Chromatin architecture and virulence-related gene expression in eukaryotic microbial pathogens

Juárez-Reyes, Alejandro; Castaño, Irene

doi:10.1007/s00294-018-0903-z

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 87 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In various eukaryotic pathogens, including Trypanosoma brucei, Plasmodium falciparum , and Candida glabrata , families of adhesin‐encoding genes that mediate adhesion to the host cells are localized at subtelomeric regions. [ 31 ] The diversity of these genes associated with their epigenetic regulation contribute to the virulence of these microorganisms. Similarly, Olfactory receptor (OR) genes in mammals are clustered and enriched at peri‐centromeres and subtelomeres.…”

Section: Subtelomeres: Chromosome Domains Adjacent To Telomeres Sharementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The latter is specifically important for unicellular organisms, and represents a potent mechanism for pathogens to escape the host immune response (e.g., Plasmodium falciparum , Trypanosoma brucei ) or to disseminate in host organisms as shown in Candida glabrata . [ 31 ] This is exemplified in the malaria agent P. falciparum where the ≈60 Var genes present in this organism all encode a highly variable transmembrane protein (pfEMP1). However, only a single Var gene is expressed at a time while the remaining ones are epigenetically silenced.…”

Section: Subtelomeres: Chromosome Domains Adjacent To Telomeres Sharementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Subtelomeres as Specialized Chromatin Domains

Hocher

Taddei

2020

BioEssays

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Specificities associated with chromosomal linearity are not restricted to telomeres. Here, recent results obtained on fission and budding yeast are summarized and an attempt is made to define subtelomeres using chromatin features extending beyond the heterochromatin emanating from telomeres. Subtelomeres, the chromosome domains adjacent to telomeres, differ from the rest of the genome by their gene content, rapid evolution, and chromatin features that together contribute to organism adaptation. However, current definitions of subtelomeres are generally based on synteny and are largely gene-centered. Taking into consideration both the peculiar gene content and dynamics as well as the chromatin properties of those domains, it is discussed how chromatin features can contribute to subtelomeric properties and functions, and play a pivotal role in the emergence of subtelomeres.

show abstract

Section: Subtelomeres: Chromosome Domains Adjacent To Telomeres Sharementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Subtelomeres: Chromosome Domains Adjacent To Telomeres Sharementioning

confidence: 99%

Subtelomeres as Specialized Chromatin Domains

Hocher

Taddei

2020

BioEssays

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Human fungal pathogens respond to host immune defense through numerous mechanisms, including chromatin-mediated adaptive gene expression [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. For example, immune defense or environmental changes can trigger pathogen responses through extracellular sensing, intracellular signal transduction, and transcriptional reprogramming [ 4 , 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ATAC-Seq Identifies Chromatin Landscapes Linked to the Regulation of Oxidative Stress in the Human Fungal Pathogen Candida albicans

Jenull

Tscherner

Mair

et al. 2020

JoF

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Human fungal pathogens often encounter fungicidal stress upon host invasion, but they can swiftly adapt by transcriptional reprogramming that enables pathogen survival. Fungal immune evasion is tightly connected to chromatin regulation. Hence, fungal chromatin modifiers pose alternative treatment options to combat fungal infections. Here, we present an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) protocol adapted for the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans to gain further insight into the interplay of chromatin accessibility and gene expression mounted during fungal adaptation to oxidative stress. The ATAC-seq workflow not only facilitates the robust detection of genomic regions with accessible chromatin but also allows for the precise modeling of nucleosome positions in C. albicans. Importantly, the data reveal genes with altered chromatin accessibility in upstream regulatory regions, which correlate with transcriptional regulation during oxidative stress. Interestingly, many genes show increased chromatin accessibility without change in gene expression upon stress exposure. Such chromatin signatures could predict yet unknown regulatory factors under highly dynamic transcriptional control. Additionally, de novo motif analysis in genomic regions with increased chromatin accessibility upon H2O2 treatment shows significant enrichment for Cap1 binding sites, a major factor of oxidative stress responses in C. albicans. Taken together, the ATAC-seq workflow enables the identification of chromatin signatures and highlights the dynamics of regulatory mechanisms mediating environmental adaptation of C. albicans.

show abstract

“…In fungi, the emerging evidence suggests that genes located in subtelomeres play adaptive roles, such as contributing to niche-or host-specificity and virulence in pathogens [65][66][67][68]. For example, the fungus Pneumocystis jiroveci have large and highly variable gene families located in its subtelomeric regions that encode for surface proteins with tightly regulated, yet switchable, expression patterns [69].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Host-Specific Genes from Pine- and Grass-Associated Species of the <em>Fusarium Fujikuroi </em>Species Complex

Dewing¹,

Nest²,

Santana³

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) includes socioeconomically important pathogens that cause disease and/or mycotoxin contamination on numerous crops. Here, we used comparative genomics to elucidate processes underlying the ability of pine-associated and grass-associated FFSC species to colonize tissues of their respective plant hosts. We characterized the identity, possible functions, evolutionary origins, and chromosomal positions of the host-range-associated genes encoded by the two groups of fungi. The 72 and 47 genes identified as unique to the respective genome groups were potentially involved in diverse processes, ranging from transcription, regulation, and substrate transport, through to virulence/pathogenicity. Most emerged early during the evolution of Fusarium/FFSC and were subsequently retained only in some lineages, while some had origins outside Fusarium. Although differences in the densities of these genes were especially noticeable on the conditionally dispensable chromosome of F. temperatum (representing the grass-associates) and F. circinatum (representing the pine-associates), the host-range-associated genes tended to be located towards the subtelomeric regions of chromosomes. Taken together, these results demonstrate that multiple mechanisms drive the emergence of genes in grass- and pine-associated FFSC taxa examined and highlighted the diversity of molecular processes potentially underlying niche-specificity in these and other Fusarium species.

show abstract

Chromatin architecture and virulence-related gene expression in eukaryotic microbial pathogens

Cited by 10 publications

References 87 publications

Subtelomeres as Specialized Chromatin Domains

Subtelomeres as Specialized Chromatin Domains

ATAC-Seq Identifies Chromatin Landscapes Linked to the Regulation of Oxidative Stress in the Human Fungal Pathogen Candida albicans

Characterization of Host-Specific Genes from Pine- and Grass-Associated Species of the <em>Fusarium Fujikuroi </em>Species Complex

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About