Hammondia hammondi harbors functional orthologs of the host-modulating effectors GRA15 and ROP16 but is distinguished from Toxoplasma gondii by a unique transcriptional profile

Eukaryot Cell. 2014 Oct 3. pii: EC.00215-14. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Walzer KA¹, Wier GM¹, Dam RA¹, Srinivasan AR¹, Borges AL¹, English ED¹, Herrmann DC², Schares G², Dubey JP³, Boyle JP⁴.

 

Toxoplasma gondii and its nearest extant relative, Hammondia hammondi, are phenotypically distinct despite their remarkable similarity in gene content, synteny and functionality. To begin to identify genetic differences that might drive distinct infection phenotypes of T. gondii and H. hammondi, in the present study we 1) determined whether two known host-interacting proteins, dense granule protein 15 (GRA15) and rhoptry protein 16 (ROP16), were functionally conserved in H. hammondi, and 2) performed the first comparative transcriptional analysis of H. hammondi and T. gondii sporulated oocysts. We found that GRA15 and ROP16 from H. hammondi (HhGRA15; HhROP16) modulate the host NF-κB and STAT6 pathways, respectively, when expressed heterologously in T. gondii. We also found the transcriptomes of H. hammondi and T. gondii to be highly distinct. Consistent with the spontaneous conversion of H. hammondi tachyzoites into bradyzoites both in vitro and in vivo, H. hammondi high-abundance transcripts are enriched for genes that are of greater abundance in T. gondii bradyzoites. We also identified genes that are of high transcript abundance in H. hammondi, but are poorly expressed in multiple T. gondii life stages, suggesting that these genes are uniquely expressed in H. hammondi. Taken together these data confirm the functional conservation of known T. gondii virulence effectors in H. hammondi, and point to transcriptional differences as a potential source of the phenotypic differences between these species.
Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

PMID:

25280815

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]