Dual RNA-seq of Orientia tsutsugamushi informs on host-pathogen interactions for this neglected intracellular human pathogen

Bozena Mika-Gospodorz, Suparat Giengkam, Alexander J. Westermann, Jantana Wongsantichon, Willow Kion-Crosby, Suthida Chuenklin, Loo Chien Wang, Piyanate Sunyakumthorn, Radoslaw M. Sobota, Selvakumar Subbian, Jörg Vogel, Lars Barquist () and Jeanne Salje ()
Additional contact information
Bozena Mika-Gospodorz: Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
Suparat Giengkam: Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
Alexander J. Westermann: Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
Jantana Wongsantichon: Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
Willow Kion-Crosby: Rutgers, the State Univeristy of New Jersey
Suthida Chuenklin: Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University
Loo Chien Wang: Functional Proteomics Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Piyanate Sunyakumthorn: Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences
Radoslaw M. Sobota: Functional Proteomics Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Selvakumar Subbian: Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers University
Jörg Vogel: Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
Lars Barquist: Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI)
Jeanne Salje: Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract Studying emerging or neglected pathogens is often challenging due to insufficient information and absence of genetic tools. Dual RNA-seq provides insights into host-pathogen interactions, and is particularly informative for intracellular organisms. Here we apply dual RNA-seq to Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot), an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes the vector-borne human disease scrub typhus. Half the Ot genome is composed of repetitive DNA, and there is minimal collinearity in gene order between strains. Integrating RNA-seq, comparative genomics, proteomics, and machine learning to study the transcriptional architecture of Ot, we find evidence for wide-spread post-transcriptional antisense regulation. Comparing the host response to two clinical isolates, we identify distinct immune response networks for each strain, leading to predictions of relative virulence that are validated in a mouse infection model. Thus, dual RNA-seq can provide insight into the biology and host-pathogen interactions of a poorly characterized and genetically intractable organism such as Ot.

Date: 2020
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17094-8 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-17094-8

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17094-8

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().