone deacetylase inhibitors have emerged as a new class of anticancer therapeutic drugs. Their clinical utility in oncology stems from their intrinsic cytotoxic properties and combinatorial effects with other conventional cancer therapies. To date, the histone deacetylase inhibitors suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (Vorinostat, Zolinza®) and depsipeptide (Romidepsin, Istodax®) have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Further, there are currently over 100 clinical trials involving the use of histone deacetylase inhibitors in a wide range of solid and hematological malignancies. The therapeutic potential of histone deacetylase inhibitors has also been investigated for numerous other diseases. For example, the cytotoxic properties of histone deacetylase inhibitors are currently being harnessed as a potential treatment for malaria, whereas the efficacy of these compounds for HIV relies on de-silencing latent virus. The anti-inflammatory properties of histone deacetylase inhibitors are the predominant mechanisms for other diseases, such as hepatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus and a wide range of neurodegenerative conditions. Additionally, histone deacetylase inhibitors have been shown to be efficacious in animal models of cardiac hypertrophy and asthma. Broad-spectrum histone deacetylase inhibitors are clinically available and have been used almost exclusively in preclinical systems to date. However, it is emerging that class- or isoform-specific compounds, which are becoming more readily available, may be more efficacious particularly for non-oncological applications. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the effects and clinical potential of histone deacetylase inhibitors in various diseases. Apart from applications in oncology, the discussion is focused on the potential efficacy of histone deacetylase inhibitors for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiac

  3. Erythrocytic Adenosine Monophosphate as an Alternative Purine Source in Plasmodium falciparum*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cassera, María B.; Hazleton, Keith Z.; Riegelhaupt, Paul M.; Merino, Emilio F.; Luo, Minkui; Akabas, Myles H.; Schramm, Vern L.

    2008-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum is a purine auxotroph, salvaging purines from erythrocytes for synthesis of RNA and DNA. Hypoxanthine is the key precursor for purine metabolism in Plasmodium. Inhibition of hypoxanthine-forming reactions in both erythrocytes and parasites is lethal to cultured P. falciparum. We observed that high concentrations of adenosine can rescue cultured parasites from purine nucleoside phosphorylase and adenosine deaminase blockade but not when erythrocyte adenosine kinase is also inhibited. P. falciparum lacks adenosine kinase but can salvage AMP synthesized in the erythrocyte cytoplasm to provide purines when both human and Plasmodium purine nucleoside phosphorylases and adenosine deaminases are inhibited. Transport studies in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing the P. falciparum nucleoside transporter PfNT1 established that this transporter does not transport AMP. These metabolic patterns establish the existence of a novel nucleoside monophosphate transport pathway in P. falciparum. PMID:18799466

  4. Further evidence for poly-ADP-ribosylated histones as DNA suppressors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, F.L.; Geronimo, I.H.; Bender, W.; Meginniss, K.E.

    1986-01-01

    For many years histones have been considered to be the gene suppressors in eukaryotic cells. Recently, the authors have found strong evidence indicating that poly-ADP-ribosylated histones, rather than histones, are the potent inhibitors of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis. They now report additional evidence for this concept: 1) using histone inhibitor isolated directly from nuclei, the authors are able to confirm their earlier findings that the inhibitor substances are sensitive to pronase, snake venom phosphodiesterase digestion and 0.1N KOH hydrolysis, and are resistant to DNase I and RNase A digestion, 2) the O.D. 260/O.D.280 ratio of the histone inhibitor is between pure protein and nuclei acid, suggesting the inhibitor substance is a nucleoprotein hybrid. This result directly supports the fact that the isolated histone inhibitor is radioactive poly (ADP-ribose) labeled, 3) commercial histones show big differences in inhibitor activity. The authors believe this reflects the variation in poly-ADP-ribosylation among commercial histones, and 4) 0.1N KOH hydrolysis eliminates the poly (ADP-ribose) radioactivity from the acceptor proteins as well as histone inhibitor activity. Yet, on gel, the inhibitor shows identical histone bands and stain intensity before and after hydrolysis, indicating the histones per se are qualitatively and quantitatively unaffected by alkaline treatment. This result strongly suggests that histones themselves are not capable of inhibiting DNA-dependent RNA synthesis

  5. Reconstitution of Nucleosomes with Differentially Isotope-labeled Sister Histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liokatis, Stamatios

    2017-03-26

    Asymmetrically modified nucleosomes contain the two copies of a histone (sister histones) decorated with distinct sets of Post-translational Modifications (PTMs). They are newly identified species with unknown means of establishment and functional implications. Current analytical methods are inadequate to detect the copy-specific occurrence of PTMs on the nucleosomal sister histones. This protocol presents a biochemical method for the in vitro reconstitution of nucleosomes containing differentially isotope-labeled sister histones. The generated complex can be also asymmetrically modified, after including a premodified histone pool during refolding of histone subcomplexes. These asymmetric nucleosome preparations can be readily reacted with histone-modifying enzymes to study modification cross-talk mechanisms imposed by the asymmetrically pre-incorporated PTM using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Particularly, the modification reactions in real-time can be mapped independently on the two sister histones by performing different types of NMR correlation experiments, tailored for the respective isotope type. This methodology provides the means to study crosstalk mechanisms that contribute to the formation and propagation of asymmetric PTM patterns on nucleosomal complexes.

  6. Competitive endothelial adhesion between Plasmodium falciparum isolates under physiological flow conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Molyneux Malcolm

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sequestration of parasitized red blood cells in the microvasculature of major organs involves a sequence of events that is believed to contribute to the pathogenesis of severe falciparum malaria. Plasmodium falciparum infections are commonly composed of multiple subpopulations of parasites with varied adhesive properties. A key question is: do these subpopulations compete for adhesion to endothelium? This study investigated whether, in a laboratory model of cytoadherence, there is competition in binding to endothelium between pRBC infected with P. falciparum of variant adhesive phenotypes, particularly under flow conditions. Methods Four different P. falciparum isolates, of known adherence phenotypes, were matched in pairs, mixed in different proportions and allowed to bind to cultured human endothelium. Using in vitro competitive static and flow-based adhesion assays, that allow simultaneous testing of the adhesive properties of two different parasite lines, adherence levels of paired P. falciparum isolates were quantified and analysed using either non-parametric Wilcoxon's paired signed rank test or Student paired test. Results Study findings show that P. falciparum parasite lines show marked differences in the efficiency of adhesion to endothelium. Conclusion Plasmodium falciparum variants will compete for adhesion to endothelia and variants can be ranked by their efficiency of binding. These findings suggest that variants from a mixed infection will not show uniform cytoadherence and so may vary in their ability to cause disease.

  7. Mass spectrometry analysis of the variants of histone H3 and H4 of soybean and their post-translational modifications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lam Hon-Ming

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Histone modifications and histone variants are of importance in many biological processes. To understand the biological functions of the global dynamics of histone modifications and histone variants in higher plants, we elucidated the variants and post-translational modifications of histones in soybean, a legume plant with a much bigger genome than that of Arabidopsis thaliana. Results In soybean leaves, mono-, di- and tri-methylation at Lysine 4, Lysine 27 and Lysine 36, and acetylation at Lysine 14, 18 and 23 were detected in HISTONE H3. Lysine 27 was prone to being mono-methylated, while tri-methylation was predominant at Lysine 36. We also observed that Lysine 27 methylation and Lysine 36 methylation usually excluded each other in HISTONE H3. Although methylation at HISTONE H3 Lysine 79 was not reported in A. thaliana, mono- and di-methylated HISTONE H3 Lysine 79 were detected in soybean. Besides, acetylation at Lysine 8 and 12 of HISTONE H4 in soybean were identified. Using a combination of mass spectrometry and nano-liquid chromatography, two variants of HISTONE H3 were detected and their modifications were determined. They were different at positions of A31F41S87S90 (HISTONE variant H3.1 and T31Y41H87L90 (HISTONE variant H3.2, respectively. The methylation patterns in these two HISTONE H3 variants also exhibited differences. Lysine 4 and Lysine 36 methylation were only detected in HISTONE H3.2, suggesting that HISTONE variant H3.2 might be associated with actively transcribing genes. In addition, two variants of histone H4 (H4.1 and H4.2 were also detected, which were missing in other organisms. In the histone variant H4.1 and H4.2, the amino acid 60 was isoleucine and valine, respectively. Conclusion This work revealed several distinct variants of soybean histone and their modifications that were different from A. thaliana, thus providing important biological information toward further understanding of the histone

  8. On Programmed Cell Death in Plasmodium falciparum: Status Quo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dewaldt Engelbrecht

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Conflicting arguments and results exist regarding the occurrence and phenotype of programmed cell death (PCD in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Inconsistencies relate mainly to the number and type of PCD markers assessed and the different methodologies used in the studies. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge and empirical evidence for PCD in the intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum. We consider possible reasons for discrepancies in the data and offer suggestions towards more standardised investigation methods in this field. Furthermore, we present genomic evidence for PCD machinery in P. falciparum. We discuss the potential adaptive or nonadaptive role of PCD in the parasite life cycle and its possible exploitation in the development of novel drug targets. Lastly, we pose pertinent unanswered questions concerning the PCD phenomenon in P. falciparum to provide future direction.

  9. Histone modifications: Cycling with chromosomal replication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thon, Genevieve

    2008-01-01

    Histone modifications tend to be lost during chromosome duplication. Several recent studies suggest that the RNA interference pathway becomes active during the weakened transcriptional repression occurring at centromeres in S phase, resulting in the re-establishment of histone modifications...

  10. Eviction of linker histone H1 by NAP-family histone chaperones enhances activated transcription.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qian; Giebler, Holli A; Isaacson, Marisa K; Nyborg, Jennifer K

    2015-01-01

    In the Metazoan nucleus, core histones assemble the genomic DNA to form nucleosome arrays, which are further compacted into dense chromatin structures by the linker histone H1. The extraordinary density of chromatin creates an obstacle for accessing the genetic information. Regulation of chromatin dynamics is therefore critical to cellular homeostasis, and histone chaperones serve as prominent players in these processes. In the current study, we examined the role of specific histone chaperones in negotiating the inherently repressive chromatin structure during transcriptional activation. Using a model promoter, we demonstrate that the human nucleosome assembly protein family members hNap1 and SET/Taf1β stimulate transcription in vitro during pre-initiation complex formation, prior to elongation. This stimulatory effect is dependent upon the presence of activators, p300, and Acetyl-CoA. We show that transcription from our chromatin template is strongly repressed by H1, and that both histone chaperones enhance RNA synthesis by overcoming H1-induced repression. Importantly, both hNap1 and SET/Taf1β directly bind H1, and function to enhance transcription by evicting the linker histone from chromatin reconstituted with H1. In vivo studies demonstrate that SET/Taf1β, but not hNap1, strongly stimulates activated transcription from the chromosomally-integrated model promoter, consistent with the observation that SET/Taf1β is nuclear, whereas hNap1 is primarily cytoplasmic. Together, these observations indicate that SET/Taf1β may serve as a critical regulator of H1 dynamics and gene activation in vivo. These studies uncover a novel function for SET that mechanistically couples transcriptional derepression with H1 dynamics. Furthermore, they underscore the significance of chaperone-dependent H1 displacement as an essential early step in the transition of a promoter from a dense chromatin state into one that is permissive to transcription factor binding and robust

  11. The Role of Extracellular Histones in Influenza Virus Pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashar, Harshini K; Mueller, Nathan C; Rudd, Jennifer M; Snider, Timothy A; Achanta, Mallika; Prasanthi, Maram; Pulavendran, Sivasami; Thomas, Paul G; Ramachandran, Akhilesh; Malayer, Jerry R; Ritchey, Jerry W; Rajasekhar, Rachakatla; Chow, Vincent T K; Esmon, Charles T; Teluguakula, Narasaraju

    2018-01-01

    Although exaggerated host immune responses have been implicated in influenza-induced lung pathogenesis, the etiologic factors that contribute to these events are not completely understood. We previously demonstrated that neutrophil extracellular traps exacerbate pulmonary injury during influenza pneumonia. Histones are the major protein components of neutrophil extracellular traps and are known to have cytotoxic effects. Here, we examined the role of extracellular histones in lung pathogenesis during influenza. Mice infected with influenza virus displayed high accumulation of extracellular histones, with widespread pulmonary microvascular thrombosis. Occluded pulmonary blood vessels with vascular thrombi often exhibited endothelial necrosis surrounded by hemorrhagic effusions and pulmonary edema. Histones released during influenza induced cytotoxicity and showed strong binding to platelets within thrombi in infected mouse lungs. Nasal wash samples from influenza-infected patients also showed increased accumulation of extracellular histones, suggesting a possible clinical relevance of elevated histones in pulmonary injury. Although histones inhibited influenza growth in vitro, in vivo treatment with histones did not yield antiviral effects and instead exacerbated lung pathology. Blocking with antihistone antibodies caused a marked decrease in lung pathology in lethal influenza-challenged mice and improved protection when administered in combination with the antiviral agent oseltamivir. These findings support the pathogenic effects of extracellular histones in that pulmonary injury during influenza was exacerbated. Targeting histones provides a novel therapeutic approach to influenza pneumonia. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Structural basis for inhibition of the histone chaperone activity of SET/TAF-Iβ by cytochrome c.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Arzola, Katiuska; Díaz-Moreno, Irene; Cano-González, Ana; Díaz-Quintana, Antonio; Velázquez-Campoy, Adrián; Moreno-Beltrán, Blas; López-Rivas, Abelardo; De la Rosa, Miguel A

    2015-08-11

    Chromatin is pivotal for regulation of the DNA damage process insofar as it influences access to DNA and serves as a DNA repair docking site. Recent works identify histone chaperones as key regulators of damaged chromatin's transcriptional activity. However, understanding how chaperones are modulated during DNA damage response is still challenging. This study reveals that the histone chaperone SET/TAF-Iβ interacts with cytochrome c following DNA damage. Specifically, cytochrome c is shown to be translocated into cell nuclei upon induction of DNA damage, but not upon stimulation of the death receptor or stress-induced pathways. Cytochrome c was found to competitively hinder binding of SET/TAF-Iβ to core histones, thereby locking its histone-binding domains and inhibiting its nucleosome assembly activity. In addition, we have used NMR spectroscopy, calorimetry, mutagenesis, and molecular docking to provide an insight into the structural features of the formation of the complex between cytochrome c and SET/TAF-Iβ. Overall, these findings establish a framework for understanding the molecular basis of cytochrome c-mediated blocking of SET/TAF-Iβ, which subsequently may facilitate the development of new drugs to silence the oncogenic effect of SET/TAF-Iβ's histone chaperone activity.

  13. Diversification of the Histone Acetyltransferase GCN5 through Alternative Splicing in Brachypodium distachyon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandre Martel

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The epigenetic modulatory SAGA complex is involved in various developmental and stress responsive pathways in plants. Alternative transcripts of the SAGA complex's enzymatic subunit GCN5 have been identified in Brachypodium distachyon. These splice variants differ based on the presence and integrity of their conserved domain sequences: the histone acetyltransferase domain, responsible for catalytic activity, and the bromodomain, involved in acetyl-lysine binding and genomic loci targeting. GCN5 is the wild-type transcript, while alternative splice sites result in the following transcriptional variants: L-GCN5, which is missing the bromodomain and S-GCN5, which lacks the bromodomain as well as certain motifs of the histone acetyltransferase domain. Absolute mRNA quantification revealed that, across eight B. distachyon accessions, GCN5 was the dominant transcript isoform, accounting for up to 90% of the entire transcript pool, followed by L-GCN5 and S-GCN5. A cycloheximide treatment further revealed that the S-GCN5 splice variant was degraded through the nonsense-mediated decay pathway. All alternative BdGCN5 transcripts displayed similar transcript profiles, being induced during early exposure to heat and displaying higher levels of accumulation in the crown, compared to aerial tissues. All predicted protein isoforms localize to the nucleus, which lends weight to their purported epigenetic functions. S-GCN5 was incapable of forming an in vivo protein interaction with ADA2, the transcriptional adaptor that links the histone acetyltransferase subunit to the SAGA complex, while both GCN5 and L-GCN5 interacted with ADA2, which suggests that a complete histone acetyltransferase domain is required for BdGCN5-BdADA2 interaction in vivo. Thus, there has been a diversification in BdGCN5 through alternative splicing that has resulted in differences in conserved domain composition, transcript fate and in vivo protein interaction partners. Furthermore, our

  14. IgG antibodies to endothelial protein C receptor-binding Cysteine-rich interdomain region domains of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 are acquired early in life in individuals exposed to malaria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Turner, Louise; Lavstsen, Thomas; Mmbando, Bruno P

    2015-01-01

    Severe malaria syndromes are precipitated by Plasmodium falciparum parasites binding to endothelial receptors on the vascular lining. This binding is mediated by members of the highly variant P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family. We have previously identified a subset of Pf...

  15. Regulation of ribonucleic acid synthesis by polyamines. Reversal by spermine of inhibition by methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) of ribonucleic acid synthesis and histone acetylation in rabbit heart.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caldarera, C M; Casti, A; Guarnier, C; Moruzzi, G

    1975-10-01

    The relationship between polyamines and RNA synthesis was studied by considering the action of spermine on histone acetylation in perfused heart. In addition, the effect of methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), inhibitor of putrescine-activated S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase activity, on RNA and polyamine specific radioactivity and on acetylation of histone fractions was also investigated in perfused heart. Different concentrations of spermine and/or methylglyoxas bis(guanylhydrazone) were injected into the heart, 15 min after beginning the perfusion. The results demonstrate that spermine stimulates the specific radioactivity of RNA of subcellular fractions. Acetylation of the arginine-rich histone fractions, involved in the regulation of RNA transcription, is enhanced by spermine. The perfusion with methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) causes a decrease in the specific radioactivity of polyamines and RNA, and in acetylation of histone fractions. However, spermine is able to reverse the methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) inhibition when injected simultaneously. From these results we may assume a possible role for spermine in the regulation of RNA transcription.

  16. Prevalence of falciparum malaria amongst pregnant women in Aba ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Malaria during pregnancy poses a substantial risk to mother and foetus especially an infection with Plasmodium falciparum. This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of falciparum malaria among pregnant women in Aba South Local Government Area, Abia State, south-east Nigeria. Blood samples from 432 ...

  17. Histone methylation and aging: Lessons learned from model systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCauley, Brenna S.; Dang, Weiwei

    2014-01-01

    Aging induces myriad cellular and, ultimately, physiological changes that cause a decline in an organism's functional capabilities. Although the aging process and pathways that regulate it have been extensively studied, only in the last decade have we begun to appreciate that dynamic histone methylation may contribute to this process. In this review, we discuss recent work implicating histone methylation in aging. Loss of certain histone methyltransferases and demethylases changes lifespan in invertebrates, and alterations in histone methylation in aged organisms regulate lifespan and aging phenotypes, including oxidative stress-induced hormesis in yeast, insulin signaling in Caenorhabiditis elegans and mammals, and the senescence-associated secretory phenotype in mammals. In all cases where histone methylation has been shown to impact aging and aging phenotypes, it does so by regulating transcription, suggesting that this is a major mechanism of its action in this context. Histone methylation additionally regulates or is regulated by other cellular pathways that contribute to or combat aging. Given the numerous processes that regulate aging and histone methylation, and are in turn regulated by them, the role of histone methylation in aging is almost certainly underappreciated. PMID:24859460

  18. Selection of Plasmodium falciparum Multidrug Resistance Gene 1 Alleles in Asexual Stages and Gametocytes by Artemether-Lumefantrine in Nigerian Children with Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria ▿

    OpenAIRE

    Happi, C. T.; Gbotosho, G. O.; Folarin, O. A.; Sowunmi, A.; Hudson, T.; O'Neil, M.; Milhous, W.; Wirth, D. F.; Oduola, A. M. J.

    2008-01-01

    We assessed Plasmodium falciparum mdr1 (Pfmdr1) gene polymorphisms and copy numbers as well as P. falciparum Ca2+ ATPase (PfATPase6) gene polymorphisms in 90 Nigerian children presenting with uncomplicated falciparum malaria and enrolled in a study of the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL). The nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and the quantitative real-time PCR methodologies were used to determine the alleles of the Pfmdr1 and PfATPase6 genes and the Pfmdr1 copy numbe...

  19. Elimination of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Tajikistan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondrashin, Anatoly V; Sharipov, Azizullo S; Kadamov, Dilshod S; Karimov, Saifuddin S; Gasimov, Elkhan; Baranova, Alla M; Morozova, Lola F; Stepanova, Ekaterina V; Turbabina, Natalia A; Maksimova, Maria S; Morozov, Evgeny N

    2017-05-30

    Malaria was eliminated in Tajikistan by the beginning of the 1960s. However, sporadic introduced cases of malaria occurred subsequently probably as a result of transmission from infected mosquito Anopheles flying over river the Punj from the border areas of Afghanistan. During the 1970s and 1980s local outbreaks of malaria were reported in the southern districts bordering Afghanistan. The malaria situation dramatically changed during the 1990s following armed conflict and civil unrest in the newly independent Tajikistan, which paralyzed health services including the malaria control activities and a large-scale malaria epidemic occurred with more than 400,000 malaria cases. The malaria epidemic was contained by 1999 as a result of considerable financial input from the Government and the international community. Although Plasmodium falciparum constituted only about 5% of total malaria cases, reduction of its incidence was slower than that of Plasmodium vivax. To prevent increase in P. falciparum malaria both in terms of incidence and territory, a P. falciparum elimination programme in the Republic was launched in 200, jointly supported by the Government and the Global Fund for control of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The main activities included the use of pyrethroids for the IRS with determined periodicity, deployment of mosquito nets, impregnated with insecticides, use of larvivorous fishes as a biological larvicide, implementation of small-scale environmental management, and use of personal protection methods by population under malaria risk. The malaria surveillance system was strengthened by the use of ACD, PCD, RCD and selective use of mass blood surveys. All detected cases were timely epidemiologically investigated and treated based on the results of laboratory diagnosis. As a result, by 2009, P. falciparum malaria was eliminated from all of Tajikistan, one year ahead of the originally targeted date. Elimination of P. falciparum also contributed towards

  20. Plasmodium falciparum: genetic diversity and complexity of infections in an isolated village in western Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanabe, Kazuyuki; Zollner, Gabriela; Vaughan, Jefferson A; Sattabongkot, Jetsumon; Khuntirat, Benjawan; Honma, Hajime; Mita, Toshihiro; Tsuboi, Takafumi; Coleman, Russell

    2015-06-01

    Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum is intimately associated with morbidity, mortality and malaria control strategies. It is therefore imperative to study genetic makeup and population structure of this parasite in endemic areas. In Kong Mong Tha, an isolated village in western Thailand, the majority of P. falciparum infections are asymptomatic. In this study we investigated complexity of infections and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the P. falciparum population of Kong Mong Tha, and compared results with those previously obtained from Mae Sod, in northwestern Thailand, where the majority of infections were symptomatic. Using PCR-based determination of the 5' merozoite surface protein 1 gene (msp1) recombinant types, we found that 39% of 59 P. falciparum isolates from Kong Mong Tha had multiple 5' recombinant types with a mean number of 1.54. These values were much lower than those obtained from Mae Sod: 96% for multiple infections and with a mean number of 3.61. Analysis of full-length sequences of two housekeeping genes, the P-type Ca(2+)-transporting ATPase gene (n=33) plus adenylosuccinate lyase gene (n=33), and three vaccine candidate antigen genes, msp1 (n=26), the circumsporozoite protein gene, csp (n=30) and the apical membrane antigen 1 gene, ama 1 (n=32), revealed that in all of these genes within-population SNP diversity was at similar levels between Kong Mong Tha and Mae Sod, suggesting that the extent of MOI and clinical manifestations of malaria are not strongly associated with genetic diversity. Additionally, we did not detect significant genetic differentiation between the two parasite populations, as estimated by the Wright's fixation index of inter-population variance in allele frequencies, suggesting that gene flow prevented the formation of population structuring. Thus, this study highlights unique features of P. falciparum populations in Thailand. The implications of these finding are discussed. © 2013.

  1. Bioenergetics-based modeling of Plasmodium falciparum metabolism reveals its essential genes, nutritional requirements, and thermodynamic bottlenecks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiappino-Pepe, Anush; Ataman, Meriç

    2017-01-01

    Novel antimalarial therapies are urgently needed for the fight against drug-resistant parasites. The metabolism of malaria parasites in infected cells is an attractive source of drug targets but is rather complex. Computational methods can handle this complexity and allow integrative analyses of cell metabolism. In this study, we present a genome-scale metabolic model (iPfa) of the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and its thermodynamics-based flux analysis (TFA). Using previous absolute concentration data of the intraerythrocytic parasite, we applied TFA to iPfa and predicted up to 63 essential genes and 26 essential pairs of genes. Of the 63 genes, 35 have been experimentally validated and reported in the literature, and 28 have not been experimentally tested and include previously hypothesized or novel predictions of essential metabolic capabilities. Without metabolomics data, four of the genes would have been incorrectly predicted to be non-essential. TFA also indicated that substrate channeling should exist in two metabolic pathways to ensure the thermodynamic feasibility of the flux. Finally, analysis of the metabolic capabilities of P. falciparum led to the identification of both the minimal nutritional requirements and the genes that can become indispensable upon substrate inaccessibility. This model provides novel insight into the metabolic needs and capabilities of the malaria parasite and highlights metabolites and pathways that should be measured and characterized to identify potential thermodynamic bottlenecks and substrate channeling. The hypotheses presented seek to guide experimental studies to facilitate a better understanding of the parasite metabolism and the identification of targets for more efficient intervention. PMID:28333921

  2. Bioenergetics-based modeling of Plasmodium falciparum metabolism reveals its essential genes, nutritional requirements, and thermodynamic bottlenecks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anush Chiappino-Pepe

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Novel antimalarial therapies are urgently needed for the fight against drug-resistant parasites. The metabolism of malaria parasites in infected cells is an attractive source of drug targets but is rather complex. Computational methods can handle this complexity and allow integrative analyses of cell metabolism. In this study, we present a genome-scale metabolic model (iPfa of the deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and its thermodynamics-based flux analysis (TFA. Using previous absolute concentration data of the intraerythrocytic parasite, we applied TFA to iPfa and predicted up to 63 essential genes and 26 essential pairs of genes. Of the 63 genes, 35 have been experimentally validated and reported in the literature, and 28 have not been experimentally tested and include previously hypothesized or novel predictions of essential metabolic capabilities. Without metabolomics data, four of the genes would have been incorrectly predicted to be non-essential. TFA also indicated that substrate channeling should exist in two metabolic pathways to ensure the thermodynamic feasibility of the flux. Finally, analysis of the metabolic capabilities of P. falciparum led to the identification of both the minimal nutritional requirements and the genes that can become indispensable upon substrate inaccessibility. This model provides novel insight into the metabolic needs and capabilities of the malaria parasite and highlights metabolites and pathways that should be measured and characterized to identify potential thermodynamic bottlenecks and substrate channeling. The hypotheses presented seek to guide experimental studies to facilitate a better understanding of the parasite metabolism and the identification of targets for more efficient intervention.

  3. Dynamics of Histone Tails within Chromatin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernier, Morgan; North, Justin; Page, Michael; Jaroniec, Christopher; Hammel, Christopher; Poirier, Michael

    2012-02-01

    Genetic information in humans is encoded within DNA molecules that is wrapped around histone octamer proteins and compacted into a highly conserved structural polymer, chromatin. The physical and material properties of chromatin appear to influence gene expression by altering the accessibility of proteins to the DNA. The tails of the histones are flexible domains that are thought to play a role in regulating DNA accessibility and compaction; however the molecular mechanisms for these phenomena are not understood. I will present CW-EPR studies on site directed spin labeled nucleosomes that probe the structure and dynamics of these histone tails within nucleosomes.

  4. The histones of the endosymbiont alga of Peridinium balticum (Dinophyceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizzo, P J; Morris, R L; Zweidler, A

    1988-01-01

    The histones of the endosymbiont nucleus of the binucleate dinoflagellate Peridinium balticum were characterized by amino acid analysis and peptide mapping, and compared to calf thymus histones. Using these and various other criteria we have identified two H1-like histones as well as the highly conserved histones H3 and H4. A 13,000 dalton component in sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gels can be separated into two components in Triton-containing gels. We suggest that these histones (HPb1 and HPb2) correspond to the vertebrate histones H2A and H2B, respectively.

  5. Regulation of replication fork progression through histone supply and demand

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Groth, Anja; Corpet, Armelle; Cook, Adam J L

    2007-01-01

    DNA replication in eukaryotes requires nucleosome disruption ahead of the replication fork and reassembly behind. An unresolved issue concerns how histone dynamics are coordinated with fork progression to maintain chromosomal stability. Here, we characterize a complex in which the human histone c...... progression and histone supply and demand.......1 chaperone function, histone supply, and replicative unwinding of DNA in chromatin. We propose that Asf1, as a histone acceptor and donor, handles parental and new histones at the replication fork via an Asf1-(H3-H4)-MCM2-7 intermediate and thus provides a means to fine-tune replication fork...

  6. Actions of exogenous histones and other proteins on [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA of Novikoff hepatoma cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barra, R.; Beres, B.; Koch, M.R.; Lea, M.A.

    1976-01-01

    The effects of exogenous proteins on the incorporation of [ 3 H]-thymidine into DNA was studied in Novikoff hepatoma ascites cells incubated in Eagle's minimal essential medium. A liver cytosol fraction (8 mg protein/ml) caused approximately 80% inhibition of isotope incorporation. The inhibitory activity of cytosol fractions from Morris hepatomas 9618A 2 , 5123C and 20 were inversely related to their growth rate. Under conditions in which there appeared to be a density dependent inhibition of growth, a mean 10 to 20% stimulation of isotope incorporation was observed after addition of total calf thymus histones and individual fractions in the concentration range of 100 to 400μg/ml. In experiments with lower cell concentrations, a 60% or greater increase in [ 3 H]-thymidine incorporation could be obtained with total calf thymus histone and with Fl and arginine-rich histones from rat liver. At concentrations of 1 to 2 mg/ml, histones inhibited DNA synthesis. Bovine serum albumin had little effect on DNA synthesis. Polylysine caused an 80 to 90% inhibition at a concentration of 1 mg/ml, but stimulatory effects were detected under certain conditions at 10μg/ml. The results suggest critical dependence on the ratio of cell and exogenous protein concentration in the action of proteins on DNA synthesis. (author)

  7. No need to be HAMLET or BAMLET to interact with histones: binding of monomeric alpha-lactalbumin to histones and basic poly-amino acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Permyakov, Serge E; Pershikova, Irina V; Khokhlova, Tatyana I; Uversky, Vladimir N; Permyakov, Eugene A

    2004-05-18

    The ability of a specific complex of human alpha-lactalbumin with oleic acid (HAMLET) to induce cell death with selectivity for tumor and undifferentiated cells was shown recently to be mediated by interaction of HAMLET with histone proteins irreversibly disrupting chromatin structure [Duringer, C., et al. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 42131-42135]. Here we show that monomeric alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) in the absence of fatty acids is also able to bind efficiently to the primary target of HAMLET, histone HIII, regardless of Ca(2+) content. Thus, the modification of alpha-LA by oleic acid is not required for binding to histones. We suggest that interaction of negatively charged alpha-LA with the basic histone stabilizes apo-alpha-LA and destabilizes the Ca(2+)-bound protein due to compensation for excess negative charge of alpha-LA's Ca(2+)-binding loop by positively charged residues of the histone. Spectrofluorimetric curves of titration of alpha-LA by histone H3 were well approximated by a scheme of cooperative binding of four alpha-LA molecules per molecule of histone, with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.0 microM. Such a stoichiometry of binding implies that the binding process is not site-specific with respect to histone and likely is driven by just electrostatic interactions. Co-incubation of positively charged poly-amino acids (poly-Lys and poly-Arg) with alpha-LA resulted in effects which were similar to those caused by histone HIII, confirming the electrostatic nature of the alpha-LA-histone interaction. In all cases that were studied, the binding was accompanied by aggregation. The data indicate that alpha-lactalbumin can be used as a basis for the design of antitumor agents, acting through disorganization of chromatin structure due to interaction between alpha-LA and histone proteins.

  8. Structural Mechanisms of Nucleosome Recognition by Linker Histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Bing-Rui; Jiang, Jiansheng; Feng, Hanqiao; Ghirlando, Rodolfo; Xiao, T Sam; Bai, Yawen

    2015-08-20

    Linker histones bind to the nucleosome and regulate the structure of chromatin and gene expression. Despite more than three decades of effort, the structural basis of nucleosome recognition by linker histones remains elusive. Here, we report the crystal structure of the globular domain of chicken linker histone H5 in complex with the nucleosome at 3.5 Å resolution, which is validated using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The globular domain sits on the dyad of the nucleosome and interacts with both DNA linkers. Our structure integrates results from mutation analyses and previous cross-linking and fluorescence recovery after photobleach experiments, and it helps resolve the long debate on structural mechanisms of nucleosome recognition by linker histones. The on-dyad binding mode of the H5 globular domain is different from the recently reported off-dyad binding mode of Drosophila linker histone H1. We demonstrate that linker histones with different binding modes could fold chromatin to form distinct higher-order structures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Antibodies to H2a and H2b histones from the sera of HIV-infected patients catalyze site-specific degradation of these histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranova, Svetlana V; Dmitrienok, Pavel S; Ivanisenko, Nikita V; Buneva, Valentina N; Nevinsky, Georgy A

    2017-06-01

    Histones and their post-translational modifications have key roles in chromatin remodeling and gene transcription. Besides intranuclear functions, histones act as damage-associated molecules when they are released into the extracellular space. Administration of histones to animals leads to systemic inflammatory and toxic responses. Autoantibodies with enzymatic activities (abzymes) are distinctive features of some autoimmune and viral diseases. Electrophoretically homogeneous IgGs containing no canonical enzymes were isolated from the sera of HIV-infected patients by chromatography on several affinity sorbents including anti-histone Sepharose. In contrast to canonical proteases (trypsin, chymotrypsin, proteinase K), IgGs from HIV-infected patients specifically hydrolyzed only histones but not many other tested globular proteins. Using MALDI mass spectrometry the sites of H2a and H2b histone cleavage by anti-histone IgGs were determined for the first time. One cluster of H2a hydrolysis contains two major (↕) and four moderate (↓) cleavage sites: 31-H↓R↓L↓L↓R↕K G↕N-38. One major and two moderate sites of cleavage were revealed in the second cluster: 14-A↕KSRS↓SRA↓G-22. The third cluster corresponding to the H2a C-terminal part contains only five minor (†) sites of cleavage: 82-H†LQLAIRNDEELN†KLLG†RV†T†I-102. It was shown that two major and four moderate sites of cleavage were present in the main cluster of H2b hydrolysis: 46-K↕QvhpD↓TgiS↓SkA↓M↕GiM↓N-63. Two moderate sites of cleavage correspond to a relatively short 6-mer cluster: 12-K↓GskK↓A-17. The third relatively long 9-mer cluster contains one major and two minor sites of H2b cleavage: 80-L↕AHYN†KRS†T-88. In the nucleosome core particle, most of the major and moderate cleavage sites are located at the H2a/H2b interaction interface. Minor cleavage sites of H2a are involved in binding with H3 in the nucleosome core. Two moderate cleavage sites of H2b and one

  10. Non-falciparum malaria infections in pregnant women in West Africa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Williams, John; Njie, Fanta; Cairns, Matthew

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Non-Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections are found in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa but little is known about their importance in pregnancy. METHODS: Blood samples were collected at first antenatal clinic attendance from 2526 women enrolled in a trial of intermittent screening...... and treatment of malaria in pregnancy (ISTp) versus intermittent preventive treatment (IPTp) conducted in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana and Mali. DNA was extracted from blood spots and tested for P. falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale using a nested PCR test. Risk factors...... for a non-falciparum malaria infection were investigated and the influence of these infections on the outcome of pregnancy was determined. RESULTS: P. falciparum infection was detected frequently (overall prevalence by PCR: 38.8 %, [95 % CI 37.0, 40.8]), with a prevalence ranging from 10.8 % in The Gambia...

  11. Histone deacetylase inhibitors promote the tumoricidal effect of HAMLET.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brest, Patrick; Gustafsson, Mattias; Mossberg, Ann-Kristin; Gustafsson, Lotta; Duringer, Caroline; Hamiche, Ali; Svanborg, Catharina

    2007-12-01

    Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDIs) and HAMLET (human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) interact with histones, modify the structure of chromatin, and trigger tumor cell death. This study investigated how the combination of HDIs and HAMLET influences cell viability, histone acetylation, and DNA integrity. The pretreatment of tumor cells with HDIs was shown to enhance the lethal effect of HAMLET and the histone hyperacetylation response to HDIs increased even further after HAMLET treatment. HDIs and HAMLET were shown to target different histone domains as HAMLET bound tailless core histones, whereas HDIs modify the acetylation of the histone tail. DNA damage in response to HAMLET was increased by HDIs. The DNA repair response (p21WAFI expression) was induced by both agonists but abolished when the two agonists were combined. The results suggest that the synergy of HDIs and HAMLET is based on different but converging death pathways, both involving chromatin alterations. We speculate that HAMLET and HDIs might be combined to promote tumor cell death in vivo.

  12. Histone acetylation regulates the time of replication origin firing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogelauer, Maria; Rubbi, Liudmilla; Lucas, Isabelle; Brewer, Bonita J; Grunstein, Michael

    2002-11-01

    The temporal firing of replication origins throughout S phase in yeast depends on unknown determinants within the adjacent chromosomal environment. We demonstrate here that the state of histone acetylation of surrounding chromatin is an important regulator of temporal firing. Deletion of RPD3 histone deacetylase causes earlier origin firing and concurrent binding of the replication factor Cdc45p to origins. In addition, increased acetylation of histones in the vicinity of the late origin ARS1412 by recruitment of the histone acetyltransferase Gcn5p causes ARS1412 alone to fire earlier. These data indicate that histone acetylation is a direct determinant of the timing of origin firing.

  13. Identification and characterization of the genes encoding the core histones and histone variants of Neurospora crassa.

    OpenAIRE

    Hays, Shan M; Swanson, Johanna; Selker, Eric U

    2002-01-01

    We have identified and characterized the complete complement of genes encoding the core histones of Neurospora crassa. In addition to the previously identified pair of genes that encode histones H3 and H4 (hH3 and hH4-1), we identified a second histone H4 gene (hH4-2), a divergently transcribed pair of genes that encode H2A and H2B (hH2A and hH2B), a homolog of the F/Z family of H2A variants (hH2Az), a homolog of the H3 variant CSE4 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (hH3v), and a highly diverged ...

  14. IgG isotypic antibodies to crude Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Methods: Levels of IgG (IgG1-IgG4) and IgM to crude P. falciparum blood stage antigen ... dosage influenced P. falciparum-specific isotypic antibody responses to blood stage .... exposed Swedish donors. ..... with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

  15. Histones as mediators of host defense, inflammation and thrombosis

    OpenAIRE

    Hoeksema, Marloes; van Eijk, Martin; Haagsman, Henk P; Hartshorn, Kevan L

    2016-01-01

    Histones are known for their ability to bind to and regulate expression of DNA. However, histones are also present in cytoplasm and extracellular fluids where they serve host defense functions and promote inflammatory responses. Histones are a major component of neutrophil extracellular traps that contribute to bacterial killing but also to inflammatory injury. Histones can act as antimicrobial peptides and directly kill bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses, in vitro and in a variety of ani...

  16. Monkey-derived monoclonal antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stanley, H.A.; Reese, R.T.

    1985-01-01

    A system has been developed that allows efficient production of monkey monoclonal antibodies from owl monkeys. Splenocytes or peripheral blood lymphocytes from monkeys immune to the human malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, were fused with P3X63 Ag8.653 mouse myelomas. The resulting hybridomas were screened by an indirect fluorescent antibody test for the production of monkey monoclonal antibodies (mAb) reactive with P. falciparum. Most of the mAb reacted with the P. falciparum merozoites and immunoprecipitated a parasite-derived glycoprotein having a relative molecular weight of 185,000. These mAb gave a minimum of five different immunoprecipitation patterns, thus demonstrating that a large number of polypeptides obtained when parasitized erythrocytes are solubilized share epitopes with this large glycoprotein. In addition, mAb were obtained that reacted with antigens associated with the infected erythrocyte membrane. One of these mAb bound a M/sub r/ 95,000 antigen. Radioimmunoprecipitation assays using 125 T-antibodies were done

  17. Immunological comparison of basic encephalitogen and histone F2A1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bustin, M.; Teitelbaum, D.; Webb, C.

    1975-01-01

    The extent of immunological cross-reaction between basic encephalitogen and histone F2A1 on both the humoral antibody level and on the cellular level has been established. The extent of humoral cross-reaction was tested by direct complement fixation employing both anti-histone F2A1 and antisera to basic encephalitogen, by inhibition of complement fixation, by radioimmunoassay and by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. The data obtained failed to reveal immunological cross-reaction between the proteins on the humoral antibody level. The extent of cross-reaction at the cellular level was tested by the lymphocyte stimulation technique in rabbits and guinea pigs, by inhibition of lymphocyte stimulation and by delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions. It is concluded that the immunological studies provide limited evidence that the two proteins share antigenic determinants. (orig./GSE) [de

  18. Effect of selected local medicinal plants on the asexual blood stage of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohd Abd Razak, Mohd Ridzuan; Afzan, Adlin; Ali, Rosnani; Amir Jalaluddin, Nur Fasihah; Wasiman, Mohd Isa; Shiekh Zahari, Siti Habsah; Abdullah, Noor Rain; Ismail, Zakiah

    2014-12-15

    The development of resistant to current antimalarial drugs is a major challenge in achieving malaria elimination status in many countries. Therefore there is a need for new antimalarial drugs. Medicinal plants have always been the major source for the search of new antimalarial drugs. The aim of this study was to screen selected Malaysian medicinal plants for their antiplasmodial properties. Each part of the plants were processed, defatted by hexane and sequentially extracted with dichloromethane, methanol and water. The antiplasmodial activities of 54 plant extracts from 14 species were determined by Plasmodium falciparum Histidine Rich Protein II ELISA technique. In order to determine the selectivity index (SI), all plant extracts demonstrating a good antiplasmodial activity were tested for their cytotoxicity activity against normal Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney (MDBK) cell lines by 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Twenty three extracts derived from Curcuma zedoaria (rhizome), Curcuma aeruginosa (rhizome), Alpinia galanga (rhizome), Morinda elliptica (leaf), Curcuma mangga (rhizome), Elephantopus scaber (leaf), Vitex negundo (leaf), Brucea javanica (leaf, root and seed), Annona muricata (leaf), Cinnamomun iners (leaf) and Vernonia amygdalina (leaf) showed promising antiplasmodial activities against the blood stage chloroquine resistant P. falciparum (EC50 toxicity effect to MDBK cells in vitro (SI ≥10). The extracts belonging to eleven plant species were able to perturb the growth of chloroquine resistant P. falciparum effectively. The findings justified the bioassay guided fractionation on these plants for the search of potent antimalarial compounds or formulation of standardized extracts which may enhance the antimalarial effect in vitro and in vivo.

  19. Heparin defends against the toxicity of circulating histones in sepsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Feifei; Zhang, Naipu; Li, Biru; Liu, Lanbo; Ding, Lei; Wang, Ying; Zhu, Yimin; Mo, Xi; Cao, Qing

    2015-06-01

    Although circulating histones were demonstrated as major mediators of death in septic mice models, their roles in septic patients are not clarified. The present study sought to evaluate the clinical relevance of the circulating histone levels in septic children, and the antagonizing effects of heparin on circulating histones. Histone levels in the plasma of septic children were significantly higher than healthy controls, and positively correlated with disease severity. Histone treatment could activate NF-κB pathway of the endothelial cells and induce the secretion of large amount of cytokines that further amplify inflammation, subsequently leading to organ damage. Co-injection of low dose heparin with lethal dose histones could protect mouse from organ damage and death by antagonizing circulating histones, and similar effects were also observed in other septic models. Collectively, these findings indicated that circulating histones might serve as key factors in the pathogenesis of sepsis and their levels in plasma might be a marker for disease progression and prognosis. Furthermore, low dose heparin might be an effective therapy to hamper sepsis progression and reduce the mortality.

  20. Long term persistence of clonal malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum lineages in the Colombian Pacific region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Echeverry, Diego F; Nair, Shalini; Osorio, Lyda; Menon, Sanjay; Murillo, Claribel; Anderson, Tim J C

    2013-01-07

    Resistance to chloroquine and antifolate drugs has evolved independently in South America, suggesting that genotype - phenotype studies aimed at understanding the genetic basis of resistance to these and other drugs should be conducted in this continent. This research was conducted to better understand the population structure of Colombian Plasmodium falciparum in preparation for such studies. A set of 384 SNPs were genotyped in blood spot DNA samples from 447 P. falciparum infected subjects collected over a ten year period from four provinces of the Colombian Pacific coast to evaluate clonality, population structure and linkage disequilibrium (LD). Most infections (81%) contained a single predominant clone. These clustered into 136 multilocus genotypes (MLGs), with 32% of MLGs recovered from multiple (2 - 28) independent subjects. We observed extremely low genotypic richness (R = 0.42) and long persistence of MLGs through time (median = 537 days, range = 1 - 2,997 days). There was a high probability (>5%) of sampling parasites from the same MLG in different subjects within 28 days, suggesting caution is needed when using genotyping methods to assess treatment success in clinical drug trials. Panmixia was rejected as four well differentiated subpopulations (FST = 0.084 - 0.279) were identified. These occurred sympatrically but varied in frequency within the four provinces. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) decayed more rapidly (r2 = 0.17 for markers Colombian populations have several advantages for association studies, because multiple clone infections are uncommon and LD decays over the scale of one or a few genes. However, the extensive population structure and low genotype richness will need to be accounted for when designing and analyzing association studies.

  1. Immune evasion of Plasmodium falciparum by RIFIN via inhibitory receptors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Saito, Fumiji; Hirayasu, Kouyuki; Satoh, Takeshi

    2017-01-01

    , but the immune regulatory mechanisms used by P. falciparum remain largely unknown. Here we show that P. falciparum uses immune inhibitory receptors to achieve immune evasion. RIFIN proteins are products of a polymorphic multigene family comprising approximately 150-200 genes per parasite genome...

  2. Histones as mediators of host defense, inflammation and thrombosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoeksema, Marloes; Eijk, Martin van; Haagsman, Henk P; Hartshorn, Kevan L

    2016-01-01

    Histones are known for their ability to bind to and regulate expression of DNA. However, histones are also present in cytoplasm and extracellular fluids where they serve host defense functions and promote inflammatory responses. Histones are a major component of neutrophil extracellular traps that

  3. Plasmodium falciparum responds to amino acid starvation by entering into a hibernatory state.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babbitt, Shalon E; Altenhofen, Lindsey; Cobbold, Simon A; Istvan, Eva S; Fennell, Clare; Doerig, Christian; Llinás, Manuel; Goldberg, Daniel E

    2012-11-20

    The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is auxotrophic for most amino acids. Its amino acid needs are met largely through the degradation of host erythrocyte hemoglobin; however the parasite must acquire isoleucine exogenously, because this amino acid is not present in adult human hemoglobin. We report that when isoleucine is withdrawn from the culture medium of intraerythrocytic P. falciparum, the parasite slows its metabolism and progresses through its developmental cycle at a reduced rate. Isoleucine-starved parasites remain viable for 72 h and resume rapid growth upon resupplementation. Protein degradation during starvation is important for maintenance of this hibernatory state. Microarray analysis of starved parasites revealed a 60% decrease in the rate of progression through the normal transcriptional program but no other apparent stress response. Plasmodium parasites do not possess a TOR nutrient-sensing pathway and have only a rudimentary amino acid starvation-sensing eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) stress response. Isoleucine deprivation results in GCN2-mediated phosphorylation of eIF2α, but kinase-knockout clones still are able to hibernate and recover, indicating that this pathway does not directly promote survival during isoleucine starvation. We conclude that P. falciparum, in the absence of canonical eukaryotic nutrient stress-response pathways, can cope with an inconsistent bloodstream amino acid supply by hibernating and waiting for more nutrient to be provided.

  4. Falciparum malaria infection with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in immunocompetent host – case report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriyani, Y.

    2018-03-01

    Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is an extraordinary rare in the immunocompetent host. Falciparum malaria contributes to high morbidity and mortality of malaria infection cases in the world. The impairments of both humoral and cellular immunity could be the reason of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in falciparum malaria infection. Forty-nine years old patient came with fever, jaundice, pain in the right abdomen, after visiting a remote area in Africa about one month before admission. Blood films and rapid test were positive for Plasmodium falciparum. After malaria therapy in five days, consciousness was altered into somnolence and intubated with respiratory deterioration. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis after falciparum malaria infection is life-threatening. There should be awareness of physicians of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in falciparum malaria infection.

  5. Characterization of the autophagy marker protein Atg8 reveals atypical features of autophagy in Plasmodium falciparum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahul Navale

    Full Text Available Conventional autophagy is a lysosome-dependent degradation process that has crucial homeostatic and regulatory functions in eukaryotic organisms. As malaria parasites must dispose a number of self and host cellular contents, we investigated if autophagy in malaria parasites is similar to the conventional autophagy. Genome wide analysis revealed a partial autophagy repertoire in Plasmodium, as homologs for only 15 of the 33 yeast autophagy proteins could be identified, including the autophagy marker Atg8. To gain insights into autophagy in malaria parasites, we investigated Plasmodium falciparum Atg8 (PfAtg8 employing techniques and conditions that are routinely used to study autophagy. Atg8 was similarly expressed and showed punctate localization throughout the parasite in both asexual and sexual stages; it was exclusively found in the pellet fraction as an integral membrane protein, which is in contrast to the yeast or mammalian Atg8 that is distributed among cytosolic and membrane fractions, and suggests for a constitutive autophagy. Starvation, the best known autophagy inducer, decreased PfAtg8 level by almost 3-fold compared to the normally growing parasites. Neither the Atg8-associated puncta nor the Atg8 expression level was significantly altered by treatment of parasites with routinely used autophagy inhibitors (cysteine (E64 and aspartic (pepstatin protease inhibitors, the kinase inhibitor 3-methyladenine, and the lysosomotropic agent chloroquine, indicating an atypical feature of autophagy. Furthermore, prolonged inhibition of the major food vacuole protease activity by E64 and pepstatin did not cause accumulation of the Atg8-associated puncta in the food vacuole, suggesting that autophagy is primarily not meant for degradative function in malaria parasites. Atg8 showed partial colocalization with the apicoplast; doxycycline treatment, which disrupts apicoplast, did not affect Atg8 localization, suggesting a role, but not exclusive, in

  6. Novel chemokine-like activities of histones in tumor metastasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ruochan; Xie, Yangchun; Zhong, Xiao; Fu, Yongmin; Huang, Yan; Zhen, Yixiang; Pan, Pinhua; Wang, Haichao; Bartlett, David L; Billiar, Timothy R; Lotze, Michael T; Zeh, Herbert J; Fan, Xue-Gong; Tang, Daolin; Kang, Rui

    2016-09-20

    Histones are intracellular nucleosomal components and extracellular damage-associated molecular pattern molecules that modulate chromatin remodeling, as well as the immune response. However, their extracellular roles in cell migration and invasion remain undefined. Here, we demonstrate that histones are novel regulators of tumor metastasis with chemokine-like activities. Indeed, exogenous histones promote both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell migration and invasion through toll-like receptor (TLR)4, but not TLR2 or the receptor for advanced glycosylation end product. TLR4-mediated activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) is required for histone-induced chemokine (e.g., C-C motif ligand 9/10) production. Pharmacological and genetic inhibition of TLR4-ERK-NF-κB signaling impairs histone-induced chemokine production and HCC cell migration. Additionally, TLR4 depletion (by using TLR4-/- mice and TLR4-shRNA) or inhibition of histone release/activity (by administration of heparin and H3 neutralizing antibody) attenuates lung metastasis of HCC cells injected via the tail vein of mice. Thus, histones promote tumor metastasis of HCC cells through the TLR4-NF-κB pathway and represent novel targets for treating patients with HCC.

  7. Genome-wide analysis of regions similar to promoters of histone genes

    KAUST Repository

    Chowdhary, Rajesh

    2010-05-28

    Background: The purpose of this study is to: i) develop a computational model of promoters of human histone-encoding genes (shortly histone genes), an important class of genes that participate in various critical cellular processes, ii) use the model so developed to identify regions across the human genome that have similar structure as promoters of histone genes; such regions could represent potential genomic regulatory regions, e.g. promoters, of genes that may be coregulated with histone genes, and iii/ identify in this way genes that have high likelihood of being coregulated with the histone genes.Results: We successfully developed a histone promoter model using a comprehensive collection of histone genes. Based on leave-one-out cross-validation test, the model produced good prediction accuracy (94.1% sensitivity, 92.6% specificity, and 92.8% positive predictive value). We used this model to predict across the genome a number of genes that shared similar promoter structures with the histone gene promoters. We thus hypothesize that these predicted genes could be coregulated with histone genes. This hypothesis matches well with the available gene expression, gene ontology, and pathways data. Jointly with promoters of the above-mentioned genes, we found a large number of intergenic regions with similar structure as histone promoters.Conclusions: This study represents one of the most comprehensive computational analyses conducted thus far on a genome-wide scale of promoters of human histone genes. Our analysis suggests a number of other human genes that share a high similarity of promoter structure with the histone genes and thus are highly likely to be coregulated, and consequently coexpressed, with the histone genes. We also found that there are a large number of intergenic regions across the genome with their structures similar to promoters of histone genes. These regions may be promoters of yet unidentified genes, or may represent remote control regions that

  8. Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress Regulated by Histone Deacetylases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ming Luo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In eukaryotic cells, histone acetylation and deacetylation play an important role in the regulation of gene expression. Histone acetylation levels are modulated by histone acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases (HDACs. Recent studies indicate that HDACs play essential roles in the regulation of gene expression in plant response to environmental stress. In this review, we discussed the recent advance regarding the plant HDACs and their functions in the regulation of abiotic stress responses. The role of HDACs in autophagy was also discussed.

  9. Seasonal variations of vivax and falciparum malaria: an observation at a tertiary care hospital

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jamil, S.; Khan, M.N.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Malaria is a major public health problem in the malaria endemic zones of the world. Various factors influence the prevalence of malaria. This study was conducted to determine the variation in frequency of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in different seasons of the year in Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. Methods: A total of 411 patients were included in the study. All these febrile patients were reported to have trophozoites of either Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium falciparum malaria on Giemsa stained thick and thin smears. The frequency of vivax and falciparum malaria was worked out and statistically analysed for different season of the year. The study was carried out from 2nd Jan 2004 till 31st December 2008. Results: Out of total 411 diagnosed malaria cases, total 134 (32.60%) presented in the autumn season (vivax=33.58%, and falciparum=66.42%), 37 (9%) in winter season (vivax=32.4%, and falciparum=67.6%), 76 (18.49%) in spring season (vivax=93.4% and falciparum 6.6%) and 164 (39.90%) in summer season (vivax=89.6, and falciparum=10.4%). The malaria showed a highly significant pattern in different seasons of the year (p=0.00) in a way that Plasmodium falciparum malaria reached its highest frequency in autumn and winter seasons while Plasmodium vivax malaria reached its peak frequency in spring and summer seasons. Conclusion: There was highly significant seasonal variation of vivax and falciparum malaria. There is arrival of Plasmodium falciparum in autumn which peaks in winter followed by arrival of Plasmodium vivax in spring till the end of summer. (author)

  10. Di- or polysulphide-bound biomarkers in sulphur-rich geomacromolecules as revealed by selective chemolysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohnen, Math E. l.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.; Kock-van Dalen, A. c.; Jan, W. De Leeuw

    1991-05-01

    Three types of sulphur-rich high-molecular-weight material in the alkylsulphide, the polar, and the asphaltene fractions isolated from the bitumen of an immature bituminous shale from the Vena del Gesso basin (Italy) were desulphurised using Raney Ni and were treated with MeLi/MeI, a chemical degradation method which cleaves selectively and quantitatively di- or polysulphide linkages. The products formed were characterised by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Raney Ni desulphurisation revealed that these S-rich macromolecules are in substantial part composed of sulphur-linked biomarkers with linear, branched, isoprenoid, steroid, hopanoid, and carotenoid carbon skeletons. MeLi/Mel treatment provided evidence that a major part of the total amount of macromolecularly bound biomarkers are linked via di- or polysulphide moieties to the macromolecular network. Since the di- or polysulphide linkages are attached at specific positions of the bound biomarkers it is proposed that they are formed by intermolecular incorporation reactions of HS x- into low-molecular-weight functionalised biological lipids during early diagenesis. The different properties (solubility and molecular weight) of the sulphur-rich macromolecules in the alkylsulphide, the resin, and the asphaltene fractions can be explained simply by differences in degree of sulphur cross-linking.

  11. Systems Level Analysis of Histone H3 Post-translational Modifications (PTMs) Reveals Features of PTM Crosstalk in Chromatin Regulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schwämmle, Veit; Sidoli, Simone; Ruminowicz, Chrystian

    2016-01-01

    molecules contain multiple coexisting PTMs, some of which exhibit crosstalk, i.e. coordinated or mutually exclusive activities. Here, we present an integrated experimental and computational systems level molecular characterization of histone PTMs and PTM crosstalk. Using wild type and engineered mouse....... We characterized combinatorial PTM features across the four mESC lines and then applied statistical data analysis to predict crosstalk between histone H3 PTMs. We detected an overrepresentation of positive crosstalk (codependent marks) between adjacent mono-methylated and acetylated marks......, and negative crosstalk (mutually exclusive marks) among most of the seven characterized di- and tri-methylated lysine residues in the H3 tails. We report novel features of PTM interplay involving hitherto poorly characterized arginine methylation and lysine methylation sites, including H3R2me, H3R8me and H3K37...

  12. A Plasmodium falciparum Strain Expressing GFP throughout the Parasite's Life-Cycle

    OpenAIRE

    Talman, Arthur M.; Blagborough, Andrew M.; Sinden, Robert E.

    2010-01-01

    The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the majority of malaria-related deaths. Tools allowing the study of the basic biology of P. falciparum throughout the life cycle are critical to the development of new strategies to target the parasite within both human and mosquito hosts. We here present 3D7HT-GFP, a strain of P. falciparum constitutively expressing the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) throughout the life cycle, which has retained its capacity to complete spo...

  13. Chromatin replication and histone dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alabert, Constance; Jasencakova, Zuzana; Groth, Anja

    2017-01-01

    Inheritance of the DNA sequence and its proper organization into chromatin is fundamental for genome stability and function. Therefore, how specific chromatin structures are restored on newly synthesized DNA and transmitted through cell division remains a central question to understand cell fate...... choices and self-renewal. Propagation of genetic information and chromatin-based information in cycling cells entails genome-wide disruption and restoration of chromatin, coupled with faithful replication of DNA. In this chapter, we describe how cells duplicate the genome while maintaining its proper...... organization into chromatin. We reveal how specialized replication-coupled mechanisms rapidly assemble newly synthesized DNA into nucleosomes, while the complete restoration of chromatin organization including histone marks is a continuous process taking place throughout the cell cycle. Because failure...

  14. Acid-Urea Gel Electrophoresis and Western Blotting of Histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hazzalin, Catherine A; Mahadevan, Louis C

    2017-01-01

    Acid-urea gel electrophoresis offers significant advantages over SDS-PAGE for analysis of post-translational protein modifications, being capable of resolving proteins of similar size but varying in charge. Hence, it can be used to separate protein variants with small charge-altering differences in primary sequence, and is particularly useful in the analysis of histones whose charge variation arises from post-translational modification, such as phosphorylation or acetylation. On acid-urea gels, histones that carry multiple modifications, each with a characteristic charge, are resolved into distinct bands, the so-called "histone ladder." Thus, the extent and distribution of different modification states of histones can be visualized. Here, we describe the analysis of histone H3 by acid-urea gel electrophoresis and western blotting.

  15. The role of extracellular histones in haematological disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhamdi, Yasir; Toh, Cheng-Hock

    2016-06-01

    Over the past decades, chromosomal alterations have been extensively investigated for their pathophysiological relevance in haematological malignancies. In particular, epigenetic modifications of intra-nuclear histones are now known as key regulators of healthy cell cycles that have also evolved into novel therapeutic targets for certain blood cancers. Thus, for most haematologists, histones are DNA-chained proteins that are buried deep within chromatin. However, the plot has deepened with recent revelations on the function of histones when unchained and released extracellularly upon cell death or from activated neutrophils as part of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Extracellular histones and NETs are increasingly recognized for profound cytotoxicity and pro-coagulant effects. This article highlights the importance of recognizing this new paradigm of extracellular histones as a key player in host defence through its damage-associated molecular patterns, which could translate into novel diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers in various haematological and critical disorders. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Circulating histones are mediators of trauma-associated lung injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrams, Simon T; Zhang, Nan; Manson, Joanna; Liu, Tingting; Dart, Caroline; Baluwa, Florence; Wang, Susan Siyu; Brohi, Karim; Kipar, Anja; Yu, Weiping; Wang, Guozheng; Toh, Cheng-Hock

    2013-01-15

    Acute lung injury is a common complication after severe trauma, which predisposes patients to multiple organ failure. This syndrome largely accounts for the late mortality that arises and despite many theories, the pathological mechanism is not fully understood. Discovery of histone-induced toxicity in mice presents a new dimension for elucidating the underlying pathophysiology. To investigate the pathological roles of circulating histones in trauma-induced lung injury. Circulating histone levels in patients with severe trauma were determined and correlated with respiratory failure and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. Their cause-effect relationship was studied using cells and mouse models. In a cohort of 52 patients with severe nonthoracic blunt trauma, circulating histones surged immediately after trauma to levels that were toxic to cultured endothelial cells. The high levels were significantly associated with the incidence of acute lung injury and SOFA scores, as well as markers of endothelial damage and coagulation activation. In in vitro systems, histones damaged endothelial cells, stimulated cytokine release, and induced neutrophil extracellular trap formation and myeloperoxidase release. Cellular toxicity resulted from their direct membrane interaction and resultant calcium influx. In mouse models, cytokines and markers for endothelial damage and coagulation activation significantly increased immediately after trauma or histone infusion. Pathological examinations showed that lungs were the predominantly affected organ with edema, hemorrhage, microvascular thrombosis, and neutrophil congestion. An anti-histone antibody could reduce these changes and protect mice from histone-induced lethality. This study elucidates a new mechanism for acute lung injury after severe trauma and proposes that circulating histones are viable therapeutic targets for improving survival outcomes in patients.

  17. Circulating Histones Are Mediators of Trauma-associated Lung Injury

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrams, Simon T.; Zhang, Nan; Manson, Joanna; Liu, Tingting; Dart, Caroline; Baluwa, Florence; Wang, Susan Siyu; Brohi, Karim; Kipar, Anja; Yu, Weiping

    2013-01-01

    Rationale: Acute lung injury is a common complication after severe trauma, which predisposes patients to multiple organ failure. This syndrome largely accounts for the late mortality that arises and despite many theories, the pathological mechanism is not fully understood. Discovery of histone-induced toxicity in mice presents a new dimension for elucidating the underlying pathophysiology. Objectives: To investigate the pathological roles of circulating histones in trauma-induced lung injury. Methods: Circulating histone levels in patients with severe trauma were determined and correlated with respiratory failure and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores. Their cause–effect relationship was studied using cells and mouse models. Measurements and Main Results: In a cohort of 52 patients with severe nonthoracic blunt trauma, circulating histones surged immediately after trauma to levels that were toxic to cultured endothelial cells. The high levels were significantly associated with the incidence of acute lung injury and SOFA scores, as well as markers of endothelial damage and coagulation activation. In in vitro systems, histones damaged endothelial cells, stimulated cytokine release, and induced neutrophil extracellular trap formation and myeloperoxidase release. Cellular toxicity resulted from their direct membrane interaction and resultant calcium influx. In mouse models, cytokines and markers for endothelial damage and coagulation activation significantly increased immediately after trauma or histone infusion. Pathological examinations showed that lungs were the predominantly affected organ with edema, hemorrhage, microvascular thrombosis, and neutrophil congestion. An anti-histone antibody could reduce these changes and protect mice from histone-induced lethality. Conclusions: This study elucidates a new mechanism for acute lung injury after severe trauma and proposes that circulating histones are viable therapeutic targets for improving survival

  18. Genome sequence of the button mushroom Agaricus bisporus reveals mechanisms governing adaptation to a humic-rich ecological niche

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morin, Emmanuelle; Kohler, Annegret; Baker, Adam R.; Foulongne-Oriol, Marie; Lombard, Vincent; Nagy, Laszlo G.; Ohm, Robin A.; Patyshakuliyeva, Aleksandrina; Brun, Annick; Aerts, Andrea L.; Bailey, Andrew M.; Billette, Christophe; Coutinho, Pedro M.; Deakin, Greg; Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Floudas, Dimitrios; Grimwood, Jane; Hilden, Kristiina; Kues, Ursula; LaButti, Kurt M.; Lapidus, Alla; Lindquist, Erika A.; Lucas, Susan M.; Murat, Claude; Riley, Robert W.; Salamov, Asaf A.; Schmutz, Jeremy; Subramanian, Venkataramanan; Wosten, Han A. B.; Xu, Jianping; Eastwood, Daniel C.; Foster, Gary D.; Sonnenberg, Anton S. M.; Cullen, Dan; de Vries, Ronald P.; Lundell, Taina; Hibbett, David S.; Henrissat, Bernard; Burton, Kerry S.; Kerrigan, Richard W.; Challen, Michael P.; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Martin, Francis

    2012-04-27

    Agaricus bisporus is the model fungus for the adaptation, persistence, and growth in the humic-rich leaf-litter environment. Aside from its ecological role, A. bisporus has been an important component of the human diet for over 200 y and worldwide cultivation of the button mushroom forms a multibillion dollar industry. We present two A. bisporus genomes, their gene repertoires and transcript profiles on compost and during mushroom formation. The genomes encode a full repertoire of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes similar to that of wood-decayers. Comparative transcriptomics of mycelium grown on defined medium, casing-soil, and compost revealed genes encoding enzymes involved in xylan, cellulose, pectin, and protein degradation are more highly expressed in compost. The striking expansion of heme-thiolate peroxidases and etherases is distinctive from Agaricomycotina wood-decayers and suggests a broad attack on decaying lignin and related metabolites found in humic acid-rich environment. Similarly, up-regulation of these genes together with a lignolytic manganese peroxidase, multiple copper radical oxidases, and cytochrome P450s is consistent with challenges posed by complex humic-rich substrates. The gene repertoire and expression of hydrolytic enzymes in A. bisporus is substantially different from the taxonomically related ectomycorrhizal symbiont Laccaria bicolor. A common promoter motif was also identified in genes very highly expressed in humic-rich substrates. These observations reveal genetic and enzymatic mechanisms governing adaptation to the humic-rich ecological niche formed during plant degradation, further defining the critical role such fungi contribute to soil structure and carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. Genome sequence will expedite mushroom breeding for improved agronomic characteristics.

  19. Genome sequence of the button mushroom Agaricus bisporus reveals mechanisms governing adaptation to a humic-rich ecological niche.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, Emmanuelle; Kohler, Annegret; Baker, Adam R; Foulongne-Oriol, Marie; Lombard, Vincent; Nagy, Laszlo G; Ohm, Robin A; Patyshakuliyeva, Aleksandrina; Brun, Annick; Aerts, Andrea L; Bailey, Andrew M; Billette, Christophe; Coutinho, Pedro M; Deakin, Greg; Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Floudas, Dimitrios; Grimwood, Jane; Hildén, Kristiina; Kües, Ursula; Labutti, Kurt M; Lapidus, Alla; Lindquist, Erika A; Lucas, Susan M; Murat, Claude; Riley, Robert W; Salamov, Asaf A; Schmutz, Jeremy; Subramanian, Venkataramanan; Wösten, Han A B; Xu, Jianping; Eastwood, Daniel C; Foster, Gary D; Sonnenberg, Anton S M; Cullen, Dan; de Vries, Ronald P; Lundell, Taina; Hibbett, David S; Henrissat, Bernard; Burton, Kerry S; Kerrigan, Richard W; Challen, Michael P; Grigoriev, Igor V; Martin, Francis

    2012-10-23

    Agaricus bisporus is the model fungus for the adaptation, persistence, and growth in the humic-rich leaf-litter environment. Aside from its ecological role, A. bisporus has been an important component of the human diet for over 200 y and worldwide cultivation of the "button mushroom" forms a multibillion dollar industry. We present two A. bisporus genomes, their gene repertoires and transcript profiles on compost and during mushroom formation. The genomes encode a full repertoire of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes similar to that of wood-decayers. Comparative transcriptomics of mycelium grown on defined medium, casing-soil, and compost revealed genes encoding enzymes involved in xylan, cellulose, pectin, and protein degradation are more highly expressed in compost. The striking expansion of heme-thiolate peroxidases and β-etherases is distinctive from Agaricomycotina wood-decayers and suggests a broad attack on decaying lignin and related metabolites found in humic acid-rich environment. Similarly, up-regulation of these genes together with a lignolytic manganese peroxidase, multiple copper radical oxidases, and cytochrome P450s is consistent with challenges posed by complex humic-rich substrates. The gene repertoire and expression of hydrolytic enzymes in A. bisporus is substantially different from the taxonomically related ectomycorrhizal symbiont Laccaria bicolor. A common promoter motif was also identified in genes very highly expressed in humic-rich substrates. These observations reveal genetic and enzymatic mechanisms governing adaptation to the humic-rich ecological niche formed during plant degradation, further defining the critical role such fungi contribute to soil structure and carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. Genome sequence will expedite mushroom breeding for improved agronomic characteristics.

  20. Phosphorylation of rat thymus histones, its control and the effects thereon of γ-irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fonagy, A.; Ord, M.G.; Stocken, L.A.

    1977-01-01

    The phosphate content of rat thymus histones was determined. As expected for a replicating tissue, histones 1 and 2B were more phosphorylated and had higher 32 P uptakes than did histones from resting liver nuclei; the other histones all showed 32 P uptake, but the phosphate content and uptake of histone 2A was about half that for liver histone 2A. When thymus nuclei were incubated in a slightly hypo-osmotic medium, non-histone proteins and phosphorylated histones were released into solution; this was enhanced if ATP was present in the medium. [γ- 32 P]ATP was incorporated into non-histone proteins, including Pl, and into the ADP-ribosylated form of histone 1; negligible 32 P was incorporated into the other, bound, histones. Histones 1 and 2B added to the incubation medium were extensively, and histones 2A and 4 slightly, phosphorylated. Histones released by increasing the ionic strength of the medium were phosphorylated. Added lysozyme and cytochrome c were neither bound nor phosphorylated, but added non-histone protein Pl was phosphorylated, causing other histones to be released from the nuclei, especially histones 2A and 3. The released histones were phosphorylated. γ-irradiation decreased 32 P uptake into the non-ADP-ribosylated histones 1 and 4; phosphorylation of histone 1 in vitro was unaffected. The importance of non-histone proteins, ATP availability and nuclear protein kinases to the control of histone phosphorylation in vivo is discussed. (author)

  1. The Histone Methyltransferase Activity of MLL1 Is Dispensable for Hematopoiesis and Leukemogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bibhu P. Mishra

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Despite correlations between histone methyltransferase (HMT activity and gene regulation, direct evidence that HMT activity is responsible for gene activation is sparse. We address the role of the HMT activity for MLL1, a histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4 methyltransferase critical for maintaining hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs. Here, we show that the SET domain, and thus HMT activity of MLL1, is dispensable for maintaining HSCs and supporting leukemogenesis driven by the MLL-AF9 fusion oncoprotein. Upon Mll1 deletion, histone H4 lysine 16 (H4K16 acetylation is selectively depleted at MLL1 target genes in conjunction with reduced transcription. Surprisingly, inhibition of SIRT1 is sufficient to prevent the loss of H4K16 acetylation and the reduction in MLL1 target gene expression. Thus, recruited MOF activity, and not the intrinsic HMT activity of MLL1, is central for the maintenance of HSC target genes. In addition, this work reveals a role for SIRT1 in opposing MLL1 function.

  2. Crystal structure of histone demethylase LSD1 and tranylcypromine at 2.25 A

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mimasu, Shinya; Sengoku, Toru; Fukuzawa, Seketsu; Umehara, Takashi; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki

    2008-01-01

    Transcriptional activity and chromatin structure accessibility are correlated with the methylation of specific histone residues. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is the first discovered histone demethylase, which demethylates Lys4 or Lys9 of histone H3, using FAD. Among the known monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tranylcypromine (Parnate) showed the most potent inhibitory effect on LSD1. Recently, the crystal structure of LSD1 and tranylcypromine was solved at 2.75 A, revealing a five-membered ring fused to the flavin of LSD1. In this study, we refined the crystal structure of the LSD1-tranylcypromine complex to 2.25 A. The five-membered ring model did not fit completely with the electron density, giving R work /R free values of 0.226/0.254. On the other hand, the N(5) adduct gave the lowest R work /R free values of 0.218/0.248, among the tested models. These results imply that the LSD1-tranylcypromine complex is not completely composed of the five-membered adduct, but partially contains an intermediate, such as the N(5) adduct

  3. Plasmodium falciparum in the southeastern Atlantic forest: a challenge to the bromeliad-malaria paradigm?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laporta, Gabriel Zorello; Burattini, Marcelo Nascimento; Levy, Debora; Fukuya, Linah Akemi; de Oliveira, Tatiane Marques Porangaba; Maselli, Luciana Morganti Ferreira; Conn, Jan Evelyn; Massad, Eduardo; Bydlowski, Sergio Paulo; Sallum, Maria Anice Mureb

    2015-04-25

    Recently an unexpectedly high prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum was found in asymptomatic blood donors living in the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic forest. The bromeliad-malaria paradigm assumes that transmission of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium malariae involves species of the subgenus Kerteszia of Anopheles and only a few cases of P. vivax malaria are reported annually in this region. The expectations of this paradigm are a low prevalence of P. vivax and a null prevalence of P. falciparum. Therefore, the aim of this study was to verify if P. falciparum is actively circulating in the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic forest remains. In this study, anophelines were collected with Shannon and CDC-light traps in seven distinct Atlantic forest landscapes over a 4-month period. Field-collected Anopheles mosquitoes were tested by real-time PCR assay in pools of ten, and then each mosquito from every positive pool, separately for P. falciparum and P. vivax. Genomic DNA of P. falciparum or P. vivax from positive anophelines was then amplified by traditional PCR for sequencing of the 18S ribosomal DNA to confirm Plasmodium species. Binomial probabilities were calculated to identify non-random results of the P. falciparum-infected anopheline findings. The overall proportion of anophelines naturally infected with P. falciparum was 4.4% (21/480) and only 0.8% (4/480) with P. vivax. All of the infected mosquitoes were found in intermixed natural and human-modified environments and most were Anopheles cruzii (22/25 = 88%, 18 P. falciparum plus 4 P. vivax). Plasmodium falciparum was confirmed by sequencing in 76% (16/21) of positive mosquitoes, whereas P. vivax was confirmed in only 25% (1/4). Binomial probabilities suggest that P. falciparum actively circulates throughout the region and that there may be a threshold of the forested over human-modified environment ratio upon which the proportion of P. falciparum-infected anophelines increases significantly. These results

  4. Highly sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay for the assay of Plasmodium falciparum antigens and antibodies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Avraham, H.; Golenser, J.; Gazitt, Y.; Spira, D.T.; Sulitzeanu, D. (Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem (Israel). Hadassah Medical School)

    1982-08-27

    A highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for detection of P. falciparum antibodies and antigens is described. A partially purified P. falciparum antigen preparation is obtained from in vitro cultured parasites enriched after gelatin sedimentation by sonicating the infected red blood cells and precipitating the proteins with 50% saturated ammonium sulfate. The precipitate is dissolved in buffer, ultracentrifuged and used to coat wells of microtiter plates. Anti-P. falciparum antibodies are detected by incubating antiserum dilutions in the coated wells and detecting the bound IgG with radioiodinated staphylococcal protein A. P. falciparum antigens are detected by their ability to inhibit binding of antibodies to the coated wells. Sera of individuals with a history of P. falciparum infection contain antibodies detectable at a dilution of 1:75,000. P. falciparum RBC infected in vitro can be detected at levels of parasitemia of the order of 1 parasite or less per 10/sup 6/ RBC.

  5. Sequence analysis of DBL2β domain of vargene of Indonesian Plasmodium falciparum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sulistyaningsih, E.; Romadhon, B. D.; Palupi, I.; Hidayah, F.; Dewi, R.; Prasetyo, A.

    2018-03-01

    Malaria is a major health problem in tropical countries including Indonesia. The most deadly agent is Plasmodium falciparum. In P. falciparum infection, PfEMP1 is supposed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of malaria. PfEMP1 is encoded by var gene family, it is a polymorphic protein where the extra-cellular portion contains of three distinct binding domains: Duffy binding-like (DBL), Cysteine-rich interdomain regions (CIDR) and C2. PfEMP1 varies in domain composition and binding specificity. The study explored the characteristic of Indonesian DBL2β-var genes and investigated its role to the malaria outcome. Twenty blood samples from clinically mild to severe malaria patients in Jember, East Java were collected for DNA extraction. Diagnosis was confirmed by Giemsa-stained thick blood smear. PCR was conducted using specific primer targeting on the full-length of DBL2ß and resulted approximately single band of 1,7 kb in a sample. This band was observed only from severe malaria sample. Sequence analysis directly from PCR product showed 74-99% similarities with previous sequences in Gene Bank. In conclusion, the DBL2β domain of vargene of Indonesian isolates was 1603 nucleotides in length and there was a possible association of the existence of DBL2β domain with the severity of malaria outcome.

  6. A histidine-rich protein 2-based malaria drug sensitivity assay for field use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noedl, Harald; Attlmayr, Bernhard; Wernsdorfer, Walther H; Kollaritsch, Herwig; Miller, Robert S

    2004-12-01

    With the spread of antimalarial drug resistance, simple and reliable tools for the assessment of antimalarial drug resistance, particularly in endemic regions and under field conditions, have become more important than ever before. We therefore developed a histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2)-based drug sensitivity assay for testing of fresh isolates of Plasmodium falciparum in the field. In contrast to the HRP2 laboratory assay, the field assay uses a procedure that further simplifies the handling and culturing of malaria parasites by omitting centrifugation, washing, the use of serum, and dilution with uninfected red blood cells. A total of 40 fresh Plasmodium falciparum isolates were successfully tested for their susceptibility to dihydroartemisinin, mefloquine, quinine, and chloroquine (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 3.43, 61.89, 326.75, and 185.31 nM, respectively). Results very closely matched those obtained with a modified World Health Organization schizont maturation assay (R2 = 0.96, P < 0.001; mean log difference at IC50 = 0.054).

  7. An RNA-seq transcriptome analysis of histone modifiers and RNA silencing genes in soybean during floral initiation process.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lim Chee Liew

    Full Text Available Epigenetics has been recognised to play vital roles in many plant developmental processes, including floral initiation through the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. The histone modifying proteins that mediate these modifications involve the SET domain-containing histone methyltransferases, JmjC domain-containing demethylase, acetylases and deacetylases. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi-associated genes are also involved in epigenetic regulation via RNA-directed DNA methylation and post-transcriptional gene silencing. Soybean, a major crop legume, requires a short day to induce flowering. How histone modifications regulate the plant response to external cues that initiate flowering is still largely unknown. Here, we used RNA-seq to address the dynamics of transcripts that are potentially involved in the epigenetic programming and RNAi mediated gene silencing during the floral initiation of soybean. Soybean is a paleopolyploid that has been subjected to at least two rounds of whole genome duplication events. We report that the expanded genomic repertoire of histone modifiers and RNA silencing genes in soybean includes 14 histone acetyltransferases, 24 histone deacetylases, 47 histone methyltransferases, 15 protein arginine methyltransferases, 24 JmjC domain-containing demethylases and 47 RNAi-associated genes. To investigate the role of these histone modifiers and RNA silencing genes during floral initiation, we compared the transcriptional dynamics of the leaf and shoot apical meristem at different time points after a short-day treatment. Our data reveal that the extensive activation of genes that are usually involved in the epigenetic programming and RNAi gene silencing in the soybean shoot apical meristem are reprogrammed for floral development following an exposure to inductive conditions.

  8. Three-dimensional collagen I promotes gemcitabine resistance in vitro in pancreatic cancer cells through HMGA2-dependent histone acetyltransferase expression.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surabhi Dangi-Garimella

    Full Text Available Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC is associated with a pronounced collagen-rich stromal reaction that has been shown to contribute to chemo-resistance. We have previously shown that PDAC cells are resistant to gemcitabine chemotherapy in the collagen microenvironment because of increased expression of the chromatin remodeling protein high mobility group A2 (HMGA2. We have now found that human PDAC tumors display higher levels of histone H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation in fibrotic regions. We show that relative to cells grown on tissue culture plastic, PDAC cells grown in three-dimensional collagen gels demonstrate increased histone H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation, along with increased expression of p300, PCAF and GCN5 histone acetyltransferases (HATs. Knocking down HMGA2 attenuates the effect of collagen on histone H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation and on collagen-induced p300, PCAF and GCN5 expression. We also show that human PDAC tumors with HMGA2 demonstrate increased histone H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation. Additionally, we show that cells in three-dimensional collagen gels demonstrate increased protection against gemcitabine. Significantly, down-regulation of HMGA2 or p300, PCAF and GCN5 HATs sensitizes the cells to gemcitabine in three-dimensional collagen. Overall, our results increase our understanding of how the collagen microenvironment contributes to chemo-resistance in vitro and identify HATs as potential therapeutic targets against this deadly cancer.

  9. Germline-specific H1 variants: the "sexy" linker histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez-Montero, Salvador; Carbonell, Albert; Azorín, Fernando

    2016-03-01

    The eukaryotic genome is packed into chromatin, a nucleoprotein complex mainly formed by the interaction of DNA with the abundant basic histone proteins. The fundamental structural and functional subunit of chromatin is the nucleosome core particle, which is composed by 146 bp of DNA wrapped around an octameric protein complex formed by two copies of each core histone H2A, H2B, H3, and H4. In addition, although not an intrinsic component of the nucleosome core particle, linker histone H1 directly interacts with it in a monomeric form. Histone H1 binds nucleosomes near the exit/entry sites of linker DNA, determines nucleosome repeat length and stabilizes higher-order organization of nucleosomes into the ∼30 nm chromatin fiber. In comparison to core histones, histone H1 is less well conserved through evolution. Furthermore, histone H1 composition in metazoans is generally complex with most species containing multiple variants that play redundant as well as specific functions. In this regard, a characteristic feature is the presence of specific H1 variants that replace somatic H1s in the germline and during early embryogenesis. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge about their structural and functional properties.

  10. High prevalence of drug-resistance mutations in Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in southern Ethiopia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Löscher Thomas

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Ethiopia, malaria is caused by both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Drug resistance of P. falciparum to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP and chloroquine (CQ is frequent and intense in some areas. Methods In 100 patients with uncomplicated malaria from Dilla, southern Ethiopia, P. falciparum dhfr and dhps mutations as well as P. vivax dhfr polymorphisms associated with resistance to SP and P. falciparum pfcrt and pfmdr1 mutations conferring CQ resistance were assessed. Results P. falciparum and P. vivax were observed in 69% and 31% of the patients, respectively. Pfdhfr triple mutations and pfdhfr/pfdhps quintuple mutations occurred in 87% and 86% of P. falciparum isolates, respectively. Pfcrt T76 was seen in all and pfmdr1 Y86 in 81% of P. falciparum. The P. vivax dhfr core mutations N117 and R58 were present in 94% and 74%, respectively. Conclusion These data point to an extraordinarily high frequency of drug-resistance mutations in both P. falciparum and P. vivax in southern Ethiopia, and strongly support that both SP and CQ are inadequate drugs for this region.

  11. Selection of Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance gene 1 alleles in asexual stages and gametocytes by artemether-lumefantrine in Nigerian children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Happi, C T; Gbotosho, G O; Folarin, O A; Sowunmi, A; Hudson, T; O'Neil, M; Milhous, W; Wirth, D F; Oduola, A M J

    2009-03-01

    We assessed Plasmodium falciparum mdr1 (Pfmdr1) gene polymorphisms and copy numbers as well as P. falciparum Ca(2+) ATPase (PfATPase6) gene polymorphisms in 90 Nigerian children presenting with uncomplicated falciparum malaria and enrolled in a study of the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL). The nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and the quantitative real-time PCR methodologies were used to determine the alleles of the Pfmdr1 and PfATPase6 genes and the Pfmdr1 copy number variation, respectively, in patients samples collected prior to treatment and at the reoccurrence of parasites during a 42-day follow-up. The Pfmdr1 haplotype 86N-184F-1246D was significantly associated (P copy of the Pfmdr1 gene and the wild-type allele (L89) at codon 89 of the PfATPase6 gene. These findings suggest that polymorphisms in the Pfmdr1 gene are under AL selection pressure. Pfmdr1 polymorphisms may result in reduction in the therapeutic efficacy of this newly adopted combination treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Saharan countries of Africa.

  12. Histone posttranslational modifications predict specific alternative exon subtypes in mammalian brain.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiwen Hu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available A compelling body of literature, based on next generation chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA sequencing of reward brain regions indicates that the regulation of the epigenetic landscape likely underlies chronic drug abuse and addiction. It is now critical to develop highly innovative computational strategies to reveal the relevant regulatory transcriptional mechanisms that may underlie neuropsychiatric disease. We have analyzed chromatin regulation of alternative splicing, which is implicated in cocaine exposure in mice. Recent literature has described chromatin-regulated alternative splicing, suggesting a novel function for drug-induced neuroepigenetic remodeling. However, the extent of the genome-wide association between particular histone modifications and alternative splicing remains unexplored. To address this, we have developed novel computational approaches to model the association between alternative splicing and histone posttranslational modifications in the nucleus accumbens (NAc, a brain reward region. Using classical statistical methods and machine learning to combine ChIP-Seq and RNA-Seq data, we found that specific histone modifications are strongly associated with various aspects of differential splicing. H3K36me3 and H3K4me1 have the strongest association with splicing indicating they play a significant role in alternative splicing in brain reward tissue.

  13. Histone Acetylome-wide Association Study of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Wenjie; Poschmann, Jeremie; Cruz-Herrera Del Rosario, Ricardo; Parikshak, Neelroop N; Hajan, Hajira Shreen; Kumar, Vibhor; Ramasamy, Ramalakshmi; Belgard, T Grant; Elanggovan, Bavani; Wong, Chloe Chung Yi; Mill, Jonathan; Geschwind, Daniel H; Prabhakar, Shyam

    2016-11-17

    The association of histone modification changes with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been systematically examined. We conducted a histone acetylome-wide association study (HAWAS) by performing H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) on 257 postmortem samples from ASD and matched control brains. Despite etiological heterogeneity, ≥68% of syndromic and idiopathic ASD cases shared a common acetylome signature at >5,000 cis-regulatory elements in prefrontal and temporal cortex. Similarly, multiple genes associated with rare genetic mutations in ASD showed common "epimutations." Acetylome aberrations in ASD were not attributable to genetic differentiation at cis-SNPs and highlighted genes involved in synaptic transmission, ion transport, epilepsy, behavioral abnormality, chemokinesis, histone deacetylation, and immunity. By correlating histone acetylation with genotype, we discovered >2,000 histone acetylation quantitative trait loci (haQTLs) in human brain regions, including four candidate causal variants for psychiatric diseases. Due to the relative stability of histone modifications postmortem, we anticipate that the HAWAS approach will be applicable to multiple diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Premunition in Plasmodium falciparum malaria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2010-03-08

    Mar 8, 2010 ... antigenic polymorphism, shedding of parts of parasite proteins, cross-reactive epitopes of antigens of ... Due to the lack of HLA molecules on the surface of the .... Susceptibility and death rates in P. falciparum malaria are.

  15. Biotinylation is a natural, albeit rare, modification of human histones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuroishi, Toshinobu; Rios-Avila, Luisa; Pestinger, Valerie; Wijeratne, Subhashinee S. K.; Zempleni, Janos

    2011-01-01

    Previous studies suggest that histones H3 and H4 are posttranslationally modified by binding of the vitamin biotin, catalyzed by holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS). Albeit a rare epigenetic mark, biotinylated histones were repeatedly shown to be enriched in repeat regions and repressed loci, participating in the maintenance of genome stability and gene regulation. Recently, a team of investigators failed to detect biotinylated histones and proposed that biotinylation is not a natural modification of histones, but rather an assay artifact. Here, we describe the results of experiments, including the comparison of various analytical protocols, antibodies, cell lines, classes of histones, and radiotracers. These studies provide unambiguous evidence that biotinylation is a natural, albeit rare, histone modification. Less than 0.001% of human histones H3 and H4 are biotinylated, raising concerns that the abundance might too low to elicit biological effects in vivo. We integrated information from this study, previous studies, and ongoing research efforts to present a new working model in which biological effects are caused by a role of HCS in multiprotein complexes in chromatin. In this model, docking of HCS in chromatin causes the occasional binding of biotin to histones as a tracer for HCS binding sites. PMID:21930408

  16. Prevalence of pfhrp2 and/or pfhrp3 Gene Deletion in Plasmodium falciparum Population in Eight Highly Endemic States in India.

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    Praveen Kumar Bharti

    Full Text Available Plasmodium falciparum encoded histidine rich protein (HRP2 based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs are used in India. Deletion of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes contributes to false negative test results, and large numbers of such deletions have been reported from South America, highlighting the importance of surveillance to detect such deletions.This is the first prospective field study carried out at 16 sites located in eight endemic states of India to assess the performance of PfHRP2 based RDT kits used in the national malaria control programme. In this study, microscopically confirmed P. falciparum but RDT negative samples were assessed for presence of pfhrp2, pfhrp3, and their flanking genes using PCR.Among 1521 microscopically positive P. falciparum samples screened, 50 were negative by HRP2 based RDT test. Molecular testing was carried out using these 50 RDT negative samples by assuming that 1471 RDT positive samples carried pfhrp2 gene. It was found that 2.4% (36/1521 and 1.8% (27/1521 of samples were negative for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes, respectively. However, the frequency of pfhrp2 deletions varied between the sites ranging from 0-25% (2.4, 95% CI; 1.6-3.3. The frequency of both pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletion varied from 0-8% (1.6, 95% CI; 1.0-2.4.This study provides evidence for low level presence of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deleted P. falciparum parasites in different endemic regions of India, and periodic surveillance is warranted for reliable use of PfHRP2 based RDTs.

  17. Interleukin-10 regulates hepcidin in Plasmodium falciparum malaria

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Honglei

    2014-02-10

    Background: Acute malarial anemia remains a major public health problem. Hepcidin, the major hormone controlling the availability of iron, is raised during acute and asymptomatic parasitemia. Understanding the role and mechanism of raised hepcidin and so reduced iron availability during infection is critical to establish evidence-based guidelines for management of malaria anemia. Our recent clinical evidence suggests a potential role of IL-10 in the regulation of hepcidin in patients with acute P. falciparum malaria. Methods: We have measured secretion of hepcidin by primary macrophages and the hepatoma cell line HepG2 stimulated with IL-10, IL-6 and Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Findings: We have observed that IL-10 and IL-6 production increased in primary macrophages when these cells were co-cultured with Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. We found that IL-10 induced hepcidin secretion in primary macrophages in a dose-dependent manner but not in HepG2 cells. These effects were mediated through signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3-phosphorylation and completely abrogated by a specific STAT3 inhibitor. Conclusion: IL-10 can directly regulate hepcidin in primary macrophages but not in HepG2 cells. This effect can be modulated by Plasmodium falciparum. The results are consistent with a role for IL-10 in modulating iron metabolism during acute phase of infection. 2014 Huang et al.

  18. Ethylene induces combinatorial effects of histone H3 acetylation in gene expression in Arabidopsis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Likai; Zhang, Fan; Rode, Siddharth; Chin, Kevin K; Ko, Eun Esther; Kim, Jonghwan; Iyer, Vishwanath R; Qiao, Hong

    2017-07-17

    Histone acetylation and deacetylation are essential for gene regulation and have been implicated in the regulation of plant hormone responses. Many studies have indicated the role of histone acetylation in ethylene signaling; however, few studies have investigated how ethylene signaling regulates the genomic landscape of chromatin states. Recently, we found that ethylene can specifically elevate histone H3K14 acetylation and the non-canonical histone H3K23 acetylation in etiolated seedlings and the gene activation is positively associated with the elevation of H3K14Ac and H3K23Ac in response to ethylene. To assess the role of H3K9, H3K14, and H3K23 histone modifications in the ethylene response, we examined how ethylene regulates histone acetylation and the transcriptome at global level and in ethylene regulated genes both in wild type (Col-0) and ein2-5 seedlings. Our results revealed that H3K9Ac, H3K14Ac, and H3K23Ac are preferentially enriched around the transcription start sites and are positively correlated with gene expression levels in Col-0 and ein2-5 seedlings both with and without ethylene treatment. In the absence of ethylene, no combinatorial effect of H3K9Ac, H3K14Ac, and H3K23Ac on gene expression was detected. In the presence of ethylene, however, combined enrichment of the three histone acetylation marks was associated with high gene expression levels, and this ethylene-induced change was EIN2 dependent. In addition, we found that ethylene-regulated genes are expressed at medium or high levels, and a group of ethylene regulated genes are marked by either one of H3K9Ac, H3K14Ac or H3K23Ac. In this group of genes, the levels of H3K9Ac were altered by ethylene, but in the absence of ethylene the levels of H3K9Ac and peak breadths are distinguished in up- and down- regulated genes. In the presence of ethylene, the changes in the peak breadths and levels of H3K14Ac and H3K23Ac are required for the alteration of gene expressions. Our study reveals that

  19. Mitotic evolution of Plasmodium falciparum shows a stable core genome but recombination in antigen families.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selina E R Bopp

    Full Text Available Malaria parasites elude eradication attempts both within the human host and across nations. At the individual level, parasites evade the host immune responses through antigenic variation. At the global level, parasites escape drug pressure through single nucleotide variants and gene copy amplification events conferring drug resistance. Despite their importance to global health, the rates at which these genomic alterations emerge have not been determined. We studied the complete genomes of different Plasmodium falciparum clones that had been propagated asexually over one year in the presence and absence of drug pressure. A combination of whole-genome microarray analysis and next-generation deep resequencing (totaling 14 terabases revealed a stable core genome with only 38 novel single nucleotide variants appearing in seventeen evolved clones (avg. 5.4 per clone. In clones exposed to atovaquone, we found cytochrome b mutations as well as an amplification event encompassing the P. falciparum multidrug resistance associated protein (mrp1 on chromosome 1. We observed 18 large-scale (>1 kb on average deletions of telomere-proximal regions encoding multigene families, involved in immune evasion (9.5×10(-6 structural variants per base pair per generation. Six of these deletions were associated with chromosomal crossovers generated during mitosis. We found only minor differences in rates between genetically distinct strains and between parasites cultured in the presence or absence of drug. Using these derived mutation rates for P. falciparum (1.0-9.7×10(-9 mutations per base pair per generation, we can now model the frequency at which drug or immune resistance alleles will emerge under a well-defined set of assumptions. Further, the detection of mitotic recombination events in var gene families illustrates how multigene families can arise and change over time in P. falciparum. These results will help improve our understanding of how P. falciparum

  20. Mitotic Evolution of Plasmodium falciparum Shows a Stable Core Genome but Recombination in Antigen Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bopp, Selina E. R.; Manary, Micah J.; Bright, A. Taylor; Johnston, Geoffrey L.; Dharia, Neekesh V.; Luna, Fabio L.; McCormack, Susan; Plouffe, David; McNamara, Case W.; Walker, John R.; Fidock, David A.; Denchi, Eros Lazzerini; Winzeler, Elizabeth A.

    2013-01-01

    Malaria parasites elude eradication attempts both within the human host and across nations. At the individual level, parasites evade the host immune responses through antigenic variation. At the global level, parasites escape drug pressure through single nucleotide variants and gene copy amplification events conferring drug resistance. Despite their importance to global health, the rates at which these genomic alterations emerge have not been determined. We studied the complete genomes of different Plasmodium falciparum clones that had been propagated asexually over one year in the presence and absence of drug pressure. A combination of whole-genome microarray analysis and next-generation deep resequencing (totaling 14 terabases) revealed a stable core genome with only 38 novel single nucleotide variants appearing in seventeen evolved clones (avg. 5.4 per clone). In clones exposed to atovaquone, we found cytochrome b mutations as well as an amplification event encompassing the P. falciparum multidrug resistance associated protein (mrp1) on chromosome 1. We observed 18 large-scale (>1 kb on average) deletions of telomere-proximal regions encoding multigene families, involved in immune evasion (9.5×10−6 structural variants per base pair per generation). Six of these deletions were associated with chromosomal crossovers generated during mitosis. We found only minor differences in rates between genetically distinct strains and between parasites cultured in the presence or absence of drug. Using these derived mutation rates for P. falciparum (1.0–9.7×10−9 mutations per base pair per generation), we can now model the frequency at which drug or immune resistance alleles will emerge under a well-defined set of assumptions. Further, the detection of mitotic recombination events in var gene families illustrates how multigene families can arise and change over time in P. falciparum. These results will help improve our understanding of how P. falciparum evolves to

  1. Neutrophil Extracellular Trap-Related Extracellular Histones Cause Vascular Necrosis in Severe GN.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Santhosh V R; Kulkarni, Onkar P; Mulay, Shrikant R; Darisipudi, Murthy N; Romoli, Simone; Thomasova, Dana; Scherbaum, Christina R; Hohenstein, Bernd; Hugo, Christian; Müller, Susanna; Liapis, Helen; Anders, Hans-Joachim

    2015-10-01

    Severe GN involves local neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. We hypothesized a local cytotoxic effect of NET-related histone release in necrotizing GN. In vitro, histones from calf thymus or histones released by neutrophils undergoing NETosis killed glomerular endothelial cells, podocytes, and parietal epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Histone-neutralizing agents such as antihistone IgG, activated protein C, or heparin prevented this effect. Histone toxicity on glomeruli ex vivo was Toll-like receptor 2/4 dependent, and lack of TLR2/4 attenuated histone-induced renal thrombotic microangiopathy and glomerular necrosis in mice. Anti-glomerular basement membrane GN involved NET formation and vascular necrosis, whereas blocking NET formation by peptidylarginine inhibition or preemptive anti-histone IgG injection significantly reduced all aspects of GN (i.e., vascular necrosis, podocyte loss, albuminuria, cytokine induction, recruitment or activation of glomerular leukocytes, and glomerular crescent formation). To evaluate histones as a therapeutic target, mice with established GN were treated with three different histone-neutralizing agents. Anti-histone IgG, recombinant activated protein C, and heparin were equally effective in abrogating severe GN, whereas combination therapy had no additive effects. Together, these results indicate that NET-related histone release during GN elicits cytotoxic and immunostimulatory effects. Furthermore, neutralizing extracellular histones is still therapeutic when initiated in established GN. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

  2. Malaria diagnosis by PCR revealed differential distribution of mono and mixed species infections by Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax in India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siwal, Nisha; Singh, Upasana Shyamsunder; Dash, Manoswini; Kar, Sonalika; Rani, Swati; Rawal, Charu; Singh, Rajkumar; Anvikar, Anupkumar R; Pande, Veena; Das, Aparup

    2018-01-01

    Malaria is a vector-borne infectious disease, caused by five different species of the genus Plasmodium, and is endemic to many tropical and sub-tropical countries of the globe. At present, malaria diagnosis at the primary health care level in India is conducted by either microscopy or rapid diagnostic test (RDT). In recent years, molecular diagnosis (by PCR assay), has emerged as the most sensitive method for malaria diagnosis. India is highly endemic to malaria and shoulders the burden of two major malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. Previous studies using PCR diagnostic assay had unraveled several interesting facts on distribution of malaria parasites in India. However, these studies had several limitations from small sample size to limited geographical areas of sampling. In order to mitigate these limitations, we have collected finger-prick blood samples from 2,333 malaria symptomatic individuals in nine states from 11 geographic locations, covering almost the entire malaria endemic regions of India and performed all the three diagnostic tests (microscopy, RDT and PCR assay) and also have conducted comparative assessment on the performance of the three diagnostic tests. Since PCR assay turned out to be highly sensitive (827 malaria positive cases) among the three types of tests, we have utilized data from PCR diagnostic assay for analyses and inferences. The results indicate varied distributional prevalence of P. vivax and P. falciparum according to locations in India, and also the mixed species infection due to these two species. The proportion of P. falciparum to P. vivax was found to be 49:51, and percentage of mixed species infections due to these two parasites was found to be 13% of total infections. Considering India is set for malaria elimination by 2030, the present malaria epidemiological information is of high importance.

  3. In vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum in neonatal blood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sauerzopf, Ulrich; Honkpehedji, Yabo J; Adgenika, Ayôla A; Feugap, Elianne N; Ngoma, Ghyslain Mombo; Mackanga, Jean-Rodolphe; Lötsch, Felix; Loembe, Marguerite M; Kremsner, Peter G; Mordmüller, Benjamin; Ramharter, Michael

    2014-11-18

    Children below the age of six months suffer less often from malaria than older children in sub-Saharan Africa. This observation is commonly attributed to the persistence of foetal haemoglobin (HbF), which is considered not to permit growth of Plasmodium falciparum and therefore providing protection against malaria. Since this concept has recently been challenged, this study evaluated the effect of HbF erythrocytes and maternal plasma on in vitro parasite growth of P. falciparum in Central African Gabon. Umbilical cord blood and peripheral maternal blood were collected at delivery at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Gabon. Respective erythrocyte suspension and plasma were used in parallel for in vitro culture. In vitro growth rates were compared between cultures supplemented with either maternal or cord erythrocytes. Plasma of maternal blood and cord blood was evaluated. Parasite growth rates were assessed by the standard HRP2-assay evaluating the increase of HRP2 concentration in Plasmodium culture. Culture of P. falciparum using foetal erythrocytes led to comparable growth rates (mean growth rate = 4.2, 95% CI: 3.5 - 5.0) as cultures with maternal red blood cells (mean growth rate =4.2, 95% CI: 3.4 - 5.0) and those from non-malaria exposed individuals (mean growth rate = 4.6, 95% CI: 3.8 - 5.5). Standard in vitro culture of P. falciparum supplemented with either maternal or foetal plasma showed both significantly lower growth rates than a positive control using non-malaria exposed donor plasma. These data challenge the concept of HbF serving as intrinsic inhibitor of P. falciparum growth in the first months of life. Erythrocytes containing HbF are equally permissive to P. falciparum growth in vitro. However, addition of maternal and cord plasma led to reduced in vitro growth which may translate to protection against clinical disease or show synergistic effects with HbF in vivo. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathophysiology of innate and acquired

  4. Identification of O-GlcNAcylated proteins in Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kupferschmid, Mattis; Aquino-Gil, Moyira Osny; Shams-Eldin, Hosam; Schmidt, Jörg; Yamakawa, Nao; Krzewinski, Frédéric; Schwarz, Ralph T; Lefebvre, Tony

    2017-11-29

    Post-translational modifications (PTMs) constitute a huge group of chemical modifications increasing the complexity of the proteomes of living beings. PTMs have been discussed as potential anti-malarial drug targets due to their involvement in many cell processes. O-GlcNAcylation is a widespread PTM found in different organisms including Plasmodium falciparum. The aim of this study was to identify O-GlcNAcylated proteins of P. falciparum, to learn more about the modification process and to understand its eventual functions in the Apicomplexans. The P. falciparum strain 3D7 was amplified in erythrocytes and purified. The proteome was checked for O-GlcNAcylation using different methods. The level of UDP-GlcNAc, the donor of the sugar moiety for O-GlcNAcylation processes, was measured using high-pH anion exchange chromatography. O-GlcNAcylated proteins were enriched and purified utilizing either click chemistry labelling or adsorption on succinyl-wheat germ agglutinin beads. Proteins were then identified by mass-spectrometry (nano-LC MS/MS). While low when compared to MRC5 control cells, P. falciparum disposes of its own pool of UDP-GlcNAc. By using proteomics methods, 13 O-GlcNAcylated proteins were unambiguously identified (11 by click-chemistry and 6 by sWGA-beads enrichment; 4 being identified by the 2 approaches) in late trophozoites. These proteins are all part of pathways, functions and structures important for the parasite survival. By probing clicked-proteins with specific antibodies, Hsp70 and α-tubulin were identified as P. falciparum O-GlcNAc-bearing proteins. This study is the first report on the identity of P. falciparum O-GlcNAcylated proteins. While the parasite O-GlcNAcome seems close to those of other species, the structural differences exhibited by the proteomes provides a glimpse of innovative therapeutic paths to fight malaria. Blocking biosynthesis of UDP-GlcNAc in the parasites is another promising option to reduce Plasmodium life cycle.

  5. The Oncoprotein BRD4-NUT Generates Aberrant Histone Modification Patterns.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barry M Zee

    Full Text Available Defects in chromatin proteins frequently manifest in diseases. A striking case of a chromatin-centric disease is NUT-midline carcinoma (NMC, which is characterized by expression of NUT as a fusion partner most frequently with BRD4. ChIP-sequencing studies from NMC patients revealed that BRD4-NUT (B4N covers large genomic regions and elevates transcription within these domains. To investigate how B4N modulates chromatin, we performed affinity purification of B4N when ectopically expressed in 293-TREx cells and quantified the associated histone posttranslational modifications (PTM using proteomics. We observed significant enrichment of acetylation particularly on H3 K18 and of combinatorial patterns such as H3 K27 acetylation paired with K36 methylation. We postulate that B4N complexes override the preexisting histone code with new PTM patterns that reflect aberrant transcription and that epigenetically modulate the nucleosome environment toward the NMC state.

  6. Targeting post-translational modifications of histones for cancer therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Y-C; Hsieh, Y-H; Liao, C-C; Chong, L-W; Lee, C-Y; Yu, Y-L; Chou, R-H

    2015-10-30

    Post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histones including acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation, citrullination, ubiquitination, ADP ribosylation, and sumoylation, play important roles in different biological events including chromatin dynamics, DNA replication, and transcriptional regulation. Aberrant histones PTMs leads to abnormal gene expression and uncontrolled cell proliferation, followed by development of cancers. Therefore, targeting the enzymes required for specific histone PTMs holds a lot of potential for cancer treatment. In this review article, we retrospect the latest studies in the regulations of acetylation, methylation, and phosphorylation of histones. We also summarize inhibitors/drugs that target these modifications for cancer treatment.

  7. O-antigen protects gram-negative bacteria from histone killing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine Chaput

    Full Text Available Beyond their traditional role of wrapping DNA, histones display antibacterial activity to Gram-negative and -positive bacteria. To identify bacterial components that allow survival to a histone challenge, we selected resistant bacteria from homologous Escherichia coli libraries that harbor plasmids carrying pieces of the chromosome in different sizes. We identified genes required for exopolysaccharide production and for the synthesis of the polysaccharide domain of the lipopolysaccharide, called O-antigen. Indeed, O-antigen and exopolysaccharide conferred further resistance to histones. Notably, O-antigen also conferred resistance to histones in the pathogens Shigella flexneri and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

  8. Impact of histone H4 lysine 20 methylation on 53BP1 responses to chromosomal double strand breaks.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea J Hartlerode

    Full Text Available Recruitment of 53BP1 to chromatin flanking double strand breaks (DSBs requires γH2AX/MDC1/RNF8-dependent ubiquitination of chromatin and interaction of 53BP1 with histone H4 methylated on lysine 20 (H4K20me. Several histone methyltransferases have been implicated in 53BP1 recruitment, but their quantitative contributions to the 53BP1 response are unclear. We have developed a multi-photon laser (MPL system to target DSBs to subfemtoliter nuclear volumes and used this to mathematically model DSB response kinetics of MDC1 and of 53BP1. In contrast to MDC1, which revealed first order kinetics, the 53BP1 MPL-DSB response is best fitted by a Gompertz growth function. The 53BP1 MPL response shows the expected dependency on MDC1 and RNF8. We determined the impact of altered H4K20 methylation on 53BP1 MPL response kinetics in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs lacking key H4K20 histone methyltransferases. This revealed no major requirement for the known H4K20 dimethylases Suv4-20h1 and Suv4-20h2 in 53BP1 recruitment or DSB repair function, but a key role for the H4K20 monomethylase, PR-SET7. The histone methyltransferase MMSET/WHSC1 has recently been implicated in 53BP1 DSB recruitment. We found that WHSC1 homozygous mutant MEFs reveal an alteration in balance of H4K20 methylation patterns; however, 53BP1 DSB responses in these cells appear normal.

  9. Substrate- and Cofactor-independent Inhibition of Histone Demethylase KDM4C

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leurs, Ulrike; Lohse, Brian; Rand, Kasper Dyrberg

    2014-01-01

    Inhibition of histone demethylases has within recent years advanced into a new strategy for treating cancer and other diseases. Targeting specific histone demethylases can be challenging as the active sites of KDM1A-B and KDM-4A-D histone demethylases, respectively, are highly conserved. Most...... inhibitors developed up-to-date target either the cofactor- or substrate-binding sites of these enzymes, resulting in a lack of selectivity and off-target effects. This study describes the discovery of the first peptide-based inhibitors of KDM4 histone demethylases that do not share the histone peptide...... sequence, or inhibit through substrate competition. Through screening of DNA-encoded peptide libraries against KDM1 and -4 histone demethylases by phage display, two cyclic peptides targeting the histone demethylase KDM4C were identified and developed as inhibitors by amino acid replacement, truncation...

  10. An interplay between 2 signaling pathways: Melatonin-cAMP and IP3–Ca2+ signaling pathways control intraerythrocytic development of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furuyama, Wakako; Enomoto, Masahiro; Mossaad, Ehab; Kawai, Satoru; Mikoshiba, Katsuhiko; Kawazu, Shin-ichiro

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A melatonin receptor antagonist blocked Ca 2+ oscillation in P. falciparum and inhibited parasite growth. • P. falciparum development is controlled by Ca 2+ - and cAMP-signaling pathways. • The cAMP-signaling pathway at ring form and late trophozoite stages governs parasite growth of P. falciparum. - Abstract: Plasmodium falciparum spends most of its asexual life cycle within human erythrocytes, where proliferation and maturation occur. Development into the mature forms of P. falciparum causes severe symptoms due to its distinctive sequestration capability. However, the physiological roles and the molecular mechanisms of signaling pathways that govern development are poorly understood. Our previous study showed that P. falciparum exhibits stage-specific spontaneous Calcium (Ca 2+ ) oscillations in ring and early trophozoites, and the latter was essential for parasite development. In this study, we show that luzindole (LZ), a selective melatonin receptor antagonist, inhibits parasite growth. Analyses of development and morphology of LZ-treated P. falciparum revealed that LZ severely disrupted intraerythrocytic maturation, resulting in parasite death. When LZ was added at ring stage, the parasite could not undergo further development, whereas LZ added at the trophozoite stage inhibited development from early into late schizonts. Live-cell Ca 2+ imaging showed that LZ treatment completely abolished Ca 2+ oscillation in the ring forms while having little effect on early trophozoites. Further, the melatonin-induced cAMP increase observed at ring and late trophozoite stage was attenuated by LZ treatment. These suggest that a complex interplay between IP 3 –Ca 2+ and cAMP signaling pathways is involved in intraerythrocytic development of P. falciparum

  11. Mefloquine resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and increased pfmdr1 gene copy number.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Ric N; Uhlemann, Anne-Catrin; Brockman, Alan; McGready, Rose; Ashley, Elizabeth; Phaipun, Lucy; Patel, Rina; Laing, Kenneth; Looareesuwan, Sornchai; White, Nicholas J; Nosten, François; Krishna, Sanjeev

    The borders of Thailand harbour the world's most multidrug resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites. In 1984 mefloquine was introduced as treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria, but substantial resistance developed within 6 years. A combination of artesunate with mefloquine now cures more than 95% of acute infections. For both treatment regimens, the underlying mechanisms of resistance are not known. The relation between polymorphisms in the P falciparum multidrug resistant gene 1 (pfmdr1) and the in-vitro and in-vivo responses to mefloquine were assessed in 618 samples from patients with falciparum malaria studied prospectively over 12 years. pfmdr1 copy number was assessed by a robust real-time PCR assay. Single nucleotide polymorphisms of pfmdr1, P falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter gene (pfcrt) and P falciparum Ca2+ ATPase gene (pfATP6) were assessed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Increased copy number of pfmdr1 was the most important determinant of in-vitro and in-vivo resistance to mefloquine, and also to reduced artesunate sensitivity in vitro. In a Cox regression model with control for known confounders, increased pfmdr1 copy number was associated with an attributable hazard ratio (AHR) for treatment failure of 6.3 (95% CI 2.9-13.8, p<0.001) after mefloquine monotherapy and 5.4 (2.0-14.6, p=0.001) after artesunate-mefloquine therapy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in pfmdr1 were associated with increased mefloquine susceptibility in vitro, but not in vivo. Amplification in pfmdr1 is the main cause of resistance to mefloquine in falciparum malaria. Multidrug resistant P falciparum malaria is common in southeast Asia, but difficult to identify and treat. Genes that encode parasite transport proteins maybe involved in export of drugs and so cause resistance. In this study we show that increase in copy number of pfmdr1, a gene encoding a parasite transport protein, is the best overall predictor of treatment failure with

  12. Open and closed: the roles of linker histones in plants and animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Over, Ryan S; Michaels, Scott D

    2014-03-01

    Histones package DNA in all eukaryotes and play key roles in regulating gene expression. Approximately 150 base pairs of DNA wraps around an octamer of core histones to form the nucleosome, the basic unit of chromatin. Linker histones compact chromatin further by binding to and neutralizing the charge of the DNA between nucleosomes. It is well established that chromatin packing is regulated by a complex pattern of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) to core histones, but linker histone function is less well understood. In this review, we describe the current understanding of the many roles that linker histones play in cellular processes, including gene regulation, cell division, and development, while putting the linker histone in the context of other nuclear proteins. Although intriguing roles for plant linker histones are beginning to emerge, much of our current understanding comes from work in animal systems. Many unanswered questions remain and additional work is required to fully elucidate the complex processes mediated by linker histones in plants.

  13. Histone deacetylase 1, 2, 6 and acetylated histone H4 in B- and T-cell lymphomas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marquard, L.; Poulsen, C.B.; Gjerdrum, L.M.

    2009-01-01

    AIMS: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are novel therapeutics in the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified (PTCL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), where, for unknown reasons, T-cell malignancies appear to be more sensitive than B-cell malignancies. The aim was to det......AIMS: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are novel therapeutics in the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified (PTCL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), where, for unknown reasons, T-cell malignancies appear to be more sensitive than B-cell malignancies. The aim...... was to determine HDAC expression in DLBCL and PTCL which has not previously been investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: The expression of HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC6 and acetylated histone H4 was examined immunohistochemically in 31 DLBCL and 45 PTCL. All four markers showed high expression in both DLBCL and PTCL compared...

  14. Genetic diversity of the msp-1, msp-2, and glurp genes of Plasmodium falciparum isolates along the Thai-Myanmar borders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congpuong, Kanungnit; Sukaram, Rungniran; Prompan, Yuparat; Dornae, Aibteesam

    2014-08-01

    To study the genetic diversity at the msp-1, msp-2, and glurp genes of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) isolates from 3 endemic areas in Thailand: Tak, Kanchanaburi and Ranong provinces. A total of 144 P. falciparum isolates collected prior to treatment during January, 2012 to June, 2013 were genotyped. DNA was extracted; allele frequency and diversity of msp-1, msp-2, and glurp genes were investigated by nested polymerase chain reaction. P. falciparum isolates in this study had high rate of multiple genotypes infection (96.5%) with an overall mean multiplicity of infection of 3.21. The distribution of allelic families of msp-1 was significantly different among isolates from Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ranong but not for the msp-2. K1 and MAD20 were the predominant allelic families at the msp-1 gene, whereas alleles belonging to 3D7 were more frequent at the msp-2 gene. The glurp gene had the least diverse alleles. Population structure of P. falciparum isolates from Tak and Ranong was quite similar as revealed by the presence of similar proportions of MAD20 and K1 alleles at msp-1 loci, 3D7 and FC27 alleles at msp-2 loci as well as comparable mean MOI. Isolates from Kanchanaburi had different structures; the most prevalent alleles were K1 and RO33. The present study shows that P. falciparum isolates from Tak and Ranong provinces had similar allelic pattern of msp-1 and msp-2 and diversity but different from Kanchanaburi isolates. These allelic variant profiles are valuable baseline data for future epidemiological study of malaria transmission and for continued monitoring of polymorphisms associated with antimalarial drug resistance in these areas.

  15. Genome sequence of the button mushroom Agaricus bisporus reveals mechanisms governing adaptation to a humic-rich ecological niche

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morin, Emmanuelle; Kohler, Annegret; Baker, Adam R.; Foulongne-Oriol, Marie; Lombard, Vincent; Nagye, Laszlo G.; Ohm, Robin A.; Patyshakuliyeva, Aleksandrina; Brun, Annick; Aerts, Andrea L.; Bailey, Andrew M.; Billette, Christophe; Coutinho, Pedro M.; Deakin, Greg; Doddapaneni, Harshavardhan; Floudas, Dimitrios; Grimwood, Jane; Hildén, Kristiina; Kües, Ursula; LaButti, Kurt M.; Lapidus, Alla; Lindquist, Erika A.; Lucas, Susan M.; Murat, Claude; Riley, Robert W.; Salamov, Asaf A.; Schmutz, Jeremy; Subramanian, Venkataramanan; Wösten, Han A. B.; Xu, Jianping; Eastwood, Daniel C.; Foster, Gary D.; Sonnenberg, Anton S. M.; Cullen, Dan; de Vries, Ronald P.; Lundell, Taina; Hibbett, David S.; Henrissat, Bernard; Burton, Kerry S.; Kerrigan, Richard W.; Challen, Michael P.; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Martin, Francis

    2012-01-01

    Agaricus bisporus is the model fungus for the adaptation, persistence, and growth in the humic-rich leaf-litter environment. Aside from its ecological role, A. bisporus has been an important component of the human diet for over 200 y and worldwide cultivation of the “button mushroom” forms a multibillion dollar industry. We present two A. bisporus genomes, their gene repertoires and transcript profiles on compost and during mushroom formation. The genomes encode a full repertoire of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes similar to that of wood-decayers. Comparative transcriptomics of mycelium grown on defined medium, casing-soil, and compost revealed genes encoding enzymes involved in xylan, cellulose, pectin, and protein degradation are more highly expressed in compost. The striking expansion of heme-thiolate peroxidases and β-etherases is distinctive from Agaricomycotina wood-decayers and suggests a broad attack on decaying lignin and related metabolites found in humic acid-rich environment. Similarly, up-regulation of these genes together with a lignolytic manganese peroxidase, multiple copper radical oxidases, and cytochrome P450s is consistent with challenges posed by complex humic-rich substrates. The gene repertoire and expression of hydrolytic enzymes in A. bisporus is substantially different from the taxonomically related ectomycorrhizal symbiont Laccaria bicolor. A common promoter motif was also identified in genes very highly expressed in humic-rich substrates. These observations reveal genetic and enzymatic mechanisms governing adaptation to the humic-rich ecological niche formed during plant degradation, further defining the critical role such fungi contribute to soil structure and carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. Genome sequence will expedite mushroom breeding for improved agronomic characteristics. PMID:23045686

  16. Molecular epidemiology of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in Benguela province, Angola.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foumane Ngane, Vincent; Allico Djaman, Joseph; Culeux, Cécile; Piette, Nathalie; Carnevale, Pierre; Besnard, Patrick; Fortes, Filomeno; Basco, Leonardo K; Tahar, Rachida

    2015-03-14

    The malaria situation has been worsening in Angola, partly due to armed conflict until the recent past and drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. Malaria transmission is heterogeneous within the country, and data on drug-resistant malaria in different parts of the country are incomplete. The aim of the present study was to evaluate resistance to 4-aminoquinolines and antifolate drugs in P. falciparum isolates collected in Benguela province, central Angola, using molecular markers. Fingerprick capillary blood was collected from asymptomatic children aged less than 15 years old during a household survey in and around Balombo town in 2010-2011. Samples were screened for P. falciparum by nested PCR. Molecular markers (P. falciparum dihydrofolate reductase [pfdhfr], P. falciparum dihydropteroate synthase [pfdhps], P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter [pfcrt], and P. falciparum multidrug-resistance gene 1 [pfmdr1]) were sequenced to determine the key codons associated with drug resistance. A total of 60 blood samples were positive for P. falciparum. Most isolates with successful PCR amplification had mutant pfdhfr alleles, with either double mutant AICNI (69%) or triple mutant AIRNI (21%) haplotypes. A16V, S108T, and I164L substitutions were not found. Many of the isolates were carriers of either SGKAA (60%) or AGKAA (27%) pfdhps haplotype. K540E substitution was absent. There were only two pfcrt haplotypes: wild-type CVMNK (11%) and mutant CVIET (89%). Wild-type pfmdr1 NYSND haplotype was found in 19% of the isolates, whereas single mutant pfmdr1 YYSND and NFSND haplotypes occurred in 48% and 11%, respectively. Double mutant pfmdr1 haplotypes (YFSND and YYSNY) occurred rarely. The results suggest that the high prevalence of mutant pfcrt CVIET haplotype is in agreement with low clinical efficacy of chloroquine observed in earlier studies and that the double pfdhfr mutant AICNI and single pfdhps mutant SGKAA are currently the predominant haplotypes associated

  17. Drug resistance and genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum parasites from Suriname

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Peek, Ron; van Gool, Tom; Panchoe, Daynand; Greve, Sophie; Bus, Ellen; Resida, Lesley

    2005-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum in Suriname was studied for the presence of drug resistance and genetic variation in blood samples of 86 patients with symptomatic malaria. Drug resistance was predicted by determining point mutations in the chloroquine resistance marker of the P. falciparum chloroquine

  18. Genetics of refractoriness to Plasmodium falciparum in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feldmann, A.M.; Gemert, Geert-Jan van; Vegte-Bolmer, Marga G. van de; Jansen, Ritsert C.

    1998-01-01

    We previously selected a line of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi refractory (resistant) to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, using in vitro infections with P. falciparum gametocytes. This report presents data on the genetic background of refractoriness. The results of

  19. Structure-based nuclear import mechanism of histones H3 and H4 mediated by Kap123

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    An, Sojin [Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, United States; Yoon, Jungmin [Structural Biology Laboratory of Epigenetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate school of Nanoscience and Technology (World Class University), KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea; Kim, Hanseong [Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, United States; Song, Ji-Joon [Structural Biology Laboratory of Epigenetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate school of Nanoscience and Technology (World Class University), KI for the BioCentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea; Cho, Uhn-soo [Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan, United States

    2017-10-16

    Kap123, a major karyopherin protein of budding yeast, recognizes the nuclear localization signals (NLSs) of cytoplasmic histones H3 and H4 and translocates them into the nucleus during DNA replication. Mechanistic questions include H3- and H4-NLS redundancy toward Kap123 and the role of the conserved diacetylation of cytoplasmic H4 (K5ac and K12ac) in Kap123-mediated histone nuclear translocation. Here, we report crystal structures of full-length Kluyveromyces lactis Kap123 alone and in complex with H3- and H4-NLSs. Structures reveal the unique feature of Kap123 that possesses two discrete lysine-binding pockets for NLS recognition. Structural comparison illustrates that H3- and H4-NLSs share at least one of two lysine-binding pockets, suggesting that H3- and H4-NLSs are mutually exclusive. Additionally, acetylation of key lysine residues at NLS, particularly H4-NLS diacetylation, weakens the interaction with Kap123. These data support that cytoplasmic histone H4 diacetylation weakens the Kap123-H4-NLS interaction thereby facilitating histone Kap123-H3-dependent H3:H4/Asf1 complex nuclear translocation.

  20. Investigation of volatile organic biomarkers derived from Plasmodium falciparum in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wong Rina PM

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There remains a need for techniques that improve the sensitive detection of viable Plasmodium falciparum as part of diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring in clinical studies and usual-care management of malaria infections. A non-invasive breath test based on P. falciparum-associated specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs could fill this gap and provide insights into parasite metabolism and pathogenicity. The aim of this study was to determine whether VOCs are present in the headspace above in vitro P. falciparum cultures. Methods A novel, custom-designed apparatus was developed to enable efficient headspace sampling of infected and non-infected cultures. Conditions were optimized to support cultures of high parasitaemia (>20% to improve the potential detection of parasite-specific VOCs. A number of techniques for VOC analysis were investigated including solid phase micro-extraction using two different polarity fibres, and purge and trap/thermal desorption, each coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Each experiment and analysis method was performed at least on two occasions. VOCs were identified by comparing their mass spectra against commercial mass spectral libraries. Results No unique malarial-specific VOCs could be detected relative to those in the control red blood cell cultures. This could reflect sequestration of VOCs into cell membranes and/or culture media but solvent extractions of supernatants and cell lysates using hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate also showed no obvious difference compared to control non-parasitized cultures. Conclusions Future in vivo studies analysing the breath of patients with severe malaria who are harbouring a parasite biomass that is significantly greater than achievable in vitro may yet reveal specific clinically-useful volatile chemical biomarkers.

  1. Long term persistence of clonal malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum lineages in the Colombian Pacific region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Echeverry Diego F

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Resistance to chloroquine and antifolate drugs has evolved independently in South America, suggesting that genotype - phenotype studies aimed at understanding the genetic basis of resistance to these and other drugs should be conducted in this continent. This research was conducted to better understand the population structure of Colombian Plasmodium falciparum in preparation for such studies. Results A set of 384 SNPs were genotyped in blood spot DNA samples from 447 P. falciparum infected subjects collected over a ten year period from four provinces of the Colombian Pacific coast to evaluate clonality, population structure and linkage disequilibrium (LD. Most infections (81% contained a single predominant clone. These clustered into 136 multilocus genotypes (MLGs, with 32% of MLGs recovered from multiple (2 – 28 independent subjects. We observed extremely low genotypic richness (R = 0.42 and long persistence of MLGs through time (median = 537 days, range = 1 – 2,997 days. There was a high probability (>5% of sampling parasites from the same MLG in different subjects within 28 days, suggesting caution is needed when using genotyping methods to assess treatment success in clinical drug trials. Panmixia was rejected as four well differentiated subpopulations (FST = 0.084 - 0.279 were identified. These occurred sympatrically but varied in frequency within the four provinces. Linkage disequilibrium (LD decayed more rapidly (r2 = 0.17 for markers Conclusions We conclude that Colombian populations have several advantages for association studies, because multiple clone infections are uncommon and LD decays over the scale of one or a few genes. However, the extensive population structure and low genotype richness will need to be accounted for when designing and analyzing association studies.

  2. Pantothenamides are potent, on-target inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum growth when serum pantetheinase is inactivated.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christina Spry

    Full Text Available Growth of the virulent human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is dependent on an extracellular supply of pantothenate (vitamin B(5 and is susceptible to inhibition by pantothenate analogues that hinder pantothenate utilization. In this study, on the hunt for pantothenate analogues with increased potency relative to those reported previously, we screened a series of pantothenamides (amide analogues of pantothenate against P. falciparum and show for the first time that analogues of this type possess antiplasmodial activity. Although the active pantothenamides in this series exhibit only modest potency under standard in vitro culture conditions, we show that the potency of pantothenamides is selectively enhanced when the parasite culture medium is pre-incubated at 37°C for a prolonged period. We present evidence that this finding is linked to the presence in Albumax II (a serum-substitute routinely used for in vitro cultivation of P. falciparum of pantetheinase activity: the activity of an enzyme that hydrolyzes the pantothenate metabolite pantetheine, for which pantothenamides also serve as substrates. Pantetheinase activity, and thereby pantothenamide degradation, is reduced following incubation of Albumax II-containing culture medium for a prolonged period at 37°C, revealing the true, sub-micromolar potency of pantothenamides. Importantly we show that the potent antiplasmodial effect of pantothenamides is attenuated with pantothenate, consistent with the compounds inhibiting parasite proliferation specifically by inhibiting pantothenate and/or CoA utilization. Additionally, we show that the pantothenamides interact with P. falciparum pantothenate kinase, the first enzyme involved in converting pantothenate to coenzyme A. This is the first demonstration of on-target antiplasmodial pantothenate analogues with sub-micromolar potency, and highlights the potential of pantetheinase-resistant pantothenamides as antimalarial agents.

  3. Comprehensive study of proteasome inhibitors against Plasmodium falciparum laboratory strains and field isolates from Gabon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kremsner Peter G

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum resistance to almost all available antimalarial drugs necessitates the search for new chemotherapeutic compounds. The ubiquitin/proteasome system plays a major role in overall protein turnover, especially in fast dividing eukaryotic cells including plasmodia. Previous studies show that the 20S proteasome is expressed and catalytically active in plasmodia and treatment with proteasome inhibitors arrests parasite growth. This is the first comprehensive screening of proteasome inhibitors with different chemical modes of action against laboratory strains of P. falciparum. Subsequently, a selection of inhibitors was tested in field isolates from Lambaréné, Gabon. Methods Epoxomicin, YU101, YU102, MG132, MG115, Z-L3-VS, Ada-Ahx3-L3-VS, lactacystin, bortezomib (Velcade®, gliotoxin, PR11 and PR39 were tested and compared to chloroquine- and artesunate-activities in a standardized in vitro drug susceptibility assay against P. falciparum laboratory strains 3D7, D10 and Dd2. Freshly obtained field isolates from Lambaréné, Gabon, were used to measure the activity of chloroquine, artesunate, epoxomicin, MG132, lactacystin and bortezomib. Parasite growth was detected through histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2 production. Raw data were fitted by a four-parameter logistic model and individual inhibitory concentrations (50%, 90%, and 99% were calculated. Results Amongst all proteasome inhibitors tested, epoxomicin showed the highest activity in chloroquine-susceptible (IC50: 6.8 nM [3D7], 1.7 nM [D10] and in chloroquine-resistant laboratory strains (IC50: 10.4 nM [Dd2] as well as in field isolates (IC50: 8.5 nM. The comparator drug artesunate was even more active (IC50: 1.0 nM, whereas all strains were chloroquine-resistant (IC50: 113 nM. Conclusion The peptide α',β'-epoxyketone epoxomicin is highly active against P. falciparum regardless the grade of the parasite's chloroquine

  4. Two distinct modes for propagation of histone PTMs across the cell cycle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alabert, Constance; Barth, Teresa K; Reverón-Gómez, Nazaret

    2015-01-01

    Epigenetic states defined by chromatin can be maintained through mitotic cell division. However, it remains unknown how histone-based information is transmitted. Here we combine nascent chromatin capture (NCC) and triple-SILAC (stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture) labeling...... to track histone modifications and histone variants during DNA replication and across the cell cycle. We show that post-translational modifications (PTMs) are transmitted with parental histones to newly replicated DNA. Di- and trimethylation marks are diluted twofold upon DNA replication, as a consequence...... of new histone deposition. Importantly, within one cell cycle, all PTMs are restored. In general, new histones are modified to mirror the parental histones. However, H3K9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) and H3K27me3 are propagated by continuous modification of parental and new histones because the establishment...

  5. Circulating Extracellular Histones Are Clinically Relevant Mediators of Multiple Organ Injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawai, Chihiro; Kotani, Hirokazu; Miyao, Masashi; Ishida, Tokiko; Jemail, Leila; Abiru, Hitoshi; Tamaki, Keiji

    2016-04-01

    Extracellular histones are a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The mechanisms of histone-mediated injury in certain organs have been extensively studied, but an understanding of the pathophysiological role of histone-mediated injury in multiple organ injury remains elusive. To elucidate this role, we systemically subjected C57BL/6 mice to various doses of histones and performed a chronological evaluation of the morphological and functional changes in the lungs, liver, and kidneys. Notably, histone administration ultimately led to death after a dose-dependent aggravation of multiple organ injury. In chronological studies, pulmonary and hepatic injuries occurred within 15 minutes, whereas renal injuries presented at a later phase, suggesting that susceptibility to extracellular histones varies among organs. Histones bound to pulmonary and hepatic endothelial cells immediately after administration, leading to endothelial damage, which could be ameliorated by pretreatment with heparin. Furthermore, release of another DAMP, high-mobility group protein box 1, followed the histone-induced tissue damage, and an antibody against the molecule ameliorated hepatic and renal failure in a late phase. These findings indicate that extracellular histones induce multiple organ injury in two progressive stages-direct injury to endothelial cells and the subsequent release of other DAMPs-and that combination therapies against extracellular histones and high-mobility group protein box 1 may be a promising strategy for treating multiple organ injury. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Circulating histones for predicting prognosis after cardiac surgery: a prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Hongxiang; Zhang, Naipu; Lu, Fangfang; Yu, Xindi; Zhu, Limin; Mo, Xi; Wang, Wei

    2016-11-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the perioperative changes in circulating histones and their relationships with other biomarkers and clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in patients. Forty-eight patients with congenital cardiac diseases undergoing corrective procedure with CPB were prospectively enrolled in this study. Circulating histones, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured preoperatively (T0) and at 0 (T1), 24 (T2), 48 (T3) and 72 (T4) h postoperatively. The relationships between biomarkers and clinical outcomes were analysed. Circulating histones, NT-proBNP, PCT and CRP increased significantly postoperatively, with histones reaching the peak value earliest at T1. Circulating histone levels were higher in patients with adverse events. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that peak histone levels had a better predictive value for adverse events postoperatively. Peak histone levels correlated with the peak level of NT-proBNP (r = 0.563, P histones reached peak levels faster than NT-proBNP, PCT and CRP. Furthermore, peak histone levels correlated with biomarkers and postoperative clinical outcomes. Circulating histones may be used as a prognostic indicator for patients after cardiac surgery with CPB. ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT02325765). © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

  7. Histone modifications in response to DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altaf, Mohammed; Saksouk, Nehme; Cote, Jacques

    2007-01-01

    The packaging of the eukaryotic genome into highly condensed chromatin makes it inaccessible to the factors required for gene transcription, DNA replication, recombination and repair. Eukaryotes have developed intricate mechanisms to overcome this repressive barrier imposed by chromatin. Histone modifying enzymes and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes play key roles here as they regulate many nuclear processes by altering the chromatin structure. Significantly, these activities are integral to the process of DNA repair where histone modifications act as signals and landing platforms for various repair proteins. This review summarizes the recent developments in our understanding of histone modifications and their role in the maintenance of genome integrity

  8. Histone Methylation and Epigenetic Silencing in Breast Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Simon, Jeffrey A; Lange, Carol A

    2008-01-01

    .... EZH2 is a histone methyltransferase which modifies lysine-27 of histone H3 an epigenetic mark which is generally linked to gene silencing and is implicated in tumor suppressor silencing during breast cancer progression...

  9. Temporal expression and localization patterns of variant surface antigens in clinical Plasmodium falciparum isolates during erythrocyte schizogony.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Bachmann

    Full Text Available Avoidance of antibody-mediated immune recognition allows parasites to establish chronic infections and enhances opportunities for transmission. The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum possesses a number of multi-copy gene families, including var, rif, stevor and pfmc-2tm, which encode variant antigens believed to be expressed on the surfaces of infected erythrocytes. However, most studies of these antigens are based on in vitro analyses of culture-adapted isolates, most commonly the laboratory strain 3D7, and thus may not be representative of the unique challenges encountered by P. falciparum in the human host. To investigate the expression of the var, rif-A, rif-B, stevor and pfmc-2tm family genes under conditions that mimic more closely the natural course of infection, ex vivo clinical P. falciparum isolates were analyzed using a novel quantitative real-time PCR approach. Expression patterns in the clinical isolates at various time points during the first intraerythrocytic developmental cycle in vitro were compared to those of strain 3D7. In the clinical isolates, in contrast to strain 3D7, there was a peak of expression of the multi-copy gene families rif-A, stevor and pfmc-2tm at the young ring stage, in addition to the already known expression peak in trophozoites. Furthermore, most of the variant surface antigen families were overexpressed in the clinical isolates relative to 3D7, with the exception of the pfmc-2tm family, expression of which was higher in 3D7 parasites. Immunofluorescence analyses performed in parallel revealed two stage-dependent localization patterns of RIFIN, STEVOR and PfMC-2TM. Proteins were exported into the infected erythrocyte at the young trophozoite stage, whereas they remained inside the parasite membrane during schizont stage and were subsequently observed in different compartments in the merozoite. These results reveal a complex pattern of expression of P. falciparum multi-copy gene families during

  10. Influence of Threonine Metabolism on S-adenosyl-methionine and Histone Methylation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shyh-Chang, Ng; Locasale, Jason W.; Lyssiotis, Costas A.; Zheng, Yuxiang; Teo, Ren Yi; Ratanasirintrawoot, Sutheera; Zhang, Jin; Onder, Tamer; Unternaehrer, Juli J.; Zhu, Hao; Asara, John M.; Daley, George Q.; Cantley, Lewis C.

    2013-01-01

    Threonine is the only amino acid critically required for the pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) but the detailed mechanism remains unclear. We found that threonine (Thr) and S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) metabolism are coupled in pluripotent stem cells, resulting in regulation of histone methylation. Isotope labeling of mESCs revealed that Thr provides a substantial fraction of both the cellular glycine (Gly) and the acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) needed for SAM synthesis. Depletion of Thr from the culture medium or threonine dehydrogenase (Tdh) from mESCs decreased accumulation of SAM and decreased tri-methylation of histone H3 lysine-4 (H3K4me3), leading to slowed growth, and increased differentiation. Thus abundance of SAM appears to influence H3K4me3, providing a possible mechanism by which modulation of a metabolic pathway might influence stem cell fate. PMID:23118012

  11. Characterization of mitochondrion-targeted GTPases in Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gupta, Kirti; Gupta, Ankit; Haider, Afreen; Habib, Saman

    2018-04-12

    Ribosome assembly is critical for translation and regulating the response to cellular events and requires a complex interplay of ribosomal RNA and proteins with assembly factors. We investigated putative participants in the biogenesis of the reduced organellar ribosomes of Plasmodium falciparum and identified homologues of two assembly GTPases - EngA and Obg that were found in mitochondria. Both are indispensable in bacteria and P. berghei EngA is among the 'essential' parasite blood stage proteins identified recently. PfEngA and PfObg1 interacted with parasite mitoribosomes in vivo. GTP stimulated PfEngA interaction with the 50S subunit of Escherichia coli surrogate ribosomes. Although PfObg1-ribosome interaction was independent of nucleotide binding, GTP hydrolysis by PfObg1 was enhanced upon ribosomal association. An additional function for PfObg1 in mitochondrial DNA transactions was suggested by its specific interaction with the parasite mitochondrial genome in vivo. Deletion analysis revealed that the positively-charged OBG (spoOB-associated GTP-binding protein) domain mediates DNA-binding. A role for PfEngA in mitochondrial genotoxic stress response was indicated by its over-expression upon methyl methanesulfonate-induced DNA damage. PfEngA had lower sensitivity to an E. coli EngA inhibitor suggesting differences with bacterial counterparts. Our results show the involvement of two important GTPases in P. falciparum mitochondrial function, with the first confirmed localization of an EngA homologue in eukaryotic mitochondria.

  12. Extracellular histones, cell-free DNA, or nucleosomes: differences in immunostimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsman, Gerben; Zeerleder, Sacha; Luken, Brenda M

    2016-12-08

    In inflammation, extensive cell death may occur, which results in the release of chromatin components into the extracellular environment. Individually, the purified chromatin components double stranded (ds)DNA and histones have been demonstrated, both in vitro and in vivo, to display various immunostimulatory effects, for example, histones induce cytotoxicity and proinflammatory signaling through toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and 4, while DNA induces signaling through TLR9 and intracellular nucleic acid sensing mechanisms. However, DNA and histones are organized in nucleosomes in the nucleus, and evidence suggests that nucleosomes are released as such in inflammation. The cytotoxicity and proinflammatory signaling induced by nucleosomes have not been studied as extensively as the separate effects brought about by histones and dsDNA, and there appear to be some marked differences. Remarkably, little distinction between the different forms in which histones circulate has been made throughout literature. This is partly due to the limitations of existing techniques to differentiate between histones in their free or DNA-bound form. Here we review the current understanding of immunostimulation induced by extracellular histones, dsDNA and nucleosomes, and discuss the importance of techniques that in their detection differentiate between these different chromatin components.

  13. Histone deacetylases and their roles in mineralized tissue regeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nam Cong-Nhat Huynh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Histone acetylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that controls expression of certain genes. It includes non-sequence-based changes of chromosomal regional structure that can alter the expression of genes. Acetylation of histones is controlled by the activity of two groups of enzymes: the histone acetyltransferases (HATs and histone deacetylases (HDACs. HDACs remove acetyl groups from the histone tail, which alters its charge and thus promotes compaction of DNA in the nucleosome. HDACs render the chromatin structure into a more compact form of heterochromatin, which makes the genes inaccessible for transcription. By altering the transcriptional activity of bone-associated genes, HDACs control both osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. This review presents an overview of the function of HDACs in the modulation of bone formation. Special attention is paid to the use of HDAC inhibitors in mineralized tissue regeneration from cells of dental origin.

  14. Selection of Plasmodium falciparum Multidrug Resistance Gene 1 Alleles in Asexual Stages and Gametocytes by Artemether-Lumefantrine in Nigerian Children with Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria ▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Happi, C. T.; Gbotosho, G. O.; Folarin, O. A.; Sowunmi, A.; Hudson, T.; O'Neil, M.; Milhous, W.; Wirth, D. F.; Oduola, A. M. J.

    2009-01-01

    We assessed Plasmodium falciparum mdr1 (Pfmdr1) gene polymorphisms and copy numbers as well as P. falciparum Ca2+ ATPase (PfATPase6) gene polymorphisms in 90 Nigerian children presenting with uncomplicated falciparum malaria and enrolled in a study of the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL). The nested PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and the quantitative real-time PCR methodologies were used to determine the alleles of the Pfmdr1 and PfATPase6 genes and the Pfmdr1 copy number variation, respectively, in patients samples collected prior to treatment and at the reoccurrence of parasites during a 42-day follow-up. The Pfmdr1 haplotype 86N-184F-1246D was significantly associated (P copy of the Pfmdr1 gene and the wild-type allele (L89) at codon 89 of the PfATPase6 gene. These findings suggest that polymorphisms in the Pfmdr1 gene are under AL selection pressure. Pfmdr1 polymorphisms may result in reduction in the therapeutic efficacy of this newly adopted combination treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Saharan countries of Africa. PMID:19075074

  15. Trichostatin A induced histone acetylation causes decondensation of interphase chromatin.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    T.A. Knoch (Tobias); M. Wachsmuth (Malte); M. Frank-Stöhr (Monika); M. Stöhr (Michael); C.P. Bacher (Christian); K. Rippe (Karsten)

    2004-01-01

    textabstractThe effect of trichostatin A (TSA)-induced histone acetylation on the interphase chromatin structure was visualized in vivo with a HeLa cell line stably expressing histone H2A, which was fused to enhanced yellow fluorescent protein. The globally increased histone acetylation caused a

  16. Arginine-phosphate salt bridges between histones and DNA: Intermolecular actuators that control nucleosome architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yusufaly, Tahir I.; Li, Yun; Singh, Gautam; Olson, Wilma K.

    2014-10-01

    Structural bioinformatics and van der Waals density functional theory are combined to investigate the mechanochemical impact of a major class of histone-DNA interactions, namely, the formation of salt bridges between arginine residues in histones and phosphate groups on the DNA backbone. Principal component analysis reveals that the configurational fluctuations of the sugar-phosphate backbone display sequence-specific directionality and variability, and clustering of nucleosome crystal structures identifies two major salt-bridge configurations: a monodentate form in which the arginine end-group guanidinium only forms one hydrogen bond with the phosphate, and a bidentate form in which it forms two. Density functional theory calculations highlight that the combination of sequence, denticity, and salt-bridge positioning enables the histones to apply a tunable mechanochemical stress to the DNA via precise and specific activation of backbone deformations. The results suggest that selection for specific placements of van der Waals contacts, with high-precision control of the spatial distribution of intermolecular forces, may serve as an underlying evolutionary design principle for the structure and function of nucleosomes, a conjecture that is corroborated by previous experimental studies.

  17. Global turnover of histone post-translational modifications and variants in human cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zee Barry M

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Post-translational modifications (PTMs on the N-terminal tails of histones and histone variants regulate distinct transcriptional states and nuclear events. Whereas the functional effects of specific PTMs are the current subject of intense investigation, most studies characterize histone PTMs/variants in a non-temporal fashion and very few studies have reported kinetic information about these histone forms. Previous studies have used radiolabeling, fluorescence microscopy and chromatin immunoprecipitation to determine rates of histone turnover, and have found interesting correlations between increased turnover and increased gene expression. Therefore, histone turnover is an understudied yet potentially important parameter that may contribute to epigenetic regulation. Understanding turnover in the context of histone modifications and sequence variants could provide valuable additional insight into the function of histone replacement. Results In this study, we measured the metabolic rate of labeled isotope incorporation into the histone proteins of HeLa cells by combining stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture (SILAC pulse experiments with quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics. In general, we found that most core histones have similar turnover rates, with the exception of the H2A variants, which exhibit a wider range of rates, potentially consistent with their epigenetic function. In addition, acetylated histones have a significantly faster turnover compared with general histone protein and methylated histones, although these rates vary considerably, depending on the site and overall degree of methylation. Histones containing transcriptionally active marks have been consistently found to have faster turnover rates than histones containing silent marks. Interestingly, the presence of both active and silent marks on the same peptide resulted in a slower turnover rate than either mark alone on that same

  18. HAMLET interacts with histones and chromatin in tumor cell nuclei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Düringer, Caroline; Hamiche, Ali; Gustafsson, Lotta; Kimura, Hiroshi; Svanborg, Catharina

    2003-10-24

    HAMLET is a folding variant of human alpha-lactalbumin in an active complex with oleic acid. HAMLET selectively enters tumor cells, accumulates in their nuclei and induces apoptosis-like cell death. This study examined the interactions of HAMLET with nuclear constituents and identified histones as targets. HAMLET was found to bind histone H3 strongly and to lesser extent histones H4 and H2B. The specificity of these interactions was confirmed using BIAcore technology and chromatin assembly assays. In vivo in tumor cells, HAMLET co-localized with histones and perturbed the chromatin structure; HAMLET was found associated with chromatin in an insoluble nuclear fraction resistant to salt extraction. In vitro, HAMLET bound strongly to histones and impaired their deposition on DNA. We conclude that HAMLET interacts with histones and chromatin in tumor cell nuclei and propose that this interaction locks the cells into the death pathway by irreversibly disrupting chromatin organization.

  19. Plasmodium falciparum uses vitamin E to avoid oxidative stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sussmann, Rodrigo A C; Fotoran, Wesley L; Kimura, Emilia A; Katzin, Alejandro M

    2017-10-10

    Plasmodium falciparum is sensitive to oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo, and many drugs such as artemisinin, chloroquine and cercosporin interfere in the parasite's redox system. To minimize the damage caused by reactive radicals, antioxidant enzymes and their substrates found in parasites and in erythrocytes must be functionally active. It was shown that P. falciparum synthesizes vitamin E and that usnic acid acts as an inhibitor of its biosynthesis. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that protects polyunsaturated fatty acids from lipid peroxidation, and this activity can be measured by detecting its oxidized product and by evaluating reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Here, we demonstrated that ROS levels increased in P. falciparum when vitamin E biosynthesis was inhibited by usnic acid treatment and decreased to basal levels if exogenous vitamin E was added. Furthermore, we used metabolic labelling to demonstrate that vitamin E biosynthesized by the parasite acts as an antioxidant since we could detect its radiolabeled oxidized product. The treatment with chloroquine or cercosporin of the parasites increased the ratio between α-tocopherolquinone and α-tocopherol. Our findings demonstrate that vitamin E produced endogenously by P. falciparum is active as an antioxidant, probably protecting the parasite from the radicals generated by drugs.

  20. A highly sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay for the assay of Plasmodium falciparum antigens and antibodies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avraham, H.; Golenser, J.; Gazitt, Y.; Spira, D.T.; Sulitzeanu, D.

    1982-01-01

    A highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for detection of P. falciparum antibodies and antigens is described. A partially purified P. falciparum antigen preparation is obtained from in vitro cultured parasites enriched after gelatin sedimentation by sonicating the infected red blood cells and precipitating the proteins with 50% saturated ammonium sulfate. The precipitate is dissolved in buffer, ultracentrifuged and used to coat wells of microtiter plates. Anti-P. falciparum antibodies are detected by incubating antiserum dilutions in the coated wells and detecting the bound IgG with radioiodinated staphylococcal protein A. P. falciparum antigens are detected by their ability to inhibit binding of antibodies to the coated wells. Sera of individuals with a history of P. falciparum infection contain antibodies detectable at a dilution of 1:75,000. P. falciparum RBC infected in vitro can be detected at levels of parasitemia of the order of 1 parasite or less per 10 6 RBC. (Auth.)

  1. Efficacy of chloroquine for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Honduras.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mejia Torres, Rosa Elena; Banegas, Engels Ilich; Mendoza, Meisy; Diaz, Cesar; Bucheli, Sandra Tamara Mancero; Fontecha, Gustavo A; Alam, Md Tauqeer; Goldman, Ira; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam; Zambrano, Jose Orlinder Nicolas

    2013-05-01

    Chloroquine (CQ) is officially used for the primary treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Honduras. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of CQ for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in the municipality of Puerto Lempira, Gracias a Dios, Honduras was evaluated using the Pan American Health Organization-World Health Organization protocol with a follow-up of 28 days. Sixty-eight patients from 6 months to 60 years of age microscopically diagnosed with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria were included in the final analysis. All patients who were treated with CQ (25 mg/kg over 3 days) cleared parasitemia by day 3 and acquired no new P. falciparum infection within 28 days of follow-up. All the parasite samples sequenced for CQ resistance mutations (pfcrt) showed only the CQ-sensitive genotype (CVMNK). This finding shows that CQ remains highly efficacious for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Gracias a Dios, Honduras.

  2. Histone modifications and nuclear architecture: A review

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Bártová, Eva; Kroupová, Jana; Harničarová, Andrea; Galiová-Šustáčková, Gabriela; Kozubek, Stanislav

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 56, č. 8 (2008), s. 711-721 ISSN 0722-186X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA204/06/0978; GA MŠk(CZ) LC535 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50040507; CEZ:AV0Z50040702 Keywords : histones * histone modifications * nuclear architecture Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics

  3. Evaluation of Proteomic Search Engines for the Analysis of Histone Modifications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Identification of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) is challenging for proteomics search engines. Including many histone PTMs in one search increases the number of candidate peptides dramatically, leading to low search speed and fewer identified spectra. To evaluate database search engines on identifying histone PTMs, we present a method in which one kind of modification is searched each time, for example, unmodified, individually modified, and multimodified, each search result is filtered with false discovery rate less than 1%, and the identifications of multiple search engines are combined to obtain confident results. We apply this method for eight search engines on histone data sets. We find that two search engines, pFind and Mascot, identify most of the confident results at a reasonable speed, so we recommend using them to identify histone modifications. During the evaluation, we also find some important aspects for the analysis of histone modifications. Our evaluation of different search engines on identifying histone modifications will hopefully help those who are hoping to enter the histone proteomics field. The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium with the data set identifier PXD001118. PMID:25167464

  4. Evaluation of proteomic search engines for the analysis of histone modifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Zuo-Fei; Lin, Shu; Molden, Rosalynn C; Garcia, Benjamin A

    2014-10-03

    Identification of histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) is challenging for proteomics search engines. Including many histone PTMs in one search increases the number of candidate peptides dramatically, leading to low search speed and fewer identified spectra. To evaluate database search engines on identifying histone PTMs, we present a method in which one kind of modification is searched each time, for example, unmodified, individually modified, and multimodified, each search result is filtered with false discovery rate less than 1%, and the identifications of multiple search engines are combined to obtain confident results. We apply this method for eight search engines on histone data sets. We find that two search engines, pFind and Mascot, identify most of the confident results at a reasonable speed, so we recommend using them to identify histone modifications. During the evaluation, we also find some important aspects for the analysis of histone modifications. Our evaluation of different search engines on identifying histone modifications will hopefully help those who are hoping to enter the histone proteomics field. The mass spectrometry proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium with the data set identifier PXD001118.

  5. Targeting a Novel Plasmodium falciparum Purine Recycling Pathway with Specific Immucillins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ting, L; Shi, W; Lewandowicz, A; Singh, V; Mwakingwe, A; Birck, M R; Taylor Ringia, E A; Bench, G; Madrid, D C; Tyler, P C; Evans, G B; Furneaux, R H; Schramm, V L; Kim, K.

    2004-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum is unable to synthesize purine bases and relies upon purine salvage and purine recycling to meet its purine needs. We report that purines formed as products of the polyamine pathway are recycled in a novel pathway in which 5'-methylthioinosine is generated by adenosine deaminase. The action of P. falciparum purine nucleoside phosphorylase is a convergent step of purine salvage, converting both 5'-methylthioinosine and inosine to hypoxanthine. We used accelerator mass spectrometry to verify that 5'-methylthioinosine is an active nucleic acid precursor in P. falciparum. Prior studies have shown that inhibitors of purine salvage enzymes kill malaria, but potent malaria-specific inhibitors of these enzymes have not previously been described. 5'-methylthio-Immucillin-H, a transition state analogue inhibitor that is selective for malarial over human purine nucleoside phosphorylase, kills P. falciparum in culture. Immucillins are currently in clinical trials for other indications and may have application as antimalarials

  6. Hyaluronan protection of corneal endothelial cells against extracellular histones after phacoemulsification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawano, Hiroki; Sakamoto, Taiji; Ito, Takashi; Miyata, Kazunori; Hashiguchi, Teruto; Maruyama, Ikuro

    2014-11-01

    To determine the effect of histones on corneal endothelial cells generated during cataract surgery. Kagoshima University Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan. Experimental study. Standard phacoemulsification was performed on enucleated pig eyes. Histones in the anterior segment of the eye were determined by immunohistochemistry. Cultured human corneal endothelial cells were exposed to histones for 18 hours, and cell viability was determined by 2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitro-phenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt assay. The concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the culture medium of human corneal endothelial cells was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effects of signal inhibitors U0126, SB203580, and SP600125 were evaluated. The protective effect of hyaluronan against histones was evaluated in human corneal endothelial cells with and without hyaluronan. Cellular debris containing histones was observed in the anterior chamber of pig eyes after phacoemulsification. Exposure of human corneal endothelial cells to 50 μg/mL of histones or more led to cytotoxic effects. The IL-6 concentration was significantly increased dose dependently after exposure of human corneal endothelial cells to histones (Phistone-induced IL-6 production was significantly decreased by extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 and p-38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors (Phistones caused formation of histone aggregates, decreased the cytotoxic effects of the histones, and blocked the increase in IL-6 (PHistones were released extracellularly during phacoemulsification and exposure of human corneal endothelial cells to histones increased the IL-6 secretion. The intraoperative use of hyaluronan may decrease the cytotoxic effects of histones released during cataract surgery. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2014 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Extracellular DNA and histones: double-edged swords in immunothrombosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gould, T J; Lysov, Z; Liaw, P C

    2015-06-01

    The existence of extracellular DNA in human plasma, also known as cell-free DNA (cfDNA), was first described in the 1940s. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the functional significance of cfDNA, particularly in the context of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). cfDNA and histones are key components of NETs that aid in the host response to infection and inflammation. However, cfDNA and histones may also exert harmful effects by triggering coagulation, inflammation, and cell death and by impairing fibrinolysis. In this article, we will review the pathologic nature of cfDNA and histones in macrovascular and microvascular thrombosis, including venous thromboembolism, cancer, sepsis, and trauma. We will also discuss the prognostic value of cfDNA and histones in these disease states. Understanding the molecular and cellular pathways regulated by cfDNA and histones may provide novel insights to prevent pathological thrombus formation and vascular occlusion. © 2015 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

  8. Immune activation by histones: plusses and minuses in inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisetsky, David S

    2013-12-01

    Histones are highly cationic proteins that are essential components of the cell nucleus, interacting with DNA to form the nucleosome and regulating transcription. Histones, however, can transit from the cell nucleus during cell death and, once in an extracellular location, can serve as danger signals and activate immune cells. An article in this issue of the European Journal of Immunology [Eur. J. Immunol. 2013. 43: 3336-3342] reports that histones can activate monocyte-derived DCs via the NRLP3 inflammasome to induce the production of IL-1β. As such, histones, which can also stimulate TLRs, may drive events in the immunopathogenesis of a wide range of acute and chronic diseases marked by sterile inflammation. While the mechanism of this stimulation is not known, the positive charge of histones may provide a structural element to promote interaction with cells and activation of downstream signaling systems. © 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Histones induce phosphatidylserine exposure and a procoagulant phenotype in human red blood cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semeraro, F; Ammollo, C T; Esmon, N L; Esmon, C T

    2014-10-01

    Extracellular histones exert part of their prothrombotic activity through the stimulation of blood cells. Besides platelets, histones can bind to red blood cells (RBCs), which are important contributors to thrombogenesis, but little is known about the functional consequences of this interaction. To evaluate the effect of histones on the procoagulant potential of human RBCs with particular regard to the expression of surface phosphatidylserine (PS). PS exposure on human RBCs treated with a natural mixture of histones or recombinant individual histones was evaluated with fluorescein isothiocyanate-annexin-V binding and measured with flow cytometry. Calcium influx in RBCs loaded with the calcium-sensitive fluorophore Fluo-4 AM was assessed with flow cytometry. The procoagulant potential of histone-treated RBCs was evaluated with a purified prothrombinase assay and a one-stage plasma recalcification clotting test. Natural histones induced PS exposure on RBCs in a dose-dependent manner, and neutralization or cleavage of histones by heparin or activated protein C, respectively, abolished PS externalization. H4 was mainly responsible for the stimulating activity of histones, whereas the other subtypes were almost ineffective. Similarly, natural histones and H4 induced influx of calcium into RBCs, whereas the other individual histones did not. Histone-induced exposure of PS on RBCs translated into increased prothrombinase complex-mediated prothrombin activation and accelerated fibrin formation in plasma. Histones induce RBCs to express a procoagulant phenotype through the externalization of PS. This finding provides new insights into the prothrombotic activity of extracellular histones. © 2014 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.

  10. Development of a new rapid HPLC method for the fractionation of histones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurley, L.R.; Valdez, J.G.; Prentice, D.A.; Spall, W.D.

    1983-01-01

    To study histone functions, it is necessary to fractionate the histones into their five classes (H1, H2A, H2B, H3 and H4) and then to subfractionate these classes into variants having slightly different primary structures and into different phosphorylated and acetylated forms. With the advent of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), it was hoped that laborious and time-consuming conventional methods could be replaced by a simple, rapid, high-resolving HPLC method for fractionating histones. However, problems of irreversible adsorption of the histones to HPLC column packings discouraged this development. Our laboratory has now determined that the strong adsorption of histones to HPLC columns results from two different forces: (1) polar interactions between the histones and the silanol groups of silica-based HPLC column packing, and (2) hydrophobic interactions between the histones and the bound organic phase of the column packings. By minimizing these forces, we have succeeded in developing an HPLC method suitable for histone studies

  11. Genetic variation of pfhrp2 in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Yemen and the performance of HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atroosh, Wahib M; Al-Mekhlafi, Hesham M; Al-Jasari, Adel; Sady, Hany; Al-Delaimy, Ahmed K; Nasr, Nabil A; Dawaki, Salwa; Abdulsalam, Awatif M; Ithoi, Init; Lau, Yee Ling; Fong, Mun Yik; Surin, Johari

    2015-07-22

    The genetic variation in the Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (pfhrp2) gene that may compromise the use of pfhrp2-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for the diagnosis of malaria was assessed in P. falciparum isolates from Yemen. This study was conducted in Hodeidah and Al-Mahwit governorates, Yemen. A total of 622 individuals with fever were examined for malaria by CareStart malaria HRP2-RDT and Giemsa-stained thin and thick blood films. The Pfhrp2 gene was amplified and sequenced from 180 isolates, and subjected to amino acid repeat types analysis. A total of 188 (30.2%) participants were found positive for P. falciparum by the RDT. Overall, 12 different amino acid repeat types were identified in Yemeni isolates. Six repeat types were detected in all the isolates (100%) namely types 1, 2, 6, 7, 10 and 12 while types 9 and 11 were not detected in any of the isolates. Moreover, the sensitivity and specificity of the used PfHRP2-based RDTs were high (90.5% and 96.1%, respectively). The present study provides data on the genetic variation within the pfhrp2 gene, and its potential impact on the PfHRP2-based RDTs commonly used in Yemen. CareStart Malaria HRP2-based RDT showed high sensitivity and specificity in endemic areas of Yemen.

  12. Esperanto for histones: CENP-A, not CenH3, is the centromeric histone H3 variant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Earnshaw, W C; Allshire, R C; Black, B E; Bloom, K; Brinkley, B R; Brown, W; Cheeseman, I M; Choo, K H A; Copenhaver, G P; Deluca, J G; Desai, A; Diekmann, S; Erhardt, S; Fitzgerald-Hayes, M; Foltz, D; Fukagawa, T; Gassmann, R; Gerlich, D W; Glover, D M; Gorbsky, G J; Harrison, S C; Heun, P; Hirota, T; Jansen, L E T; Karpen, G; Kops, G J P L; Lampson, M A; Lens, S M; Losada, A; Luger, K; Maiato, H; Maddox, P S; Margolis, R L; Masumoto, H; McAinsh, A D; Mellone, B G; Meraldi, P; Musacchio, A; Oegema, K; O'Neill, R J; Salmon, E D; Scott, K C; Straight, A F; Stukenberg, P T; Sullivan, B A; Sullivan, K F; Sunkel, C E; Swedlow, J R; Walczak, C E; Warburton, P E; Westermann, S; Willard, H F; Wordeman, L; Yanagida, M; Yen, T J; Yoda, K; Cleveland, D W

    2013-04-01

    The first centromeric protein identified in any species was CENP-A, a divergent member of the histone H3 family that was recognised by autoantibodies from patients with scleroderma-spectrum disease. It has recently been suggested to rename this protein CenH3. Here, we argue that the original name should be maintained both because it is the basis of a long established nomenclature for centromere proteins and because it avoids confusion due to the presence of canonical histone H3 at centromeres.

  13. Cellular effects of curcumin on Plasmodium falciparum include disruption of microtubules.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rimi Chakrabarti

    Full Text Available Curcumin has been widely investigated for its myriad cellular effects resulting in reduced proliferation of various eukaryotic cells including cancer cells and the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Studies with human cancer cell lines HT-29, Caco-2, and MCF-7 suggest that curcumin can bind to tubulin and induce alterations in microtubule structure. Based on this finding, we investigated whether curcumin has any effect on P. falciparum microtubules, considering that mammalian and parasite tubulin are 83% identical. IC50 of curcumin was found to be 5 µM as compared to 20 µM reported before. Immunofluorescence images of parasites treated with 5 or 20 µM curcumin showed a concentration-dependent effect on parasite microtubules resulting in diffuse staining contrasting with the discrete hemispindles and subpellicular microtubules observed in untreated parasites. The effect on P. falciparum microtubules was evident only in the second cycle for both concentrations tested. This diffuse pattern of tubulin fluorescence in curcumin treated parasites was similar to the effect of a microtubule destabilizing drug vinblastine on P. falciparum. Molecular docking predicted the binding site of curcumin at the interface of alpha and beta tubulin, similar to another destabilizing drug colchicine. Data from predicted drug binding is supported by results from drug combination assays showing antagonistic interactions between curcumin and colchicine, sharing a similar binding site, and additive/synergistic interactions of curcumin with paclitaxel and vinblastine, having different binding sites. This evidence suggests that cellular effects of curcumin are at least, in part, due to its perturbing effect on P. falciparum microtubules. The action of curcumin, both direct and indirect, on P. falciparum microtubules is discussed.

  14. Toxic effects of extracellular histones and their neutralization by vitreous in retinal detachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawano, Hiroki; Ito, Takashi; Yamada, Shingo; Hashiguchi, Teruto; Maruyama, Ikuro; Hisatomi, Toshio; Nakamura, Makoto; Sakamoto, Taiji

    2014-05-01

    Histones are DNA-binding proteins and are involved in chromatin remodeling and regulation of gene expression. Histones can be released after tissue injuries, and the extracellular histones cause cellular damage and organ dysfunction. Regardless of their clinical significance, the role and relevance of histones in ocular diseases are unknown. We studied the role of histones in eyes with retinal detachment (RD). Vitreous samples were collected during vitrectomy, and the concentration of histone H3 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The location of the histones and related molecules was examined in a rat RD model. The release of histones and their effects on rat retinal progenitor cells R28 and ARPE-19 were evaluated in vitro. In addition, the protective role of the vitreous body against histones was tested. The intravitreal concentration of histones was higher in eyes with RD (mean, 30.9 ± 9.8 ng/ml) than in control eyes (below the limit of detection, Phistone H3 was observed on the outer side of the detached retina and was associated with photoreceptor death. Histone H3 was released from cultured R28 by oxidative stress. Histones at a concentration 10 μg/ml induced the production of interleukin-8 in ARPE-19 cells (2.5-fold increase, PHistones were toxic to cells at concentrations of ≥ 20 μg/ml. Vitreous body or hyaluronan decreased toxicity of histones by inhibiting diffusion of histones. These results indicate that histones are released from retinas with RD and may modulate the subretinal microenvironment by functioning as damage-associated molecular pattern molecules, thereby inducing proinflammatory cytokines or cell toxicity. In addition, the important role of the vitreous body and hyaluronan in protecting the retina from these toxic effects is suggested.

  15. Analysis of Primary Structural Determinants That Distinguish the Centromere-Specific Function of Histone Variant Cse4p from Histone H3

    OpenAIRE

    Keith, Kevin C.; Baker, Richard E.; Chen, Yinhuai; Harris, Kendra; Stoler, Sam; Fitzgerald-Hayes, Molly

    1999-01-01

    Cse4p is a variant of histone H3 that has an essential role in chromosome segregation and centromere chromatin structure in budding yeast. Cse4p has a unique 135-amino-acid N terminus and a C-terminal histone-fold domain that is more than 60% identical to histone H3 and the mammalian centromere protein CENP-A. Cse4p and CENP-A have biochemical properties similar to H3 and probably replace H3 in centromere-specific nucleosomes in yeasts and mammals, respectively. In order to identify regions o...

  16. Rich club analysis in the Alzheimer's disease connectome reveals a relatively undisturbed structural core network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daianu, Madelaine; Jahanshad, Neda; Nir, Talia M; Jack, Clifford R; Weiner, Michael W; Bernstein, Matt A; Thompson, Paul M

    2015-08-01

    Diffusion imaging can assess the white matter connections within the brain, revealing how neural pathways break down in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We analyzed 3-Tesla whole-brain diffusion-weighted images from 202 participants scanned by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative-50 healthy controls, 110 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 42 AD patients. From whole-brain tractography, we reconstructed structural brain connectivity networks to map connections between cortical regions. We tested whether AD disrupts the "rich club" - a network property where high-degree network nodes are more interconnected than expected by chance. We calculated the rich club properties at a range of degree thresholds, as well as other network topology measures including global degree, clustering coefficient, path length, and efficiency. Network disruptions predominated in the low-degree regions of the connectome in patients, relative to controls. The other metrics also showed alterations, suggesting a distinctive pattern of disruption in AD, less pronounced in MCI, targeting global brain connectivity, and focusing on more remotely connected nodes rather than the central core of the network. AD involves severely reduced structural connectivity; our step-wise rich club coefficients analyze points to disruptions predominantly in the peripheral network components; other modalities of data are needed to know if this indicates impaired communication among non rich club regions. The highly connected core was relatively preserved, offering new evidence on the neural basis of progressive risk for cognitive decline. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Genome-wide analysis of regions similar to promoters of histone genes

    KAUST Repository

    Chowdhary, Rajesh; Bajic, Vladimir B.; Dong, Difeng; Wong, Limsoon; Liu, Jun S

    2010-01-01

    of histone and histone-coregulated gene transcription initiation. While these hypotheses still remain to be verified, we believe that these form a useful resource for researchers to further explore regulation of human histone genes and human genome

  18. Cloning of the Repertoire of Individual Plasmodium falciparum var Genes Using Transformation Associated Recombination (TAR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmid, Christoph D.; Bühlmann, Tobias; Louis, Edward J.; Beck, Hans-Peter

    2011-01-01

    One of the major virulence factors of the malaria causing parasite is the Plasmodium falciparum encoded erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). It is translocated to It the membrane of infected erythrocytes and expressed from approximately 60 var genes in a mutually exclusive manner. Switching of var genes allows the parasite to alter functional and antigenic properties of infected erythrocytes, to escape the immune defense and to establish chronic infections. We have developed an efficient method for isolating VAR genes from telomeric and other genome locations by adapting transformation-associated recombination (TAR) cloning, which can then be analyzed and sequenced. For this purpose, three plasmids each containing a homologous sequence representing the upstream regions of the group A, B, and C var genes and a sequence homologous to the conserved acidic terminal segment (ATS) of var genes were generated. Co-transfection with P. falciparum strain ITG2F6 genomic DNA in yeast cells yielded 200 TAR clones. The relative frequencies of clones from each group were not biased. Clones were screened by PCR, as well as Southern blotting, which revealed clones missed by PCR due to sequence mismatches with the primers. Selected clones were transformed into E. coli and further analyzed by RFLP and end sequencing. Physical analysis of 36 clones revealed 27 distinct types potentially representing 50% of the var gene repertoire. Three clones were selected for sequencing and assembled into single var gene containing contigs. This study demonstrates that it is possible to rapidly obtain the repertoire of var genes from P. falciparum within a single set of cloning experiments. This technique can be applied to individual isolates which will provide a detailed picture of the diversity of var genes in the field. This is a powerful tool to overcome the obstacles with cloning and assembly of multi-gene families by simultaneously cloning each member. PMID:21408186

  19. Expressed var gene repertoire and variant surface antigen diversity in a shrinking Plasmodium falciparum population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlos, Bianca C; Fotoran, Wesley L; Menezes, Maria J; Cabral, Fernanda J; Bastos, Marcele F; Costa, Fabio T M; Sousa-Neto, Jayme A; Ribolla, Paulo E M; Wunderlich, Gerhard; Ferreira, Marcelo U

    2016-11-01

    The var gene-encoded erythrocyte membrane protein-1 of Plasmodium falciparum (PfEMP-1) is the main variant surface antigen (VSA) expressed on infected erythrocytes. The rate at which antibody responses to VSA expressed by circulating parasites are acquired depends on the size of the local VSA repertoire and the frequency of exposure to new VSA. Because parasites from areas with declining malaria endemicity, such as the Amazon, typically express a restricted PfEMP-1 repertoire, we hypothesized that Amazonians would rapidly acquire antibodies to most locally circulating VSA. Consistent with our expectations, the analysis of 5878 sequence tags expressed by 10 local P. falciparum samples revealed little PfEMP-1 DBL1α domain diversity. Among the most commonly expressed DBL1α types, 45% were shared by two or more independent parasite lines. Nevertheless, Amazonians displayed major gaps in their repertoire of anti-VSA antibodies, although the breadth of anti-VSA antibody responses correlated positively with their cumulative exposure to malaria. We found little antibody cross-reactivity even when testing VSA from related parasites expressing the same dominant DBL1α types. We conclude that variant-specific immunity to P. falciparum VSAs develops slowly despite the relatively restricted PfEMP-1 repertoire found in low-endemicity settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. In vitro antiplasmodial activity of marine sponge Clathria vulpina extract against chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium falciparum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sundaram Prasanna Kumar

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To explore the antiplasmodial potential of marine sponge Clathria vulpina (C. vulpina against chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum. Methods: The marine sponge C. vulpina was collected from Thondi coast, authenticated and subjected for extraction by soaking in ethanol:water mixture (3:1 ratio. The percentage of extract was calculated. Filter sterilized extracts (100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, 3.125 μg/mL were screened for antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine sensitive P. falciparum. The extract was also tested for its hemolytic activity. Results: The percentage yield of extract of C. vulpina was found to be 4.8%. The crude extract of C. vulpina showed excellent antiplasmodial activity (IC 50=14.75 μg/mL which was highly comparable to the positive control chloroquine (IC50=7 μg/mL. Statistical analysis reveals that the significant antiplasmodial activity (P<0.05 was observed between the concentrations and the time of exposure. The chemical injury to erythrocytes was also carried out, which showed that there were no morphological changes in erythrocytes by the ethanolic extracts of sponges after 48 h of incubation. The extract showed slight hemolytic activity which almost equal to chloroquine at 100 μg/mL concentration (1.023%. Conclusions: The marine sponge C. vulpina can be used as a putative antiplasmodial drug after completing successful clinical trials.

  1. Plasmodium falciparum: attenuation by irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waki, S.; Yonome, I.; Suzuki, M.

    1983-01-01

    The effect of irradiation on the in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum was investigated. The cultured malarial parasites at selected stages of development were exposed to gamma rays and the sensitivity of each stage was determined. The stages most sensitive to irradiation were the ring forms and the early trophozoites; late trophozoites were relatively insensitive. The greatest resistance was shown when parasites were irradiated at a time of transition from the late trophozoite and schizont stages to young ring forms. The characteristics of radiosensitive variation in the parasite cycle resembled that of mammalian cells. Growth curves of parasites exposed to doses of irradiation upto 150 gray had the same slope as nonirradiated controls but parasites which were exposed to 200 gray exhibited a growth curve which was less steep than that for parasites in other groups. Less than 10 organisms survived from the 10(6) parasites exposed to this high dose of irradiation; the possibility exists of obtaining radiation-attenuated P. falciparum

  2. Plasmodium falciparum uses vitamin E to avoid oxidative stress

    OpenAIRE

    Sussmann, Rodrigo A. C.; Fotoran, Wesley L.; Kimura, Emilia A.; Katzin, Alejandro M.

    2017-01-01

    Background Plasmodium falciparum is sensitive to oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo, and many drugs such as artemisinin, chloroquine and cercosporin interfere in the parasite’s redox system. To minimize the damage caused by reactive radicals, antioxidant enzymes and their substrates found in parasites and in erythrocytes must be functionally active. It was shown that P. falciparum synthesizes vitamin E and that usnic acid acts as an inhibitor of its biosynthesis. Vitamin E is a potent anti...

  3. Biophysical characterization of the association of histones with single-stranded DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ying; van Merwyk, Luis; Tönsing, Katja; Walhorn, Volker; Anselmetti, Dario; Fernàndez-Busquets, Xavier

    2017-11-01

    Despite the profound current knowledge of the architecture and dynamics of nucleosomes, little is known about the structures generated by the interaction of histones with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which is widely present during replication and transcription. Non-denaturing gel electrophoresis, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, magnetic tweezers. Histones have a high affinity for ssDNA in 0.15M NaCl ionic strength, with an apparent binding constant similar to that calculated for their association with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). The length of DNA (number of nucleotides in ssDNA or base pairs in dsDNA) associated with a fixed core histone mass is the same for both ssDNA and dsDNA. Although histone-ssDNA complexes show a high tendency to aggregate, nucleosome-like structures are formed at physiological salt concentrations. Core histones are able to protect ssDNA from digestion by micrococcal nuclease, and a shortening of ssDNA occurs upon its interaction with histones. The purified (+) strand of a cloned DNA fragment of nucleosomal origin has a higher affinity for histones than the purified complementary (-) strand. At physiological ionic strength histones have high affinity for ssDNA, possibly associating with it into nucleosome-like structures. In the cell nucleus histones may spontaneously interact with ssDNA to facilitate their participation in the replication and transcription of chromatin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Diagnosing severe falciparum malaria in parasitaemic African children: a prospective evaluation of plasma PfHRP2 measurement.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilse C E Hendriksen

    Full Text Available In African children, distinguishing severe falciparum malaria from other severe febrile illnesses with coincidental Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia is a major challenge. P. falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2 is released by mature sequestered parasites and can be used to estimate the total parasite burden. We investigated the prognostic significance of plasma PfHRP2 and used it to estimate the malaria-attributable fraction in African children diagnosed with severe malaria.Admission plasma PfHRP2 was measured prospectively in African children (from Mozambique, The Gambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo aged 1 month to 15 years with severe febrile illness and a positive P. falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH-based rapid test in a clinical trial comparing parenteral artesunate versus quinine (the AQUAMAT trial, ISRCTN 50258054. In 3,826 severely ill children, Plasmadium falciparum PfHRP2 was higher in patients with coma (p = 0.0209, acidosis (p<0.0001, and severe anaemia (p<0.0001. Admission geometric mean (95%CI plasma PfHRP2 was 1,611 (1,350-1,922 ng/mL in fatal cases (n = 381 versus 1,046 (991-1,104 ng/mL in survivors (n = 3,445, p<0.0001, without differences in parasitaemia as assessed by microscopy. There was a U-shaped association between log(10 plasma PfHRP2 and risk of death. Mortality increased 20% per log(10 increase in PfHRP2 above 174 ng/mL (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.21, 95%CI 1.05-1.39, p = 0.009. A mechanistic model assuming a PfHRP2-independent risk of death in non-malaria illness closely fitted the observed data and showed malaria-attributable mortality less than 50% with plasma PfHRP2≤174 ng/mL. The odds ratio (OR for death in artesunate versus quinine-treated patients was 0.61 (95%CI 0.44-0.83, p = 0.0018 in the highest PfHRP2 tertile, whereas there was no difference in the lowest tertile (OR 1.05; 95%CI 0.69-1.61; p = 0.82. A limitation of the study is that some

  5. An interplay between 2 signaling pathways: Melatonin-cAMP and IP{sub 3}–Ca{sup 2+} signaling pathways control intraerythrocytic development of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Furuyama, Wakako [National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555 (Japan); Enomoto, Masahiro [Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, M5G1L7 Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Mossaad, Ehab [National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555 (Japan); Kawai, Satoru [Laboratory of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi 321-0293 (Japan); Mikoshiba, Katsuhiko [Laboratory for Developmental Neurobiology, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198 (Japan); Kawazu, Shin-ichiro, E-mail: skawazu@obihiro.ac.jp [National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555 (Japan)

    2014-03-28

    Highlights: • A melatonin receptor antagonist blocked Ca{sup 2+} oscillation in P. falciparum and inhibited parasite growth. • P. falciparum development is controlled by Ca{sup 2+}- and cAMP-signaling pathways. • The cAMP-signaling pathway at ring form and late trophozoite stages governs parasite growth of P. falciparum. - Abstract: Plasmodium falciparum spends most of its asexual life cycle within human erythrocytes, where proliferation and maturation occur. Development into the mature forms of P. falciparum causes severe symptoms due to its distinctive sequestration capability. However, the physiological roles and the molecular mechanisms of signaling pathways that govern development are poorly understood. Our previous study showed that P. falciparum exhibits stage-specific spontaneous Calcium (Ca{sup 2+}) oscillations in ring and early trophozoites, and the latter was essential for parasite development. In this study, we show that luzindole (LZ), a selective melatonin receptor antagonist, inhibits parasite growth. Analyses of development and morphology of LZ-treated P. falciparum revealed that LZ severely disrupted intraerythrocytic maturation, resulting in parasite death. When LZ was added at ring stage, the parasite could not undergo further development, whereas LZ added at the trophozoite stage inhibited development from early into late schizonts. Live-cell Ca{sup 2+} imaging showed that LZ treatment completely abolished Ca{sup 2+} oscillation in the ring forms while having little effect on early trophozoites. Further, the melatonin-induced cAMP increase observed at ring and late trophozoite stage was attenuated by LZ treatment. These suggest that a complex interplay between IP{sub 3}–Ca{sup 2+} and cAMP signaling pathways is involved in intraerythrocytic development of P. falciparum.

  6. EPC1/TIP60-mediated histone acetylation facilitates spermiogenesis in mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dong, Yixin; Isono, Kyo Ichi; Ohbo, Kazuyuki

    2017-01-01

    Global histone hyperacetylation is suggested to play a critical role for replacement of histones by transition proteins and protamines to compact the genome during spermiogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms for hyperacetylation- mediated histone replacement remains poorly understood. Here...

  7. Histone acetyltransferases : challenges in targeting bi-substrate enzymes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wapenaar, Hannah; Dekker, Frank J

    2016-01-01

    Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) are epigenetic enzymes that install acetyl groups onto lysine residues of cellular proteins such as histones, transcription factors, nuclear receptors, and enzymes. HATs have been shown to play a role in diseases ranging from cancer and inflammatory diseases to

  8. Sero-epidemiological evaluation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Senegal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sylla, Khadime; Tine, Roger Clément Kouly; Ndiaye, Magatte; Sow, Doudou; Sarr, Aïssatou; Mbuyi, Marie Louise Tshibola; Diouf, Ibrahima; Lô, Amy Colé; Abiola, Annie; Seck, Mame Cheikh; Ndiaye, Mouhamadou; Badiane, Aïda Sadikh; N'Diaye, Jean Louis A; Ndiaye, Daouda; Faye, Oumar; Dieng, Thérèse; Dieng, Yémou; Ndir, Oumar; Gaye, Oumar; Faye, Babacar

    2015-07-16

    In Senegal, a significant decrease of malaria transmission intensity has been noted the last years. Parasitaemia has become lower and, therefore, more difficult to detect by microscopy. In the context of submicroscopic parasitaemia, it has become relevant to rely on relevant malaria surveillance tools to better document malaria epidemiology in such settings. Serological markers have been proposed as an essential tool for malaria surveillance. This study aimed to evaluate the sero-epidemiological situation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in two sentinel sites in Senegal. Cross-sectional surveys were carried out in Velingara (south Senegal) and Keur Soce (central Senegal) between September and October 2010. Children under 10 years old, living in these areas, were enrolled using two-level, random sampling methods. P. falciparum infection was diagnosed using microscopy. P. falciparum antibodies against circumsporozoite protein (CSP), apical membrane protein (AMA1) and merozoite surface protein 1_42 (MSP1_42) were measured by ELISA method. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was done to assess factors associated with P. falciparum antibodies carriage. A total of 1,865 children under 10 years old were enrolled. The overall falciparum malaria prevalence was 4.99% with high prevalence in Velingara of 10.03% compared to Keur Soce of 0.3%. Symptomatic malaria cases (fever associated with parasitaemia) represented 17.37%. Seroprevalence of anti-AMA1, anti-MSP1_42 and anti-CSP antibody was 38.12, 41.55 and 40.38%, respectively. The seroprevalence was more important in Velingara and increased with age, active malaria infection and area of residence. The use of serological markers can contribute to improved malaria surveillance in areas with declining malaria transmission. This study provided useful baseline information about the sero-epidemiological situation of malaria in Senegal and can contribute to the identification of malaria hot spots in order to concentrate

  9. Metabolic Regulation of Histone Acetyltransferases by Endogenous Acyl-CoA Cofactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montgomery, David C; Sorum, Alexander W; Guasch, Laura; Nicklaus, Marc C; Meier, Jordan L

    2015-08-20

    The finding that chromatin modifications are sensitive to changes in cellular cofactor levels potentially links altered tumor cell metabolism and gene expression. However, the specific enzymes and metabolites that connect these two processes remain obscure. Characterizing these metabolic-epigenetic axes is critical to understanding how metabolism supports signaling in cancer, and developing therapeutic strategies to disrupt this process. Here, we describe a chemical approach to define the metabolic regulation of lysine acetyltransferase (KAT) enzymes. Using a novel chemoproteomic probe, we identify a previously unreported interaction between palmitoyl coenzyme A (palmitoyl-CoA) and KAT enzymes. Further analysis reveals that palmitoyl-CoA is a potent inhibitor of KAT activity and that fatty acyl-CoA precursors reduce cellular histone acetylation levels. These studies implicate fatty acyl-CoAs as endogenous regulators of histone acetylation, and suggest novel strategies for the investigation and metabolic modulation of epigenetic signaling. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. From malaria parasite point of view – Plasmodium falciparum evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agata Zerka

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Malaria is caused by infection with protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Plasmodium, which have arguably exerted the greatest selection pressure on humans in the history of our species. Besides humans, different Plasmodium parasites infect a wide range of animal hosts, from marine invertebrates to primates. On the other hand, individual Plasmodium species show high host specificity. The extraordinary evolution of Plasmodium probably began when a free-living red algae turned parasitic, and culminated with its ability to thrive inside a human red blood cell. Studies on the African apes generated new data on the evolution of malaria parasites in general and the deadliest human-specific species, Plasmodium falciparum, in particular. Initially, it was hypothesized that P. falciparum descended from the chimpanzee malaria parasite P. reichenowi, after the human and the chimp lineage diverged about 6 million years ago. However, a recently identified new species infecting gorillas, unexpectedly showed similarity to P. falciparum and was therefore named P. praefalciparum. That finding spurred an alternative hypothesis, which proposes that P. falciparum descended from its gorilla rather than chimp counterpart. In addition, the gorilla-to-human host shift may have occurred more recently (about 10 thousand years ago than the theoretical P. falciparum-P. reichenowi split. One of the key aims of the studies on Plasmodium evolution is to elucidate the mechanisms that allow the incessant host shifting and retaining the host specificity, especially in the case of human-specific species. Thorough understanding of these phenomena will be necessary to design effective malaria treatment and prevention strategies.

  11. The Role of Histone Protein Modifications and Mutations in Histone Modifiers in Pediatric B-Cell Progenitor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janczar, Szymon; Janczar, Karolina; Pastorczak, Agata; Harb, Hani; Paige, Adam J. W.; Zalewska-Szewczyk, Beata; Danilewicz, Marian; Mlynarski, Wojciech

    2017-01-01

    While cancer has been long recognized as a disease of the genome, the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in neoplasia was acknowledged more recently. The most active epigenetic marks are DNA methylation and histone protein modifications and they are involved in basic biological phenomena in every cell. Their role in tumorigenesis is stressed by recent unbiased large-scale studies providing evidence that several epigenetic modifiers are recurrently mutated or frequently dysregulated in multiple cancers. The interest in epigenetic marks is especially due to the fact that they are potentially reversible and thus druggable. In B-cell progenitor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) there is a relative paucity of reports on the role of histone protein modifications (acetylation, methylation, phosphorylation) as compared to acute myeloid leukemia, T-cell ALL, or other hematologic cancers, and in this setting chromatin modifications are relatively less well studied and reviewed than DNA methylation. In this paper, we discuss the biomarker associations and evidence for a driver role of dysregulated global and loci-specific histone marks, as well as mutations in epigenetic modifiers in BCP-ALL. Examples of chromatin modifiers recurrently mutated/disrupted in BCP-ALL and associated with disease outcomes include MLL1, CREBBP, NSD2, and SETD2. Altered histone marks and histone modifiers and readers may play a particular role in disease chemoresistance and relapse. We also suggest that epigenetic regulation of B-cell differentiation may have parallel roles in leukemogenesis. PMID:28054944

  12. Acetylation-Mediated Proteasomal Degradation of Core Histones during DNA Repair and Spermatogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Min-Xian; Pang, Ye; Liu, Cui Hua; Haratake, Kousuke; Du, Bo-Yu; Ji, Dan-Yang; Wang, Guang-Fei; Zhu, Qian-Qian; Song, Wei; Yu, Yadong; Zhang, Xiao-Xu; Huang, Hai-Tao; Miao, Shiying; Chen, Lian-Bin; Zhang, Zi-Hui; Liang, Ya-Nan; Liu, Shan; Cha, Hwangho; Yang, Dong; Zhai, Yonggong; Komatsu, Takuo; Tsuruta, Fuminori; Li, Haitao; Cao, Cheng; Li, Wei; Li, Guo-Hong; Cheng, Yifan; Chiba, Tomoki; Wang, Linfang; Goldberg, Alfred L.; Shen, Yan; Qiu, Xiao-Bo

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Histone acetylation plays critical roles in chromatin remodeling, DNA repair, and epigenetic regulation of gene expression, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Proteasomes usually catalyze ATP- and polyubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Here we show that the proteasomes containing the activator PA200 catalyze the polyubiquitin-independent degradation of histones. Most proteasomes in mammalian testes (“spermatoproteasomes”) contain a spermatid/sperm-specific α-subunit α4s/PSMA8 and/or the catalytic β-subunits of immunoproteasomes in addition to PA200. Deletion of PA200 in mice abolishes acetylation-dependent degradation of somatic core histones during DNA double-strand breaks, and delays core histone disappearance in elongated spermatids. Purified PA200 greatly promotes ATP-independent proteasomal degradation of the acetylated core histones, but not polyubiquitinated proteins. Furthermore, acetylation on histones is required for their binding to the bromodomain-like regions in PA200 and its yeast ortholog, Blm10. Thus, PA200/Blm10 specifically targets the core histones for acetylation-mediated degradation by proteasomes, providing mechanisms by which acetylation regulates histone degradation, DNA repair, and spermatogenesis. PMID:23706739

  13. Antimalarial Activity of KAF156 in Falciparum and Vivax Malaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Nicholas J; Duong, Tran T; Uthaisin, Chirapong; Nosten, François; Phyo, Aung P; Hanboonkunupakarn, Borimas; Pukrittayakamee, Sasithon; Jittamala, Podjanee; Chuthasmit, Kittiphum; Cheung, Ming S; Feng, Yiyan; Li, Ruobing; Magnusson, Baldur; Sultan, Marc; Wieser, Daniela; Xun, Xiaolei; Zhao, Rong; Diagana, Thierry T; Pertel, Peter; Leong, F Joel

    2016-09-22

    KAF156 belongs to a new class of antimalarial agents (imidazolopiperazines), with activity against asexual and sexual blood stages and the preerythrocytic liver stages of malarial parasites. We conducted a phase 2, open-label, two-part study at five centers in Thailand and Vietnam to assess the antimalarial efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetic profile of KAF156 in adults with acute Plasmodium vivax or P. falciparum malaria. Assessment of parasite clearance rates in cohorts of patients with vivax or falciparum malaria who were treated with multiple doses (400 mg once daily for 3 days) was followed by assessment of the cure rate at 28 days in a separate cohort of patients with falciparum malaria who received a single dose (800 mg). Median parasite clearance times were 45 hours (interquartile range, 42 to 48) in 10 patients with falciparum malaria and 24 hours (interquartile range, 20 to 30) in 10 patients with vivax malaria after treatment with the multiple-dose regimen and 49 hours (interquartile range, 42 to 54) in 21 patients with falciparum malaria after treatment with the single dose. Among the 21 patients who received the single dose and were followed for 28 days, 1 had reinfection and 7 had recrudescent infections (cure rate, 67%; 95% credible interval, 46 to 84). The mean (±SD) KAF156 terminal elimination half-life was 44.1±8.9 hours. There were no serious adverse events in this small study. The most common adverse events included sinus bradycardia, thrombocytopenia, hypokalemia, anemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Vomiting of grade 2 or higher occurred in 2 patients, 1 of whom discontinued treatment because of repeated vomiting after receiving the single 800-mg dose. More adverse events were reported in the single-dose cohort, which had longer follow-up, than in the multiple-dose cohorts. KAF156 showed antimalarial activity without evident safety concerns in a small number of adults with uncomplicated P. vivax or P. falciparum malaria. (Funded by Novartis and

  14. Small molecule inhibitors of histone deacetylases and acetyltransferases as potential therapeutics in oncology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Bosch, Thea; Leus, Niek; Timmerman, Tirza; Dekker, Frank J

    2016-01-01

    Uncontrolled cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis in cancer are, among others, regulated by post-translational modifications of histone proteins. The most investigated type of histone modification is lysine acetylation. Histone acetyltransferases (HATs), acetylate histone lysine residues,

  15. Hepatitis C virus infection may lead to slower emergence of P. falciparum in blood.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Odile Ouwe-Missi-Oukem-Boyer

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Areas endemic for Plasmodium falciparum, hepatitis B virus (HBV and hepatitis C virus (HCV overlap in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. HBV and HCV infections develop in the liver, where takes place the first development stage of P. falciparum before its further spread in blood. The complex mechanisms involved in the development of hepatitis may potentially influence the development of the liver stage of malaria parasites. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of these interactions could provide new pathophysiological insights for treatment strategies in Malaria. METHODOLOGY: We studied a cohort of 319 individuals living in a village where the three infections are prevalent. The patients were initially given a curative antimalarial treatment and were then monitored for the emergence of asexual P. falciparum forms in blood, fortnightly for one year, by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: At inclusion, 65 (20.4% subjects had detectable malaria parasites in blood, 36 (11.3% were HBV chronic carriers, and 61 (18.9% were HCV chronic carriers. During follow-up, asexual P. falciparum forms were detected in the blood of 203 patients. The median time to P. falciparum emergence in blood was respectively 140 and 120 days in HBV- and HBV+ individuals, and 135 and 224 days in HCV- and HCV+ individuals. HCV carriage was associated with delayed emergence of asexual P. falciparum forms in blood relative to patients without HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study represents first tentative evidence of a potential epidemiological interaction between HBV, HCV and P. falciparum infections. Age is an important confounding factor in this setting however multivariate analysis points to an interaction between P. falciparum and HCV at the hepatic level with a slower emergence of P. falciparum in HCV chronic carriers. More in depth analysis are necessary to unravel the basis of hepatic interactions between these two pathogens

  16. Histone hypoacetylation is required to maintain late replication timing of constitutive heterochromatin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casas-Delucchi, Corella S; van Bemmel, Joke G; Haase, Sebastian; Herce, Henry D; Nowak, Danny; Meilinger, Daniela; Stear, Jeffrey H; Leonhardt, Heinrich; Cardoso, M Cristina

    2012-01-01

    The replication of the genome is a spatio-temporally highly organized process. Yet, its flexibility throughout development suggests that this process is not genetically regulated. However, the mechanisms and chromatin modifications controlling replication timing are still unclear. We made use of the prominent structure and defined heterochromatic landscape of pericentric regions as an example of late replicating constitutive heterochromatin. We manipulated the major chromatin markers of these regions, namely histone acetylation, DNA and histone methylation, as well as chromatin condensation and determined the effects of these altered chromatin states on replication timing. Here, we show that manipulation of DNA and histone methylation as well as acetylation levels caused large-scale heterochromatin decondensation. Histone demethylation and the concomitant decondensation, however, did not affect replication timing. In contrast, immuno-FISH and time-lapse analyses showed that lowering DNA methylation, as well as increasing histone acetylation, advanced the onset of heterochromatin replication. While dnmt1(-)(/)(-) cells showed increased histone acetylation at chromocenters, histone hyperacetylation did not induce DNA demethylation. Hence, we propose that histone hypoacetylation is required to maintain normal heterochromatin duplication dynamics. We speculate that a high histone acetylation level might increase the firing efficiency of origins and, concomitantly, advances the replication timing of distinct genomic regions.

  17. The effect of sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine on gametocytes in falciparum malaria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ittiravivongs, A; Vasuvat, C; Kongrod, S

    1984-09-01

    A study of the effect of sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine (Fansidar) on P. falciparum's gametocytes in peripheral blood was carried out in Western Thailand. One group of 77 patients with asexual form P. falciparum sensitive to Fansidar were followed weekly to detect the appearance and the duration of gametocytes in peripheral blood after Fansidar treatment on the basis of thick blood film examination. Another group of 14 patients with sexual form P. falciparum was not given any antimalarial treatment and also followed up weekly. No significant difference of average duration of detectable gametocytes was observed between the groups. The average number of days that gametocytes appeared after asexual form in patients receiving treatment was the same as in the untreated group. It is unlikely that Fansidar has the stimulating effect on gametocytogenesis as previously reported.

  18. Extracting histones for the specific purpose of label-free MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Govaert, Elisabeth; Van Steendam, Katleen; Scheerlinck, Ellen; Vossaert, Liesbeth; Meert, Paulien; Stella, Martina; Willems, Sander; De Clerck, Laura; Dhaenens, Maarten; Deforce, Dieter

    2016-12-01

    Extracting histones from cells is the first step in studies that aim to characterize histones and their post-translational modifications (hPTMs) with MS. In the last decade, label-free quantification is more frequently being used for MS-based histone characterization. However, many histone extraction protocols were not specifically designed for label-free MS. While label-free quantification has its advantages, it is also very susceptible to technical variation. Here, we adjust an established histone extraction protocol according to general label-free MS guidelines with a specific focus on minimizing sample handling. These protocols are first evaluated using SDS-PAGE. Hereafter, a selection of extraction protocols was used in a complete histone workflow for label-free MS. All protocols display nearly identical relative quantification of hPTMs. We thus show that, depending on the cell type under investigation and at the cost of some additional contaminating proteins, minimizing sample handling can be done during histone isolation. This allows analyzing bigger sample batches, leads to reduced technical variation and minimizes the chance of in vitro alterations to the hPTM snapshot. Overall, these results allow researchers to determine the best protocol depending on the resources and goal of their specific study. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD002885. © 2016 The Authors. Proteomics Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Ned-19 inhibition of parasite growth and multiplication suggests a role for NAADP mediated signalling in the asexual development of Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suárez-Cortés, Pablo; Gambara, Guido; Favia, Annarita; Palombi, Fioretta; Alano, Pietro; Filippini, Antonio

    2017-09-12

    Although malaria is a preventable and curable human disease, millions of people risk to be infected by the Plasmodium parasites and to develop this illness. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new anti-malarial drugs. Ca 2+ signalling regulates different processes in the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, representing a suitable target for the development of new drugs. This study investigated for the first time the effect of a highly specific inhibitor of nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP)-induced Ca 2+ release (Ned-19) on P. falciparum, revealing the inhibitory effect of this compound on the blood stage development of this parasite. Ned-19 inhibits both the transition of the parasite from the early to the late trophozoite stage and the ability of the late trophozoite to develop to the multinucleated schizont stage. In addition, Ned-19 affects spontaneous intracellular Ca 2+ oscillations in ring and trophozoite stage parasites, suggesting that the observed inhibitory effects may be associated to regulation of intracellular Ca 2+ levels. This study highlights the inhibitory effect of Ned-19 on progression of the asexual life cycle of P. falciparum. The observation that Ned-19 inhibits spontaneous Ca 2+ oscillations suggests a potential role of NAADP in regulating Ca 2+ signalling of P. falciparum.

  20. Spatial variation and socio-economic determinants of Plasmodium falciparum infection in northeastern Tanzania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mmbando, Bruno P; Kamugisha, Mathias L; Lusingu, John P

    2011-01-01

    system (GPS) unit. The effects of risk factors were determined using generalized estimating equation and spatial risk of P. falciparum infection was modelled using a kernel (non-parametric) method. RESULTS: There was a significant spatial variation of P. falciparum infection, and urban areas were......ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Malaria due to Plasmodium falciparum is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Tanzania. According to health statistics, malaria accounts for about 30% and 15% of hospital admissions and deaths, respectively. The risk of P. falciparum infection varies across...... the country. This study describes the spatial variation and socio-economic determinants of P. falciparum infection in northeastern Tanzania. METHODS: The study was conducted in 14 villages located in highland, lowland and urban areas of Korogwe district. Four cross-sectional malaria surveys involving...

  1. Identification of novel post-translational modifications in linker histones from chicken erythrocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarg, Bettina; Lopez, Rita; Lindner, Herbert; Ponte, Inma; Suau, Pedro; Roque, Alicia

    2015-01-15

    Chicken erythrocyte nuclei were digested with micrococcal nuclease and fractionated by centrifugation in low-salt buffer into soluble and insoluble fractions. Post-translational modifications of the purified linker histones of both fractions were analyzed by LC-ESI-MS/MS. All six histone H1 subtypes (H1.01, H1.02, H1.03, H1.10, H1.1L and H1.1R) and histone H5 were identified. Mass spectrometry analysis enabled the identification of a wide range of PTMs, including N(α)-terminal acetylation, acetylation, formylation, phosphorylation and oxidation. A total of nine new modifications in chicken linker histones were mapped, most of them located in the N-terminal and globular domains. Relative quantification of the modified peptides showed that linker histone PTMs were differentially distributed among both chromatin fractions, suggesting their relevance in the regulation of chromatin structure. The analysis of our results combined with previously reported data for chicken and some mammalian species showed that most of the modified positions were conserved throughout evolution, highlighting their importance in specific linker histone functions and epigenetics. Post-translational modifications of linker histones could have a role in the regulation of gene expression through the modulation of chromatin higher-order structure and chromatin remodeling. Finding new PTMs in linker histones is the first step to elucidate their role in the histone code. In this manuscript we report nine new post-translational modifications of the linker histones from chicken erythrocytes, one in H5 and eight in the H1 subtypes. Chromatin fractionated by centrifugation in low-salt buffer resulted in two fractions with different contents and compositions of linker histones and enriched in specific core histone PTMs. Of particular interest is the fact that linker histone PTMs were differentially distributed in both chromatin fractions, suggesting specific functions. Future studies are needed to

  2. Early gametocytes of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum specifically remodel the adhesive properties of infected erythrocyte surface

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tibúrcio, Marta; Silvestrini, Francesco; Bertuccini, Lucia

    2013-01-01

    to ultrastructurally and biochemically analyse parasite-induced modifications on the red blood cell surface and to measure their functional consequences on adhesion to human endothelial cells. This work revealed that stage I gametocytes are able to deform the infected erythrocytes like asexual parasites, but do...... not modify its surface with adhesive 'knob' structures and associated proteins. Reduced levels of the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) adhesins are exposed on the red blood cell surface bythese parasites, and the expression of the var gene family, which encodes 50-60 variants of PfEMP1......In Plasmodium falciparum infections the parasite transmission stages, the gametocytes, mature in 10 days sequestered in internal organs. Recent studies suggest that cell mechanical properties rather than adhesive interactions play a role in sequestration during gametocyte maturation. It remains...

  3. Biochemical studies on histones of the central nervous system. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmitt, M.; Matthies, H.

    1979-01-01

    There are no qualitative differences in the electrophoretic patterns of histones from neurones and glia. A 25% increased acetylation rate is found in neutronal histones as compared to glial histones after incubation of chopped brain in a [ 14 C]-acetate containing medium. This result probably reflects different condensation states of the chromatins of both cell types, as demonstrated by electron microscopy. (author)

  4. Histone deacetylase inhibition abolishes stress-induced spatial memory impairment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vargas-López, Viviana; Lamprea, Marisol R; Múnera, Alejandro

    2016-10-01

    Acute stress induced before spatial training impairs memory consolidation. Although non-epigenetic underpinning of such effect has been described, the epigenetic mechanisms involved have not yet been studied. Since spatial training and intense stress have opposite effects on histone acetylation balance, it is conceivable that disruption of such balance may underlie acute stress-induced spatial memory consolidation impairment and that inhibiting histone deacetylases prevents such effect. Trichostatin-A (TSA, a histone deacetylase inhibitor) was used to test its effectiveness in preventing stress' deleterious effect on memory. Male Wistar rats were trained in a spatial task in the Barnes maze; 1-h movement restraint was applied to half of them before training. Immediately after training, stressed and non-stressed animals were randomly assigned to receive either TSA (1mg/kg) or vehicle intraperitoneal injection. Twenty-four hours after training, long-term spatial memory was tested; plasma and brain tissue were collected immediately after the memory test to evaluate corticosterone levels and histone H3 acetylation in several brain areas. Stressed animals receiving vehicle displayed memory impairment, increased plasma corticosterone levels and markedly reduced histone H3 acetylation in prelimbic cortex and hippocampus. Such effects did not occur in stressed animals treated with TSA. The aforementioned results support the hypothesis that acute stress induced-memory impairment is related to histone deacetylation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Compromised JMJD6 histone demethylase activity impacts on VHL gene repression in preeclampsia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alahari, Sruthi; Post, Martin; Rolfo, Alessandro; Weksberg, Rosanna; Caniggia, Isabella

    2018-01-24

    The von Hippel Lindau (VHL) protein is a key executor of the cellular hypoxic response that is compromised in preeclampsia, a serious disorder complicating 5-7% of pregnancies. To date, the mechanisms controlling VHL gene expression in the human placenta remain elusive. We examined VHL epigenetic regulation in normal pregnancy and in preeclampsia, a pathology characterized by placental hypoxia. Placentae were obtained from early-onset (E-PE: n=56; <34 weeks of gestation) and late onset preeclampsia (L-PE: n=19; ≥ 34 weeks of gestation). Placentae from healthy normotensive age-matched preterm and term pregnancies (PTC: n=43; TC: n=23) were included as controls. We measured the activity of Jumonji domain containing protein 6 (JMJD6), a Fe2+ and oxygen-dependent histone demethylase, and examined its function in the epigenetic control of VHL. JMJD6 regulates VHL gene expression in the human placenta. VHL downregulation in preeclampsia is dependent on decreased JMJD6 demethylase activity due to hypoxia and reduced Fe2+ bioavailability. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed decreased association of JMJD6 and its histone targets with the VHL promoter. Findings in preeclampsia were corroborated in a murine model of pharmacological hypoxia using FG-4592. Placentae from FG-4592 treated mice exhibited reduced VHL levels, accompanied by placental morphological alterations and reduced pup weights. Notably, Fe2+ supplementation rescued JMJD6 histone demethylase activity in histone from E-PE and FG-4592-treated mice. Our study uncovers novel epigenetic regulation of VHL and its functional consequences for altered oxygen and iron homeostasis in preeclampsia. Copyright © 2018 Endocrine Society

  6. No seasonal accumulation of resistant P. falciparum when high-dose chloroquine is used

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ursing, Johan; Kofoed, Poul-Erik; Rodrigues, Amabelia

    2009-01-01

    increase of pfcrt 76T if the high doses of CQ commonly used are effective. METHODS AND FINDINGS: P. falciparum parasite density, age, sex, the proportion of chloroquine resistance associated haplotypes pfcrt 76T and P. falciparum multidrug resistance gene 1 86Y were assessed in 988 samples collected from...... to become the dominant P.falciparum type in Guinea-Bissau. This is most likely due to the efficacy of high-dose chloroquine as used in Guinea-Bissau, combined with a loss of fitness associated with pfcrt 76T.......BACKGROUND: Potentially chloroquine resistant P. falciparum, identified by the 76T haplotype in the chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt 76T), are highly prevalent throughout Africa. In Guinea-Bissau, normal and double dose chloroquine have respective efficacies of 34% and 78% against P...

  7. Plasmodium Falciparum: Adhesion Phenotype of Infected Erythrocytes Using Classical and Mini-Column Cytoadherence Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N Kalantari

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum- infected erythrocytes to host cells is an impor­tant trait for parasite survival and has a major role in pathology of malaria disease. Infections with P. falciparum usually consist of several subpopulations of parasites with different adhesive proper­ties. This study aimed to compare relative sizes of various binding subpopulations of different P. falciparum isolates. It also investigated the adhesive phenotype of a laboratory P. falciparum line, A4, using different binding techniques.Methods: Seven different P. falciparum isolates (ITG, A4, 3D7 and four field isolates were cultivated to late trophozoite and schizont and then cytoadherence to cell differentiation 36 (CD36, intercellu­lar cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule (V-CAM and E-selectin were examined. The relative binding sizes of parasite subpopulations to human receptors were meas­ured by mini-column cytoadherence method. The adhesion phenotype of P. falciparum-A4 line was evaluated by in vitro static, flow-based and mini-column binding assays.Results: The relative binding size of ITG, A4 and 3D7 clones to a column made with CHO/ICAM-1 was 68%, 54% and 0%, respectively. The relative binding sizes of these lines to CHO/CD36 were 59.7%, 28.7% and 0%, respectively. Different field isolates had variable sizes of respective CD36 and ICAM1-binding subpopulations. A4 line had five different subpopulations each with different binding sizes.Conclusion: This study provided further evidence that P. falciparum isolates have different binding subpopulations sizes in an infection. Furthermore, measurement of ICAM-1 or CD36 binding subpopula­tions may practical to study the cytoadherence phenotypes of P. falciparum field isolates at the molecular level.

  8. Chemical and semisynthesis of modified histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maity, Suman Kumar; Jbara, Muhammad; Brik, Ashraf

    2016-05-01

    Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of histones play critical roles in the epigenetic regulation of eukaryotic genome by directly altering the biophysical properties of chromatin or by recruiting effector proteins. The large number of PTMs and the inherent complexity in their population and signaling processes make it highly challenging to understand epigenetics-related processes. To address these challenges, accesses to homogeneously modified histones are obligatory. Over the last decade, synthetic protein chemists have been devising novel synthetic tools and applying state-of-the-art chemoselective ligation strategies to prepare precious materials useful in answering fundamental questions in this area. In this short review, we cover some of the recent breakthroughs in these directions in particular the synthesis and semi-synthesis of modified histones and their use to unravel the mysteries of epigenetics. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  9. Genome content analysis yields new insights into the relationship between the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and its anopheline vectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oppenheim, Sara J; Rosenfeld, Jeffrey A; DeSalle, Rob

    2017-02-27

    The persistent and growing gap between the availability of sequenced genomes and the ability to assign functions to sequenced genes led us to explore ways to maximize the information content of automated annotation for studies of anopheline mosquitos. Specifically, we use genome content analysis of a large number of previously sequenced anopheline mosquitos to follow the loss and gain of protein families over the evolutionary history of this group. The importance of this endeavor lies in the potential for comparative genomic studies between Anopheles and closely related non-vector species to reveal ancestral genome content dynamics involved in vector competence. In addition, comparisons within Anopheles could identify genome content changes responsible for variation in the vectorial capacity of this family of important parasite vectors. The competence and capacity of P. falciparum vectors do not appear to be phylogenetically constrained within the Anophelinae. Instead, using ancestral reconstruction methods, we suggest that a previously unexamined component of vector biology, anopheline nucleotide metabolism, may contribute to the unique status of anophelines as P. falciparum vectors. While the fitness effects of nucleotide co-option by P. falciparum parasites on their anopheline hosts are not yet known, our results suggest that anopheline genome content may be responding to selection pressure from P. falciparum. Whether this response is defensive, in an attempt to redress improper nucleotide balance resulting from P. falciparum infection, or perhaps symbiotic, resulting from an as-yet-unknown mutualism between anophelines and P. falciparum, is an open question that deserves further study. Clearly, there is a wealth of functional information to be gained from detailed manual genome annotation, yet the rapid increase in the number of available sequences means that most researchers will not have the time or resources to manually annotate all the sequence data they

  10. Dicarbonyl Induced Structural Perturbations Make Histone H1 Highly Immunogenic and Generate an Auto-Immune Response in Cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdul Rouf Mir

    Full Text Available Increased oxidative stress under hyperglycemic conditions, through the interaction of AGEs with RAGE receptors and via activation of interleukin mediated transcription signalling, has been reported in cancer. Proteins modifications are being explored for their roles in the development and progression of cancer and autoantibody response against them is gaining interest as a probe for early detection of the disease. This study has analysed the changes in histone H1 upon modification by methylglyoxal (MG and its implications in auto-immunopathogenesis of cancer. Modified histone showed modifications in the aromatic residues, changed tyrosine microenvironment, intermolecular cross linking and generation of AGEs. It showed masking of hydrophobic patches and a hypsochromic shift in the in ANS specific fluorescence. MG aggressively oxidized histone H1 leading to the accumulation of reactive carbonyls. Far UV CD measurements showed di-carbonyl induced enhancement of the alpha structure and the induction of beta sheet conformation; and thermal denaturation (Tm studies confirmed the thermal stability of the modified histone. FTIR analysis showed amide I band shift, generation of a carboxyethyl group and N-Cα vibrations in the modified histone. LCMS analysis confirmed the formation of Nε-(carboxyethyllysine and electron microscopic studies revealed the amorphous aggregate formation. The modified histone showed altered cooperative binding with DNA. Modified H1 induced high titre antibodies in rabbits and the IgG isolated form sera of rabbits immunized with modified H1 exhibited specific binding with its immunogen in Western Blot analysis. IgG isolated from the sera of patients with lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and cancer of head and neck region showed better recognition for neo-epitopes on the modified histone, reflecting the presence of circulating autoantibodies in cancer. Since reports suggest a link between AGE-RAGE axis and

  11. A plant-produced Pfs230 vaccine candidate blocks transmission of Plasmodium falciparum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Farrance, C.E.; Rhee, A.; Jones, R.M.; Musiychuk, K.; Shamloul, M.; Sharma, S.; Mett, V.; Chichester, J.A.; Streatfield, S.J.; Roeffen, W.F.G.; Vegte-Bolmer, M.G. van de; Sauerwein, R.W.; Tsuboi, T.; Muratova, O.V.; Wu, Y.; Yusibov, V.

    2011-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum is transmitted to a new host after completing its sexual cycle within a mosquito. Developing vaccines against the parasite sexual stages is a critical component in the fight against malaria. We are targeting multiple proteins of P. falciparum which are found only on the

  12. Genome-wide discovery and verification of novel structured RNAs in Plasmodium falciparum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mourier, Tobias; Carret, Celine; Kyes, Sue

    2008-01-01

    ncRNAs in P. falciparum and are not represented in any RNA databases. We provide supporting evidence for purifying selection acting on the experimentally verified ncRNAs by comparing the nucleotide substitutions in the predicted ncRNA candidate structures in P. falciparum with the closely related...

  13. Binding of benzo(a)pyrene and (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene to histones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sculley, T.B.; Zytkovicz, T.H.

    1983-01-01

    AKR-2B mouse embryo cells were incubated for 24 hr with [3H]benzo(a)pyrene, and the histones were isolated and analyzed using one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The results revealed that (a) histones H1, H2A, and H3 incorporated significant amounts of label whereas little or no label was associated with histones H2B and H4 and (b) electrophoresis of the histones in the Triton: acid: urea gel system caused labeled histones to have a slower migration than did the corresponding unlabeled histones. Additional studies such as incubation of (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-[3H]dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene with nuclei resulted in radioactive labeling of histones H1, H2A, H2B, and H3 and of high-mobility-group proteins HMG1 and HMG2. The low levels of label associated with histone H4 in the whole-cell and nuclear studies were further investigated by incubating isolated histones with (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-[3H]dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene. Under these conditions, negligible amounts of radioactivity were associated with H4, while significant labeling of H1, H2A, H2B, and H3 and other nuclear proteins was observed. The results suggest that factors other than the presence of suitable nucleophilic acceptor sites on the histones may be necessary for carcinogen binding

  14. ATAD2 is an epigenetic reader of newly synthesized histone marks during DNA replication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Seong Joo; Fernández-Montalván, Amaury E; Badock, Volker; Ott, Christopher J; Holton, Simon J; von Ahsen, Oliver; Toedling, Joern; Vittori, Sarah; Bradner, James E; Gorjánácz, Mátyás

    2016-10-25

    ATAD2 (ATPase family AAA domain-containing protein 2) is a chromatin regulator harboring an AAA+ ATPase domain and a bromodomain, previously proposed to function as an oncogenic transcription co-factor. Here we suggest that ATAD2 is also required for DNA replication. ATAD2 is co-expressed with genes involved in DNA replication in various cancer types and predominantly expressed in S phase cells where it localized on nascent chromatin (replication sites). Our extensive biochemical and cellular analyses revealed that ATAD2 is recruited to replication sites through a direct interaction with di-acetylated histone H4 at K5 and K12, indicative of newly synthesized histones during replication-coupled chromatin reassembly. Similar to ATAD2-depletion, ectopic expression of ATAD2 mutants that are deficient in binding to these di-acetylation marks resulted in reduced DNA replication and impaired loading of PCNA onto chromatin, suggesting relevance of ATAD2 in DNA replication. Taken together, our data show a novel function of ATAD2 in cancer and for the first time identify a reader of newly synthesized histone di-acetylation-marks during replication.

  15. Total levels of hippocampal histone acetylation predict normal variability in mouse behavior.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Addie May I Nesbitt

    Full Text Available Genetic, pharmacological, and environmental interventions that alter total levels of histone acetylation in specific brain regions can modulate behaviors and treatment responses. Efforts have been made to identify specific genes that are affected by alterations in total histone acetylation and to propose that such gene specific modulation could explain the effects of total histone acetylation levels on behavior - the implication being that under naturalistic conditions variability in histone acetylation occurs primarily around the promoters of specific genes.Here we challenge this hypothesis by demonstrating with a novel flow cytometry based technique that normal variability in open field exploration, a hippocampus-related behavior, was associated with total levels of histone acetylation in the hippocampus but not in other brain regions.Results suggest that modulation of total levels of histone acetylation may play a role in regulating biological processes. We speculate in the discussion that endogenous regulation of total levels of histone acetylation may be a mechanism through which organisms regulate cellular plasticity. Flow cytometry provides a useful approach to measure total levels of histone acetylation at the single cell level. Relating such information to behavioral measures and treatment responses could inform drug delivery strategies to target histone deacetylase inhibitors and other chromatin modulators to places where they may be of benefit while avoiding areas where correction is not needed and could be harmful.

  16. Vorinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, facilitates fear extinction and enhances expression of the hippocampal NR2B-containing NMDA receptor gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujita, Yosuke; Morinobu, Shigeru; Takei, Shiro; Fuchikami, Manabu; Matsumoto, Tomoya; Yamamoto, Shigeto; Yamawaki, Shigeto

    2012-05-01

    Histone acetylation, which alters the compact chromatin structure and changes the accessibility of DNA to regulatory proteins, is emerging as a fundamental mechanism for regulating gene expression. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors increase histone acetylation and enhance fear extinction. In this study, we examined whether vorinostat, an HDAC inhibitor, facilitates fear extinction, using a contextual fear conditioning (FC) paradigm, in Sprague-Dawley rats. We found that vorinostat facilitated fear extinction. Next, the levels of global acetylated histone H3 and H4 were measured by Western blotting. We also assessed the effect of vorinostat on the hippocampal levels of NMDA receptor mRNA by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and protein by Western blotting. 2 h after vorinostat administration, the levels acetylated histones and NR2B mRNA, but not NR1 or NR2A mRNA, were elevated in the hippocampus. The NR2B protein level was elevated 4 h after vorinostat administration. Last, we investigated the levels of acetylated histones and phospho-CREB (p-CREB) binding at the promoter of the NR2B gene using the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay followed by RT-PCR. The ChIP assay revealed increases in the levels of acetylated histones and they were accompanied by enhanced binding of p-CREB to its binding site at the promoter of the NR2B gene 2 h after vorinostat administration. These findings suggest that vorinostat increases the expression of NR2B in the hippocampus by enhancing histone acetylation, and this process may be implicated in fear extinction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. More than just immune evasion: Hijacking complement by Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmidt, Christoph Q; Kennedy, Alexander T; Tham, Wai-Hong

    2015-09-01

    Malaria remains one of the world's deadliest diseases. Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the most severe and lethal form of human malaria. P. falciparum's life cycle involves two obligate hosts: human and mosquito. From initial entry into these hosts, malaria parasites face the onslaught of the first line of host defence, the complement system. In this review, we discuss the complex interaction between complement and malaria infection in terms of hosts immune responses, parasite survival and pathogenesis of severe forms of malaria. We will focus on the role of complement receptor 1 and its associated polymorphisms in malaria immune complex clearance, as a mediator of parasite rosetting and as an entry receptor for P. falciparum invasion. Complement evasion strategies of P. falciparum parasites will also be highlighted. The sexual forms of the malaria parasites recruit the soluble human complement regulator Factor H to evade complement-mediated killing within the mosquito host. A novel evasion strategy is the deployment of parasite organelles to divert complement attack from infective blood stage parasites. Finally we outline the future challenge to understand the implications of these exploitation mechanisms in the interplay between successful infection of the host and pathogenesis observed in severe malaria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. A comparison of the effect of lead nitrate on rat liver chromatin, DNA and histone proteins in solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rabbani-Chadegani, Azra; Abdosamadi, Sayeh; Fani, Nesa; Mohammadian, Shayesteh

    2009-06-01

    Although lead is widely recognized as a toxic substance in the environment and directly damage DNA, no studies are available on lead interaction with chromatin and histone proteins. In this work, we have examined the effect of lead nitrate on EDTA-soluble chromatin (SE chromatin), DNA and histones in solution using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, thermal denaturation and gel electrophoresis techniques. The results demonstrate that lead nitrate binds with higher affinity to chromatin than to DNA and produces an insoluble complex as monitored at 400 nm. Binding of lead to DNA decreases its Tm, increases its fluorescence intensity and exhibits hypochromicity at 210 nm which reveal that both DNA bases and the backbone participate in the lead-DNA interaction. Lead also binds strongly to histone proteins in the absence of DNA. The results suggest that although lead destabilizes DNA structure, in the chromatin, the binding of lead introduces some sort of compaction and aggregation, and the histone proteins play a key role in this aspect. This chromatin condensation, upon lead exposure, in turn may decrease fidelity of DNA, and inhibits DNA and RNA synthesis, the process that introduces lead toxicity at the chromatin level.

  19. Combinatorial gene regulation in Plasmodium falciparum.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noort, V. van; Huynen, M.A.

    2006-01-01

    The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has a complicated life cycle with large variations in its gene expression pattern, but it contains relatively few specific transcriptional regulators. To elucidate this paradox, we identified regulatory sequences, using an approach that integrates the

  20. Destabilization of the Outer and Inner Mitochondrial Membranes by Core and Linker Histones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cascone, Annunziata; Bruelle, Celine; Lindholm, Dan; Bernardi, Paolo; Eriksson, Ove

    2012-01-01

    Background Extensive DNA damage leads to apoptosis. Histones play a central role in DNA damage sensing and may mediate signals of genotoxic damage to cytosolic effectors including mitochondria. Methodology/Principal Findings We have investigated the effects of histones on mitochondrial function and membrane integrity. We demonstrate that both linker histone H1 and core histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 bind strongly to isolated mitochondria. All histones caused a rapid and massive release of the pro-apoptotic intermembrane space proteins cytochrome c and Smac/Diablo, indicating that they permeabilize the outer mitochondrial membrane. In addition, linker histone H1, but not core histones, permeabilized the inner membrane with a collapse of the membrane potential, release of pyridine nucleotides, and mitochondrial fragmentation. Conclusions We conclude that histones destabilize the mitochondrial membranes, a mechanism that may convey genotoxic signals to mitochondria and promote apoptosis following DNA damage. PMID:22523586

  1. Novel Plasmodium falciparum metabolic network reconstruction identifies shifts associated with clinical antimalarial resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Maureen A; Papin, Jason A; Guler, Jennifer L

    2017-07-19

    Malaria remains a major public health burden and resistance has emerged to every antimalarial on the market, including the frontline drug, artemisinin. Our limited understanding of Plasmodium biology hinders the elucidation of resistance mechanisms. In this regard, systems biology approaches can facilitate the integration of existing experimental knowledge and further understanding of these mechanisms. Here, we developed a novel genome-scale metabolic network reconstruction, iPfal17, of the asexual blood-stage P. falciparum parasite to expand our understanding of metabolic changes that support resistance. We identified 11 metabolic tasks to evaluate iPfal17 performance. Flux balance analysis and simulation of gene knockouts and enzyme inhibition predict candidate drug targets unique to resistant parasites. Moreover, integration of clinical parasite transcriptomes into the iPfal17 reconstruction reveals patterns associated with antimalarial resistance. These results predict that artemisinin sensitive and resistant parasites differentially utilize scavenging and biosynthetic pathways for multiple essential metabolites, including folate and polyamines. Our findings are consistent with experimental literature, while generating novel hypotheses about artemisinin resistance and parasite biology. We detect evidence that resistant parasites maintain greater metabolic flexibility, perhaps representing an incomplete transition to the metabolic state most appropriate for nutrient-rich blood. Using this systems biology approach, we identify metabolic shifts that arise with or in support of the resistant phenotype. This perspective allows us to more productively analyze and interpret clinical expression data for the identification of candidate drug targets for the treatment of resistant parasites.

  2. A positive feedback loop links opposing functions of P-TEFb/Cdk9 and histone H2B ubiquitylation to regulate transcript elongation in fission yeast.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miriam Sansó

    Full Text Available Transcript elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII is accompanied by conserved patterns of histone modification. Whereas histone modifications have established roles in transcription initiation, their functions during elongation are not understood. Mono-ubiquitylation of histone H2B (H2Bub1 plays a key role in coordinating co-transcriptional histone modification by promoting site-specific methylation of histone H3. H2Bub1 also regulates gene expression through an unidentified, methylation-independent mechanism. Here we reveal bidirectional communication between H2Bub1 and Cdk9, the ortholog of metazoan positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Chemical and classical genetic analyses indicate that lowering Cdk9 activity or preventing phosphorylation of its substrate, the transcription processivity factor Spt5, reduces H2Bub1 in vivo. Conversely, mutations in the H2Bub1 pathway impair Cdk9 recruitment to chromatin and decrease Spt5 phosphorylation. Moreover, an Spt5 phosphorylation-site mutation, combined with deletion of the histone H3 Lys4 methyltransferase Set1, phenocopies morphologic and growth defects due to H2Bub1 loss, suggesting independent, partially redundant roles for Cdk9 and Set1 downstream of H2Bub1. Surprisingly, mutation of the histone H2B ubiquitin-acceptor residue relaxes the Cdk9 activity requirement in vivo, and cdk9 mutations suppress cell-morphology defects in H2Bub1-deficient strains. Genome-wide analyses by chromatin immunoprecipitation also demonstrate opposing effects of Cdk9 and H2Bub1 on distribution of transcribing RNAPII. Therefore, whereas mutual dependence of H2Bub1 and Spt5 phosphorylation indicates positive feedback, mutual suppression by cdk9 and H2Bub1-pathway mutations suggests antagonistic functions that must be kept in balance to regulate elongation. Loss of H2Bub1 disrupts that balance and leads to deranged gene expression and aberrant cell

  3. A world malaria map: Plasmodium falciparum endemicity in 2007.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simon I Hay

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Efficient allocation of resources to intervene against malaria requires a detailed understanding of the contemporary spatial distribution of malaria risk. It is exactly 40 y since the last global map of malaria endemicity was published. This paper describes the generation of a new world map of Plasmodium falciparum malaria endemicity for the year 2007.A total of 8,938 P. falciparum parasite rate (PfPR surveys were identified using a variety of exhaustive search strategies. Of these, 7,953 passed strict data fidelity tests for inclusion into a global database of PfPR data, age-standardized to 2-10 y for endemicity mapping. A model-based geostatistical procedure was used to create a continuous surface of malaria endemicity within previously defined stable spatial limits of P. falciparum transmission. These procedures were implemented within a Bayesian statistical framework so that the uncertainty of these predictions could be evaluated robustly. The uncertainty was expressed as the probability of predicting correctly one of three endemicity classes; previously stratified to be an informative guide for malaria control. Population at risk estimates, adjusted for the transmission modifying effects of urbanization in Africa, were then derived with reference to human population surfaces in 2007. Of the 1.38 billion people at risk of stable P. falciparum malaria, 0.69 billion were found in Central and South East Asia (CSE Asia, 0.66 billion in Africa, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia (Africa+, and 0.04 billion in the Americas. All those exposed to stable risk in the Americas were in the lowest endemicity class (PfPR2-10 5 to or = 40% areas. High endemicity was widespread in the Africa+ region, where 0.35 billion people are at this level of risk. Most of the rest live at intermediate risk (0.20 billion, with a smaller number (0.11 billion at low stable risk.High levels of P. falciparum malaria endemicity are common in Africa. Uniformly low endemic levels are

  4. A world malaria map: Plasmodium falciparum endemicity in 2007.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hay, Simon I; Guerra, Carlos A; Gething, Peter W; Patil, Anand P; Tatem, Andrew J; Noor, Abdisalan M; Kabaria, Caroline W; Manh, Bui H; Elyazar, Iqbal R F; Brooker, Simon; Smith, David L; Moyeed, Rana A; Snow, Robert W

    2009-03-24

    Efficient allocation of resources to intervene against malaria requires a detailed understanding of the contemporary spatial distribution of malaria risk. It is exactly 40 y since the last global map of malaria endemicity was published. This paper describes the generation of a new world map of Plasmodium falciparum malaria endemicity for the year 2007. A total of 8,938 P. falciparum parasite rate (PfPR) surveys were identified using a variety of exhaustive search strategies. Of these, 7,953 passed strict data fidelity tests for inclusion into a global database of PfPR data, age-standardized to 2-10 y for endemicity mapping. A model-based geostatistical procedure was used to create a continuous surface of malaria endemicity within previously defined stable spatial limits of P. falciparum transmission. These procedures were implemented within a Bayesian statistical framework so that the uncertainty of these predictions could be evaluated robustly. The uncertainty was expressed as the probability of predicting correctly one of three endemicity classes; previously stratified to be an informative guide for malaria control. Population at risk estimates, adjusted for the transmission modifying effects of urbanization in Africa, were then derived with reference to human population surfaces in 2007. Of the 1.38 billion people at risk of stable P. falciparum malaria, 0.69 billion were found in Central and South East Asia (CSE Asia), 0.66 billion in Africa, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia (Africa+), and 0.04 billion in the Americas. All those exposed to stable risk in the Americas were in the lowest endemicity class (PfPR2-10 5 to or = 40%) areas. High endemicity was widespread in the Africa+ region, where 0.35 billion people are at this level of risk. Most of the rest live at intermediate risk (0.20 billion), with a smaller number (0.11 billion) at low stable risk. High levels of P. falciparum malaria endemicity are common in Africa. Uniformly low endemic levels are found in the

  5. Histone H3 Lysine Methylation in Cognition and Intellectual Disability Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkel, Sven; Lopez-Atalaya, Jose P.; Barco, Angel

    2013-01-01

    Recent research indicates that epigenetic mechanisms and, in particular, the post-translational modification (PTM) of histones may contribute to memory encoding and storage. Among the dozens of possible histone PTMs, the methylation/demethylation of lysines in the N-terminal tail of histone H3 exhibits particularly strong links with cognitive…

  6. Comparative genomic analysis of SET domain family reveals the origin, expansion, and putative function of the arthropod-specific SmydA genes as histone modifiers in insects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Feng; Liu, Qing; Wang, Yanli; Zhang, Jie; Wang, Huimin; Song, Tianqi; Yang, Meiling; Wang, Xianhui; Kang, Le

    2017-06-01

    The SET domain is an evolutionarily conserved motif present in histone lysine methyltransferases, which are important in the regulation of chromatin and gene expression in animals. In this study, we searched for SET domain-containing genes (SET genes) in all of the 147 arthropod genomes sequenced at the time of carrying out this experiment to understand the evolutionary history by which SET domains have evolved in insects. Phylogenetic and ancestral state reconstruction analysis revealed an arthropod-specific SET gene family, named SmydA, that is ancestral to arthropod animals and specifically diversified during insect evolution. Considering that pseudogenization is the most probable fate of the new emerging gene copies, we provided experimental and evolutionary evidence to demonstrate their essential functions. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis and in vitro methyltransferase activity assays showed that the SmydA-2 gene was transcriptionally active and retained the original histone methylation activity. Expression knockdown by RNA interference significantly increased mortality, implying that the SmydA genes may be essential for insect survival. We further showed predominantly strong purifying selection on the SmydA gene family and a potential association between the regulation of gene expression and insect phenotypic plasticity by transcriptome analysis. Overall, these data suggest that the SmydA gene family retains essential functions that may possibly define novel regulatory pathways in insects. This work provides insights into the roles of lineage-specific domain duplication in insect evolution. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  7. Histone deacetylases in memory and cognition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Penney, Jay; Tsai, Li-Huei

    2014-12-09

    Over the past 30 years, lysine acetylation of histone and nonhistone proteins has become established as a key modulator of gene expression regulating numerous aspects of cell biology. Neuronal growth and plasticity are no exception; roles for lysine acetylation and deacetylation in brain function and dysfunction continue to be uncovered. Transcriptional programs coupling synaptic activity to changes in gene expression are critical to the plasticity mechanisms underlying higher brain functions. These transcriptional programs can be modulated by changes in histone acetylation, and in many cases, transcription factors and histone-modifying enzymes are recruited together to plasticity-associated genes. Lysine acetylation, catalyzed by lysine acetyltransferases (KATs), generally promotes cognitive performance, whereas the opposing process, catalyzed by histone lysine deacetylases (HDACs), appears to negatively regulate cognition in multiple brain regions. Consistently, mutation or deregulation of different KATs or HDACs contributes to neurological dysfunction and neurodegeneration. HDAC inhibitors have shown promise as a treatment to combat the cognitive decline associated with aging and neurodegenerative disease, as well as to ameliorate the symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, among others. In this review, we discuss the evidence for the roles of HDACs in cognitive function as well as in neurological disorders and disease. In particular, we focus on HDAC2, which plays a central role in coupling lysine acetylation to synaptic plasticity and mediates many of the effects of HDAC inhibition in cognition and disease. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  8. The histone H5 variant in Xenopus laevis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moorman, A. F.; de Boer, P. A.; Linders, M. T.; Charles, R.

    1984-01-01

    The presumptive histone H5 of Xenopus laevis has been characterized by SDS and acid-urea-Triton polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and compared with chicken histone H5. Chicken H5 has a lower electrophoretic mobility compared to that of Xenopus H5 in both gel systems. It is shown, using a polyclonal

  9. Solar Simulated Ultraviolet Radiation Induces Global Histone Hypoacetylation in Human Keratinocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xiaoru; Kluz, Thomas; Gesumaria, Lisa; Matsui, Mary S; Costa, Max; Sun, Hong

    2016-01-01

    Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from sunlight is the primary effector of skin DNA damage. Chromatin remodeling and histone post-translational modification (PTM) are critical factors in repairing DNA damage and maintaining genomic integrity, however, the dynamic changes of histone marks in response to solar UVR are not well characterized. Here we report global changes in histone PTMs induced by solar simulated UVR (ssUVR). A decrease in lysine acetylation of histones H3 and H4, particularly at positions of H3 lysine 9, lysine 56, H4 lysine 5, and lysine 16, was found in human keratinocytes exposed to ssUVR. These acetylation changes were highly associated with ssUVR in a dose-dependent and time-specific manner. Interestingly, H4K16ac, a mark that is crucial for higher order chromatin structure, exhibited a persistent reduction by ssUVR that was transmitted through multiple cell divisions. In addition, the enzymatic activities of histone acetyltransferases were significantly reduced in irradiated cells, which may account for decreased global acetylation. Moreover, depletion of histone deacetylase SIRT1 in keratinocytes rescued ssUVR-induced H4K16 hypoacetylation. These results indicate that ssUVR affects both HDAC and HAT activities, leading to reduced histone acetylation.

  10. CSR-1 RNAi pathway positively regulates histone expression in C. elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avgousti, Daphne C; Palani, Santhosh; Sherman, Yekaterina; Grishok, Alla

    2012-10-03

    Endogenous small interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs) have been discovered in many organisms, including mammals. In C. elegans, depletion of germline-enriched endo-siRNAs found in complex with the CSR-1 Argonaute protein causes sterility and defects in chromosome segregation in early embryos. We discovered that knockdown of either csr-1, the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) ego-1, or the dicer-related helicase drh-3, leads to defects in histone mRNA processing, resulting in severe depletion of core histone proteins. The maturation of replication-dependent histone mRNAs, unlike that of other mRNAs, requires processing of their 3'UTRs through an endonucleolytic cleavage guided by the U7 snRNA, which is lacking in C. elegans. We found that CSR-1-bound antisense endo-siRNAs match histone mRNAs and mRNA precursors. Consistently, we demonstrate that CSR-1 directly binds to histone mRNA in an ego-1-dependent manner using biotinylated 2'-O-methyl RNA oligonucleotides. Moreover, we demonstrate that increasing the dosage of histone genes rescues the lethality associated with depletion of CSR-1 and EGO-1. These results support a positive and direct effect of RNAi on histone gene expression.

  11. Sero-epidemiological evaluation of changes in Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax transmission patterns over the rainy season in Cambodia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cook Jackie

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Cambodia, malaria transmission is low and most cases occur in forested areas. Sero-epidemiological techniques can be used to identify both areas of ongoing transmission and high-risk groups to be targeted by control interventions. This study utilizes repeated cross-sectional data to assess the risk of being malaria sero-positive at two consecutive time points during the rainy season and investigates who is most likely to sero-convert over the transmission season. Methods In 2005, two cross-sectional surveys, one in the middle and the other at the end of the malaria transmission season, were carried out in two ecologically distinct regions in Cambodia. Parasitological and serological data were collected in four districts. Antibodies to Plasmodium falciparum Glutamate Rich Protein (GLURP and Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein-119 (MSP-119 were detected using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA. The force of infection was estimated using a simple catalytic model fitted using maximum likelihood methods. Risks for sero-converting during the rainy season were analysed using the Classification and Regression Tree (CART method. Results A total of 804 individuals participating in both surveys were analysed. The overall parasite prevalence was low (4.6% and 2.0% for P. falciparum and 7.9% and 6.0% for P. vivax in August and November respectively. P. falciparum force of infection was higher in the eastern region and increased between August and November, whilst P. vivax force of infection was higher in the western region and remained similar in both surveys. In the western region, malaria transmission changed very little across the season (for both species. CART analysis for P. falciparum in the east highlighted age, ethnicity, village of residence and forest work as important predictors for malaria exposure during the rainy season. Adults were more likely to increase their antibody responses to P. falciparum during the

  12. Alanine metabolism in acute falciparum malaria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pukrittayakamee, S.; Krishna, S.; ter Kuile, F.; Wilaiwan, O.; Williamson, D. H.; White, N. J.

    2002-01-01

    We investigated the integrity of the gluconeogenic pathway in severe malaria using alanine metabolism as a measure. Alanine disposition and liver blood flow, assessed by indocyanine green (ICG) clearance, were measured simultaneously in 10 patients with falciparum malaria (six severe and four

  13. In vitro antiplasmodial effiacy of mangrove plant, Ipomoea pes-caprae against Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 strain

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    Veera Venkata Satish Pothula

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the antiplasmodial activity of mangrove plant, Ipomoea pes-caprae (I. pes-caprae (leaves, stems, flowers and roots against chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 strain (P. falciparum and cytotoxicity against brine shrimp larvae and THP-1 cell line. Methods: The plants (I. pes-caprae were collected from Machilipatnam mangrove forest (latitude 16°17′ N and longitude 81 °13′ E of Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Crude extracts from dried leaves, stems, flowers and roots of I. pes-caprae were prepared through Soxhlet extraction using methanol, chloroform, hexane, ethyl acetate and aqueous sequentially. These extracts were tested in vitro against P. falciparum (3D7 strain adopted in laboratory. The crude extracts were also tested for their cytotoxicity against brine shrimp larvae and THP-1 cell line. The phytochemical screenings were also conducted with standard methods. As the part of the study, the extracts were checked for any chemical injury to erythrocytes. Results: Out of these extracts, methanolic and aqueous extracts of all plant parts and chloroform extract of stems were active, and the ethyl acetate extracts were weekly active against P. falciparum. The extracts of chloroform (except stems and hexane were inactive. Amongst these extracts, the methanolic extract of root showed excellent antimalarial activity with the IC 50 value of 15.00 µg/mL. Cytotoxic evaluation revealed that methanolic, aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts were slightly cytotoxic whereas chloroform and hexane extracts were more toxic against brine shrimp. All extracts were non-toxic to THP-1 cells. The chemical injury to erythrocytes was also evaluated and it did not show any morphological changes in erythrocytes due to the effect of plant extracts of I. pes-caprae after 48 h of incubation. The phytochemical screening of the extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins

  14. Histone methylations in heart development, congenital and adult heart diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qing-Jun; Liu, Zhi-Ping

    2015-01-01

    Heart development comprises myocyte specification, differentiation and cardiac morphogenesis. These processes are regulated by a group of core cardiac transcription factors in a coordinated temporal and spatial manner. Histone methylation is an emerging epigenetic mechanism for regulating gene transcription. Interplay among cardiac transcription factors and histone lysine modifiers plays important role in heart development. Aberrant expression and mutation of the histone lysine modifiers during development and in adult life can cause either embryonic lethality or congenital heart diseases, and influences the response of adult hearts to pathological stresses. In this review, we describe current body of literature on the role of several common histone methylations and their modifying enzymes in heart development, congenital and adult heart diseases.

  15. Generation of antigenic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum by structured rearrangement of Var genes during mitosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Claessens, Antoine; Hamilton, William L; Kekre, Mihir; Otto, Thomas D; Faizullabhoy, Adnan; Rayner, Julian C; Kwiatkowski, Dominic

    2014-12-01

    The most polymorphic gene family in P. falciparum is the ∼60 var genes distributed across parasite chromosomes, both in the subtelomeres and in internal regions. They encode hypervariable surface proteins known as P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) that are critical for pathogenesis and immune evasion in Plasmodium falciparum. How var gene sequence diversity is generated is not currently completely understood. To address this, we constructed large clone trees and performed whole genome sequence analysis to study the generation of novel var gene sequences in asexually replicating parasites. While single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were scattered across the genome, structural variants (deletions, duplications, translocations) were focused in and around var genes, with considerable variation in frequency between strains. Analysis of more than 100 recombination events involving var exon 1 revealed that the average nucleotide sequence identity of two recombining exons was only 63% (range: 52.7-72.4%) yet the crossovers were error-free and occurred in such a way that the resulting sequence was in frame and domain architecture was preserved. Var exon 1, which encodes the immunologically exposed part of the protein, recombined in up to 0.2% of infected erythrocytes in vitro per life cycle. The high rate of var exon 1 recombination indicates that millions of new antigenic structures could potentially be generated each day in a single infected individual. We propose a model whereby var gene sequence polymorphism is mainly generated during the asexual part of the life cycle.

  16. High-resolution structure of the native histone octamer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wood, Christopher M.; Nicholson, James M.; Lambert, Stanley J.; Chantalat, Laurent; Reynolds, Colin D.; Baldwin, John P.

    2005-01-01

    The high-resolution (1.90 Å) model of the native histone octamer allows structural comparisons to be made with the nucleosome-core particle, along with an identification of a likely core-histone binding site. Crystals of native histone octamers (H2A–H2B)–(H4–H3)–(H3′–H4′)–(H2B′–H2A′) from chick erythrocytes in 2 M KCl, 1.35 M potassium phosphate pH 6.9 diffract X-rays to 1.90 Å resolution, yielding a structure with an R work value of 18.7% and an R free of 22.2%. The crystal space group is P6 5 , the asymmetric unit of which contains one complete octamer. This high-resolution model of the histone-core octamer allows further insight into intermolecular interactions, including water molecules, that dock the histone dimers to the tetramer in the nucleosome-core particle and have relevance to nucleosome remodelling. The three key areas analysed are the H2A′–H3–H4 molecular cluster (also H2A–H3′–H4′), the H4–H2B′ interaction (also H4′–H2B) and the H2A′–H4 β-sheet interaction (also H2A–H4′). The latter of these three regions is important to nucleosome remodelling by RNA polymerase II, as it is shown to be a likely core-histone binding site, and its disruption creates an instability in the nucleosome-core particle. A majority of the water molecules in the high-resolution octamer have positions that correlate to similar positions in the high-resolution nucleosome-core particle structure, suggesting that the high-resolution octamer model can be used for comparative studies with the high-resolution nucleosome-core particle

  17. Post-cardiac arrest level of free-plasma DNA and DNA-histone complexes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jeppesen, A N; Hvas, A-M; Grejs, A M

    2017-01-01

    Background Plasma DNA-histone complexes and total free-plasma DNA have the potential to quantify the ischaemia-reperfusion damages occurring after cardiac arrest. Furthermore, DNA-histone complexes may have the potential of being a target for future treatment. The aim was to examine if plasma DNA-histone...... after 22, 46 and 70 h. Samples for DNA-histone complexes were quantified by Cell Death Detection ELISAplus. The total free-plasma DNA analyses were quantified with qPCR by analysing the Beta-2 microglobulin gene. The control group comprised 40 healthy individuals. Results We found no difference...... in the level of DNA-histone complexes between the 22-h sample and healthy individuals (P = 0.10). In the 46-h sample, there was an increased level of DNA-histone complexes in non-survivors compared with survivors 30 days after the cardiac arrest (P

  18. Histone deacetylase inhibitors augment doxorubicin-induced DNA damage in cardiomyocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ververis, Katherine; Rodd, Annabelle L; Tang, Michelle M; El-Osta, Assam; Karagiannis, Tom C

    2011-12-01

    Histone deacetylase inhibitors have emerged as a new class of anticancer therapeutics with suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (Vorinostat) and depsipeptide (Romidepsin) already being approved for clinical use. Numerous studies have identified that histone deacetylase inhibitors will be most effective in the clinic when used in combination with conventional cancer therapies such as ionizing radiation and chemotherapeutic agents. One promising combination, particularly for hematologic malignancies, involves the use of histone deacetylase inhibitors with the anthracycline, doxorubicin. However, we previously identified that trichostatin A can potentiate doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy, the dose-limiting side-effect of the anthracycline, in cardiac myocytes. Here we have the extended the earlier studies and evaluated the effects of combinations of the histone deacetylase inhibitors, trichostatin A, valproic acid and sodium butyrate on doxorubicin-induced DNA double-strand breaks in cardiomyocytes. Using γH2AX as a molecular marker for the DNA lesions, we identified that all of the broad-spectrum histone deacetylase inhibitors tested augment doxorubicin-induced DNA damage. Furthermore, it is evident from the fluorescence photomicrographs of stained nuclei that the histone deacetylase inhibitors also augment doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy. These observations highlight the importance of investigating potential side-effects, in relevant model systems, which may be associated with emerging combination therapies for cancer.

  19. ABO Blood Groups Influence Macrophage-mediated Phagocytosis of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Branch, Donald R.; Hult, Annika K.; Olsson, Martin L.; Liles, W. Conrad; Cserti-Gazdewich, Christine M.; Kain, Kevin C.

    2012-01-01

    Erythrocyte polymorphisms associated with a survival advantage to Plasmodium falciparum infection have undergone positive selection. There is a predominance of blood group O in malaria-endemic regions, and several lines of evidence suggest that ABO blood groups may influence the outcome of P. falciparum infection. Based on the hypothesis that enhanced innate clearance of infected polymorphic erythrocytes is associated with protection from severe malaria, we investigated whether P. falciparum-infected O erythrocytes are more efficiently cleared by macrophages than infected A and B erythrocytes. We show that human macrophages in vitro and mouse monocytes in vivo phagocytose P. falciparum-infected O erythrocytes more avidly than infected A and B erythrocytes and that uptake is associated with increased hemichrome deposition and high molecular weight band 3 aggregates in infected O erythrocytes. Using infected A1, A2, and O erythrocytes, we demonstrate an inverse association of phagocytic capacity with the amount of A antigen on the surface of infected erythrocytes. Finally, we report that enzymatic conversion of B erythrocytes to type as O before infection significantly enhances their uptake by macrophages to observed level comparable to that with infected O wild-type erythrocytes. These data provide the first evidence that ABO blood group antigens influence macrophage clearance of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes and suggest an additional mechanism by which blood group O may confer resistance to severe malaria. PMID:23071435

  20. Sepsis and ARDS: The Dark Side of Histones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Zhiheng; Huang, Yongbo; Mao, Pu; Zhang, Jianrong; Li, Yimin

    2015-01-01

    Despite advances in management over the last several decades, sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) still remain major clinical challenges and the leading causes of death for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) due to insufficient understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of these diseases. However, recent studies have shown that histones, also known as chromatin-basic structure proteins, could be released into the extracellular space during severe stress and physical challenges to the body (e.g., sepsis and ARDS). Due to their cytotoxic and proinflammatory effects, extracellular histones can lead to excessive and overwhelming cell damage and death, thus contributing to the pathogenesis of both sepsis and ARDS. In addition, antihistone-based treatments (e.g., neutralizing antibodies, activated protein C, and heparin) have shown protective effects and have significantly improved the outcomes of mice suffering from sepsis and ARDS. Here, we review researches related to the pathological role of histone in context of sepsis and ARDS and evaluate the potential value of histones as biomarkers and therapeutic targets of these diseases. PMID:26609197

  1. Open and Closed: The Roles of Linker Histones in Plants and Animals

    OpenAIRE

    Over, Ryan S.; Michaels, Scott D.

    2014-01-01

    Linker histones play key roles alongside core histones in the regulation and maintenance of chromatin. Here, we illustrate our current understanding of the contributions of linker histones to the cell cycle, development, and chromatin structure in plants and animals.

  2. Dissociation of histone and DNA synthesis in x-irradiated HeLa cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bases, R.; Mendez, F.

    1971-01-01

    Although histone synthesis and DNA synthesis are normally very well coordinated in HeLa cells, their histone synthesis proved relatively resistant to inhibition by ionizing radiation. During the first 24 h after 1,000 R the rate of cellular DNA synthesis progressively fell to small fractions of control values while histone synthesis with much less relative reduction. Acrylamide gel electropherograms of the acid soluble nuclear histones synthesized by irradiated HeLa cells were qualitatively normal

  3. DNA and factor VII-activating protease protect against the cytotoxicity of histones

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Marsman, Gerben; von Richthofen, Helen; Bulder, Ingrid; Lupu, Florea; Hazelzet, Jan; Luken, Brenda M.; Zeerleder, Sacha

    2017-01-01

    Circulating histones have been implicated as major mediators of inflammatory disease because of their strong cytotoxic effects. Histones form the protein core of nucleosomes; however, it is unclear whether histones and nucleosomes are equally cytotoxic. Several plasma proteins that neutralize

  4. Post-Training Intrahippocampal Inhibition of Class I Histone Deacetylases Enhances Long-Term Object-Location Memory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawk, Joshua D.; Florian, Cedrick; Abel, Ted

    2011-01-01

    Long-term memory formation involves covalent modification of the histone proteins that package DNA. Reducing histone acetylation by mutating histone acetyltransferases impairs long-term memory, and enhancing histone acetylation by inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs) improves long-term memory. Previous studies using HDAC inhibitors to enhance…

  5. Drug resistance associated genetic polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax collected in Honduras, Central America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jovel, Irina T; Mejía, Rosa E; Banegas, Engels; Piedade, Rita; Alger, Jackeline; Fontecha, Gustavo; Ferreira, Pedro E; Veiga, Maria I; Enamorado, Irma G; Bjorkman, Anders; Ursing, Johan

    2011-12-19

    In Honduras, chloroquine and primaquine are recommended and still appear to be effective for treatment of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of resistance associated genetic polymorphisms in P. falciparum and P. vivax collected in Honduras. Blood samples were collected from patients seeking medical attention at the Hospital Escuela in Tegucigalpa from 2004 to 2006 as well as three regional hospitals, two health centres and one regional laboratory during 2009. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt), multidrug resistance 1 (pfmdr1), dihydrofolate reductase (pfdhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (pfdhps) genes and in P. vivax multidrug resistance 1 (pvmdr1) and dihydrofolate reductase (pvdhfr) genes were detected using PCR based methods. Thirty seven P. falciparum and 64 P. vivax samples were collected. All P. falciparum infections acquired in Honduras carried pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfdhps and pfdhfr alleles associated with chloroquine, amodiaquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine sensitivity only. One patient with parasites acquired on a Pacific Island had pfcrt 76 T and pfmdr1 86Y alleles. That patient and a patient infected in West Africa had pfdhfr 51I, 59 R and 108 N alleles. Pvmdr1 976 F was found in 7/37 and two copies of pvmdr1 were found in 1/37 samples. Pvdhfr 57 L + 58 R was observed in 2/57 samples. The results indicate that P. falciparum from Honduras remain sensitive to chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine. This suggests that chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine should be efficacious for treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, supporting current national treatment guidelines. However, genetic polymorphisms associated with chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine tolerance were detected in local P. vivax and imported P. falciparum infections. Continuous monitoring of the prevalence of drug resistant/tolerant P

  6. KdmB, a Jumonji Histone H3 Demethylase, Regulates Genome-Wide H3K4 Trimethylation and Is Required for Normal Induction of Secondary Metabolism in Aspergillus nidulans.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Gacek-Matthews

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Histone posttranslational modifications (HPTMs are involved in chromatin-based regulation of fungal secondary metabolite biosynthesis (SMB in which the corresponding genes-usually physically linked in co-regulated clusters-are silenced under optimal physiological conditions (nutrient-rich but are activated when nutrients are limiting. The exact molecular mechanisms by which HPTMs influence silencing and activation, however, are still to be better understood. Here we show by a combined approach of quantitative mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS, genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-seq and transcriptional network analysis (RNA-seq that the core regions of silent A. nidulans SM clusters generally carry low levels of all tested chromatin modifications and that heterochromatic marks flank most of these SM clusters. During secondary metabolism, histone marks typically associated with transcriptional activity such as H3 trimethylated at lysine-4 (H3K4me3 are established in some, but not all gene clusters even upon full activation. KdmB, a Jarid1-family histone H3 lysine demethylase predicted to comprise a BRIGHT domain, a zinc-finger and two PHD domains in addition to the catalytic Jumonji domain, targets and demethylates H3K4me3 in vivo and mediates transcriptional downregulation. Deletion of kdmB leads to increased transcription of about ~1750 genes across nutrient-rich (primary metabolism and nutrient-limiting (secondary metabolism conditions. Unexpectedly, an equally high number of genes exhibited reduced expression in the kdmB deletion strain and notably, this group was significantly enriched for genes with known or predicted functions in secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Taken together, this study extends our general knowledge about multi-domain KDM5 histone demethylases and provides new details on the chromatin-level regulation of fungal secondary metabolite production.

  7. Production of recombinant proteins from Plasmodium falciparum in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerra, Ángela Patricia; Calvo, Eliana Patricia; Wasserman, Moisés; Chaparro-Olaya, Jacqueline

    2016-02-23

    The production of recombinant proteins is essential for the characterization and functional study of proteins from Plasmodium falciparum. However, the proteins of P. falciparum are among the most challenging to express, and when expression is achieved, the recombinant proteins usually fold incorrectly and lead to the formation of inclusion bodies.  To obtain and purify four recombinant proteins and to use them as antigens to produce polyclonal antibodies. The production efficiency and solubility were evaluated as the proteins were expressed in two genetically modified strains of Escherichia coli to favor the production of heterologous proteins (BL21-CodonPlus (DE3)-RIL and BL21-pG-KJE8).  The four recombinant P. falciparum proteins corresponding to partial sequences of PfMyoA (Myosin A) and PfGAP50 (gliding associated protein 50), and the complete sequences of PfMTIP (myosin tail interacting protein) and PfGAP45 (gliding associated protein 45), were produced as glutathione S-transferase-fusion proteins, purified and used for immunizing mice.  The protein expression was much more efficient in BL21-CodonPlus, the strain that contains tRNAs that are rare in wild-type E. coli, compared to the expression in BL21-pG-KJE8. In spite of the fact that BL21-pG-KJE8 overexpresses chaperones, this strain did not minimize the formation of inclusion bodies.  The use of genetically modified strains of E. coli was essential to achieve high expression levels of the four evaluated P. falciparum proteins and lead to improved solubility of two of them. The approach used here allowed us to obtain and purify four P. falciparum proteins in enough quantity to produce polyclonal antibodies in mice, and a fair amount of two pure and soluble recombinant proteins for future assays.

  8. Characterization of human papillomavirus type 16 pseudovirus containing histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hyoung Jin; Kwag, Hye-Lim; Kim, Hong-Jin

    2016-08-27

    Pseudoviruses (PsVs) that encapsidate a reporter plasmid DNA have been used as surrogates for native human papillomavirus (HPV), whose continuous production is technically difficult. HPV PsVs have been designed to form capsids made up of the major capsid protein L1 and the minor capsid proteins L2. HPV PsVs have been produced in 293TT cells transfected with plasmid expressing L1 and L2 protein and plasmid containing the reporter gene. Several studies have suggested that naturally occurring HPV virions contain cellular histones, and histones have also been identified in mature HPV PsVs. However, the effect of the histones on the properties of the PsVs has not been investigated. Using heparin chromatography, we separated mature HPV type 16 PsVs into three fractions (I, II, and III) according to their heparin-binding affinities. The amounts of cellular histone and cellular nucleotides per PsV were found to increase in the order fraction I, II and III. It appeared that PsVs in fraction I contains just small amount of cellular histone in Western blot analysis. The proportions of the three fractions in PsV preparations were 83.4, 7.5, and 9.1 % for fraction I, II, and III PsVs, respectively. In the electron microscope PsVs in fraction I appeared to have a more condensed structure than those in fractions II and III. Under the electron microscope fraction II and III PsVs appeared to be covered by substantial amounts of cellular histone while there was no visible histone covering PsVs of fraction I. Also the levels of reporter gene expression in infections of fraction II and III PsVs to 293TT cells were significantly lower than those in infections of fraction I PsV, and fraction II and III particles had significantly reduced immunogenicity. Our findings suggest that the involvement of large amounts of cellular histones during PsV formation interferes with the structural integrity of the PsVs and affects their immunogenicity. The fraction I particle therefore has the most

  9. Protease-associated cellular networks in malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lilburn Timothy G

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Malaria continues to be one of the most severe global infectious diseases, responsible for 1-2 million deaths yearly. The rapid evolution and spread of drug resistance in parasites has led to an urgent need for the development of novel antimalarial targets. Proteases are a group of enzymes that play essential roles in parasite growth and invasion. The possibility of designing specific inhibitors for proteases makes them promising drug targets. Previously, combining a comparative genomics approach and a machine learning approach, we identified the complement of proteases (degradome in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and its sibling species 123, providing a catalog of targets for functional characterization and rational inhibitor design. Network analysis represents another route to revealing the role of proteins in the biology of parasites and we use this approach here to expand our understanding of the systems involving the proteases of P. falciparum. Results We investigated the roles of proteases in the parasite life cycle by constructing a network using protein-protein association data from the STRING database 4, and analyzing these data, in conjunction with the data from protein-protein interaction assays using the yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H system 5, blood stage microarray experiments 678, proteomics 9101112, literature text mining, and sequence homology analysis. Seventy-seven (77 out of 124 predicted proteases were associated with at least one other protein, constituting 2,431 protein-protein interactions (PPIs. These proteases appear to play diverse roles in metabolism, cell cycle regulation, invasion and infection. Their degrees of connectivity (i.e., connections to other proteins, range from one to 143. The largest protease-associated sub-network is the ubiquitin-proteasome system which is crucial for protein recycling and stress response. Proteases are also implicated in heat shock response, signal peptide

  10. P. falciparum infection and maternofetal antibody transfer in malaria-endemic settings of varying transmission.

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    Alistair R D McLean

    Full Text Available During pregnancy, immunoglobulin G (IgG is transferred from the mother to the fetus, providing protection from disease in early infancy. Plasmodium falciparum infections may reduce maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency, but mechanisms remain unclear.Mother-cord paired serum samples collected at delivery from Papua New Guinea (PNG and the Thailand-Myanmar Border Area (TMBA were tested for IgG1 and IgG3 to four P. falciparum antigens and measles antigen, as well as total serum IgG. Multivariable linear regression was conducted to assess the association of peripheral P. falciparum infection during pregnancy or placental P. falciparum infection assessed at delivery with maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency. Path analysis assessed the extent to which associations between P. falciparum infection and antibody transfer were mediated by gestational age at delivery or levels of maternal total serum IgG.Maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency of IgG1 and IgG3 was lower in PNG compared to TMBA (mean difference in cord antibody levels (controlling for maternal antibody levels ranged from -0.88 to 0.09, median of -0.20 log2 units. Placental P. falciparum infections were associated with substantially lower maternofetal antibody transfer efficiency in PNG primigravid women (mean difference in cord antibody levels (controlling for maternal antibody levels ranged from -0.62 to -0.10, median of -0.36 log2 units, but not multigravid women. The lower antibody transfer efficiency amongst primigravid women with placental infection was only partially mediated by gestational age at delivery (proportion indirect effect ranged from 0% to 18%, whereas no mediation effects of maternal total serum IgG were observed.Primigravid women may be at risk of impaired maternofetal antibody transport with placental P. falciparum infection. Direct effects of P. falciparum on the placenta, rather than earlier gestational age and elevated serum IgG, are likely responsible for

  11. The Severity of Plasmodium falciparum infection is associated with transcript levels of var genes encoding endothelial protein C receptor-binding P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mkumbaye, Sixbert I; Wang, Christian W; Lyimo, Eric

    2017-01-01

    By attaching infected erythrocytes to the vascular lining, Plasmodium falciparum parasites leave blood circulation and avoid splenic clearance. This sequestration is central to pathogenesis. Severe malaria is associated with parasites expressing an antigenically distinct P. falciparum erythrocyte...

  12. Characterization of an eukaryotic peptide deformylase from Plasmodium falciparum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bracchi-Ricard, V; Nguyen, K T; Zhou, Y; Rajagopalan, P T; Chakrabarti, D; Pei, D

    2001-12-15

    Ribosomal protein synthesis in eubacteria and eukaryotic organelles initiates with an N-formylmethionyl-tRNA(i), resulting in N-terminal formylation of all nascent polypeptides. Peptide deformylase (PDF) catalyzes the subsequent removal of the N-terminal formyl group from the majority of bacterial proteins. Until recently, PDF has been thought as an enzyme unique to the bacterial kingdom. Searches of the genomic DNA databases identified several genes that encode proteins of high sequence homology to bacterial PDF from eukaryotic organisms. The cDNA encoding Plasmodium falciparum PDF (PfPDF) has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein is catalytically active in deformylating N-formylated peptides, shares many of the properties of bacterial PDF, and is inhibited by specific PDF inhibitors. Western blot analysis indicated expression of mature PfPDF in trophozoite, schizont, and segmenter stages of intraerythrocytic development. These results provide strong evidence that a functional PDF is present in P. falciparum. In addition, PDF inhibitors inhibited the growth of P. falciparum in the intraerythrocytic culture. (c)2001 Elsevier Science.

  13. Basal aurora kinase B activity is sufficient for histone H3 phosphorylation in prophase

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    Ly-Thuy-Tram Le

    2013-02-01

    Histone H3 phosphorylation is the hallmark of mitosis deposited by aurora kinase B. Benzo[e]pyridoindoles are a family of potent, broad, ATP-competitive aurora kinase inhibitors. However, benzo[e]pyridoindole C4 only inhibits histone H3 phosphorylation in prophase but not in metaphase. Under the C4 treatment, the cells enter into mitosis with dephosphorylated histone H3, assemble chromosomes normally and progress to metaphase, and then to anaphase. C4 also induces lagging chromosome in anaphase but we demonstrated that these chromosome compaction defects are not related to the absence of H3 phosphorylation in prophase. As a result of C4 action, mitosis lasts longer and the cell cycle is slowed down. We reproduced the mitotic defects with reduced concentrations of potent pan aurora kinase as well as with a specific aurora B ATP-competitive inhibitor; we therefore propose that histone H3 phosphorylation and anaphase chromosome compaction involve the basal activity of aurora kinase B. Our data suggest that aurora kinase B is progressively activated at mitosis entry and at anaphase onset. The full activation of aurora kinase B by its partners, in prometaphase, induces a shift in the catalytic domain of aurora B that modifies its affinity for ATP. These waves of activation/deactivation of aurora B correspond to different conformations of the chromosomal complex revealed by FRAP. The presence of lagging chromosomes may have deleterious consequences on the daughter cells and, unfortunately, the situation may be encountered in patients receiving treatment with aurora kinase inhibitors.

  14. Detection of very low level Plasmodium falciparum infections using the nested polymerase chain reaction and a reassessment of the epidemiology of unstable malaria in Sudan

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roper, C; Elhassan, I M; Hviid, L

    1996-01-01

    We have used the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assay for low level Plasmodium falciparum infections that were below the threshold of detection of blood film examination. This revealed a substantial group of asymptomatic, submicroscopically patent infections within the population...... of a Sudanese village present throughout the year although clinical malaria episodes were almost entirely confined to the transmission season. In our September, January, April, and June surveys, the PCR-detected prevalences were 13%, 19%, 24%, and 19%, respectively. These figures reveal a much higher prevalence...... of dry season infection than previous microscopic surveys have indicated. Furthermore, 20% of a cohort of 79 individuals were healthy throughout the September to November transmission season but were PCR-positive for P. falciparum in a least one of a series of samples taken in the ensuing months. Levels...

  15. The histone demethylase Jhdm1a regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis.

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    Dongning Pan

    Full Text Available Hepatic gluconeogenesis is required for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis; yet, in diabetes mellitus, this process is unrestrained and is a major contributor to fasting hyperglycemia. To date, the impacts of chromatin modifying enzymes and chromatin landscape on gluconeogenesis are poorly understood. Through catalyzing the removal of methyl groups from specific lysine residues in the histone tail, histone demethylases modulate chromatin structure and, hence, gene expression. Here we perform an RNA interference screen against the known histone demethylases and identify a histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36 demethylase, Jhdm1a, as a key negative regulator of gluconeogenic gene expression. In vivo, silencing of Jhdm1a promotes liver glucose synthesis, while its exogenous expression reduces blood glucose level. Importantly, the regulation of gluconeogenesis by Jhdm1a requires its demethylation activity. Mechanistically, we find that Jhdm1a regulates the expression of a major gluconeogenic regulator, C/EBPα. This is achieved, at least in part, by its USF1-dependent association with the C/EBPα promoter and its subsequent demethylation of dimethylated H3K36 on the C/EBPα locus. Our work provides compelling evidence that links histone demethylation to transcriptional regulation of gluconeogenesis and has important implications for the treatment of diabetes.

  16. The Histone Demethylase Jhdm1a Regulates Hepatic Gluconeogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zou, Tie; Yao, Annie Y.; Cooper, Marcus P.; Boyartchuk, Victor; Wang, Yong-Xu

    2012-01-01

    Hepatic gluconeogenesis is required for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis; yet, in diabetes mellitus, this process is unrestrained and is a major contributor to fasting hyperglycemia. To date, the impacts of chromatin modifying enzymes and chromatin landscape on gluconeogenesis are poorly understood. Through catalyzing the removal of methyl groups from specific lysine residues in the histone tail, histone demethylases modulate chromatin structure and, hence, gene expression. Here we perform an RNA interference screen against the known histone demethylases and identify a histone H3 lysine 36 (H3K36) demethylase, Jhdm1a, as a key negative regulator of gluconeogenic gene expression. In vivo, silencing of Jhdm1a promotes liver glucose synthesis, while its exogenous expression reduces blood glucose level. Importantly, the regulation of gluconeogenesis by Jhdm1a requires its demethylation activity. Mechanistically, we find that Jhdm1a regulates the expression of a major gluconeogenic regulator, C/EBPα. This is achieved, at least in part, by its USF1-dependent association with the C/EBPα promoter and its subsequent demethylation of dimethylated H3K36 on the C/EBPα locus. Our work provides compelling evidence that links histone demethylation to transcriptional regulation of gluconeogenesis and has important implications for the treatment of diabetes. PMID:22719268

  17. Fine-scale genetic characterization of Plasmodium falciparum ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    RESEARCH ARTICLE. Fine-scale genetic characterization of Plasmodium falciparum .... Materials and methods. The DNA ... the order and location of genes (as per the PlasmoDB data resources, available at ... There is currently an. Figure 5.

  18. Histones trigger sterile inflammation by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allam, Ramanjaneyulu; Darisipudi, Murthy Narayana; Tschopp, Jurg; Anders, Hans-Joachim

    2013-12-01

    Sterile cell death mediated inflammation is linked to several pathological disorders and involves danger recognition of intracellular molecules released by necrotic cells that activate different groups of innate pattern recognition receptors. Toll-like receptors directly interact with their extrinsic or intrinsic agonists and induce multiple proinflammatory mediators. In contrast, the NLRP3 inflammasome is rather thought to represent a downstream element integrating various indirect stimuli into proteolytic cleavage of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Here, we report that histones released from necrotic cells induce IL-1β secretion in an NLRP3-ASC-caspase-1-dependent manner. Genetic deletion of NLRP3 in mice significantly attenuated histone-induced IL-1β production and neutrophil recruitment. Furthermore, necrotic cells induced neutrophil recruitment, which was significantly reduced by histone-neutralizing antibodies or depleting extracellular histones via enzymatic degradation. These results identify cytosolic uptake of necrotic cell-derived histones as a triggering mechanism of sterile inflammation, which involves NLRP3 inflammasome activation and IL-1β secretion via oxidative stress. © 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. The Role of Dietary Histone Deacetylases (HDACs Inhibitors in Health and Disease

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    Shalome A. Bassett

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Modification of the histone proteins associated with DNA is an important process in the epigenetic regulation of DNA structure and function. There are several known modifications to histones, including methylation, acetylation, and phosphorylation, and a range of factors influence each of these. Histone deacetylases (HDACs remove the acetyl group from lysine residues within a range of proteins, including transcription factors and histones. Whilst this means that their influence on cellular processes is more complex and far-reaching than histone modifications alone, their predominant function appears to relate to histones; through deacetylation of lysine residues they can influence expression of genes encoded by DNA linked to the histone molecule. HDAC inhibitors in turn regulate the activity of HDACs, and have been widely used as therapeutics in psychiatry and neurology, in which a number of adverse outcomes are associated with aberrant HDAC function. More recently, dietary HDAC inhibitors have been shown to have a regulatory effect similar to that of pharmacological HDAC inhibitors without the possible side-effects. Here, we discuss a number of dietary HDAC inhibitors, and how they may have therapeutic potential in the context of a whole food.

  20. Molecular cloning and construction of the coding region for human acetylcholinesterase reveals a G + C-rich attenuating structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soreq, H.; Ben-Aziz, R.; Prody, C.A.; Seidman, S.; Gnatt, A.; Neville, L.; Lieman-Hurwitz, J.; Lev-Lehman, E.; Ginzberg, D.; Lapidot-Lifson, Y.; Zakut, H.

    1990-01-01

    To study the primary structure of human acetylcholinesterase and its gene expression and amplification, cDNA libraries from human tissues expressing oocyte-translatable AcChoEase mRNA were constructed and screened with labeled oligodeoxynucleotide probes. Several cDNA clones were isolated that encoded a polypeptide with ≥50% identically aligned amino acids to Torpedo AcChoEase and human butyrylcholinesterase. However, these cDNA clones were all truncated within a 300-nucleotide-long G + C-rich region with a predicted pattern of secondary structure having a high Gibbs free energy downstream from the expected 5' end of the coding region. Screening of a genomic DNA library revealed the missing 5' domain. When ligated to the cDNA and constructed into a transcription vector, this sequence encoded a synthetic mRNA translated in microinjected oocytes into catalytically active AcChoEase with marked preference for acetylthiocholine over butyrylthiocholine as a substrate, susceptibility to inhibition by the AcChoEase inhibitor BW284C51, and resistance to the AcChoEase inhibitor tetraisopropylpyrophosphoramide. Blot hybridization of genomic DNA from different individuals carrying amplified AcChoEase genes revealed variable intensities and restriction patterns with probes from the regions upstream and downstream from the predicted G + C-rich structure. Thus, the human AcChoEase gene includes a putative G + C-rich attenuator domain and is subject to structural alterations in cases of AcChoEase gene amplification

  1. Intracellular distribution of histone mRNAs in human fibroblasts studied by in situ hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, J.B.; Singer, R.H.; Villnave, C.A.; Stein, J.L.; Stein, G.S.

    1988-01-01

    We have used in situ hybridization to study the intracellular distribution of mRNAs for cell cycle-dependent core and H1 histone proteins in human WI-38 fibroblasts. Because histones are abundant nuclear proteins and histone mRNA expression is tightly coupled to DNA synthesis, it was of interest to determine whether histone mRNAs are localized near the nucleus. Cells were hybridized with tritiated DNA probes specific for either histone H1, histone H4, actin, or poly(A)+ mRNA and were processed for autoradiography. In exponentially growing cultures, the fraction of histone mRNA-positive cells correlated well with the fraction of cells in S phase and was eliminated by hydroxyurea inhibition of DNA synthesis. Within individual cells the label for histone mRNA was widely distributed throughout the cytoplasm and did not appear to be more heavily concentrated near the nucleus. However, histone mRNA appeared to exhibit patchy, nonhomogeneous localization, and a quantitative evaluation confirmed that grain distributions were not as uniform as they were after hybridizations to poly(A)+ mRNA. Actin mRNA in WI-38 cells was also widely distributed throughout the cytoplasm but differed from histone mRNA in that label for actin mRNA was frequently most dense at the outermost region of narrow cell extensions. The localization of actin mRNA was less pronounced but qualitatively very similar to that previously described for chicken embryonic myoblasts and fibroblasts. We conclude that localization of histones in WI-38 cells is not facilitated by localization of histone protein synthesis near the nucleus and that there are subtle but discrete and potentially functional differences in the distributions of histone, actin, and poly(A)+ mRNAs

  2. Chemical mechanisms of histone lysine and arginine modifications

    OpenAIRE

    Smith, Brian C.; Denu, John M.

    2008-01-01

    Histone lysine and arginine residues are subject to a wide array of post-translational modifications including methylation, citrullination, acetylation, ubiquitination, and sumoylation. The combinatorial action of these modifications regulates critical DNA processes including replication, repair, and transcription. In addition, enzymes that modify histone lysine and arginine residues have been correlated with a variety of human diseases including arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, an...

  3. histoneHMM: Differential analysis of histone modifications with broad genomic footprints

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Heinig, M.; Colomé-Tatché, M.; Taudt, A.; Rintisch, C.; Schafer, S.; Pravenec, Michal; Hubner, N.; Vingron, M.; Johannes, F.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 16, Feb 22 (2015), s. 60 ISSN 1471-2105 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E10067; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-04420S Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : ChIP - seq * histone modifications * Hidden Markov model * computational biology * differential analysis Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.435, year: 2015

  4. UV laser-induced histone-DNA crosslinking proceeds via the N-terminal tails

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefanovski, V.; Dimitrov, S.; Angelov, D.; Keskinova, E.; Pashev, I.

    1990-01-01

    The covalent crosslinking of histones to DNA by UV laser irradiation is accomplished solely via the N-terminal part of the molecule. Irradiated isolated calfthymus nuclei are treated with clostripain. The crosslinked protein-DNA complexes are isolated and the presence of each core histone analyzed by dot-immunoassay using antibodies, specific to the central globular domain of the respective histone. The reaction is negative for all core histones i.e. the globular domain is absent. It means that this domain has not been crosslinked to DNA and, once cleaved by clostripain, it has been stripped from DNA during the centrigugation in CsCl. This peculiar property of the crosslinked procedure makes it particularly useful in addressing some yet unanswered questions concerning histone-DNA interactions, such as the interaction of the N-terminal tails with linker DNA, the effect of the transient postsynthetic histone acetylation on its interaction with DNA, etc. These questions are now under study. 1 fig., 6 refs

  5. Large-scale survey for novel genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistance gene pfcrt

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    Takahashi Nobuyuki

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Plasmodium falciparum, resistance to chloroquine (CQ is conferred by a K to T mutation at amino acid position 76 (K76T in the P. falciparum CQ transporter (PfCRT. To date, at least 15 pfcrt genotypes, which are represented by combinations of five amino acids at positions 72-76, have been described in field isolates from various endemic regions. To identify novel mutant pfcrt genotypes and to reveal the genetic relatedness of pfcrt genotypes, a large-scale survey over a wide geographic area was performed. Methods Sequences for exon 2 in pfcrt, including known polymorphic sites at amino acid positions 72, 74, 75 and 76, were obtained from 256 P. falciparum isolates collected from eight endemic countries in Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., the Philippines and Thailand, Melanesia (Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu and Africa (Ghana. A haplotype network was constructed based on six microsatellite markers located -29 kb to 24 kb from pfcrt in order to examine the genetic relatedness among mutant pfcrt genotypes. Results In addition to wild type (CVMNK at positions 72-76, four mutant pfcrt were identified; CVIET, CVIDT, SVMNT and CVMNT (mutated amino acids underlined. Haplotype network revealed that there were only three mutant pfcrt lineages, originating in Indochina, Philippines and Melanesia. Importantly, the Indochina lineage contained two mutant pfcrt genotypes, CVIET (n = 95 and CVIDT (n = 14, indicating that CVIDT shares a common origin with CVIET. Similarly, one major haplotype in the Melanesian lineage contained two pfcrt genotypes; SVMNT (n = 71 and CVMNT (n = 3. In Africa, all mutant pfcrt genotypes were the CVIET of the Indochina lineage, probably resulting from the intercontinental migration of CQ resistance from Southeast Asia. Conclusions The number of CQ-mutant lineages observed in this study was identical to that found in previous studies. This supports the hypothesis that the emergence of novel CQ resistance

  6. New clinical developments in histone deacetylase inhibitors for epigenetic therapy of cancer

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    Ma Yuehua

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract DNA methylation and histone acetylation are two well known epigenetic chromatin modifications. Epigenetic agents leading to DNA hypomethylation and histone hyperacetylation have been approved for treatment of hematological disorders. The first histone deacetylase inhibitor, vorinostat, has been licensed for cutaneous T cell lymphoma treatment. More than 11 new epigenetic agents are in various stages of clinical development for therapy of multiple cancer types. In this review we summarize novel histone deacetylase inhibitors and new regimens from clinical trials for epigenetic therapy of cancer.

  7. Extracellular histones play an inflammatory role in acid aspiration-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yanlin; Wen, Zongmei; Guan, Li; Jiang, Ping; Gu, Tao; Zhao, Jinyuan; Lv, Xin; Wen, Tao

    2015-01-01

    Systemic inflammation is a key feature in acid aspiration-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but the factors that trigger inflammation are unclear. The authors hypothesize that extracellular histones, a newly identified inflammatory mediator, play important roles in the pathogenesis of ARDS. The authors used a hydrochloric acid aspiration-induced ARDS model to investigate whether extracellular histones are pathogenic and whether targeting histones are protective. Exogenous histones and antihistone antibody were administered to mice. Heparin can bind to histones, so the authors studied whether heparin could protect from ARDS using cell and mouse models. Furthermore, the authors analyzed whether extracellular histones are clinically involved in ARDS patients caused by gastric aspiration. Extracellular histones in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of acid-treated mice were significantly higher (1.832 ± 0.698) at 3 h after injury than in sham-treated group (0.63 ± 0.153; P = 0.0252, n = 5 per group). Elevated histones may originate from damaged lung cells and neutrophil infiltration. Exogenous histones aggravated lung injury, whereas antihistone antibody markedly attenuated the intensity of ARDS. Notably, heparin provided a similar protective effect against ARDS. Analysis of plasma from ARDS patients (n = 21) showed elevated histones were significantly correlated with the degree of ARDS and were higher in nonsurvivors (2.723 ± 0.2933, n = 7) than in survivors (1.725 ± 0.1787, P = 0.006, n = 14). Extracellular histones may play a contributory role toward ARDS by promoting tissue damage and systemic inflammation and may become a novel marker reflecting disease activity. Targeting histones by neutralizing antibody or heparin shows potent protective effects, suggesting a potentially therapeutic strategy.

  8. Histones Differentially Modulate the Anticoagulant and Profibrinolytic Activities of Heparin, Heparin Derivatives, and Dabigatran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ammollo, Concetta Tiziana; Semeraro, Nicola; Carratù, Maria Rosaria; Colucci, Mario; Semeraro, Fabrizio

    2016-02-01

    The antithrombin activity of unfractionated heparin (UFH) is offset by extracellular histones, which, along with DNA, represent a novel mediator of thrombosis and a structural component of thrombi. Here, we systematically evaluated the effect of histones, DNA, and histone-DNA complexes on the anticoagulant and profibrinolytic activities of UFH, its derivatives enoxaparin and fondaparinux, and the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran. Thrombin generation was assessed by calibrated automated thrombinography, inhibition of factor Xa and thrombin by synthetic substrates, tissue plasminogen activator-mediated clot lysis by turbidimetry, and thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) activation by a functional assay. Histones alone delayed coagulation and slightly stimulated fibrinolysis. The anticoagulant activity of UFH and enoxaparin was markedly inhibited by histones, whereas that of fondaparinux was enhanced. Histones neutralized both the anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities of UFH and preferentially blocked the anti-IIa activity of enoxaparin. The anti-Xa activity of fondaparinux was not influenced by histones when analyzed by chromogenic substrates, but was potentiated in a plasma prothrombinase assay. Histones inhibited the profibrinolytic activity of UFH and enoxaparin and enhanced that of fondaparinux by acting on the modulation of TAFI activation by anticoagulants. Histone H1 was mainly responsible for these effects. Histone-DNA complexes, as well as intact neutrophil extracellular traps, impaired the activities of UFH, enoxaparin, and fondaparinux. Dabigatran was not noticeably affected by histones and/or DNA, whatever the assay performed. In conclusion, histones and DNA present in the forming clot may variably influence the antithrombotic activities of anticoagulants, suggesting a potential therapeutic advantage of dabigatran and fondaparinux over heparins. Copyright © 2016 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  9. Dibenzylideneacetone analogues as novel Plasmodium falciparum inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aher, Rahul Balasaheb; Wanare, Gajanan; Kawathekar, Neha; Kumar, Ravi Ranjan; Kaushik, Naveen Kumar; Sahal, Dinkar; Chauhan, Virander Singh

    2011-05-15

    A series of dibenzylideneacetones (A1-A12) and some of their pyrazolines (B1-B4) were synthesized and evaluated in vitro for blood stage antiplasmodial properties in Plasmodium falciparum culture using SYBR-green-I fluorescence assay. The compound (1E, 4E)-1,5-bis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one (A9) was found to be the most active with IC(50) of 1.97 μM against chloroquine-sensitive strain (3D7) and 1.69 μM against chloroquine-resistant field isolate (RKL9). The MTT based cytotoxicity assay on HeLa cell line has confirmed that A9 is selective in its action against malaria parasite (with a therapeutic index of 166). Our results revealed that these compounds exhibited promising antiplasmodial activities which can be further explored as potential leads for the development of cheaper, safe, effective and potent drugs against chloroquine-resistant malarial parasites. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Preferential Phosphorylation on Old Histones during Early Mitosis in Human Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shu; Yuan, Zuo-Fei; Han, Yumiao; Marchione, Dylan M; Garcia, Benjamin A

    2016-07-15

    How histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are inherited through the cell cycle remains poorly understood. Canonical histones are made in the S phase of the cell cycle. Combining mass spectrometry-based technologies and stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture, we question the distribution of multiple histone PTMs on old versus new histones in synchronized human cells. We show that histone PTMs can be grouped into three categories according to their distributions. Most lysine mono-methylation and acetylation PTMs are either symmetrically distributed on old and new histones or are enriched on new histones. In contrast, most di- and tri-methylation PTMs are enriched on old histones, suggesting that the inheritance of different PTMs is regulated distinctly. Intriguingly, old and new histones are distinct in their phosphorylation status during early mitosis in the following three human cell types: HeLa, 293T, and human foreskin fibroblast cells. The mitotic hallmark H3S10ph is predominantly associated with old H3 at early mitosis and becomes symmetric with the progression of mitosis. This same distribution was observed with other mitotic phosphorylation marks, including H3T3/T6ph, H3.1/2S28ph, and H1.4S26ph but not S28/S31ph on the H3 variant H3.3. Although H3S10ph often associates with the neighboring Lys-9 di- or tri-methylations, they are not required for the asymmetric distribution of Ser-10 phosphorylation on the same H3 tail. Inhibition of the kinase Aurora B does not change the distribution despite significant reduction of H3S10ph levels. However, K9me2 abundance on the new H3 is significantly reduced after Aurora B inhibition, suggesting a cross-talk between H3S10ph and H3K9me2. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  11. Preferential Phosphorylation on Old Histones during Early Mitosis in Human Cells*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Shu; Yuan, Zuo-Fei; Han, Yumiao; Marchione, Dylan M.; Garcia, Benjamin A.

    2016-01-01

    How histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are inherited through the cell cycle remains poorly understood. Canonical histones are made in the S phase of the cell cycle. Combining mass spectrometry-based technologies and stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture, we question the distribution of multiple histone PTMs on old versus new histones in synchronized human cells. We show that histone PTMs can be grouped into three categories according to their distributions. Most lysine mono-methylation and acetylation PTMs are either symmetrically distributed on old and new histones or are enriched on new histones. In contrast, most di- and tri-methylation PTMs are enriched on old histones, suggesting that the inheritance of different PTMs is regulated distinctly. Intriguingly, old and new histones are distinct in their phosphorylation status during early mitosis in the following three human cell types: HeLa, 293T, and human foreskin fibroblast cells. The mitotic hallmark H3S10ph is predominantly associated with old H3 at early mitosis and becomes symmetric with the progression of mitosis. This same distribution was observed with other mitotic phosphorylation marks, including H3T3/T6ph, H3.1/2S28ph, and H1.4S26ph but not S28/S31ph on the H3 variant H3.3. Although H3S10ph often associates with the neighboring Lys-9 di- or tri-methylations, they are not required for the asymmetric distribution of Ser-10 phosphorylation on the same H3 tail. Inhibition of the kinase Aurora B does not change the distribution despite significant reduction of H3S10ph levels. However, K9me2 abundance on the new H3 is significantly reduced after Aurora B inhibition, suggesting a cross-talk between H3S10ph and H3K9me2. PMID:27226594

  12. Distribution pattern of histone H3 phosphorylation at serine 10 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2013-08-06

    Aug 6, 2013 ... tant consequences for chromatin packing due to change in histone load ... Minas Gerais, Brazil), in B. brizantha (cultivar Marandu, ... (2005), who state that the ..... Mitotic microtubule development and histone H3 phosphoryla-.

  13. Investigation of the reactions of histone protein hydroperoxides and their role in DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luxford, C.; Dean, R.T.; Davies, M.J.

    1998-01-01

    Free radical attack on DNA results in base changes, cross-linking and strand cleavage leading to mutations if unrepaired. Histone proteins are intimately involved in DNA packaging and are excellent candidates for investigating DNA damage arising from protein-OOH-derived radicals. This study aimed (i) to investigate the formation of hydroperoxide on the linker histone H1 via radical reactions in the presence of O 2 ; (ii) to examine the radicals formed from transition metal ion-catalyzed breakdown of histone H1-OOH and (iii) to determine whether histone H1-OOH-derived radicals can damage DNA and free bases. (i) Histone H1 solutions were γ-irradiated ( 60 Co source) in the presence of O 2 and histone H1-OOH concentrations determined using a manual iodometric assay. Formation ( histone H1-OOH was dose-dependent and, in the absence of light or transition metal ions these hydroperoxides were found to be very stable (half life of 24 hours at 4degC ). (ii) Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and spin trapping was used t investigate the Cu + -catalyzed breakdown of histone H1-OOH to form histone H1 protein side chain and -backbone carbon-centred radicals. Further EPR/spin trapping experiments showed that histone H1-OOH-derived radicals can oxidise pyrimidine bases (eg. uridine with the resultant trapping of three radical species; two pyrimidine radicals, C5-yl and Ct yl adducts (via addition of histone H1-OOH-derived radicals to the C5-C6 double bond o the pyrimidine ring) and an acyl radical adduct, whose origin is currently unknown. (iii) Damage to DNA and 2'-deoxyguanosine after reaction of histone H1-OOH-derive radicals were detected and quantified using HPLC (with EC and UV detection). We have identified 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) as a significant product ( histone H1-OOH-derived oxidative DNA modification. Increasing histone H1-OOH concentrations resulted in a concomitant increase in the amount of 8-oxodG formed. Our studies show

  14. FACT prevents the accumulation of free histones evicted from transcribed chromatin and a subsequent cell cycle delay in G1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Macarena Morillo-Huesca

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The FACT complex participates in chromatin assembly and disassembly during transcription elongation. The yeast mutants affected in the SPT16 gene, which encodes one of the FACT subunits, alter the expression of G1 cyclins and exhibit defects in the G1/S transition. Here we show that the dysfunction of chromatin reassembly factors, like FACT or Spt6, down-regulates the expression of the gene encoding the cyclin that modulates the G1 length (CLN3 in START by specifically triggering the repression of its promoter. The G1 delay undergone by spt16 mutants is not mediated by the DNA-damage checkpoint, although the mutation of RAD53, which is otherwise involved in histone degradation, enhances the cell-cycle defects of spt16-197. We reveal how FACT dysfunction triggers an accumulation of free histones evicted from transcribed chromatin. This accumulation is enhanced in a rad53 background and leads to a delay in G1. Consistently, we show that the overexpression of histones in wild-type cells down-regulates CLN3 in START and causes a delay in G1. Our work shows that chromatin reassembly factors are essential players in controlling the free histones potentially released from transcribed chromatin and describes a new cell cycle phenomenon that allows cells to respond to excess histones before starting DNA replication.

  15. Extensive and systematic rewiring of histone post-translational modifications in cancer model systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noberini, Roberta; Osti, Daniela; Miccolo, Claudia; Richichi, Cristina; Lupia, Michela; Corleone, Giacomo; Hong, Sung-Pil; Colombo, Piergiuseppe; Pollo, Bianca; Fornasari, Lorenzo; Pruneri, Giancarlo; Magnani, Luca; Cavallaro, Ugo; Chiocca, Susanna; Minucci, Saverio; Pelicci, Giuliana; Bonaldi, Tiziana

    2018-05-04

    Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) generate a complex combinatorial code that regulates gene expression and nuclear functions, and whose deregulation has been documented in different types of cancers. Therefore, the availability of relevant culture models that can be manipulated and that retain the epigenetic features of the tissue of origin is absolutely crucial for studying the epigenetic mechanisms underlying cancer and testing epigenetic drugs. In this study, we took advantage of quantitative mass spectrometry to comprehensively profile histone PTMs in patient tumor tissues, primary cultures and cell lines from three representative tumor models, breast cancer, glioblastoma and ovarian cancer, revealing an extensive and systematic rewiring of histone marks in cell culture conditions, which includes a decrease of H3K27me2/me3, H3K79me1/me2 and H3K9ac/K14ac, and an increase of H3K36me1/me2. While some changes occur in short-term primary cultures, most of them are instead time-dependent and appear only in long-term cultures. Remarkably, such changes mostly revert in cell line- and primary cell-derived in vivo xenograft models. Taken together, these results support the use of xenografts as the most representative models of in vivo epigenetic processes, suggesting caution when using cultured cells, in particular cell lines and long-term primary cultures, for epigenetic investigations.

  16. Thermodynamics of ligand binding to histone deacetylase like amidohydrolase from Bordetella/Alcaligenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyners, Christian; Baud, Matthias G J; Fuchter, Matthew J; Meyer-Almes, Franz-Josef

    2014-03-01

    Thermodynamic studies on ligand-protein binding have become increasingly important in the process of drug design. In combination with structural data and molecular dynamics simulations, thermodynamic studies provide relevant information about the mode of interaction between compounds and their target proteins and therefore build a sound basis for further drug optimization. Using the example of histone deacetylases (HDACs), particularly the histone deacetylase like amidohydrolase (HDAH) from Bordetella/Alcaligenes, a novel sensitive competitive fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based binding assay was developed and the thermodynamics of interaction of both fluorescent ligands and inhibitors to histone deacetylase like amidohydrolase were investigated. The assay consumes only small amounts of valuable target proteins and is suitable for fast kinetic and mechanistic studies as well as high throughput screening applications. Binding affinity increased with increasing length of aliphatic spacers (n = 4-7) between the hydroxamate moiety and the dansyl head group of ligand probes. Van't Hoff plots revealed an optimum in enthalpy contribution to the free energy of binding for the dansyl-ligand with hexyl spacer. The selectivity in the series of dansyl-ligands against human class I HDAC1 but not class II HDACs 4 and 6 increased with the ratio of ΔH(0)/ΔG(0). The data clearly emphasize the importance of thermodynamic signatures as useful general guidance for the optimization of ligands or rational drug design. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Confirmation of emergence of mutations associated with atovaquone-proguanil resistance in unexposed Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyle Dennis E

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In vitro and in vivo resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to atovaquone or atovaquone-proguanil hydrochloride combination has been associated to two point mutations in the parasite cytochrome b (cytb gene (Tyr268Ser and Tyr268Asn. However, little is known about the prevalence of codon-268 mutations in natural populations of P. falciparum without previous exposure to the drug in Africa. Methods The prevalence of codon-268 mutations in the cytb gene of African P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria, Malawi and Senegal, where atovaquone-proguanil has not been introduced for treatment of malaria was assessed. Genotyping of the cytb gene in isolates of P. falciparum was performed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and confirmed by sequencing. Results 295 samples from Nigeria (111, Malawi (91 and Senegal (93 were successfully analyzed for detection of either mutant Tyr268Ser or Tyr268Asn. No case of Ser268 or Asn268 was detected in cytb gene of parasites from Malawi or Senegal. However, Asn268 was detected in five out of 111 (4.5% unexposed P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria. In addition, one out of these five mutant Asn268 isolates showed an additional cytb mutation leading to a Pro266Thr substitution inside the ubiquinone reduction site. Conclusion No Tyr268Ser mutation is found in cytb of P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria, Malawi or Senegal. This study reports for the first time cytb Tyr268Asn mutation in unexposed P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria. The emergence in Africa of P. falciparum isolates with cytb Tyr268Asn mutation is a matter of serious concern. Continuous monitoring of atovaquone-proguanil resistant P. falciparum in Africa is warranted for the rational use of this new antimalarial drug, especially in non-immune travelers.

  18. Confirmation of emergence of mutations associated with atovaquone-proguanil resistance in unexposed Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Happi, Christian T; Gbotosho, Grace O; Folarin, Onikepe A; Milner, Danny; Sarr, Ousmane; Sowunmi, Akintunde; Kyle, Dennis E; Milhous, Wilbur K; Wirth, Dyann F; Oduola, Ayoade M J

    2006-10-04

    In vitro and in vivo resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to atovaquone or atovaquone-proguanil hydrochloride combination has been associated to two point mutations in the parasite cytochrome b (cytb) gene (Tyr268Ser and Tyr268Asn). However, little is known about the prevalence of codon-268 mutations in natural populations of P. falciparum without previous exposure to the drug in Africa. The prevalence of codon-268 mutations in the cytb gene of African P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria, Malawi and Senegal, where atovaquone-proguanil has not been introduced for treatment of malaria was assessed. Genotyping of the cytb gene in isolates of P. falciparum was performed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism and confirmed by sequencing. 295 samples from Nigeria (111), Malawi (91) and Senegal (93) were successfully analyzed for detection of either mutant Tyr268Ser or Tyr268Asn. No case of Ser268 or Asn268 was detected in cytb gene of parasites from Malawi or Senegal. However, Asn268 was detected in five out of 111 (4.5%) unexposed P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria. In addition, one out of these five mutant Asn268 isolates showed an additional cytb mutation leading to a Pro266Thr substitution inside the ubiquinone reduction site. No Tyr268Ser mutation is found in cytb of P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria, Malawi or Senegal. This study reports for the first time cytb Tyr268Asn mutation in unexposed P. falciparum isolates from Nigeria. The emergence in Africa of P. falciparum isolates with cytb Tyr268Asn mutation is a matter of serious concern. Continuous monitoring of atovaquone-proguanil resistant P. falciparum in Africa is warranted for the rational use of this new antimalarial drug, especially in non-immune travelers.

  19. Radicals derived from histone hydroperoxides damage nucleobases in RNA and DNA

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Luxford, C; Dean, R T; Davies, Michael Jonathan

    2000-01-01

    Exposure of individual histone proteins (H1, H2A, H2B, H3, or H4) and histone octamers (consisting of two molecules each of H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) to hydroxyl radicals, generated by gamma-irradiation, in the presence of O(2) generates protein-bound hydroperoxides in a dose-dependent fashion......; this is in accord with previous studies with other proteins. These histone hydroperoxides are stable in the absence of exogenous catalysts (e.g., heat, light, and transition metal ions), but in the presence of these agents decompose rapidly to give a variety of radicals which have been identified by EPR spin...... trapping. Histone hydroperoxide-derived radicals generated on decomposition of the hydroperoxides with Cu(+) react with both pyrimidine and purine nucleobases. Thus, with uridine the histone hydroperoxide-derived radicals undergo addition across the C(5)-C(6) double bond of the pyrimidine ring to give...

  20. Distinct chromatin environment associated with phosphorylated H3S10 histone during pollen mitosis I in orchids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Santosh Kumar; Yamamoto, Maki; Mukai, Yasuhiko

    2017-01-01

    Pollen developmental pathway in plants involving synchronized transferal of cellular divisions from meiosis (microsporogenesis) to mitosis (pollen mitosis I/II) eventually offers a unique "meiosis-mitosis shift" at pollen mitosis I. Since the cell type (haploid microspore) and fate of pollen mitosis I differ from typical mitosis (in meristem cells), it is immensely important to analyze the chromosomal distribution of phosphorylated H3S10 histone during atypical pollen mitosis I to comprehend the role of histone phosphorylation in pollen development. We investigated the chromosomal phosphorylation of H3S10 histone during pollen mitosis I in orchids using immunostaining technique. The chromosomal distribution of H3S10ph during pollen mitosis I revealed differential pattern than that of typical mitosis in plants, however, eventually following the similar trends of mitosis in animals where H3S10 phosphorylation begins in the pericentromeric regions first, later extending to the whole chromosomes, and finally declining at anaphase/early cytokinesis (differentiation of vegetative and generative cells). The study suggests that the chromosomal distribution of H3S10ph during cell division is not universal and can be altered between different cell types encoded for diverse cellular processes. During pollen development, phosphorylation of histone might play a critical role in chromosome condensation events throughout pollen mitosis I in plants.

  1. Growth-Phase-Specific Modulation of Cell Morphology and Gene Expression by an Archaeal Histone Protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dulmage, Keely A; Todor, Horia; Schmid, Amy K

    2015-09-08

    In all three domains of life, organisms use nonspecific DNA-binding proteins to compact and organize the genome as well as to regulate transcription on a global scale. Histone is the primary eukaryotic nucleoprotein, and its evolutionary roots can be traced to the archaea. However, not all archaea use this protein as the primary DNA-packaging component, raising questions regarding the role of histones in archaeal chromatin function. Here, quantitative phenotyping, transcriptomic, and proteomic assays were performed on deletion and overexpression mutants of the sole histone protein of the hypersaline-adapted haloarchaeal model organism Halobacterium salinarum. This protein is highly conserved among all sequenced haloarchaeal species and maintains hallmark residues required for eukaryotic histone functions. Surprisingly, despite this conservation at the sequence level, unlike in other archaea or eukaryotes, H. salinarum histone is required to regulate cell shape but is not necessary for survival. Genome-wide expression changes in histone deletion strains were global, significant but subtle in terms of fold change, bidirectional, and growth phase dependent. Mass spectrometric proteomic identification of proteins from chromatin enrichments yielded levels of histone and putative nucleoid-associated proteins similar to those of transcription factors, consistent with an open and transcriptionally active genome. Taken together, these data suggest that histone in H. salinarum plays a minor role in DNA compaction but important roles in growth-phase-dependent gene expression and regulation of cell shape. Histone function in haloarchaea more closely resembles a regulator of gene expression than a chromatin-organizing protein like canonical eukaryotic histone. Histones comprise the major protein component of eukaryotic chromatin and are required for both genome packaging and global regulation of expression. The current paradigm maintains that archaea whose genes encode

  2. Plasmodium falciparum ookinete expression of plasmepsin VII and plasmepsin X.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Fengwu; Bounkeua, Viengngeun; Pettersen, Kenneth; Vinetz, Joseph M

    2016-02-24

    Plasmodium invasion of the mosquito midgut is a population bottleneck in the parasite lifecycle. Interference with molecular mechanisms by which the ookinete invades the mosquito midgut is one potential approach to developing malaria transmission-blocking strategies. Plasmodium aspartic proteases are one such class of potential targets: plasmepsin IV (known to be present in the asexual stage food vacuole) was previously shown to be involved in Plasmodium gallinaceum infection of the mosquito midgut, and plasmepsins VII and plasmepsin X (not known to be present in the asexual stage food vacuole) are upregulated in Plasmodium falciparum mosquito stages. These (and other) parasite-derived enzymes that play essential roles during ookinete midgut invasion are prime candidates for transmission-blocking vaccines. Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) was used to determine timing of P. falciparum plasmepsin VII (PfPM VII) and plasmepsin X (PfPM X) mRNA transcripts in parasite mosquito midgut stages. Protein expression was confirmed by western immunoblot and immunofluorescence assays (IFA) using anti-peptide monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against immunogenic regions of PfPM VII and PfPM X. These antibodies were also used in standard membrane feeding assays (SMFA) to determine whether inhibition of these proteases would affect parasite transmission to mosquitoes. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse mosquito transmission assay results. RT-PCR, western immunoblot and immunofluorescence assay confirmed expression of PfPM VII and PfPM X in mosquito stages. Whereas PfPM VII was expressed in zygotes and ookinetes, PfPM X was expressed in gametes, zygotes, and ookinetes. Antibodies against PfPM VII and PfPM X decreased P. falciparum invasion of the mosquito midgut when used at high concentrations, indicating that these proteases play a role in Plasmodium mosquito midgut invasion. Failure to generate genetic knockouts of these genes limited determination of the precise role of

  3. Structural and Histone Binding Ability Characterizations of Human PWWP Domains

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Hong; Zeng, Hong; Lam, Robert; Tempel, Wolfram; Amaya, Maria F.; Xu, Chao; Dombrovski, Ludmila; Qiu, Wei; Wang, Yanming; Min, Jinrong (Toronto); (Penn)

    2013-09-25

    The PWWP domain was first identified as a structural motif of 100-130 amino acids in the WHSC1 protein and predicted to be a protein-protein interaction domain. It belongs to the Tudor domain 'Royal Family', which consists of Tudor, chromodomain, MBT and PWWP domains. While Tudor, chromodomain and MBT domains have long been known to bind methylated histones, PWWP was shown to exhibit histone binding ability only until recently. The PWWP domain has been shown to be a DNA binding domain, but sequence analysis and previous structural studies show that the PWWP domain exhibits significant similarity to other 'Royal Family' members, implying that the PWWP domain has the potential to bind histones. In order to further explore the function of the PWWP domain, we used the protein family approach to determine the crystal structures of the PWWP domains from seven different human proteins. Our fluorescence polarization binding studies show that PWWP domains have weak histone binding ability, which is also confirmed by our NMR titration experiments. Furthermore, we determined the crystal structures of the BRPF1 PWWP domain in complex with H3K36me3, and HDGF2 PWWP domain in complex with H3K79me3 and H4K20me3. PWWP proteins constitute a new family of methyl lysine histone binders. The PWWP domain consists of three motifs: a canonical {beta}-barrel core, an insertion motif between the second and third {beta}-strands and a C-terminal {alpha}-helix bundle. Both the canonical {beta}-barrel core and the insertion motif are directly involved in histone binding. The PWWP domain has been previously shown to be a DNA binding domain. Therefore, the PWWP domain exhibits dual functions: binding both DNA and methyllysine histones.

  4. Genetic diversity of the Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen I gene in parasite population from the China-Myanmar border area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Xiaotong; Zhao, Zhenjun; Feng, Yonghui; Li, Peipei; Liu, Fei; Liu, Jun; Yang, Zhaoqing; Yan, Guiyun; Fan, Qi; Cao, Yaming; Cui, Liwang

    2016-04-01

    To investigate the genetic diversity of the Plasmodium falciparum apical membrane antigen 1 (PfAMA1) gene in Southeast Asia, we determined PfAMA1 sequences from 135 field isolates collected from the China-Myanmar border area and compared them with 956 publically available PfAMA1 sequences from seven global P. falciparum populations. This analysis revealed high genetic diversity of PfAMA1 in global P. falciparum populations with a total of 229 haplotypes identified. The genetic diversity of PfAMA1 gene from the China-Myanmar border is not evenly distributed in the different domains of this gene. Sequence diversity in PfAMA1 from the China-Myanmar border is lower than that observed in Thai, African and Oceanian populations, but higher than that in the South American population. This appeared to correlate well with the levels of endemicity of different malaria-endemic regions, where hyperendemic regions favor genetic cross of the parasite isolates and generation of higher genetic diversity. Neutrality tests show significant departure from neutrality in the entire ectodomain and Domain I of PfAMA1 in the China-Myanmar border parasite population. We found evidence supporting a substantial continent-wise genetic structure among P. falciparum populations, with the highest genetic differentiation detected between the China-Myanmar border and the South American populations. Whereas no alleles were unique to a specific region, there were considerable geographical differences in major alleles and their frequencies, highlighting further necessity to include more PfAMA1 alleles in vaccine designs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Complete Plasmodium falciparum liver-stage development in liver-chimeric mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, Ashley M.; Mikolajczak, Sebastian A.; Wilson, Elizabeth M.; Grompe, Markus; Kaushansky, Alexis; Camargo, Nelly; Bial, John; Ploss, Alexander; Kappe, Stefan H.I.

    2012-01-01

    Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the most lethal form of human malaria, replicates in the host liver during the initial stage of infection. However, in vivo malaria liver-stage (LS) studies in humans are virtually impossible, and in vitro models of LS development do not reconstitute relevant parasite growth conditions. To overcome these obstacles, we have adopted a robust mouse model for the study of P. falciparum LS in vivo: the immunocompromised and fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase–deficient mouse (Fah–/–, Rag2–/–, Il2rg–/–, termed the FRG mouse) engrafted with human hepatocytes (FRG huHep). FRG huHep mice supported vigorous, quantifiable P. falciparum LS development that culminated in complete maturation of LS at approximately 7 days after infection, providing a relevant model for LS development in humans. The infections allowed observations of previously unknown expression of proteins in LS, including P. falciparum translocon of exported proteins 150 (PTEX150) and exported protein-2 (EXP-2), components of a known parasite protein export machinery. LS schizonts exhibited exoerythrocytic merozoite formation and merosome release. Furthermore, FRG mice backcrossed to the NOD background and repopulated with huHeps and human red blood cells supported reproducible transition from LS infection to blood-stage infection. Thus, these mice constitute reliable models to study human LS directly in vivo and demonstrate utility for studies of LS–to–blood-stage transition of a human malaria parasite. PMID:22996664

  6. Heterologous Protection against Malaria after Immunization with Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Remko Schats

    Full Text Available Sterile protection in >90% of volunteers against homologous Plasmodium falciparum infection has been achieved only using the controlled human malaria infection (CHMI model. This efficient model involves whole parasite immunizations under chloroquine prophylaxis (CPS-immunization, requiring only 30-45 mosquitoes bites infected with P. falciparum-sporozoites. Given the large diversity of P. falciparum parasites, it is essential to assess protection against heterologous parasite strains.In an open-label follow-up study, 16 volunteers previously CPS-immunized and challenged with P. falciparum NF54 (West-Africa in a dose de-escalation and challenge trial were re-challenged with clone NF135.C10 (Cambodia at 14 months after the last immunization (NCT01660854.Two out of thirteen NF54 protected volunteers previously fully protected against NF54 were also fully protected against NF135.C10, while 11/13 showed a delayed patency (median prepatent period of 10.5 days (range 9.0-15.5 versus 8.5 days in 5 malaria-naïve controls (p = 0.0005. Analysis of patency by qPCR indicated a 91 to >99% estimated reduction of liver parasite load in 7/11 partially protected subjects. Three volunteers previously not protected against NF54, were also not protected against NF135.C10.This study shows that CPS-immunization can induce heterologous protection for a period of more than one year, which is a further impetus for clinical development of whole parasite vaccines.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01660854.

  7. Interaction of Plasmodium falciparum knob-associated histidine-rich protein (KAHRP) with erythrocyte ankyrin R is required for its attachment to the erythrocyte membrane.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weng, Haibo; Guo, Xinhua; Papoin, Julien; Wang, Jie; Coppel, Ross; Mohandas, Narla; An, Xiuli

    2014-01-01

    The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum exports a large number of proteins into the erythrocyte cytoplasm during the asexual intraerythrocytic stage of its life cycle. A subset of these proteins interacts with erythrocyte membrane skeletal proteins and grossly alters the structure and function of the membrane. Several of the exported proteins, such as PfEMP1, PfEMP3, RESA and KAHRP, interact with the preponderant erythrocyte skeleton protein, spectrin. Here we have searched for possible interaction of these four malaria proteins with another major erythrocyte skeleton protein, ankyrin R. We have shown that KAHRP, but none of the other three, binds to ankyrin R. We have mapped the binding site for ankyrin R to a 79-residue segment of the KAHRP sequence, and the reciprocal binding site for KAHRP in ankyrin R to a subdomain (D3) of the 89kDa ankyrin R membrane-binding domain. Interaction of intact ankyrin R with KAHRP was inhibited by the free D3 subdomain. When, moreover, red cells loaded with the soluble D3 subdomain were infected with P. falciparum, KAHRP secreted by the intraerythrocytic parasite no longer migrated to the host cell membrane, but remained diffusely distributed throughout the cytosol. Our findings suggest a potentially important role for interaction of KAHRP with red cell membrane skeleton in promoting the adhesion of malaria-infected red cells to endothelial surfaces, a central element in the pathophysiology of malaria. © 2013.

  8. Generation of antigenic diversity in Plasmodium falciparum by structured rearrangement of Var genes during mitosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoine Claessens

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The most polymorphic gene family in P. falciparum is the ∼60 var genes distributed across parasite chromosomes, both in the subtelomeres and in internal regions. They encode hypervariable surface proteins known as P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1 that are critical for pathogenesis and immune evasion in Plasmodium falciparum. How var gene sequence diversity is generated is not currently completely understood. To address this, we constructed large clone trees and performed whole genome sequence analysis to study the generation of novel var gene sequences in asexually replicating parasites. While single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs were scattered across the genome, structural variants (deletions, duplications, translocations were focused in and around var genes, with considerable variation in frequency between strains. Analysis of more than 100 recombination events involving var exon 1 revealed that the average nucleotide sequence identity of two recombining exons was only 63% (range: 52.7-72.4% yet the crossovers were error-free and occurred in such a way that the resulting sequence was in frame and domain architecture was preserved. Var exon 1, which encodes the immunologically exposed part of the protein, recombined in up to 0.2% of infected erythrocytes in vitro per life cycle. The high rate of var exon 1 recombination indicates that millions of new antigenic structures could potentially be generated each day in a single infected individual. We propose a model whereby var gene sequence polymorphism is mainly generated during the asexual part of the life cycle.

  9. Humoral immune response to Plasmodium falciparum vaccine candidate GMZ2 and its components in populations naturally exposed to seasonal malaria in Ethiopia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mamo, Hassen; Esen, Meral; Ajua, Anthony

    2013-01-01

    for malaria infection microscopically and by the rapid diagnostic test (RDT). Sera were tested by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for total immunoglobulin (Ig) G against P. falciparum blood-stage vaccine candidate GMZ2 and its subunits (Glutamate-rich protein (GLURP-R0), merozoite surface...... transmission in the two localities and/or genetic differences between the two populations in their response to the antigens. In both study sites, IgG subclass levels to GLURP-R0 were significantly higher than that to MSP3 for all corresponding subclasses in most individuals, indicating the higher relative...

  10. The histone genes in HeLa cells are on individual transcriptional units

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hackett, P.B.; Traub, P.; Gallwitz, D.

    1978-01-01

    The distances of the five major histone genes from their promotors have been investigated in order to determine whether in human cells these genes could be transcribed as a single polycistronic transcriptional unit. By measuring the decreases of both histone protein and histone mRNA synthesis as functions of the ultraviolet light dosage, it was possible to calculate the distances of the histone genes from their promotors. The inactivation kinetics for histone genes H1 and H3 are first-order, indicating a single type of transcriptional unit for each gene. The dose-response kinetics for genes H2A, H2B and H4 are first-order with two distinct rates; 10 to 15% of the genes for each of these histones appear to be much more sensitive to ultraviolet light inactivation than are the majority. It is concluded that the transcriptional units for 85 to 90% of the genes for H2A, H2B and H4 are similar. As determined by the inhibition of protein synthesis, the inactivation coefficients for the major component of each histone are: H1, 907 mm 2 /erg; H2A, 878 mm 2 /erg; H2B, 871 mm 2 /erg; H3, 965 mm 2 /erg; and H4, 792 mm 2 /erg. The sensitivities of histone mRNA synthesis to irradiation were measured by translation in vitro with similar results. The calculated target sizes for the genes (in base-pairs) are: H1, 1190; H2A, 1240; H2B, 1250; H3, 1130; and H4, 1380. This similarity in target sizes for all five of the histones genes indicates that they are primarily transcribed from individual transcriptional units. (author)

  11. Glucose homeostasis in children with falciparum malaria: precursor supply limits gluconeogenesis and glucose production

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dekker, E.; Hellerstein, M. K.; Romijn, J. A.; Neese, R. A.; Peshu, N.; Endert, E.; Marsh, K.; Sauerwein, H. P.

    1997-01-01

    To evaluate glucose kinetics in children with falciparum malaria, basal glucose production and gluconeogenesis and an estimate of the flux of the gluconeogenic precursors were measured in Kenyan children with uncomplicated falciparum malaria before (n = 11) and during infusion of alanine (1.5

  12. [PHI regulates histone methylation and acetylation in Burkitt lymphoma Daudi cell line].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Ling-Ling; Ma, Xu-Dong; Huang, Yi-Qun

    2011-02-01

    This study was purposed to investigate the effects of phenylhexyl isothiocyanate (PHI) on Burkitt lymphoma Daudi cell line and regulation of histone acetylation and methylation in Daudi cells, and to explore the potential mechanism. The apoptotic rate of Daudi cells treated with PHI was measured by flow cytometry, the changes of histone H3 and H4 acetylation, histone H3K9 and H3K4 methylation in Daudi cells treated with PHI were detected by Western blot. The results showed that PHI could induce apoptosis of Daudi cells, increased the acetylation level of H3 and H4, enhanced the methylation of H3K4, but reduced the methylation of H3K9. It is concluded that the PHI can up-regulate the acetylation level of histone H3 associated with transcription stimulation and the methylation of histone H3K4, down-regulate the methylation on histone H3K9 associated with transcription inhibition, promotes the apoptosis of Daudi cells. PHI may be a potential agent for target therapy of lymphoma.

  13. Relative Susceptibilities of ABO Blood Groups to Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afoakwah, Richmond; Aubyn, Edmond; Prah, James; Nwaefuna, Ekene Kwabena; Boampong, Johnson N

    2016-01-01

    The clinical outcome of falciparum malaria in endemic areas is influenced by erythrocyte polymorphisms including the ABO blood groups. Studies have reported association of ABO blood group to resistance, susceptibility, and severity of P. falciparum malaria infection. Individuals with blood group "A" have been found to be highly susceptible to falciparum malaria whereas blood group "O" is said to confer protection against complicated cases. We analyzed samples from 293 young children less than six years old with malaria in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. It was observed that group O was present in about 16.1% of complicated cases weighed against 40.9% of uncomplicated controls. Individuals with complicated malaria were about twice likely to be of blood groups A and B compared to group O (A versus O, OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.59-2.26, P Blood group O participants with complicated diseases had low parasitaemia compared to the other blood groups (P blood group O individuals a survival advantage over the other groups in complicated malaria as suggested. Participants with complicated falciparum malaria were generally anaemic and younger than those with uncomplicated disease.

  14. Interplay between chromatin modulators and histone acetylation regulates the formation of accessible chromatin in the upstream regulatory region of fission yeast fbp1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adachi, Akira; Senmatsu, Satoshi; Asada, Ryuta; Abe, Takuya; Hoffman, Charles S; Ohta, Kunihiro; Hirota, Kouji

    2018-05-03

    Numerous noncoding RNA transcripts are detected in eukaryotic cells. Noncoding RNAs transcribed across gene promoters are involved in the regulation of mRNA transcription via chromatin modulation. This function of noncoding RNA transcription was first demonstrated for the fission yeast fbp1 gene, where a cascade of noncoding RNA transcription events induces chromatin remodeling to facilitate transcription factor binding. We recently demonstrated that the noncoding RNAs from the fbp1 upstream region facilitate binding of the transcription activator Atf1 and thereby promote histone acetylation. Histone acetylation by histone acetyl transferases (HATs) and ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers (ADCRs) are implicated in chromatin remodeling, but the interplay between HATs and ADCRs in this process has not been fully elucidated. Here, we examine the roles played by two distinct ADCRs, Snf22 and Hrp3, and by the HAT Gcn5 in the transcriptional activation of fbp1. Snf22 and Hrp3 redundantly promote disassembly of chromatin in the fbp1 upstream region. Gcn5 critically contributes to nucleosome eviction in the absence of either Snf22 or Hrp3, presumably by recruiting Hrp3 in snf22∆ cells and Snf22 in hrp3∆ cells. Conversely, Gcn5-dependent histone H3 acetylation is impaired in snf22∆/hrp3∆ cells, suggesting that both redundant ADCRs induce recruitment of Gcn5 to the chromatin array in the fbp1 upstream region. These results reveal a previously unappreciated interplay between ADCRs and histone acetylation in which histone acetylation facilitates recruitment of ADCRs, while ADCRs are required for histone acetylation.

  15. Targeting Histone Abnormality in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-08-01

    κB pathway in triple negative breast cancer . 8th International Nitric Oxide Conference & 6th International Nitrite/ Nitrate Conference, Cleveland, OH...1 AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0237 TITLE: Targeting Histone Abnormality in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Yi...TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Targeting Histone Abnormality in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-14-1-0237 5c

  16. Gallic Acid Decreases Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion Through Histone Acetyltransferase/Histone Deacetylase Regulation in High Glucose-Induced Human Monocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Wooje; Lee, Sang Yeol; Son, Young-Jin; Yun, Jung-Mi

    2015-07-01

    Hyperglycemia contributes to diabetes and several diabetes-related complications. Gallic acid is a polyhydroxy phenolic compound found in various natural products. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanism of gallic acid on proinflammatory cytokine secretion in high glucose-induced human monocytes (THP-1 cells). THP-1 cells were cultured under normoglycemic or hyperglycemic conditions, in the absence or presence of gallic acid. Hyperglycemic conditions significantly induced histone acetylation, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, and proinflammatory cytokine release from THP-1 cells, whereas gallic acid suppressed NF-κB activity and cytokine release. It also significantly reduced CREB-binding protein/p300 (CBP/p300, a NF-κB coactivator) gene expression, acetylation levels, and CBP/p300 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity. In addition, histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) expression was significantly induced. These results suggest that gallic acid inhibits hyperglycemic-induced cytokine production in monocytes through epigenetic changes involving NF-κB. Therefore, gallic acid may have potential for the treatment and prevention of diabetes and its complications.

  17. Histone deacetylase inhibitors induced differentiation and accelerated mineralization of pulp-derived cells.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Duncan, Henry F

    2012-03-01

    Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) alter the homeostatic balance between 2 groups of cellular enzymes, histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone acetyltransferases (HATs), increasing transcription and influencing cell behavior. This study investigated the potential of 2 HDACis, valproic acid (VPA) and trichostatin A (TSA), to promote reparative processes in pulp cells as assayed by viability, cell cycle, and mineralization analyses.

  18. Mechanical Stability and Fibrinolytic Resistance of Clots Containing Fibrin, DNA, and Histones*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longstaff, Colin; Varjú, Imre; Sótonyi, Péter; Szabó, László; Krumrey, Michael; Hoell, Armin; Bóta, Attila; Varga, Zoltán; Komorowicz, Erzsébet; Kolev, Krasimir

    2013-01-01

    Neutrophil extracellular traps are networks of DNA and associated proteins produced by nucleosome release from activated neutrophils in response to infection stimuli and have recently been identified as key mediators between innate immunity, inflammation, and hemostasis. The interaction of DNA and histones with a number of hemostatic factors has been shown to promote clotting and is associated with increased thrombosis, but little is known about the effects of DNA and histones on the regulation of fibrin stability and fibrinolysis. Here we demonstrate that the addition of histone-DNA complexes to fibrin results in thicker fibers (increase in median diameter from 84 to 123 nm according to scanning electron microscopy data) accompanied by improved stability and rigidity (the critical shear stress causing loss of fibrin viscosity increases from 150 to 376 Pa whereas the storage modulus of the gel increases from 62 to 82 pascals according to oscillation rheometric data). The effects of DNA and histones alone are subtle and suggest that histones affect clot structure whereas DNA changes the way clots are lysed. The combination of histones + DNA significantly prolongs clot lysis. Isothermal titration and confocal microscopy studies suggest that histones and DNA bind large fibrin degradation products with 191 and 136 nm dissociation constants, respectively, interactions that inhibit clot lysis. Heparin, which is known to interfere with the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, appears to prolong lysis time at a concentration favoring ternary histone-DNA-heparin complex formation, and DNase effectively promotes clot lysis in combination with tissue plasminogen activator. PMID:23293023

  19. Novel E3 ubiquitin ligases that regulate histone protein levels in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakesh Kumar Singh

    Full Text Available Core histone proteins are essential for packaging the genomic DNA into chromatin in all eukaryotes. Since multiple genes encode these histone proteins, there is potential for generating more histones than what is required for chromatin assembly. The positively charged histones have a very high affinity for negatively charged molecules such as DNA, and any excess of histone proteins results in deleterious effects on genomic stability and cell viability. Hence, histone levels are known to be tightly regulated via transcriptional, posttranscriptional and posttranslational mechanisms. We have previously elucidated the posttranslational regulation of histone protein levels by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway involving the E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzymes Ubc4/5 and the HECT (Homologous to E6-AP C-Terminus domain containing E3 ligase Tom1 in the budding yeast. Here we report the identification of four additional E3 ligases containing the RING (Really Interesting New Gene finger domains that are involved in the ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation of excess histones in yeast. These E3 ligases are Pep5, Snt2 as well as two previously uncharacterized Open Reading Frames (ORFs YKR017C and YDR266C that we have named Hel1 and Hel2 (for Histone E3 Ligases respectively. Mutants lacking these E3 ligases are sensitive to histone overexpression as they fail to degrade excess histones and accumulate high levels of endogenous histones on histone chaperones. Co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that these E3 ligases interact with the major E2 enzyme Ubc4 that is involved in the degradation related ubiquitylation of histones. Using mutagenesis we further demonstrate that the RING domains of Hel1, Hel2 and Snt2 are required for histone regulation. Lastly, mutants corresponding to Hel1, Hel2 and Pep5 are sensitive to replication inhibitors. Overall, our results highlight the importance of posttranslational histone regulatory mechanisms that employ multiple E3

  20. Antibodies from the sera of HIV-infected patients efficiently hydrolyze all human histones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baranova, Svetlana V; Buneva, Valentina N; Nevinsky, Georgy A

    2016-08-01

    Histones and their post-translational modifications have key roles in chromatin remodeling and gene transcription. Besides intranuclear functions, histones act as damage-associated molecular pattern molecules when they are released into the extracellular space. Administration of exogenous histones to animals leads to systemic inflammatory and toxic responses through activating Toll-like receptors and inflammasome pathways. Here, using ELISA it was shown that sera of HIV-infected patients and healthy donors contain autoantibodies against histones. Autoantibodies with enzymic activities (abzymes) are a distinctive feature of autoimmune diseases. It was interesting whether antibodies from sera of HIV-infected patients can hydrolyze human histones. Electrophoretically and immunologically homogeneous IgGs were isolated from sera of HIV-infected patients by chromatography on several affinity sorbents. We present first evidence showing that 100% of IgGs purified from the sera of 32 HIV-infected patients efficiently hydrolyze from one to five human histones. Several rigid criteria have been applied to show that the histone-hydrolyzing activity is an intrinsic property of IgGs of HIV-infected patients. The relative efficiency of hydrolysis of histones (H1, H2a, H2b, H3, and H4) significantly varied for IgGs of different patients. IgGs from the sera of 40% of healthy donors also hydrolyze histones but with an average efficiency approximately 16-fold lower than that of HIV-infected patients. Similar to proteolytic abzymes from the sera of patients with several autoimmune diseases, histone-hydrolyzing IgGs from HIV-infected patients were inhibited by specific inhibitors of serine and of metal-dependent proteases, but an unexpected significant inhibition of the activity by specific inhibitor of thiol-like proteases was also observed. Because IgGs can efficiently hydrolyze histones, a negative role of abzymes in development of acquired immune deficiency syndrome cannot be

  1. Interaction of an atypical Plasmodium falciparum ETRAMP with human apolipoproteins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sahasrabudhe Sudhir

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In order to establish a successful infection in the human host, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum must establish interactions with a variety of human proteins on the surface of different cell types, as well as with proteins inside the host cells. To better understand this aspect of malaria pathogenesis, a study was conducted with the goal of identifying interactions between proteins of the parasite and those of its human host. Methods A modified yeast two-hybrid methodology that preferentially selects protein fragments that can be expressed in yeast was used to conduct high-throughput screens with P. falciparum protein fragments against human liver and cerebellum libraries. The resulting dataset was analyzed to exclude interactions that are not likely to occur in the human host during infection. Results An initial set of 2,200 interactions was curated to remove proteins that are unlikely to play a role in pathogenesis based on their annotation or localization, and proteins that behave promiscuously in the two-hybrid assay, resulting in a final dataset of 456 interactions. A cluster that implicates binding between P. falciparum PFE1590w/ETRAMP5, a putative parasitophorous vacuole membrane protein, and human apolipoproteins ApoA, ApoB and ApoE was selected for further analysis. Different isoforms of ApoE, which are associated with different outcomes of malaria infection, were shown to display differential interactions with PFE1590w. Conclusion A dataset of interactions between proteins of P. falciparum and those of its human host was generated. The preferential interaction of the P. falciparum PFE1590w protein with the human ApoE ε3 and ApoE ε4 isoforms, but not the ApoE ε2 isoform, supports the hypothesis that ApoE genotype affects risk of malaria infection. The dataset contains other interactions of potential relevance to disease that may identify possible vaccine candidates and drug targets.

  2. Gametocytes of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum Interact With and Stimulate Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Cells to Secrete Angiogenetic Factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeria Messina

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum, responsible for the transmission of this malaria parasite from humans to mosquitoes, accumulate and mature preferentially in the human bone marrow. In the 10 day long sexual development of P. falciparum, the immature gametocytes reach and localize in the extravascular compartment of this organ, in contact with several bone marrow stroma cell types, prior to traversing the endothelial lining and re-entering in circulation at maturity. To investigate the host parasite interplay underlying this still obscure process, we developed an in vitro tridimensional co-culture system in a Matrigel scaffold with P. falciparum gametocytes and self-assembling spheroids of human bone marrow mesenchymal cells (hBM-MSCs. Here we show that this co-culture system sustains the full maturation of the gametocytes and that the immature, but not the mature, gametocytes adhere to hBM-MSCs via trypsin-sensitive parasite ligands exposed on the erythrocyte surface. Analysis of a time course of gametocytogenesis in the co-culture system revealed that gametocyte maturation is accompanied by the parasite induced stimulation of hBM-MSCs to secrete a panel of 14 cytokines and growth factors, 13 of which have been described to play a role in angiogenesis. Functional in vitro assays on human bone marrow endothelial cells showed that supernatants from the gametocyte mesenchymal cell co-culture system enhance ability of endothelial cells to form vascular tubes. These results altogether suggest that the interplay between immature gametocytes and hBM-MSCs may induce functional and structural alterations in the endothelial lining of the human bone marrow hosting the P. falciparum transmission stages.

  3. Histone fractionation by high-performance liquid chromatography on cyanoalkylsilane (CN) reverse-phase columns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gurley, L.R.; Prentice, D.A.; Valdez, J.G.; Spall, W.D.

    1983-01-01

    Previous work described conditions for the rapid fractionation of histones by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a reverse-phase μBondapak C 18 column. That procedure resolved the major classes of histones with one exception: the more hydrophobic H2A variant, (MHP)H2A, was not resolved from the H4 histone class. This report extends that work describing experiments using a μBondapak CN column which better resolves the classes of histones from each other including the resolution of (MHP)H2A from the H4. In addition, the less hydrophobic H2A variant, (LHP)H2A, is partially resolved from the (MHP)H2A, and the less hydrophobic H3 variant, (LHP)H3, is resolved from the more hydrophobic H3 variant, (MHP)H3. Lower trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) concentrations (0.1%) in the eluting water/acetonitrile solvent were used with the CN column than were used with the C 18 column which increased the sensitivity of histone detection by ultraviolet absorption at 206 nm. Greater than 95% of the total [ 3 H]lysine-labeled protein applied to the CN column was eluted from the column. Contaminating nonhistone proteins were found to chromatograph in the region of histone elution. These were greatly reduced by isolating nuclei prior to histone preparation. The fractionation of the histones appears to be based on the hydrophobic properties of the proteins. The histone fractions (identified by their electrophoretic mobilities) were eluted from the CN column in the following order: H1, H2B, (LHP)H2A, (MHP)H2A, H4, (LHP)H3, and (MHP)H3. Phosphorylated and acetylated histone species were not resolved from their unmodified parental species

  4. Prepatterning of developmental gene expression by modified histones before zygotic genome activation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindeman, Leif C.; Andersen, Ingrid S.; Reiner, Andrew H.

    2011-01-01

    A hallmark of anamniote vertebrate development is a window of embryonic transcription-independent cell divisions before onset of zygotic genome activation (ZGA). Chromatin determinants of ZGA are unexplored; however, marking of developmental genes by modified histones in sperm suggests a predictive...... role of histone marks for ZGA. In zebrafish, pre-ZGA development for ten cell cycles provides an opportunity to examine whether genomic enrichment in modified histones is present before initiation of transcription. By profiling histone H3 trimethylation on all zebrafish promoters before and after ZGA......, we demonstrate here an epigenetic prepatterning of developmental gene expression. This involves pre-ZGA marking of transcriptionally inactive genes involved in homeostatic and developmental regulation by permissive H3K4me3 with or without repressive H3K9me3 or H3K27me3. Our data suggest that histone...

  5. Differential Expression of Histone H3.3 Genes and Their Role in Modulating Temperature Stress Response in Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delaney, Kamila; Mailler, Jonathan; Wenda, Joanna M; Gabus, Caroline; Steiner, Florian A

    2018-04-10

    Replication-independent variant histones replace canonical histones in nucleosomes and act as important regulators of chromatin function. H3.3 is a major variant of histone H3 that is remarkably conserved across all taxa and is distinguished from canonical H3 by just four key amino acids. Most genomes contain two or more genes expressing H3.3, and complete loss of the protein usually causes sterility or embryonic lethality. Here we investigated the developmental expression pattern of the five Caenorhabditis elegans H3.3 homologues and identified two previously uncharacterized homologues to be restricted to the germ line. We demonstrate an essential role for the conserved histone chaperone HIRA in the nucleosomal loading of all H3.3 variants. This requirement can be bypassed by mutation of the H3.3-specific residues to those found in H3. Analysis of H3.3 knockout mutants revealed a surprising absence of developmental phenotypes. While removal of all H3.3 homologues did not result in lethality, it led to reduced fertility and viability in response to high temperature stress. Our results thus show that H3.3 is non-essential in C. elegans , but is critical for ensuring adequate response to stress. Copyright © 2018, Genetics.

  6. Diversity of Plasmodium falciparum clones infecting children living in a holoendemic area in north-eastern Tanzania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Magesa, S M; Mdira, K Y; Babiker, H A

    2002-01-01

    of 34 initially asymptomatic parasitaemic children aged 1-5 years were followed daily for 31 days. Clinical examinations were made each day for signs and symptoms of clinical malaria, followed by parasitological investigation. Nineteen children developed symptoms suggestive of clinical malaria during......The diversity of Plasmodium falciparum clones and their role in progression from asymptomatic to symptomatic condition in children have been investigated. Attempts to identify whether particular parasite genotypes were associated with the development of clinical symptoms have been made. A cohort...... this period. Daily blood parasite samples from 13 children who developed clinical malaria symptoms and 7 who remained asymptomatic were genotyped by PCR-amplification of the polymorphic regions of the merozoite surface proteins 1 and 2 (MSP1 and MSP2) and the glutamate rich protein (GLURP) genes. Infections...

  7. Phytochemical isolation of compounds from Sceletium tortuosum and activity testing against Plasmodium falciparum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Itumeleng I. Setshedi

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Malaria is a major health care problem in tropical regions due to the increasing resistance of Plasmodium falciparum against widely available antimalarial drugs. Traditional societies relied on medicinal plants to treat parasitic infections. As a result, drugs like quinine and artemisinin were isolated from herbs and barks (Varughese et al. 2010. Sceletium tortuosum has been used as medicine for social and spiritual purposes by San hunter gatherers and Khoi pastoralists. Sceletium tortuosum is rich in alkaloids, one of the important classes of natural product producing treatment for parasitic infections (Kayser et al. 2002. Laboratory preparation of extracts of fresh S. tortuosum plant material was conducted mimicking traditional methods of preparation using organic solvents. Mesembrine was isolated from a methanol extract using conventional column chromatography. Sixteen extracts and mesembrine were evaluated for antiplasmodium activity using a plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase culture sensitivity assay with chloroquine as reference drug. Of the sixteen extracts, four showed activity against P. falciparum with IC50 ranging between 1.47 µg/mL and 7.32 µg/mL. Extracts prepared from stored material at -20 °C showed no antiplasmodium activity. The four originally active extracts were re-screened six months later, but the antimalarial activity could not be reproduced. To determine discrepancy in biological results, chemical profiling of the extracts was done using high performance liquid chromatography technique. Differences were observed in the profiles of the active extracts when compared to those of stored plant material. The instability of plant constituents observed could be a result of plant storage suggesting that the plant is best used when fresh.

  8. Extracellular Histones Increase Tissue Factor Activity and Enhance Thrombin Generation by Human Blood Monocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gould, Travis J; Lysov, Zakhar; Swystun, Laura L; Dwivedi, Dhruva J; Zarychanski, Ryan; Fox-Robichaud, Alison E; Liaw, Patricia C

    2016-12-01

    Sepsis is characterized by systemic activation of inflammatory and coagulation pathways in response to infection. Recently, it was demonstrated that histones released into the circulation by dying/activated cells may contribute to sepsis pathology. Although the ability of extracellular histones to modulate the procoagulant activities of several cell types has been investigated, the influence of histones on the hemostatic functions of circulating monocytes is unknown. To address this, we investigated the ability of histones to modulate the procoagulant potential of THP-1 cells and peripheral blood monocytes, and examined the effects of plasmas obtained from septic patients to induce a procoagulant phenotype on monocytic cells. Tissue factor (TF) activity assays were performed on histone-treated THP-1 cells and blood monocytes. Exposure of monocytic cells to histones resulted in increases in TF activity, TF antigen, and phosphatidylserine exposure. Histones modulate the procoagulant activity via engagement of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4, and this effect was abrogated with inhibitory antibodies. Increased TF activity of histone-treated cells corresponded to enhanced thrombin generation in plasma determined by calibrated automated thrombography. Finally, TF activity was increased on monocytes exposed to plasma from septic patients, an effect that was attenuated in plasma from patients receiving unfractionated heparin (UFH). Our studies suggest that increased levels of extracellular histones found in sepsis contribute to dysregulated coagulation by increasing TF activity of monocytes. These procoagulant effects can be partially ameliorated in sepsis patients receiving UFH, thereby identifying extracellular histones as a potential therapeutic target for sepsis treatment.

  9. Impact of plasma histones in human sepsis and their contribution to cellular injury and inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekaney, Michael Liembo; Otto, Gordon Philipp; Sossdorf, Maik; Sponholz, Christoph; Boehringer, Michael; Loesche, Wolfgang; Rittirsch, Daniel; Wilharm, Arne; Kurzai, Oliver; Bauer, Michael; Claus, Ralf Alexander

    2014-09-24

    Circulating histones have been identified as mediators of damage in animal models of sepsis and in patients with trauma-associated lung injury. Despite existing controversies on actual histone concentrations, clinical implications and mechanism of action in various disease conditions, histone levels in human sepsis, association with disease progression and mediated effects on endothelial and immune cells remain unreported. This study aimed to determine histone levels and its clinical implication in septic patients and to elucidate histone-mediated effects ex-vivo. Histone levels, endogenous activated protein C (APC) levels and clinical data from two independent cohorts of septic patients were obtained. Histone levels were compared with various control groups including healthy individuals, intensive care unit (ICU) patients without sepsis, ICU patients with multiple organ failure and patients with minor or multiple trauma, all without infection. Endothelial and monocytic cells were stimulated with histones. Cellular integrity and sepsis prototypical cytokines were evaluated. The mechanism of action of histones via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was evaluated using a function blocking antibody. Histone degradation in plasma was studied by immunoblotting. Histone H4 levels were significantly elevated in patients with sepsis (cohort I; n = 15 and cohort II; n = 19) versus ICU controls (n = 12), patients with multiple organ failure (n = 12) or minor trauma (n = 7), associated with need for renal replacement therapy and decrease in platelet count during disease progression, and remarkably were significantly associated with increased mortality rates in septic patients (ICU-, 28 day- and 90 day mortality rates). There was an inverse correlation between plasma histones and endogenous APC levels. Histone stimulation induced the release of sepsis prototypic cytokines and decreased cell integrity indicated by a significant increase of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and propidium

  10. Multiple origins and regional dispersal of resistant dhps in African Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard J Pearce

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Although the molecular basis of resistance to a number of common antimalarial drugs is well known, a geographic description of the emergence and dispersal of resistance mutations across Africa has not been attempted. To that end we have characterised the evolutionary origins of antifolate resistance mutations in the dihydropteroate synthase (dhps gene and mapped their contemporary distribution.We used microsatellite polymorphism flanking the dhps gene to determine which resistance alleles shared common ancestry and found five major lineages each of which had a unique geographical distribution. The extent to which allelic lineages were shared among 20 African Plasmodium falciparum populations revealed five major geographical groupings. Resistance lineages were common to all sites within these regions. The most marked differentiation was between east and west African P. falciparum, in which resistance alleles were not only of different ancestry but also carried different resistance mutations.Resistant dhps has emerged independently in multiple sites in Africa during the past 10-20 years. Our data show the molecular basis of resistance differs between east and west Africa, which is likely to translate into differing antifolate sensitivity. We have also demonstrated that the dispersal patterns of resistance lineages give unique insights into recent parasite migration patterns.

  11. Genetic variability and population structure of Plasmodium falciparum parasite populations from different malaria ecological regions of Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingasia, Luicer A; Cheruiyot, Jelagat; Okoth, Sheila Akinyi; Andagalu, Ben; Kamau, Edwin

    2016-04-01

    Transmission intensity, movement of human and vector hosts, biogeographical features, and malaria control measures are some of the important factors that determine Plasmodium falciparum parasite genetic variability and population structure. Kenya has different malaria ecologies which might require different disease intervention methods. Refined parasite population genetic studies are critical for informing malaria control and elimination strategies. This study describes the genetic diversity and population structure of P. falciparum parasites from the different malaria ecological zones in Kenya. Twelve multi-locus microsatellite (MS) loci previously described were genotyped in 225 P. falciparum isolates collected between 2012 and 2013 from five sites; three in lowland endemic regions (Kisumu, Kombewa, and Malindi) and two in highland, epidemic regions (Kisii and Kericho). Parasites from the lowland endemic and highland epidemic regions of western Kenya had high genetic diversity compared to coastal lowland endemic region of Kenya [Malindi]. The Kenyan parasites had a mean genetic differentiation index (FST) of 0.072 (p=0.011). The multi-locus genetic analysis of the 12 MS revealed all the parasites had unique haplotypes. Significant linkage disequilibrium (LD) was observed in all the five parasite populations. Kisumu had the most significant index of association values (0.16; pKenya after introduction of the artemether-lumefantrine is important in refining the spread of drug resistant strains and malaria transmission for more effective control and eventual elimination of malaria in Kenya. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Biomarkers of Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy in women living in northeastern Tanzania.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stéphanie Boström

    Full Text Available In pregnant women, Plasmodium falciparum infections are an important cause of maternal morbidity as well as fetal and neonatal mortality. Erythrocytes infected by these malaria-causing parasites accumulate through adhesive interactions in placental intervillous spaces, thus evading detection in peripheral blood smears. Sequestered infected erythrocytes induce inflammation, offering the possibility of detecting inflammatory mediators in peripheral blood that could act as biomarkers of placental infection. In a longitudinal, prospective study in Tanzania, we quantified a range of different cytokines, chemokines and angiogenic factors in peripheral plasma samples, taken on multiple sequential occasions during pregnancy up to and including delivery, from P. falciparum-infected women and matched uninfected controls. The results show that during healthy, uninfected pregnancies the levels of most of the panel of molecules we measured were largely unchanged except at delivery. In women with P. falciparum, however, both comparative and longitudinal assessments consistently showed that the levels of IL-10 and IP-10 increased significantly whilst that of RANTES decreased significantly, regardless of gestational age at the time the infection was detected. ROC curve analysis indicated that a combination of increased IL-10 and IP-10 levels and decreased RANTES levels might be predictive of P. falciparum infections. In conclusion, our data suggest that host biomarkers in peripheral blood may represent useful diagnostic markers of P. falciparum infection during pregnancy, but placental histology results would need to be included to verify these findings.

  13. Functional Roles of Acetylated Histone Marks at Mouse Meiotic Recombination Hot Spots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhen; Fallahi, Mohammad; Ouizem, Souad; Liu, Qin; Li, Weimin; Costi, Roberta; Roush, William R.; Bois, Philippe R. J.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Meiotic recombination initiates following the formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by the Spo11 endonuclease early in prophase I, at discrete regions in the genome coined “hot spots.” In mammals, meiotic DSB site selection is directed in part by sequence-specific binding of PRDM9, a polymorphic histone H3 (H3K4Me3) methyltransferase. However, other chromatin features needed for meiotic hot spot specification are largely unknown. Here we show that the recombinogenic cores of active hot spots in mice harbor several histone H3 and H4 acetylation and methylation marks that are typical of open, active chromatin. Further, deposition of these open chromatin-associated histone marks is dynamic and is manifest at spermatogonia and/or pre-leptotene-stage cells, which facilitates PRDM9 binding and access for Spo11 to direct the formation of DSBs, which are initiated at the leptotene stage. Importantly, manipulating histone acetylase and deacetylase activities established that histone acetylation marks are necessary for both hot spot activity and crossover resolution. We conclude that there are functional roles for histone acetylation marks at mammalian meiotic recombination hot spots. PMID:27821479

  14. winged eye Induces Transdetermination of Drosophila Imaginal Disc by Acting in Concert with a Histone Methyltransferase, Su(var3-9

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Keita Masuko

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Summary: Drosophila imaginal disc cells exhibit a remarkable ability to convert cell fates in response to various perturbations, a phenomenon called transdetermination (TD. We previously identified winged eye (wge as a factor that induces eye-to-wing TD upon overexpression in eye imaginal discs, but the molecular mechanisms underlying TD have remained largely unclear. Here, we found that wge induces various histone modifications and enhances the methylation of Lys9 on histone H3 (H3K9, a feature of heterochromatin. A histone methyltransferase, Su(var3-9, is required for wge-mediated H3K9 methylation and eye-to-wing TD. Su(var3-9 is also required for classical wound-induced TD but not for normal development, suggesting its involvement in several types of imaginal disc TDs. Transcriptome analysis revealed that wge represses eye identity genes independently of Su(var3-9 and activates TD-related genes by acting together with Su(var3-9. These findings provide new insights into diverse types of chromatin regulation at progressive steps of cell-fate conversions. : Drosophila imaginal discs switch disc identity by a process known as transdetermination. Masuko et al. demonstrate that expression of the winged eye gene induces transdetermination through histone modifications such as H3K9-methylation. winged eye regulates expression of transdetermination-related genes via a histone methyltransferase, Su(var3-9. Keywords: Drosophila, imaginal disc, transdetermination, heterochromatin, cell fate, winged eye, reprogramming, Su(var3-9

  15. Plasmodium falciparum malaria associated with ABO blood ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The present study was carried out to investigate the relationship between blood group types and P. falciparum malaria, as well as malaria preventive measures. The venous blood specimens were collected, processed, Giemsa-stained and examined microscopically. ABO groups were determined by agglutination test using ...

  16. Abundance of intrinsic structural disorder in the histone H1 subtypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kowalski, Andrzej

    2015-12-01

    The intrinsically disordered proteins consist of partially structured regions linked to the unstructured stretches, which consequently form the transient and dynamic conformational ensembles. They undergo disorder to order transition upon binding their partners. Intrinsic disorder is attributed to histones H1, perceived as assemblers of chromatin structure and the regulators of DNA and proteins activity. In this work, the comparison of intrinsic disorder abundance in the histone H1 subtypes was performed both by the analysis of their amino acid composition and by the prediction of disordered stretches, as well as by identifying molecular recognition features (MoRFs) and ANCHOR protein binding regions (APBR) that are responsible for recognition and binding. Both human and model organisms-animals, plants, fungi and protists-have H1 histone subtypes with the properties typical of disordered state. They possess a significantly higher content of hydrophilic and charged amino acid residues, arranged in the long regions, covering over half of the whole amino acid residues in chain. Almost complete disorder corresponds to histone H1 terminal domains, including MoRFs and ANCHOR. Those motifs were also identified in a more ordered histone H1 globular domain. Compared to the control (globular and fibrous) proteins, H1 histones demonstrate the increased folding rate and a higher proportion of low-complexity segments. The results of this work indicate that intrinsic disorder is an inherent structural property of histone H1 subtypes and it is essential for establishing a protein conformation which defines functional outcomes affecting on DNA- and/or partner protein-dependent cell processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. An Investigation of Extracellular Histones in Pig-To-Baboon Organ Xenotransplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tao; Lee, Whayoung; Hara, Hidetaka; Long, Cassandra; Ezzelarab, Mohamed; Ayares, David; Huang, Hai; Wang, Yi; Esmon, Charles T; Cooper, David K C; Iwase, Hayato

    2017-10-01

    Serum (extracellular) histone levels are increased in inflammatory states and in the presence of coagulation dysfunction, for example, trauma, chemical/ischemic injury, infection. There is increasing evidence of a systemic inflammatory response associated with the presence of a pig xenograft in a nonhuman primate. We evaluated extracellular histone levels in baboons with various pig xenografts. We measured serum histones in baboons with pig heterotopic heart (n = 8), life-supporting kidney (n = 5), orthotopic liver (n = 4), and artery patch (n = 9) grafts by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. C-reactive protein (CRP), free triiodothyronine (fT3), serum amyloid A (SAA), and platelet counts were also measured, all of which may provide an indication of an inflammatory state. We investigated the effect of histones on platelet aggregation and on cytotoxicity of pig cells in vitro. Serum histones increased when baboons developed consumptive coagulopathy (eg, thrombocytopenia) or infection. CRP levels tended to be higher and fT3 levels lower when consumptive coagulopathy developed. Measurement of SAA correlated fairly well with CRP and indicated the state of inflammation. Treatment of the recipient with tocilizumab reduced the level of serum histones, CRP, and SAA, and increased the level of fT3 and platelet counts. In vitro, histone-induced platelet aggregation and endothelial cell apoptosis were both significantly reduced by the NF-κB pathway inhibitor, parthenolide. These noninvasive assays may be useful for monitoring the health status of nonhuman primate recipients of pig organ grafts and may help in management after xenotransplantation. Tocilizumab and NF-κB inhibitors might prove valuable in reducing the inflammatory response to a pig xenograft.

  18. Efficacy and safety of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) for non-falciparum malaria: a systematic review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visser, Benjamin J.; Wieten, Rosanne W.; Kroon, Daniëlle; Nagel, Ingeborg M.; Bélard, Sabine; van Vugt, Michèle; Grobusch, Martin P.

    2014-01-01

    Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is recommended as first-line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, whereas chloroquine is still commonly used for the treatment of non-falciparum species (Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium malariae). A more simplified, more

  19. A Plasmodium falciparum strain expressing GFP throughout the parasite's life-cycle.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arthur M Talman

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the majority of malaria-related deaths. Tools allowing the study of the basic biology of P. falciparum throughout the life cycle are critical to the development of new strategies to target the parasite within both human and mosquito hosts. We here present 3D7HT-GFP, a strain of P. falciparum constitutively expressing the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP throughout the life cycle, which has retained its capacity to complete sporogonic development. The GFP expressing cassette was inserted in the Pf47 locus. Using this transgenic strain, parasite tracking and population dynamics studies in mosquito stages and exo-erythrocytic schizogony is greatly facilitated. The development of 3D7HT-GFP will permit a deeper understanding of the biology of parasite-host vector interactions, and facilitate the development of high-throughput malaria transmission assays and thus aid development of new intervention strategies against both parasite and mosquito.

  20. A Plasmodium falciparum strain expressing GFP throughout the parasite's life-cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talman, Arthur M; Blagborough, Andrew M; Sinden, Robert E

    2010-02-10

    The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the majority of malaria-related deaths. Tools allowing the study of the basic biology of P. falciparum throughout the life cycle are critical to the development of new strategies to target the parasite within both human and mosquito hosts. We here present 3D7HT-GFP, a strain of P. falciparum constitutively expressing the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) throughout the life cycle, which has retained its capacity to complete sporogonic development. The GFP expressing cassette was inserted in the Pf47 locus. Using this transgenic strain, parasite tracking and population dynamics studies in mosquito stages and exo-erythrocytic schizogony is greatly facilitated. The development of 3D7HT-GFP will permit a deeper understanding of the biology of parasite-host vector interactions, and facilitate the development of high-throughput malaria transmission assays and thus aid development of new intervention strategies against both parasite and mosquito.