Automated nuclear analysis of Leishmania major telomeric clusters reveals changes in their organization during the parasite's life cycle. 2008

Fernando de M Dossin, and Alexandre Dufour, and Elodie Dusch, and Jair L Siqueira-Neto, and Carolina B Moraes, and Gyong Seon Yang, and Maria Isabel Cano, and Auguste Genovesio, and Lucio H Freitas-Junior
Systems Biology of Pathogens Group, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seoul, South Korea.

Parasite virulence genes are usually associated with telomeres. The clustering of the telomeres, together with their particular spatial distribution in the nucleus of human parasites such as Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei, has been suggested to play a role in facilitating ectopic recombination and in the emergence of new antigenic variants. Leishmania parasites, as well as other trypanosomes, have unusual gene expression characteristics, such as polycistronic and constitutive transcription of protein-coding genes. Leishmania subtelomeric regions are even more unique because unlike these regions in other trypanosomes they are devoid of virulence genes. Given these peculiarities of Leishmania, we sought to investigate how telomeres are organized in the nucleus of Leishmania major parasites at both the human and insect stages of their life cycle. We developed a new automated and precise method for identifying telomere position in the three-dimensional space of the nucleus, and we found that the telomeres are organized in clusters present in similar numbers in both the human and insect stages. While the number of clusters remained the same, their distribution differed between the two stages. The telomeric clusters were found more concentrated near the center of the nucleus in the human stage than in the insect stage suggesting reorganization during the parasite's differentiation process between the two hosts. These data provide the first 3D analysis of Leishmania telomere organization. The possible biological implications of these findings are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008018 Life Cycle Stages The continuous sequence of changes undergone by living organisms during the post-embryonic developmental process, such as metamorphosis in insects and amphibians. This includes the developmental stages of apicomplexans such as the malarial parasite, PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM. Life Cycle,Life History Stages,Cycle, Life,Cycles, Life,History Stage, Life,History Stages, Life,Life Cycle Stage,Life Cycles,Life History Stage,Stage, Life Cycle,Stage, Life History,Stages, Life Cycle,Stages, Life History
D002460 Cell Line Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely. Cell Lines,Line, Cell,Lines, Cell
D002467 Cell Nucleus Within a eukaryotic cell, a membrane-limited body which contains chromosomes and one or more nucleoli (CELL NUCLEOLUS). The nuclear membrane consists of a double unit-type membrane which is perforated by a number of pores; the outermost membrane is continuous with the ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM. A cell may contain more than one nucleus. (From Singleton & Sainsbury, Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, 2d ed) Cell Nuclei,Nuclei, Cell,Nucleus, Cell
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001331 Automation Controlled operation of an apparatus, process, or system by mechanical or electronic devices that take the place of human organs of observation, effort, and decision. (From Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 1993) Automations
D016615 Telomere A terminal section of a chromosome which has a specialized structure and which is involved in chromosomal replication and stability. Its length is believed to be a few hundred base pairs. Telomeres
D017404 In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence A type of IN SITU HYBRIDIZATION in which target sequences are stained with fluorescent dye so their location and size can be determined using fluorescence microscopy. This staining is sufficiently distinct that the hybridization signal can be seen both in metaphase spreads and in interphase nuclei. FISH Technique,Fluorescent in Situ Hybridization,Hybridization in Situ, Fluorescence,FISH Technic,Hybridization in Situ, Fluorescent,In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescent,FISH Technics,FISH Techniques,Technic, FISH,Technics, FISH,Technique, FISH,Techniques, FISH
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D018320 Leishmania major A parasitic hemoflagellate of the subgenus Leishmania leishmania that infects man and animals and causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (LEISHMANIASIS, CUTANEOUS) of the Old World. Transmission is by Phlebotomus sandflies. Leishmania (Leishmania) major,Leishmania tropica major,Leishmania leishmania major,Leishmania leishmania majors,Leishmania majors,Leishmania tropica majors,leishmania major, Leishmania,major, Leishmania leishmania,majors, Leishmania,majors, Leishmania leishmania,majors, Leishmania tropica,tropica major, Leishmania,tropica majors, Leishmania

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