title: The mRNAs associated to a zinc finger protein from Trypanosoma cruzi shift during stress conditions.
abstract: Trypanosome gene expression is regulated almost exclusively at the posttranscriptional level, through mRNA stability, storage and degradation. Here, we characterize the ribonucleoprotein complex (mRNPs) corresponding to the zinc finger protein TcZC3H39 from T. cruzi comparing cells growing in normal conditions and under nutritional stress. The nutritional stress is a key step during T. cruzi differentiation from epimastigote form to human infective metacyclic trypomastigote form. The mechanisms by which the stress, altogether with other stimuli, triggers differentiation is not well understood. This work aims to characterize the TcZC3H39 protein during stress response. Using cells cultured in normal and stress conditions, we observed a dynamic change in TcZC3H39 granule distribution, which appeared broader in stressed epimastigotes. The protein core of the TcZC3H39-mRNP is composed of ribosomes, translation factors and RBPs. The TcZC3H39-mRNP could act sequestering highly expressed mRNAs and their associated ribosomes, potentially slowing translation in stress conditions. A shift were observed in the mRNAs associated with TcZC3H39: the number of targets in unstressed epimastigotes was smaller than that in stressed parasites, with no clear functional clustering in normal conditions. By contrast, in stressed parasites, the targets of TcZC3H39 were mRNAs encoding ribosomal proteins and a remarkable enrichment in mRNAs for the cytochrome c complex (COX), highly expressed mRNAs in the replicative form. This identification of a new component of RNA granules in T. cruzi, the TcZC3H39 protein, provides new insight into the mechanisms involved in parasite stress responses and the regulation of gene expression during T. cruzi differentiation.
authors.forename: Lysangela Ronalte
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Patrícia Alves
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mörking
authors.forename: Rafael Luis
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: Sharon Toledo
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Bruno Accioly Alves
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Fabricio Kerrynton
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Marchini
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D010802:Phylogeny; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000378:metabolism; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012270:Ribosomes; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012261:Ribonucleoproteins
keywords: Trypanosoma cruzi; gene expression; mRNPs; posttranscriptional regulation; regulon; stress response; zinc finger