Alternative splicing of COQ-2 determines the choice between ubiquinone and rhodoquinone biosynthesis in helminths
Tan, J. H.; Lautens, M.; Laura Romanelli-Cedrez, L.; Wang, J.; Schertzberg, M. R.; Reinl, S. R.; Davis, R. E.; Shepherd, J. N.; Salinas, G.; Fraser, A.
Show abstract
Parasitic helminths use two benzoquinones as electron carriers in the electron transport chain. In aerobic environments they use ubiquinone (UQ) but in anaerobic environments inside the host, they require rhodoquinone (RQ) and greatly increase RQ levels. The switch to RQ synthesis is driven by substrate selection by the polyprenyltransferase COQ-2 but the mechanisms underlying this substrate choice are unknown. We found that helminths make two coq-2 isoforms, coq-2a and coq-2e, by alternative splicing. COQ-2a is homologous to COQ2 from other eukaryotes but the COQ-2e-specific exon is only found in species that make RQ and its inclusion changes the enzyme core. We show COQ-2e is required for RQ synthesis and for survival in cyanide in C. elegans. Crucially, we see a switch from COQ-2a to COQ-2e as parasites transition into anaerobic environments. We conclude that under anaerobic conditions helminths switch from UQ to RQ synthesis via alternative splicing of coq-2.
Matching journals
The top 3 journals account for 50% of the predicted probability mass.
Similar papers in this journal
- Characterization of the Endogenous DAF-12 Ligand and Its Use as an Anthelmintic Agent in Strongyloides stercoralis 97%
- Neuronal temperature perception induces specific defenses that enable C. elegans to cope with the enhanced reactivity of hydrogen peroxide at high temperature 96%
- Resolving the origins of secretory products and anthelmintic responses in a human parasitic nematode at single-cell resolution. 95%
Similar papers in this journal
- A druggable oxidative folding pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum of human malaria parasites 95%
- Parasitic nematode fatty acid- and retinol-binding proteins compromise host immunity by interfering with host lipid signaling pathways 94%
- A malaria parasite phospholipase facilitates efficient asexual blood stage egress 94%
Similar papers in this journal
- Genetic and functional diversification of chemosensory pathway receptors in filarial nematode parasites 94%
- DAF-16/FoxO and DAF-12/VDR control cellular plasticity both cell-autonomously and via interorgan signaling 94%
- Functional analysis of conserved C. elegans bHLH family members uncovers lifespan control by a peptidergic hub neuron 94%
Similar papers in this journal
- The PfAP2-G2 transcription factor is a critical regulator of gametocyte maturation 94%
- Leaderless short ORFs in mycobacteria comprise a translational regulon 94%
- Roles and interactions of the specialized initiation factors EIF4E2, EIF4E5 and EIF4E6 in Trypanosoma brucei: EIF4E2 maintains the abundances of S-phase mRNAs 94%
Similar papers in this journal
- Plasmodium condensin core subunits (SMC2/SMC4) mediate atypical mitosis and are essential for parasite proliferation and transmission 95%
- Alternative somatic and germline gene-regulatory strategies during starvation-induced developmental arrest 94%
- The neuropeptide receptor NMUR-1 regulates the specificity of C. elegans innate immunity against pathogen infection 94%
"Similar papers" are the closest papers from that journal in the model's embedding space. They show what the match is built on, but the ranking comes mostly from a classifier over the whole training set, not from these examples alone.