Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Replication Protein A (RPA), the major single stranded DNA binding protein in eukaryotes, is composed of three subunits and is a fundamental player in DNA metabolism, participating in replication, transcription, repair, and the DNA damage response. In human pathogenic trypanosomatids, only limited s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Raphael Souza Pavani, Marcelo Santos da Silva, Carlos Alexandre Henrique Fernandes, Flavia Souza Morini, Christiane Bezerra Araujo, Marcos Roberto de Mattos Fontes, Osvaldo Augusto Sant'Anna, Carlos Renato Machado, Maria Isabel Cano, Stenio Perdigão Fragoso, Maria Carolina Elias
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-12-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005181&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850076597496840192
author Raphael Souza Pavani
Marcelo Santos da Silva
Carlos Alexandre Henrique Fernandes
Flavia Souza Morini
Christiane Bezerra Araujo
Marcos Roberto de Mattos Fontes
Osvaldo Augusto Sant'Anna
Carlos Renato Machado
Maria Isabel Cano
Stenio Perdigão Fragoso
Maria Carolina Elias
author_facet Raphael Souza Pavani
Marcelo Santos da Silva
Carlos Alexandre Henrique Fernandes
Flavia Souza Morini
Christiane Bezerra Araujo
Marcos Roberto de Mattos Fontes
Osvaldo Augusto Sant'Anna
Carlos Renato Machado
Maria Isabel Cano
Stenio Perdigão Fragoso
Maria Carolina Elias
author_sort Raphael Souza Pavani
collection DOAJ
description Replication Protein A (RPA), the major single stranded DNA binding protein in eukaryotes, is composed of three subunits and is a fundamental player in DNA metabolism, participating in replication, transcription, repair, and the DNA damage response. In human pathogenic trypanosomatids, only limited studies have been performed on RPA-1 from Leishmania. Here, we performed in silico, in vitro and in vivo analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi RPA-1 and RPA-2 subunits. Although computational analysis suggests similarities in DNA binding and Ob-fold structures of RPA from T. cruzi compared with mammalian and fungi RPA, the predicted tridimensional structures of T. cruzi RPA-1 and RPA-2 indicated that these molecules present a more flexible tertiary structure, suggesting that T. cruzi RPA could be involved in additional responses. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that the T. cruzi RPA complex interacts with DNA via RPA-1 and is directly related to canonical functions, such as DNA replication and DNA damage response. Accordingly, a reduction of TcRPA-2 expression by generating heterozygous knockout cells impaired cell growth, slowing down S-phase progression. Moreover, heterozygous knockout cells presented a better efficiency in differentiation from epimastigote to metacyclic trypomastigote forms and metacyclic trypomastigote infection. Taken together, these findings indicate the involvement of TcRPA in the metacyclogenesis process and suggest that a delay in cell cycle progression could be linked with differentiation in T. cruzi.
format Article
id doaj-art-d4daab4b9a7e43f4bfa91c80f30e5c80
institution DOAJ
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
publishDate 2016-12-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-d4daab4b9a7e43f4bfa91c80f30e5c802025-08-20T02:46:00ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352016-12-011012e000518110.1371/journal.pntd.0005181Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.Raphael Souza PavaniMarcelo Santos da SilvaCarlos Alexandre Henrique FernandesFlavia Souza MoriniChristiane Bezerra AraujoMarcos Roberto de Mattos FontesOsvaldo Augusto Sant'AnnaCarlos Renato MachadoMaria Isabel CanoStenio Perdigão FragosoMaria Carolina EliasReplication Protein A (RPA), the major single stranded DNA binding protein in eukaryotes, is composed of three subunits and is a fundamental player in DNA metabolism, participating in replication, transcription, repair, and the DNA damage response. In human pathogenic trypanosomatids, only limited studies have been performed on RPA-1 from Leishmania. Here, we performed in silico, in vitro and in vivo analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi RPA-1 and RPA-2 subunits. Although computational analysis suggests similarities in DNA binding and Ob-fold structures of RPA from T. cruzi compared with mammalian and fungi RPA, the predicted tridimensional structures of T. cruzi RPA-1 and RPA-2 indicated that these molecules present a more flexible tertiary structure, suggesting that T. cruzi RPA could be involved in additional responses. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that the T. cruzi RPA complex interacts with DNA via RPA-1 and is directly related to canonical functions, such as DNA replication and DNA damage response. Accordingly, a reduction of TcRPA-2 expression by generating heterozygous knockout cells impaired cell growth, slowing down S-phase progression. Moreover, heterozygous knockout cells presented a better efficiency in differentiation from epimastigote to metacyclic trypomastigote forms and metacyclic trypomastigote infection. Taken together, these findings indicate the involvement of TcRPA in the metacyclogenesis process and suggest that a delay in cell cycle progression could be linked with differentiation in T. cruzi.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005181&type=printable
spellingShingle Raphael Souza Pavani
Marcelo Santos da Silva
Carlos Alexandre Henrique Fernandes
Flavia Souza Morini
Christiane Bezerra Araujo
Marcos Roberto de Mattos Fontes
Osvaldo Augusto Sant'Anna
Carlos Renato Machado
Maria Isabel Cano
Stenio Perdigão Fragoso
Maria Carolina Elias
Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.
title_full Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.
title_fullStr Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.
title_full_unstemmed Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.
title_short Replication Protein A Presents Canonical Functions and Is Also Involved in the Differentiation Capacity of Trypanosoma cruzi.
title_sort replication protein a presents canonical functions and is also involved in the differentiation capacity of trypanosoma cruzi
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005181&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT raphaelsouzapavani replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT marcelosantosdasilva replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT carlosalexandrehenriquefernandes replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT flaviasouzamorini replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT christianebezerraaraujo replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT marcosrobertodemattosfontes replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT osvaldoaugustosantanna replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT carlosrenatomachado replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT mariaisabelcano replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT stenioperdigaofragoso replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi
AT mariacarolinaelias replicationproteinapresentscanonicalfunctionsandisalsoinvolvedinthedifferentiationcapacityoftrypanosomacruzi