TSS-seq of Toxoplasma gondii sporozoites revealed a novel motif in stage-specific promoters

Taishi Kidaka; Tatsuki Sugi; Kyoko Hayashida; Yutaka Suzuki; Xuenan Xuan; Jitender P Dubey; Junya Yamagishi

doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105213

TSS-seq of Toxoplasma gondii sporozoites revealed a novel motif in stage-specific promoters

Infect Genet Evol. 2022 Mar:98:105213. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105213. Epub 2022 Jan 15.

Authors

Taishi Kidaka¹, Tatsuki Sugi¹, Kyoko Hayashida², Yutaka Suzuki³, Xuenan Xuan⁴, Jitender P Dubey⁵, Junya Yamagishi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan.
² Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan.
³ Department of Medical Genome Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan.
⁴ National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.
⁵ United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, 20705-2350, USA.
⁶ Division of Collaboration and Education, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan; International Collaboration Unit, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0020, Japan. Electronic address: junya@czc.hokudai.ac.jp.

PMID: 35041968
DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105213

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common zoonotic protozoan parasites. It has three major infectious stages: rapidly multiplying tachyzoites (Tz), slowly replicating bradyzoites (Bz) and a resting/free-living stage, sporozoites (Sz). The regulatory mechanisms governing stage-specific gene expression are not fully understood. Few transcriptional start sites (TSS) are known for Sz. In this study, we obtained TSS of Sz using an oligo-capping method and RNA-seq analysis. We identified 1,043,503 TSS in the Sz transcriptome. These defined 38,973 TSS clusters, of which, 11,925 were expressed in Sz and 1535 TSS differentially expressed in Sz. Based on these data, we defined promoter regions and novel sporozoite stage-specific motifs using MEME. TGTANNTACA was distributed around -55 to -75 regions from each TSS. Interestingly, the same motif was reported in another apicomplexan, Plasmodium berghei, as a cis-element of female-specific gametocyte genes, implying the presence of common regulatory machinery. Further comparative analysis should better define the distribution and function of these elements in other members of this important parasitic phylum.

Keywords: Sporozoites; Toxoplasma gondii; Transcriptional start sites; Transcriptome; cis-elements.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Promoter Regions, Genetic*
RNA-Seq
Sporozoites / genetics*
Toxoplasma / genetics*
Transcription Initiation Site*