How Epigenetic Mechanisms Contribute to Host-Parasite Interactions

Epigenetic regulation is critical for gene expression responses to diverse signals including infection and immune challenges. Modulation of the epigenetic landscape can generate both rapid responses and long-term memory that allow cells to adapt to environmental cues and stressful events. In this context, infection by intracellular parasites can have lasting effects that lead to life-threatening diseases in human and animal hosts. There is growing evidence that intracellular parasites can manipulate host cells through epigenetic mechanisms that alter host genome expression and signaling pathways. Furthermore, parasites themselves can display elaborate epigenetic mechanisms to regulate their genome functions during the interactions with host cells. Studies on the epigenetics of parasites and hosts can shed light on their intimate interactions and highlight targets for therapeutic interventions.

Intracellular parasites have evolved sophisticated strategies to manipulate their host cells in order to survive and thrive. A wide range of protozoan parasites illustrate the fascinating mechanisms that exploit epigenetic mechanisms to regulate gene expression of both the parasite and host genomes. Examples of parasites that have attracted much attention, include Plasmodium and Leishmania that cause life-threatening human diseases. As well as other related parasites such as Toxoplasma, Babesia, Theileria, Crypstosporidium andTrypanosoma, which can affect both humans and animals. Many studies in recent years have converged on understanding the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation in parasites and the strategies that they employ to manipulate their hosts. These studies have highlighted both parasite-specific mechanisms and shared pathways. These advances raise the promise of targeting parasite or host epigenetic machineries to treat disease.

This Research Topic will focus on these exciting recent advances and how these epigenetic events contribute to the dynamics of host-parasite interactions. Areas to cover may include:

• Host Epigenetics: reprogramming of host genome functions by intracellular parasites;
• Parasite Epigenetics: the epigenome landscape and parasite epigenetic machineries;
• Modulation of host-immune responses by the epigenetic changes upon parasite infection;
• Developing drugs to target the epi-interaction between host and parasites;
• Unique features of parasite genomes and epigenetics machineries;
• Shared features of parasite-host interactions;
• New technologies to explore the epigenetics of host-parasite interactions;
• Evolutionary insights comparing strategies employed by different parasites.