A transcription factor regulates development of a bacteria-housing eukaryotic cell through DNA damage mitigation
Abstract
SignificanceIntracellular microorganisms are often confined to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes in invertebrates. Transcription factors play key roles in regulating bacteriocyte development, but underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous work demonstrates that the transcription factor Adf-1 suppresses cell death of whitefly bacteriocytes. Here, we unravel that Adf-1 induces the expression of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR ) gene in whitefly bacteriocytes. ATR negatively regulates DNA damage levels, apoptosis and autophagy of bacteriocytes, but positively regulates division and numbers of bacteriocytes. Thus, we identify a previously uncharacterized Adf-1-ATR regulatory pathway that safeguards whitefly bacteriocyte development and symbiosis by mitigating DNA damage. It highlights that DNA damage repair is indispensable for the functioning of evolutionarily novel cells like bacteriocytes.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026transcription,
title = {{A transcription factor regulates development of a bacteria-housing eukaryotic cell through DNA damage mitigation}},
author = {Na-Na Li and Shan Jiang and Ji-Sheng Hong and Federica Calevro and Kai-Heng Wei and Kun-Yu Lu and Jun-Bo Luan and Joan E Strassmann},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1073/pnas.26183101231of10},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05780619v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A transcription factor regulates development of a bacteria-housing eukaryotic cell through DNA damage mitigation
AU - Na-Na Li
AU - Shan Jiang
AU - Ji-Sheng Hong
AU - Federica Calevro
AU - Kai-Heng Wei
AU - Kun-Yu Lu
AU - Jun-Bo Luan
AU - Joan E Strassmann
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/24
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
DO - 10.1073/pnas.26183101231of10
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05780619v1
AB - SignificanceIntracellular microorganisms are often confined to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes in invertebrates. Transcription factors play key roles in regulating bacteriocyte development, but underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous work demonstrates that the transcription factor Adf-1 suppresses cell death of whitefly bacteriocytes. Here, we unravel that Adf-1 induces the expression of the ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR ) gene in whitefly bacteriocytes. ATR negatively regulates DNA damage levels, apoptosis and autophagy of bacteriocytes, but positively regulates division and numbers of bacteriocytes. Thus, we identify a previously uncharacterized Adf-1-ATR regulatory pathway that safeguards whitefly bacteriocyte development and symbiosis by mitigating DNA damage. It highlights that DNA damage repair is indispensable for the functioning of evolutionarily novel cells like bacteriocytes.
SN - 0027-8424
SN - 1091-6490
ER -