Gayathri, Govindaraju and Jabeena, CA. and Devadathan, V S and Nivethika, Rajaram and Arumugam, Rajavelu (2017) DNA methyltransferase homologue TRDMT1 in Plasmodium falciparum specifically methylates endogenous aspartic acid tRNA. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1860 (10). pp. 1047-1057. ISSN 1878-2434

Text DNA methyltransferase homologue (Biochim Biophys Acta).pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (1093Kb) | Request a copy

Abstract

In eukaryotes, cytosine methylation regulates diverse biological processes such as gene expression, development and maintenance of genomic integrity. However, cytosine methylation and its functions in pathogenic apicomplexan protozoans remain enigmatic. To address this, here we investigated the presence of cytosine methylation in the nucleic acids of the protozoan Plasmodium falciparum. Interestingly, P. falciparum has TRDMT1, a conserved homologue of DNA methyltransferase DNMT2. However, we found that TRDMT1 did not methylate DNA, in vitro. We demonstrate that TRDMT1 methylates cytosine in the endogenous aspartic acid tRNA of P. falciparum. Through RNA bisulfite sequencing, we mapped the position of 5-methyl cytosine in aspartic acid tRNA and found methylation only at C38 position. P. falciparum proteome has significantly higher aspartic acid content and a higher proportion of proteins with poly aspartic acid repeats than other apicomplexan pathogenic protozoans. Proteins with such repeats are functionally important, with significant roles in host-pathogen interactions. Therefore, TRDMT1 mediated C38 methylation of aspartic acid tRNA might play a critical role by translational regulation of important proteins and modulate the pathogenicity of the malarial parasite.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Plasmodium RNA Epigenetics tRNA methylation and cytosine methyltransferase
Subjects:	Tropical Disease Biology
Depositing User:	Central Library RGCB
Date Deposited:	19 Apr 2018 06:22
Last Modified:	19 Apr 2018 06:22
URI:	http://rgcb.sciencecentral.in/id/eprint/542

Actions (login required)

View Item