Taenia solium TAF6 and TAF9 bind to a downstream promoter element present in the Tstbp1 gene core promoter

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 19; no. 8; p. e0306633
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Lima, Oscar, García-Gutiérrez, Ponciano, Jiménez, Lucía, Velázquez-Villegas, Laura A, Zarain-Herzberg, Angel, Lazzarini, Roberto, Estrada, Karel, Landa, Abraham
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 29.08.2024; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Activator protein 1; Analysis; Animals; Assaying; Binding Sites; Biology and Life Sciences; Cloning; Control; DNA binding proteins; Electrophoretic mobility; Gene amplification; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Gene regulation; Genetic aspects; Genomics; Helminth Proteins - genetics; Helminth Proteins - metabolism; Histones; Identification and classification; Insects; Interaction models; Laboratory animals; Methods; Molecular dynamics; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Nucleotides; Parasites; Physical Sciences; Pork tapeworm; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Promoters (Genetics); Protein Binding; Proteins; Research and Analysis Methods; RNA polymerase; Taenia solium; Taenia solium - genetics; Taenia solium - metabolism; TATA-binding protein; TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors - genetics; TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factors - metabolism; TATA-Box Binding Protein - genetics; TATA-Box Binding Protein - metabolism; Transcription factors; Transcription initiation; Transcription Initiation Site; YY1 protein; Mexico; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306633

Transcription regulation in cestodes has been little studied. Here, we characterize the Taenia solium TATA-binding protein (TBP) gene. We found binding sites for transcription factors such as NF1, YY1, and AP-1 in the proximal promoter. We also identified two TATA-like elements in the promoter; however, neither could bind TBP. Additionally, we mapped the transcription start site (A+1) within an initiator and identified a putative downstream promoter element (DPE) located at +27 bp relative to the transcription start site. These two elements are important and functional for gene expression. Moreover, we identified the genes encoding T. solium TBP-Associated Factor 6 (TsTAF6) and 9 (TsTAF9). A Western blot assay revealed that both factors are expressed in the parasite; electrophoretic mobility shift assays and super-shift assays revealed interactions between the DPE probe and TsTAF6-TsTAF9. Finally, we used molecular dynamics simulations to formulate an interaction model among TsTAF6, TsTAF9, and the DPE probe; we stabilized the model with interactions between the histone fold domain pair in TAFs and several pairs of nucleotides in the DPE probe. We discuss novel and interesting features of the TsTAF6-TsTAF9 complex for interaction with DPE on T. solium promoters.