title: Toxoplasma gondii chromodomain protein 1 binds to heterochromatin and colocalises with centromeres and telomeres at the nuclear periphery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for some of the most deadly parasitic diseases afflicting humans, including malaria and toxoplasmosis. These obligate intracellular parasites exhibit a complex life cycle and a coordinated cell cycle-dependant expression program. Their cell division is a coordinated multistep process. How this complex mechanism is organised remains poorly understood.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we provide evidence for a link between heterochromatin, cell division and the compartmentalisation of the nucleus in Toxoplasma gondii. We characterised a T. gondii chromodomain containing protein (named TgChromo1) that specifically binds to heterochromatin. Using ChIP-on-chip on a genome-wide scale, we report TgChromo1 enrichment at the peri-centromeric chromatin. In addition, we demonstrate that TgChromo1 is cell-cycle regulated and co-localised with markers of the centrocone. Through the loci-specific FISH technique for T. gondii, we confirmed that TgChromo1 occupies the same nuclear localisation as the peri-centromeric sequences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that TgChromo1 may play a role in the sequestration of chromosomes at the nuclear periphery and in the process of T. gondii cell division.
authors.affiliation: Center for Infection and Immunity of Lillle, CNRS UMR 8204, INSERM U 1019, Université Lille Nord de France, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France. Stan.Tomavo@pasteur-lille.fr
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gissot
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delhaye
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huot
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hot
authors.forename: Stanislas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomavo
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002503:Centromere / Q000378:metabolism*; D006570:Heterochromatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000378:metabolism*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006570:Heterochromatin; D015800:Protozoan Proteins