Biology subjects

Hakimi, M.-A.

Publications and source records attributed to Hakimi, M.-A..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Genome-wide chromatin reset at the onset of leg regeneration in pancrustaceans

Regeneration requires injured tissues to selectively reactivate certain developmental programs while triggering regeneration-specific mechanisms and responding to the immediate consequences of tissue damage. How chromatin states are reorganized during this transition, and whether the underlying sequence of regulatory events is conserved across regenerating animals, remain poorly understood. We address these questions in the two-spotted cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, in which limb regeneration progressively declines during nymphal development and is absent in adults, and extend our analysis to the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis. We first establish a chromosome-scale genomic and epigenomic framework for the cricket and then follow chromatin and transcriptional changes after limb amputation. Amputation triggers a striking genome-wide shutdown of enhancer-associated chromatin, marked by loss of accessible regulatory regions and depletion of H3K27ac and H3K4me1. This is followed, in regeneration-competent tissue, by selective reopening of a restricted population of regulatory elements and strong induction of the pioneer transcription factor Zelda (GbZelda). The GbZelda locus is unusually marked by both H3K27me3 and H3K9me3 in intact leg tissue; after injury, H3K9me3 is reduced broadly, whereas H3K27me3 is selectively relieved in regenerating nymphs. Finally, analysis of Parhyale reveals the same sequence of chromatin events during appendage regeneration: an initial enhancer shutdown followed by selective regulatory reopening concomitant with Zelda upregulation. Thus, rather than restoring the pre-injury regulatory landscape wholesale, appendage regeneration in these two pancrustacean models proceeds through a conserved sequence of genome-wide chromatin resetting, selective regulatory reopening and activation of a pioneer transcription factor.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Mechanistic insights into the activity of Benzoxaboroles against Cryptosporidium parvum: CPSF3 targeting and resistance implications

Benzoxaboroles are emerging as promising treatments against a broad range of protozoan parasites, including Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Cryptosporidium. We previously demonstrated that the benzoxaborole compound AN3661 inhibits the endonuclease activity of CPSF3 in Cryptosporidium hominis, likely by disrupting pre-mRNA processing, which in turn limits parasite growth. In this study, we further explored its mode of action and found that a specific mutation (Y385N) in CPSF3 of C. parvum confers strong resistance to AN3661. Interestingly, this mutation does not affect the parasites sensitivity to two other benzoxaboroles, AN13762 and AN7973, which are also thought to target CpCPSF3. All three compounds interfered with mRNA processing in C. parvum, consistent with inhibition of CPSF3 complex activity, and showed parasiticidal activity, especially during the late stages of merogony, blocking parasite egress. Two of them also impaired gamogony. In T. gondii, AN7973 remained effective against several strains carrying mutations within TgCPSF3 that confer resistance to AN3661 and AN13762, suggesting that it might represent an alternative chemotype targeting CPSF3 with the potential to overcome resistance. Notably, AN7973 successfully controlled severe infection in susceptible mice challenged with the AN3661-resistant C. parvum strain carrying the CpCPSF3Y385N mutation. Finally, we extended the known antiparasitic spectrum of AN3661 and AN7973 to include Eimeria tenella and Giardia duodenalis, two important pathogens in veterinary and human health. Altogether, our findings refine the understanding of CPSF3-targeting benzoxaboroles, identify alternative chemotypes with the potential to bypass resistance, and support their potential use in combination therapies to delay or prevent the emergence of drug resistance. Author summaryProtozoa are single-celled parasites that cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting both humans and animals. The development of new targeted therapies with highly selective compounds requires a detailed understanding of their mode of action and precise interactions with parasite targets. Benzoxaboroles are a potent class of molecules active against Cryptosporidium, with compound AN3661 known to inhibit the endonuclease activity of the Cleavage and Polyadenylation Specificity Factor 3 (CPSF3) in Cryptosporidium hominis. Here, we show that this inhibitory effect is critical during both asexual and sexual developmental stages and that tyrosine at position 385 of C. parvum CPSF3 plays a key role in its inhibition. A mutation at this site confers resistance to AN3661 both in vitro and in vivo, but not to two other benzoxaboroles, AN13762 and AN7973. Notably, all three compounds disrupted pre-mRNA processing in Cryptosporidium, consistent with inhibition of the CPSF3 complex. Using Toxoplasma, a related protozoan that allows more efficient genetic manipulation, we found that none of the six mutations conferring resistance to compounds AN3661 and AN13762 conferred resistance to compound AN7973. AN7973, which strongly inhibits both C. parvum and T. gondii, may therefore represent an alternative chemotype targeting CPSF3. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the antiparasitic spectrum of AN3661and AN7973 extends to include E. tenella and G. duodenalis, two important pathogens in veterinary and human health. Altogether, our results refine the understanding of three CPSF3-targeting benzoxaboroles in Cryptosporidium and identify compound AN7973 as capable of overcoming resistance to AN3661, thereby supporting the rationale for combination therapies to prevent the emergence of drug resistance.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2024

Hypermigration of macrophages through the concerted action of GRA effectors on NF-κB/p38 signaling and host chromatin accessibility potentiates Toxoplasma dissemination

Mononuclear phagocytes facilitate the dissemination of the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Here, we report how a set of secreted parasite effector proteins from dense granule organelles (GRA) orchestrates dendritic cell-like chemotactic and pro-inflammatory activation of parasitized macrophages. These effects enabled efficient dissemination of the type II T. gondii lineage, a highly prevalent genotype in humans. We identify novel functions for effectors GRA15 and GRA24 in promoting CCR7-mediated macrophage chemotaxis by acting on NF-{kappa}B and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, respectively, with contributions of GRA16/18 and counter-regulation by effector TEEGR. Further, GRA28 boosted chromatin accessibility and GRA15/24/NF-{kappa}B-dependent transcription at the Ccr7 gene locus in primary macrophages. In vivo, adoptively transferred macrophages infected with wild-type T. gondii outcompeted macrophages infected with a GRA15/24 double mutant in migrating to secondary organs in mice. The data show that T. gondii, rather than being passively shuttled, actively promotes its dissemination by inducing a finely regulated pro-migratory state in parasitized human and murine phagocytes via co-operating polymorphic GRA effectors. ImportanceIntracellular pathogens can hijack cellular functions of infected host cells to their advantage, for example, for intracellular survival and for dissemination. However, how microbes orchestrate the hijacking of complex cellular processes, such as host cell migration, remains poorly understood. As such, the common parasite Toxoplasma gondii actively invades immune cells of humans and other vertebrates and modifies their migratory properties. Here, we show that the concerted action of a number of secreted effector proteins from the parasite, principally GRA15 and GRA24, act on host cell signaling pathways to activate chemotaxis. Further, the protein effector GRA28 selectively acted on chromatin accessibility in the host cell nucleus to selectively boost host gene expression. The joint activities of effectors culminated in pro-migratory signaling within the infected phagocyte. We provide a molecular framework delineating how T. gondii can orchestrate a complex biological phenotype, such as the migratory activation of phagocytes to boost dissemination.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2023

Toxoplasma gondii F-Box Protein L2 Silences Feline-Restricted Genes Necessary for Sexual Commitment

Toxoplasma gondii is a foodborne pathogen that can cause severe and life-threatening infections in fetuses and immunocompromised patients. Felids are its only definitive hosts, and a wide range of animals, including humans, serve as intermediate hosts. When the transmissible bradyzoite stage is orally ingested by felids, they transform into merozoites that expand asexually, ultimately generating millions of gametes for the parasite sexual cycle. However, bradyzoites in intermediate hosts differentiate exclusively to disease-causing tachyzoites, which rapidly disseminate throughout the host. Though tachyzoites are well-studied, the molecular mechanisms governing transitioning between developmental stages are poorly understood. Each parasite stage can be distinguished by a characteristic transcriptional signature, with one signature being repressed during the other stages. Switching between stages requires substantial changes in the proteome, which is achieved in part by ubiquitination. F-box proteins mediate protein poly-ubiquitination by recruiting substrates to SKP1, Cullin-1, F-Box protein E3 ubiquitin ligase (SCF-E3) complexes. We have identified an F-box protein named Toxoplasma gondii F-Box Protein L2 (TgFBXL2), which localizes to distinct nuclear sites. TgFBXL2 is stably engaged in an SCF-E3 complex that is surprisingly also associated with a COP9 signalosome complex that negatively regulates SCF-E3 function. At the cellular level, TgFBXL2-depleted parasites are severely defective in centrosome replication and daughter cell development. Most remarkable, RNA seq data show that TgFBXL2 conditional depletion induces the expression of genes necessary for sexual commitment. We suggest that TgFBXL2 is a latent guardian of sexual stage development in Toxoplasma and poised to remove conflicting proteins in response to an unknown trigger of sexual development. AUTHOR SUMMARYToxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that replicates sexually in felids and asexually in nearly all other mammals with each life stage having a specific transcriptional profile. When life stage specific transcription is not properly controlled, the parasite dies and therefore its important to understand what inhibits expression of sexual stage genes during asexual growth and vice versa. Here we identify a ubiquitin E3 ligase complex that inhibits sexual stage gene expression during asexual growth.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2019

Division and adaptation to host nutritional environment of apicomplexan parasites depend on apicoplast lipid metabolic plasticity and host organelles remodelling

Apicomplexan parasites are unicellular eukaryotes responsible for major human diseases including malaria and toxoplasmosis. Apicomplexan parasites must obtain and combine lipids both from host cell scavenging and de novo synthesis to maintain parasite propagation and survival within their human host. Major questions on the actual role for each lipid source or how these are regulated upon fluctuating host nutritional conditions remain unanswered. Characterization of an apicoplast acyltransferase TgATS2, shows that the apicoplast provides local (lyso)phosphatidic acid balance, which is required for the recruitment of a novel dynamin (TgDrpC) critical during parasite cytokinesis. Disruption of TgATS2 led parasites to shift metabolic lipid acquisition from de novo synthesis towards host scavenging. Importantly, both lipid scavenging and de novo synthesis pathways exhibit major metabolic and cellular plasticity upon sensing host lipid-deprived environments through concomitant (i) up-regulation of de novo fatty acid synthesis capacities in the apicoplast, and (ii) parasite-driven host cell remodelling to generate multi-membrane-bound structures from host organelles that are imported towards the parasite.

microbiology↗