A parasite DNA binding protein with potential to influence disease susceptibility acts as an analogue of mammalian HMGA transcription factors

Durrani, Zeeshan ORCID: 0000-0002-3610-5547, Kinnaird, Jane, Cheng, Chew Weng, Bruhlmann, Francis, Capewell, Paul, Jackson, Andrew ORCID: 0000-0002-5704-8596, Larcombe, Stephen, Olias, Philipp, Weir, William and Shiels, Brian (2023) A parasite DNA binding protein with potential to influence disease susceptibility acts as an analogue of mammalian HMGA transcription factors. PLOS ONE, 18 (6). e0286526-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286526

Abstract

Intracellular pathogens construct their environmental niche, and influence disease susceptibility, by deploying factors that manipulate infected host cell gene expression. Theileria annulata is an important tick-borne parasite of cattle that causes tropical theileriosis. Excellent candidates for modulating host cell gene expression are DNA binding proteins bearing AT-hook motifs encoded within the TashAT gene cluster of the parasite genome. In this study, TashAT2 was transfected into bovine BoMac cells to generate three expressing and three non-expressing (opposite orientation) cell lines. RNA-Seq was conducted and differentially expressed (DE) genes identified. The resulting dataset was compared with genes differentially expressed between infected cells and non-infected cells, and DE genes between infected cell lines from susceptible Holstein vs tolerant Sahiwal cattle. Over 800 bovine genes displayed differential expression associated with TashAT2, 209 of which were also modulated by parasite infection. Network analysis showed enrichment of DE genes in pathways associated with cellular adhesion, oncogenesis and developmental regulation by mammalian AT-hook bearing high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins. Overlap of TashAT2 DE genes with Sahiwal vs Holstein DE genes revealed that a significant number of shared genes were associated with disease susceptibility. Altered protein levels encoded by one of these genes (GULP1) was strongly linked to expression of TashAT2 in BoMac cells and was demonstrated to be higher in infected Holstein leucocytes compared to Sahiwal. We conclude that TashAT2 operates as an HMGA analogue to differentially mould the epigenome of the infected cell and influence disease susceptibility.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animals, Mammals, Cattle, Parasites, Theileria annulata, Theileriasis, Disease Susceptibility, DNA-Binding Proteins, HMGA Proteins, Transcription Factors
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	09 Jun 2023 15:40
Last Modified:	28 Jun 2023 22:32
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0286526
Open Access URL:	https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.13...
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3170897