Genome duplication in Leishmania major relies on persistent subtelomeric DNA replication
Abstract
DNA replication is needed to duplicate a cell's genome in S-phase and segregate it during cell division. Previous work in Leishmania detected DNA replication initiation at just a single region in each chromosome, an organisation predicted to be insufficient for complete genome duplication within S-phase. Here, we show that acetylated histone H3 (AcH3), base J and a kinetochore factor colocalise in each chromosome at only a single locus, which corresponds with previously mapped DNA replication initiation regions and is demarcated by localised G/T skew and G4 patterns. In addition, we describe previously undetected subtelomeric DNA replication in G2/M and G1 phase-enriched cells. Finally, we show that subtelomeric DNA replication, unlike chromosome-internal DNA replication, is sensitive to hydroxyurea and dependent on 9-1-1 activity. These findings indicate that Leishmania's genome duplication programme employs subtelomeric DNA replication initiation, possibly extending beyond S-phase, to support predominantly chromosome-internal DNA replication initiation within S-phase.
Data availability
Sequences used in this study have been deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive. Data can be accessed using the accession number PRJEB35027.
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Genome duplication in Leishmania major relies on unconventional subtelomeric DNA replicationEuropean Nucleotide Archive, PRJEB35027.
Article and author information
Author details
Funding
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/N016165/1)
- Luiz R O Tosi
- Richard McCulloch
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/R017166/1)
- Richard McCulloch
European Commission (RECREPEMLE)
- Jeziel Dener Damasceno
Wellcome (104111)
- Richard McCulloch
Medical Research Council (MR/S019472/1)
- Jeziel Dener Damasceno
- Richard McCulloch
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Copyright
© 2020, Damasceno et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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Further reading
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- Genetics and Genomics
- Microbiology and Infectious Disease
The sustained success of Mycobacterium tuberculosis as a pathogen arises from its ability to persist within macrophages for extended periods and its limited responsiveness to antibiotics. Furthermore, the high incidence of resistance to the few available antituberculosis drugs is a significant concern, especially since the driving forces of the emergence of drug resistance are not clear. Drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis can emerge through de novo mutations, however, mycobacterial mutation rates are low. To unravel the effects of antibiotic pressure on genome stability, we determined the genetic variability, phenotypic tolerance, DNA repair system activation, and dNTP pool upon treatment with current antibiotics using Mycobacterium smegmatis. Whole-genome sequencing revealed no significant increase in mutation rates after prolonged exposure to first-line antibiotics. However, the phenotypic fluctuation assay indicated rapid adaptation to antibiotics mediated by non-genetic factors. The upregulation of DNA repair genes, measured using qPCR, suggests that genomic integrity may be maintained through the activation of specific DNA repair pathways. Our results, indicating that antibiotic exposure does not result in de novo adaptive mutagenesis under laboratory conditions, do not lend support to the model suggesting antibiotic resistance development through drug pressure-induced microevolution.
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