Dynamic and Heterogeneous Distribution of Trichomonasvirus Species in Trichomonas vaginalis

Abstract

Trichomonasvirus (TVV) is a double-stranded RNA virus from the Pseudototiviridae family that exclusively infects Trichomonas vaginalis, the protozoan responsible for the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection. Within the Trichomonasvirus genus, five distinct viral species have been identified, and intriguingly, a single T. vaginalis isolate can simultaneously harbor multiple TVV species. Previous studies have explored the impact of TVV infection on the physiology and virulence of T. vaginalis, yet findings remain inconsistent and often contradictory. We propose that these discrepancies stem from the heterogeneous intracellular distribution of TVV within individual cells of the same T. vaginalis isolate. To investigate this, we employed ultra-deep single-cell RNA sequencing and immunofluorescence assays to examine multiple T. vaginalis isolates. Our results revealed striking variability in the proportion of infected cells carrying the same viral species, even within a single isolate. The present study is the first to demonstrate the dynamic and non-uniform intracellular distribution of TVV at the single-cell level. These findings challenge previous assumptions and provide a new perspective on the intricate virus-host interactions between TVV and T. vaginalis, offering new avenues for further research into their complex relationship. Author SummaryTrichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan responsible for the most prevalent non-viral sexually transmitted infection worldwide. In 1985, researchers discovered a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus within T. vaginalis, which was later named Trichomonasvirus (TVV). This virus is believed to influence the hosts gene expression, impacting cytoadherence, drug susceptibility, and virulence proteins. However, studies on TVV-host interaction have produced conflicting results, with some genes appearing upregulated in one experiment but downregulated in another or vice versa. We hypothesize that these inconsistencies stem from the non-uniform distribution of TVV among individual cells within the same T. vaginalis isolate. Based on the experimental data from ultra-deep single-cell sequencing and immuno-localization, our study reveals that TVVs intracellular distribution is highly heterogeneous and dynamic. These findings challenge the prevailing assumption that TVV is uniformly and statically distributed. This heterogeneity underscores the need to reassess previous research on TVV-T. vaginalis interactions, as earlier studies may have overlooked this crucial factor.