Unveiling the Trypanosoma cruzi Nuclear Proteome

PLoS One. 2015 Sep 18;10(9):e0138667. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138667. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Replication of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, displays peculiar features, such as absence of chromosome condensation and closed mitosis. Although previous proteome and subproteome analyses of T. cruzi have been carried out, the nuclear subproteome of this protozoan has not been described. Here, we report, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the isolation and proteome analysis of T. cruzi nuclear fraction. For that, T. cruzi epimastigote cells were lysed and subjected to cell fractionation using two steps of sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The purity of the nuclear fraction was confirmed by phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) allowed the identification of 864 proteins. Among those, 272 proteins were annotated as putative uncharacterized, and 275 had not been previously reported on global T. cruzi proteome analysis. Additionally, to support our enrichment method, bioinformatics analysis in DAVID was carried out. It grouped the nuclear proteins in 65 gene clusters, wherein the clusters with the highest enrichment scores harbor members with chromatin organization and DNA binding functions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cell Nucleus / genetics
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism*
  • Proteome / metabolism*
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / genetics
  • Trypanosoma cruzi / metabolism*

Substances

  • Proteome
  • Protozoan Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq grant n° 563998/2010-5), Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás, Programa Nacional de Incentivo a Pesquisa em Parasitologia Básica (CAPES grant n°: 23038.005298/2011-83) and Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.