Project description:Whole-genome sequencing of Acanthamoeba polyphaga Linc Ap-1 resulted in a draft assembly of the chromosomal DNA and a complete sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Despite very high sequence similarity with the mtDNA of Acanthamoeba castellanii Neff, in contrast to Acanthamoeba polyphaga Linc Ap-1, the determined DNA sequence revealed a complete absence of introns.
Project description:A culture of Acanthamoeba castellanii cells was infected with mimivirus. At specified times after infection, infected cells aliquots were subjected to total RNA extraction. Cy3 labeled cDNA was hybridized on custom designed Agilent oligonucleotide tiling microarrays covering both strands of the mimivirus genome.
Project description:Long non-coding RNAs are important regulators of diverse biological prosesses. Here, we report on functional identification and characterization of a novel long intergenic noncoding RNA with MyoD-regulated and skeletal muscle-restricted expression that promotes the activation of the myogenic program, and is therefore termed Linc-RAM (Linc-RNA Activator of Myogenesis). Linc-RAM is transcribed from an intergenic region of myogenic cells and its expression is upregulated during myogenesis. Notably, in vivo functional studies show that Linc-RAM knockout mice display impaired muscle regeneration due to differentiation defect of satellite cells. Mechanistically, Linc-RAM regulates expression of myogenic genes by directly binding MyoD, which in turn promotes the assembly of the MyoD-Baf60c-Brg1 complex on the regulatory elements of target genes. Collectively, our findings reveal the functional role and molecular mechanism of a lineage-specific Linc-RAM as a regulatory lncRNA required for tissues-specific chromatin remodeling and gene expression.
Project description:Proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics analysis of extracellular vesicles secreted by an environmental strain and a clinical strain of Acanthamoeba castellanii.
Project description:This project describes the protein composition of the Cafeteria roenbergensis virus (CroV, strain BV-PW1: TaxID 693272) particle, a giant marine DNA virus that infects the heterotrophic nanoflagellate microeukaryote C. roenbergensis. CroV is a member of the Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Large DNA Virus clade and related to Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus. CroV possesses a DNA genome of ~730 kilobase pairs that encodes 544 predicted proteins. We analyzed the protein composition of purified CroV particles by liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and identified 141 virion-associated CroV proteins. Predicted functions could be assigned to 37% of these proteins, which include structural proteins as well as enzymes for transcription, DNA repair, redox reactions and protein modification. Homologs of 36 CroV virion proteins have previously been found in the virion of Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus. This study shows that giant DNA virus particles contain more than one hundred viral proteins that include specific enzymatic functions.
Project description:Proteomic analysis of isolated viral factories along a timeline after infection of the amoeba Acanthamoeba polyphaga by the giant Mimivirus