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Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying cell-surface variability in protozoa and fungi

Kevin J Verstrepen1, Gerald R Fink

  • 1Laboratory for Systems Biology, VIB, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium. kevin.verstrepen@biw.vib-kuleuven.be

Annual Review of Genetics
|July 31, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Microbial cell surface variability, crucial for adaptation and immune evasion, is achieved through similar gene structures and epigenetic mechanisms in diverse eukaryotes like fungi and protozoa.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Eukaryotic microorganisms utilize cell surface variability for adaptation and immune evasion.
  • Fungi (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans) and protozoa (e.g., Trypanosoma cruzi, Plasmodium falciparum) possess large gene families encoding cell surface adhesins.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate unexpected similarities in cell surface gene families across divergent microbial eukaryotes.
  • To explore the role of genomic organization, repetitive DNA, and regulatory mechanisms in generating cell surface diversity.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of cell surface gene families in yeasts and protozoa.
  • Examination of gene structure, genomic location, and repetitive DNA elements.
  • Investigation of genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms controlling gene expression.

Main Results:

  • Identified conserved structural features and genomic locations of cell surface adhesin gene families.
  • Highlighted the significant role of repetitive DNA sequences in facilitating gene family expansion and variation.
  • Demonstrated that differential gene expression and silencing contribute to cell surface variability.

Conclusions:

  • Despite evolutionary divergence, microbes share common strategies for generating cell surface variability.
  • Genomic architecture and epigenetic control are key drivers of microbial surface diversity, impacting adherence and immune evasion.

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