The National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology of Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), in collaboration with the Hubei Hongshan Laboratory and Professor Shen Bang's team from the College of Veterinary Medicine of HZAU, recently published a research paper entitled "Regulation of the developmental programs in Toxoplasma by a novel SNF2L-containing chromatin remodeling complex" in Nature Communications.

This study delves into the regulatory mechanisms of the chromatin remodeling complex SNF2L in the differentiation and development of Toxoplasma.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite capable of inducing miscarriages in pregnant women and animals, birth defects in offspring, and fatalities in immunocompromised individuals, thus posing a substantial threat to global public health and animal husbandry.

After years of dedicated research, Professor Shen Bang's team unveiled a Toxoplasma chromatin remodeling complex anchored by SNF2L. This complex includes the pivotal transcription factor AP2X-4 and two newly discovered regulatory factors, SLIF1 and SLIF2, which play essential roles in regulating gene expression, division patterns, and other vital life processes during development. Through dynamic adjustments in chromatin accessibility and harmonization with other gene regulatory mechanisms, these factors precisely activate or suppress specific gene programs, ensuring alignment between the parasite's growth and development processes and its life cycle stages.

The SNF2L complex suppresses endodyogeny and exogenous budding during the schizogonic phase. [Photo/news.hzau.edu.cn]

This groundbreaking discovery sheds light on the indispensable role of a novel chromatin remodeling complex in the differentiation and development of Toxoplasma, offering a fresh perspective on understanding the regulation of life processes at various developmental stages of the parasite. Furthermore, it presents innovative avenues for designing vaccines and medications aimed at impeding the transmission of Toxoplasma.