Parasitology

Biography

Biography: Anzhelika Butenko

Abstract

Kinetoplastids (Euglenozoa, Kinetoplastea) is a widespread group of single-cell eukaryotes, which includes free-living kinetoplastids and parasitic trypanosomatids. Trypanosomatids can be restricted to one host (monoxenous) or have a life cycle involving two hosts (dixenous). The latter group contains Trypanosoma and Leishmania species pathogenic for vertebrates, and plant parasites Phytomonas. Comparative genomic analysis of a free-living kinetoplastid, Bodo saltans and several trypanosomatids has illuminated some key traits accompanying emergence of parasitism in thios group. Our analysis of 13 kinetoplastid genomes (including the genomes of Leptomonas pyrrhocoris, Leptomonas seymouri, Blechomonas ayalai and Paratrypanosoma confusum sequenced by us) revealed that the adoption of the parasitic lifestyle led to the loss of about 50% of the genes. Among these are genes belonging to metabolic pathways of lysine and histidine catabolism and aromatic amino-acid degradation. The acquisition of novel genes for pteridine reduction, threonine dehydration, the urea cycle, protection against ROS, and diaminopimelate metabolism was also documented. B. saltans and trypanosomatids still share some metabolic traits such as glycosomes, a unique set of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway genes, an ATP-phosphofructokinase, an alternative oxidase, synthesis of fatty acids via a set of elongases and a few others. We also searched for meiosis-associated genes and performed the recombination analysis using genomes of 6 L. pyrrhocoris isolates originated from Central America. The results indicate the presence of meiosis-related genes in L. pyrrhocoris surprisingly accompanied by the absence of recombination.