Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2 W1, Canada.
Epigenetics Chromatin. 2013 Nov 19;6(1):40. doi: 10.1186/1756-8935-6-40.
The remarkable ability of many parasites to evade host immunity is the key to their success and pervasiveness. The immune evasion is directly linked to the silencing of the members of extended families of genes that encode for major parasite antigens. At any time only one of these genes is active. Infrequent switches to other members of the gene family help the parasites elude the immune system and cause prolonged maladies. For most pathogens, the detailed mechanisms of gene silencing and switching are poorly understood. On the other hand, studies in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have revealed similar mechanisms of gene repression and switching and have provided significant insights into the molecular basis of these phenomena. This information is becoming increasingly relevant to the genetics of the parasites. Here we summarize recent advances in parasite epigenetics and emphasize the similarities between S. cerevisiae and pathogens such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Candida, and Pneumocystis. We also outline current challenges in the control and the treatment of the diseases caused by these parasites and link them to epigenetics and the wealth of knowledge acquired from budding yeast.
许多寄生虫逃避宿主免疫的非凡能力是它们成功和普遍存在的关键。免疫逃避与编码主要寄生虫抗原的基因的扩展家族成员的沉默直接相关。在任何时候，只有这些基因中的一个是活跃的。偶尔切换到基因家族的其他成员有助于寄生虫逃避免疫系统并导致长期疾病。对于大多数病原体，基因沉默和切换的详细机制了解甚少。另一方面，芽殖酵母酿酒酵母的研究揭示了类似的基因抑制和切换机制，并为这些现象的分子基础提供了重要的见解。这些信息对寄生虫遗传学越来越重要。在这里，我们总结了寄生虫表观遗传学的最新进展，并强调了酿酒酵母与疟原虫、锥虫、假丝酵母和卡氏肺孢子虫等病原体之间的相似性。我们还概述了控制和治疗这些寄生虫引起的疾病的当前挑战，并将其与表观遗传学以及从芽殖酵母获得的丰富知识联系起来。
