2017_Tanifuji_SciRep.pdf (4.15 MB)
Genome sequencing reveals metabolic and cellular interdependence in an amoeba-kinetoplastid symbiosis
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 11:12 authored by Tanifuji, G, Cenci, U, Moog, D, Dean, S, Nakayama, T, David, V, Fiala, I, Curtis, BA, Sibbald, SJ, Onodera, NT, Colp, M, Flegontov, P, Johnson-Mackinnon, J, McPhee, M, Inagaki, Y, Hashimoto, T, Kelly, S, Gull, K, Lukes, J, Archibald, JMEndosymbiotic relationships between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells are common in nature. Endosymbioses between two eukaryotes are also known; cyanobacterium-derived plastids have spread horizontally when one eukaryote assimilated another. A unique instance of a non-photosynthetic, eukaryotic endosymbiont involves members of the genus Paramoeba, amoebozoans that infect marine animals such as farmed fish and sea urchins. Paramoeba species harbor endosymbionts belonging to the Kinetoplastea, a diverse group of flagellate protists including some that cause devastating diseases. To elucidate the nature of this eukaryote-eukaryote association, we sequenced the genomes and transcriptomes of Paramoeba pemaquidensis and its endosymbiont Perkinsela sp. The endosymbiont nuclear genome is ~9.5 Mbp in size, the smallest of a kinetoplastid thus far discovered. Genomic analyses show that Perkinsela sp. has lost the ability to make a flagellum but retains hallmark features of kinetoplastid biology, including polycistronic transcription, trans-splicing, and a glycosome-like organelle. Mosaic biochemical pathways suggest extensive ‘cross-talk’ between the two organisms, and electron microscopy shows that the endosymbiont ingests amoeba cytoplasm, a novel form of endosymbiont-host communication. Our data reveal the cell biological and biochemical basis of the obligate relationship between Perkinsela sp. and its amoeba host, and provide a foundation for understanding pathogenicity determinants in economically important Paramoeba.
History
Publication title
Scientific ReportsVolume
7Article number
11688Number
11688Pagination
1-13ISSN
2045-2322Department/School
Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesPublisher
Nature Publishing GroupPlace of publication
United KingdomRights statement
Copyright 2017 The Authors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Repository Status
- Open