Activation of telomerase activity and telomere elongation of host cells by Theileria annulata infection

Junlong Liu; Shuaiyang Zhao; Zhi Li; Zhigang Zhang; Baocai Zhao; Guiquan Guan; Hong Yin; Jianxun Luo

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1128433

Activation of telomerase activity and telomere elongation of host cells by Theileria annulata infection

Front Microbiol. 2023 Feb 23:14:1128433. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1128433. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Junlong Liu¹, Shuaiyang Zhao¹, Zhi Li², Zhigang Zhang¹, Baocai Zhao¹, Guiquan Guan¹, Hong Yin^{1

3}, Jianxun Luo¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu, China.
² Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China.
³ Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.

Abstract

Theileria annulata-transformed cells share many phenotypes with cancer cells, including uncontrolled proliferation, immortalization, and dissemination. Telomeres are DNA-protein complex at the end of eukaryotic chromosomes that function to maintain genome stability and cell replicative capacity. Telomere length maintenance is primarily dependent on telomerase activity. In up to 90% of human cancer cells, telomerase is reactivated through expression of its catalytic subunit TERT. However, the effect of T. annulata infection on telomere and telomerase activity in bovine cells has not yet been described. In the present study, we confirmed that telomere length and telomerase activity are upregulated after T. annulata infection in three types of cell lines. This change depends on the presence of parasites. After eliminating Theileria from cells with antitheilerial drug buparvaquone, telomerase activity and the expression level of bTERT were decreased. In addition, inhibition of bHSP90 by novobiocin led to decreased AKT phosphorylation levels and telomerase activity, indicating that the bHSP90-AKT complex is a potent factor modulates telomerase activity in T. annulata-infected cells.

Keywords: Theileria annulata; bHSP90; bTERT; host cell; telomerase; telomere.