Toxoplasma ubiquitin-like protease 1, a key enzyme in sumoylation and desumoylation pathways, is under the control of non-coding RNAs.

Sumoylation and desumoylation are reversible pathways responsible for modification of protein structures and functions by the reversible covalent attachment of a small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) peptide. These pathways are important for a wide range of cellular processes and require a steady supply of SUMO, which is generated by an enzymatic reaction catalysed by the ubiquitin-like protease (Ulp) family. Here we show by functional complementation analysis that the Ulp1 of Toxoplasma gondii (TgUlp1) can rescue a growth-deficient phenotype of a yeast-Ulp1 knockout. Recombinant TgUlp1 is an active enzyme capable of removing SUMO from a sumoylated substrate. Using a clonal transgenic strain of T. gondii expressing an epitope-tagged version of TgUlp1, we detected that the expression of TgUlp1 is modulated by Tg-miR-60, the most abundant species of micro RNA found in the T. gondii type 1 strain. The introduction of Tg-miR-60 inhibitor caused an increase in TgUlp1 expression and its enzymatic activity, as well as affecting the parasite's growth fitness. Moreover, we discovered a polyadenylated antisense RNA transcribed from the TgUlp1 locus, referred to as TgUlp1-NAT1 (TgUlp1-natural antisense transcript 1). Both Tg-miR-60 and TgUlp1-NAT1 confer a regulatory function by down-regulating the expression of TgUlp1 and affecting the sumoylation and desumoylation pathways in T. gondii.