Author's posts
Jul 15
Dalhousie University opens Minor in Bioinformatics
Minor in bioinformatics is now available at Dalhousie University
Jul 08
Genomic analysis of the causative agents of coccidiosis in domestic chickens.
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Genomic analysis of the causative agents of coccidiosis in domestic chickens.
Genome Res. 2014 Oct;24(10):1676-85
Authors: Reid AJ, Blake DP, Ansari HR, Billington K, Browne HP, Bryant J, Dunn M,…
Jul 08
The genome of Eimeria falciformis–reduction and specialization in a single host apicomplexan parasite.
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The genome of Eimeria falciformis–reduction and specialization in a single host apicomplexan parasite.
BMC Genomics. 2014;15:696
Authors: Heitlinger E, Spork S, Lucius R, Dieterich C
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The phylum Apicomplexa comprises important unicellular human parasites such as Toxoplasma and Plasmodium. Eimeria is the largest and most diverse genus of apicomplexan parasites and some species of the genus are the causative agent of coccidiosis, a disease economically devastating in poultry. We report a complete genome sequence of the mouse parasite Eimeria falciformis. We assembled and annotated the genome sequence to study host-parasite interactions in this understudied genus in a model organism host.
RESULTS: The genome of E. falciformis is 44 Mb in size and contains 5,879 predicted protein coding genes. Comparative analysis of E. falciformis with Toxoplasma gondii shows an emergence and diversification of gene families associated with motility and invasion mainly at the level of the Coccidia. Many rhoptry kinases, among them important virulence factors in T. gondii, are absent from the E. falciformis genome. Surface antigens are divergent between Eimeria species. Comparisons with T. gondii showed differences between genes involved in metabolism, N-glycan and GPI-anchor synthesis. E. falciformis possesses a reduced set of transmembrane transporters and we suggest an altered mode of iron uptake in the genus Eimeria.
CONCLUSIONS: Reduced diversity of genes required for host-parasite interaction and transmembrane transport allow hypotheses on host adaptation and specialization of a single host parasite. The E. falciformis genome sequence sheds light on the evolution of the Coccidia and helps to identify determinants of host-parasite interaction critical for drug and vaccine development.
PMID: 25142335 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
Jul 07
Dual Organellar Targeting of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases in Diatoms and Cryptophytes.
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Dual Organellar Targeting of Aminoacyl-tRNA Synthetases in Diatoms and Cryptophytes.
Genome Biol Evol. 2015;7(6):1728-42
Authors: Gile GH, Moog D, Slamovits CH, Maier UG, Archibald JM
Abstr…
Jul 07
Ancient homology of the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system points to an endosymbiotic origin of mitochondrial cristae.
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Ancient homology of the mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system points to an endosymbiotic origin of mitochondrial cristae.
Curr Biol. 2015 Jun 1;25(11):1489-95
Authors: Muñoz-Gómez SA, Slamovits CH, Dacks JB, Baier KA, Spencer KD, Wideman JG
Abstract
Mitochondria are eukaryotic organelles that originated from an endosymbiotic α-proteobacterium. As an adaptation to maximize ATP production through oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondria contain inner membrane invaginations called cristae. Recent work has characterized a multi-protein complex in yeast and animal mitochondria called MICOS (mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system), responsible for the determination and maintenance of cristae [1-4]. However, the origin and evolution of these characteristic mitochondrial features remain obscure. We therefore conducted a comprehensive search for MICOS components across the major groups that encompass eukaryotic diversity to determine the extent of conservation of this complex. We detected homologs for the majority of MICOS components among opisthokonts (the group containing animals and fungi), but only Mic60 and Mic10 were consistently identified outside this group. The conservation of Mic60 and Mic10 in eukaryotes is consistent with their central role in MICOS function [5-7], indicating that the basic mechanism for cristae determination arose early in evolution and has remained relatively unchanged. We found that eukaryotes with ultrastructurally simplified anaerobic mitochondria that lack cristae have also lost MICOS. We then searched for a prokaryotic MICOS and identified a homolog of Mic60 present only in α-proteobacteria, providing evidence for the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondrial cristae. Our study clarifies the origins of mitochondrial cristae and their subsequent evolutionary history, provides evidence for a general mechanism of cristae formation and maintenance in eukaryotes, and points to a new potential factor involved in membrane differentiation in prokaryotes.
PMID: 26004762 [PubMed – in process]
Jul 07
Gene fusion, fission, lateral transfer, and loss: Not-so-rare events in the evolution of eukaryotic ATP citrate lyase.
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Gene fusion, fission, lateral transfer, and loss: Not-so-rare events in the evolution of eukaryotic ATP citrate lyase.
Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2015 May 27;91:12-16
Authors: Gawryluk RM, Eme L, Roger A…
Jul 07
Genomic Comparison of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella enterica Serovars Typhimurium, Enteritidis, Heidelberg, Hadar and Kentucky Isolates from Broiler Chickens.
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Genomic Comparison of Non-Typhoidal Salmonella enterica Serovars Typhimurium, Enteritidis, Heidelberg, Hadar and Kentucky Isolates from Broiler Chickens.
PLoS One. 2015;10(6):e0128773
Authors: Dha…
Jul 07
Ancient origin of the biosynthesis of lignin precursors.
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Ancient origin of the biosynthesis of lignin precursors.
Biol Direct. 2015;10:23
Authors: Labeeuw L, Martone PT, Boucher Y, Case RJ
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Lignin plays an important r…
Jul 07
Integration of plastids with their hosts: Lessons learned from dinoflagellates.
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Integration of plastids with their hosts: Lessons learned from dinoflagellates.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 May 20;
Authors: Dorrell RG, Howe CJ
Abstract
After their endosymbiotic…
Jul 07
Sterol Composition and Biosynthetic Genes of Vitrella brassicaformis, A Recently Discovered Chromerid: Comparison to Chromera velia and Phylogenetic Relationship to Apicomplexan Parasites.
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Sterol Composition and Biosynthetic Genes of Vitrella brassicaformis, A Recently Discovered Chromerid: Comparison to Chromera velia and Phylogenetic Relationship to Apicomplexan Parasites.
J Eukaryot Microbiol. 2015 May 20;
Authors: Khadka M, Salem M, Leblond JD
Abstract
Vitrella brassicaformis is the second discovered species in the Chromerida, and first in the family Vitrellaceae. Chromera velia, the first discovered species, forms an independent photosynthetic lineage with V. brassicaformis, and both are closely related to peridinin-containing dinoflagellates and non-photosynthetic apicomplexans; both also show phylogenetic closeness with red algal plastids.. We have utilized gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to identify two free sterols, 24-ethylcholest-5-en-3β-ol, and a minor unknown sterol which appeared to be a C28:4 compound. We have also used RNA Seq analysis to identify seven genes found in the non-mevalonate/methylerythritol pathway (MEP) for sterol biosynthesis. Subsequent genome analysis of V. brassicaformis showed the presence of two mevalonate (MVA) pathway genes, though the genes were not observed in the transcriptome analysis. Transcripts from four genes (dxr, ispf, ispd, and idi) were selected and translated into proteins to study the phylogenetic relationship of sterol biosynthesis in V. brassicaformis and C. velia to other groups of algae and apicomplexans. Based on our genomic and transcriptomic analyses, we hypothesize that the MEP pathway was the primary pathway that apicomplexans used for sterol biosynthesis before they lost their sterol biosynthesis ability, although contribution of the MVA pathway cannot be discounted. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID: 25996517 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
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