Abstract
Intestinal infection by Cryptosporidium parvum causes inhibition of epithelial turnover, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. Previous studies demonstrate that a panel of parasite RNA transcripts of low protein-coding potential are delivered into infected epithelial cells. Using in vitro and in vivo models of intestinal cryptosporidiosis, we report here that host delivery of parasite Cdg7- FLc-1000 RNA results in inhibition of epithelial cell migration through suppression of the gene encoding sphingomyelinase 3 (SMPD3). Delivery of Cdg7-FLc-1000 into infected cells promotes the histone methyltransferase G9a-mediated H3K9 methylation in the SMPD3 locus. Te DNA-binding transcriptional repressor, PR domain zinc fnger protein 1, is required for the assembly of Cdg7-FLc-1000 into the G9a complex and associated with the enrichment of H3K9 methylation at the gene locus. Pathologically, nuclear transfer of Cryptosporidium parvum Cdg7-FLc-1000 RNA is involved in the attenuation of intestinal epithelial cell migration via trans-suppression of host cell SMPD3.