Project description:Investigation of parasite (T. annulata) gene expression over the course of the life-cycle (sporozoite->macroschizont->merozoite->piroplasm). The study focused on the expression of known and putative transcription factors, in particular members of the ApiAP2 gene family. Up-stream motifs associated with stage-specifically expressed genes were identified during the course of the analysis. The experiment investigates Theileria annulata gene expression over a differentiation time-course - sporozoite through to piroplasm. 20 samples were analyzed - 4 x sporozoite (replicates), 3 x macroschizont (replicates), 3 x day 4, 3 x day 7, 3 x day 9 (replicates) and 4 x piroplasm (replicates)
Project description:Investigation of parasite (T. annulata) gene expression over the course of the life-cycle (sporozoite->macroschizont->merozoite->piroplasm). The study focused on the expression of known and putative transcription factors, in particular members of the ApiAP2 gene family. Up-stream motifs associated with stage-specifically expressed genes were identified during the course of the analysis.
Project description:The experiment investigates bovine gene expression in response to LPS in uninfected and Theileria annulata-infected cell cultures A subset of genes are identified which are activated in response to LPS stimulation with further modulation due to parasite infection.
Project description:Theileria annulata is a tick-transmitted apicomplexan parasite that infects and transforms bovine leukocytes into disseminating tumors that cause a disease called tropical theileriosis. Using comparative transcriptomics we identified genes transcriptionally perturbed during Theileria-induced transformation and highlighted a small set of genes associated with leukocyte dissemination. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-down of GZMA and RASGRP1 in macrophages attenuated for dissemination led to a regain in their dissemination in Rag2/gC mice confirming their suppressor roles in vivo. Comparing the transcriptomes of 934 human cancer cell lines to that of Theileria-transformed bovine B cells again highlighted GZMA and RASGRP1 and CRISPR-mediated overexpression of GZMA and RASGRP1 dampened the dissemination potential of human B-lymphomas. The ensemble provide evidence for a novel suppressor function in the dissemination of both T. annulata-transformed bovine leukocytes and human B-lymphomas.
Project description:Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key mediators of intercellular communication, and often play critical roles in host-parasite interactions by facilitating parasite’s physiology and pathogenesis. Theileria annulata, an apicomplexan parasite, induces profound changes in host cells, leading to uncontrolled proliferation, apoptosis resistance, and increased invasiveness. In this study, we performed the comprehensive proteomic and small RNA analysis of EVs isolated from a T. annulata Kashi isolate-infected bovine lymphocyte cell line (TaXJS), B cell line (TaBC), dendritic cell line (TaDC), and from the sera of cattle before and after infection. Our label-free LC-MS/MS proteomics identified 2580 proteins, while small RNA sequencing revealed 6635 miRNAs associated with parasite development, host invasion, and immune evasion. Functional enrichment analyses recognized vesicular components involved in key pathways of the parasite-host such as ECM-receptor interaction, oxidative phosphorylation, and proton transport. These findings highlight the potential of Theileria-derived EVs in modulating host responses and their potential as therapeutic and vaccine targets.
Project description:The experiment investigates bovine gene expression in response to LPS in uninfected and Theileria annulata-infected cell cultures A subset of genes are identified which are activated in response to LPS stimulation with further modulation due to parasite infection. Six experimental conditions with three replicates per condition. Total RNA prepared from cell cultures. BL20 (uninfected bovine lymphosarcoma cell line), BL20 4 hours post-LPS stimulation, BL20 18 hours post-LPS, TBL (T. annulata infected bovine cell line), TBL 4 hours post-LPS, TBL 18 hours post-LPS. Each hydridisation represents bovine and parasite gene expression on a single channel and 2 technical replicates of each probeset are represented on the chip.
