Gene and Chromosomal Copy Number Variations as an Adaptive Mechanism Towards a Parasitic Lifestyle in Trypanosomatids

Current Genomics
João Luís Reis-CunhaDaniella C Bartholomeu

Abstract

Trypanosomatids are a group of kinetoplastid parasites including some of great public health importance, causing debilitating and life-long lasting diseases that affect more than 24 million people worldwide. Among the trypanosomatids, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and species from the Leishmania genus are the most well studied parasites, due to their high prevalence in human infections. These parasites have an extreme genomic and phenotypic variability, with a massive expansion in the copy number of species-specific multigene families enrolled in host-parasite interactions that mediate cellular invasion and immune evasion processes. As most trypanosomatids are heteroxenous, and therefore their lifecycles involve the transition between different hosts, these parasites have developed several strategies to ensure a rapid adaptation to changing environments. Among these strategies, a rapid shift in the repertoire of expressed genes, genetic variability and genome plasticity are key mechanisms. Trypanosomatid genomes are organized into large directional gene clusters that are transcribed polycistronically, where genes derived from the same polycistron may have very distinct mRNA levels. This particular mode of transcription ...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 5, 2018·The Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology·Christiane B de AraujoMaria Carolina Elias
Sep 13, 2019·MSphere·Evgeny GerasimovVyacheslav Yurchenko
Mar 1, 2019·Scientific Reports·Loyze P de LimaM Carolina Elias
Jul 1, 2020·Microorganisms·Magali Van den KerkhofGuy Caljon
Jun 27, 2020·Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology·Marina Ferreira BatistaDiana Bahia
Feb 10, 2021·G3 : Genes - Genomes - Genetics·John W DaveyJeremy C Mottram
May 4, 2021·Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology·Artur Leonel de Castro NetoRenato Arruda Mortara

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
Fluorescence
glycosylation
Single-Cell
RNA-seq

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