Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of bloodstream Trypanosoma brucei reconstructs cell cycle progression and developmental quorum sensing

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 5268
• Main Authors: Briggs, Emma M., Rojas, Federico, McCulloch, Richard, Matthews, Keith R., Otto, Thomas D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 06.09.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 14/1; 14/63; 38/39; 38/62; 38/90; 38/91; 631/114; 631/136/142; 631/326/417; Animals; Cell cycle; Cell Cycle - genetics; Cell Cycle - physiology; Differentiation; Failure analysis; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Mutation; Parasites; Protozoan Proteins - genetics; Quorum Sensing; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sequence Analysis, RNA - methods; Single-Cell Analysis; Transcriptomes; Trypanosoma brucei; Trypanosoma brucei brucei - cytology; Trypanosoma brucei brucei - genetics; Trypanosoma brucei brucei - physiology; Trypanosome
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25607-2

Developmental steps in the trypanosome life-cycle involve transition between replicative and non-replicative forms specialised for survival in, and transmission between, mammalian and tsetse fly hosts. Here, using oligopeptide-induced differentiation in vitro, we model the progressive development of replicative ‘slender’ to transmissible ‘stumpy’ bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei and capture the transcriptomes of 8,599 parasites using single cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq). Using this framework, we detail the relative order of biological events during asynchronous development, profile dynamic gene expression patterns and identify putative regulators. We additionally map the cell cycle of proliferating parasites and position stumpy cell-cycle exit at early G1 before progression to a distinct G0 state. A null mutant for one transiently elevated developmental regulator, ZC3H20 is further analysed by scRNA-seq, identifying its point of failure in the developmental atlas. This approach provides a paradigm for the dissection of differentiation events in parasites, relevant to diverse transitions in pathogen biology. Trypanosoma brucei undergoes developmental steps during host infection. Here, using oligopeptide-induced differentiation in vitro, authors model replicative ‘slender’ to transmissible ‘stumpy’ bloodstream forms and identify developmental and cell cycle regulators by single cell transcriptomics.