Genome-wide identification of evolutionarily conserved Small Heat-Shock and eight other proteins bearing alpha-crystallin domain-like in kinetoplastid protists

Author(s)

Costa-Martins, Andre G. ^[1] ; Lima, Luciana ^{[1, 2]} ; Alves, Joao Marcelo P. ^[1] ; Serrano, Myrna G. ^[3] ; Buck, Gregory A. ^[3] ; Camargo, Erney P. ^{[1, 2]} ; Teixeira, Marta M. G. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Parasitol, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] INCT EpiAmO Inst Nacl Epidemiol Amazonia Ocidenta, Porto Velho, RO - Brazil

^[3] Virginia Commonwealth Univ, Dept Microbiol & Immunol, Richmond, VA 23298 - USA

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLoS One; v. 13, n. 10 OCT 22 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Small Heat-Shock Proteins (sHSPs) and other proteins bearing alpha-crystallin domains (ACD) participate in defense against heat and oxidative stress and play important roles in cell cycle, cytoskeleton dynamics, and immunological and pathological mechanisms in eukaryotes. However, little is known about these proteins in early-diverging lineages of protists such as the kinetoplastids. Here, ACD-like proteins (ACDp) were investigated in genomes of 61 species of 12 kinetoplastid genera, including Trypanosoma spp. (23 species of mammals, reptiles and frogs), Leishmania spp. (mammals and lizards), trypanosomatids of insects, Phytomonas spp. of plants, and bodonids. Comparison of ACDps based on domain architecture, predicted tertiary structure, phylogeny and genome organization reveals a kinetoplastid evolutionarily conserved repertoire, which diversified prior to trypanosomatid adaptation to parasitic life. We identified 9 ACDp orthologs classified in 8 families of TryACD: four previously recognized (HSP20, Tryp23A, Tryp23B and ATOM69), and four characterized for the first time in kinetoplastids (TryACDP, TrySGT1, TryDYX1C1 and TryNudC). A single copy of each ortholog was identified in each genome alongside TtyNudC1/ TrypNudC2 homologs and, overall, ACDPs were under strong selection pressures at main phylogenetic lineages. Transcripts of all ACDPs were identified across the life stages of T. cruzi, T. brucei and Leishmania spp., but proteomic profiles suggested that most ACDPs may be species- and stage-regulated. Our findings establish the basis for functional studies, and provided evolutionary and structural support for an underestimated repertoire of ACDps in the kinetoplastids. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/07487-0 - Expanding and barcoding the trypanosomatid culture collection of the University of São Paulo (TCC-USP) and its utilization for phylogenetic and taxonomical studies
• Grantee: Erney Felicio Plessmann de Camargo
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants