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DeMichele E, Sosnowski O, Buret AG, Allain T. Regulatory Functions of Hypoxia in Host-Parasite Interactions: A Focus on Enteric, Tissue, and Blood Protozoa. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1598. [PMID: 37375100 PMCID: PMC10303274 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Body tissues are subjected to various oxygenic gradients and fluctuations and hence can become transiently hypoxic. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is the master transcriptional regulator of the cellular hypoxic response and is capable of modulating cellular metabolism, immune responses, epithelial barrier integrity, and local microbiota. Recent reports have characterized the hypoxic response to various infections. However, little is known about the role of HIF activation in the context of protozoan parasitic infections. Growing evidence suggests that tissue and blood protozoa can activate HIF and subsequent HIF target genes in the host, helping or hindering their pathogenicity. In the gut, enteric protozoa are adapted to steep longitudinal and radial oxygen gradients to complete their life cycle, yet the role of HIF during these protozoan infections remains unclear. This review focuses on the hypoxic response to protozoa and its role in the pathophysiology of parasitic infections. We also discuss how hypoxia modulates host immune responses in the context of protozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily DeMichele
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Olivia Sosnowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Andre G. Buret
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Thibault Allain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
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2
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Drug resistance in Giardia: Mechanisms and alternative treatments for Giardiasis. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2020; 107:201-282. [PMID: 32122530 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2019.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The use of chemotherapeutic drugs is the main resource against clinical giardiasis due to the lack of approved vaccines. Resistance of G. duodenalis to the most used drugs to treat giardiasis, metronidazole and albendazole, is a clinical issue of growing concern and yet unknown impact, respectively. In the search of new drugs, the completion of the Giardia genome project and the use of biochemical, molecular and bioinformatics tools allowed the identification of ligands/inhibitors for about one tenth of ≈150 potential drug targets in this parasite. Further, the synthesis of second generation nitroimidazoles and benzimidazoles along with high-throughput technologies have allowed not only to define overall mechanisms of resistance to metronidazole but to screen libraries of repurposed drugs and new pharmacophores, thereby increasing the known arsenal of anti-giardial compounds to some hundreds, with most demonstrating activity against metronidazole or albendazole-resistant Giardia. In particular, cysteine-modifying agents which include omeprazole, disulfiram, allicin and auranofin outstand due to their pleiotropic activity based on the extensive repertoire of thiol-containing proteins and the microaerophilic metabolism of this parasite. Other promising agents derived from higher organisms including phytochemicals, lactoferrin and propolis as well as probiotic bacteria/fungi have also demonstrated significant potential for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes in giardiasis. In this context the present chapter offers a comprehensive review of the current knowledge, including commonly prescribed drugs, causes of therapeutic failures, drug resistance mechanisms, strategies for the discovery of new agents and alternative drug therapies.
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Martins MC, Romão CV, Folgosa F, Borges PT, Frazão C, Teixeira M. How superoxide reductases and flavodiiron proteins combat oxidative stress in anaerobes. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:36-60. [PMID: 30735841 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microbial anaerobes are exposed in the natural environment and in their hosts, even if transiently, to fluctuating concentrations of oxygen and its derived reactive species, which pose a considerable threat to their anoxygenic lifestyle. To counteract these stressful conditions, they contain a multifaceted array of detoxifying systems that, in conjugation with cellular repairing mechanisms and in close crosstalk with metal homeostasis, allow them to survive in the presence of O2 and reactive oxygen species. Some of these systems are shared with aerobes, but two families of enzymes emerged more recently that, although not restricted to anaerobes, are predominant in anaerobic microbes. These are the iron-containing superoxide reductases, and the flavodiiron proteins, endowed with O2 and/or NO reductase activities, which are the subject of this Review. A detailed account of their physicochemical, physiological and molecular mechanisms will be presented, highlighting their unique properties in allowing survival of anaerobes in oxidative stress conditions, and comparing their properties with the most well-known detoxifying systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Martins
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Célia V Romão
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Filipe Folgosa
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Patrícia T Borges
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Carlos Frazão
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Miguel Teixeira
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal.
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4
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Saghaug CS, Klotz C, Kallio JP, Brattbakk HR, Stokowy T, Aebischer T, Kursula I, Langeland N, Hanevik K. Genetic variation in metronidazole metabolism and oxidative stress pathways in clinical Giardia lamblia assemblage A and B isolates. Infect Drug Resist 2019; 12:1221-1235. [PMID: 31190910 PMCID: PMC6519707 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s177997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Treatment-refractory Giardia cases have increased rapidly within the last decade. No markers of resistance nor a standardized susceptibility test have been established yet, but several enzymes and their pathways have been associated with metronidazole (MTZ) resistant Giardia. Very limited data are available regarding genetic variation in these pathways. We aimed to investigate genetic variation in metabolic pathway genes proposed to be involved in MTZ resistance in recently acquired, cultured clinical isolates. Methods: Whole genome sequencing of 12 assemblage A2 and 8 assemblage B isolates was done, to decipher genomic variation in Giardia. Twenty-nine genes were identified in a literature search and investigated for their single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the coding/non-coding regions of the genes, either as amino acid changing (non-synonymous SNVs) or non-changing SNVs (synonymous). Results: In Giardia assemblage B, several genes involved in MTZ activation or oxidative stress management were found to have higher numbers of non-synonymous SNVs (thioredoxin peroxidase, nitroreductase 1, ferredoxin 2, NADH oxidase, nitroreductase 2, alcohol dehydrogenase, ferredoxin 4 and ferredoxin 1) than the average variation. For Giardia assemblage A2, the highest genetic variability was found in the ferredoxin 2, ferredoxin 6 and in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidoreductase putative genes. SNVs found in the ferredoxins and nitroreductases were analyzed further by alignment and homology modeling. SNVs close to the iron-sulfur cluster binding sites in nitroreductase-1 and 2 and ferredoxin 2 and 4 could potentially affect protein function. Flavohemoprotein seems to be a variable-copy gene, due to higher, but variable coverage compared to other genes investigated. Conclusion: In clinical Giardia isolates, genetic variability is common in important genes in the MTZ metabolizing pathway and in the management of oxidative and nitrosative stress and includes high numbers of non-synonymous SNVs. Some of the identified amino acid changes could potentially affect the respective proteins important in the MTZ metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S Saghaug
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
| | - Christian Klotz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Unit 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juha P Kallio
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
| | - Hans-Richard Brattbakk
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.,Center for Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
| | - Tomasz Stokowy
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.,Center for Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
| | - Toni Aebischer
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Unit 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Robert Koch-Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Inari Kursula
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.,Biocenter Oulu and Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Nina Langeland
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.,Department of Medicine, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
| | - Kurt Hanevik
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway.,Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Tropical Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
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5
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Giardia lamblia : Identification of peroxisomal-like proteins. Exp Parasitol 2018; 191:36-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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6
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Abstract
The 5-nitroimidazole drug metronidazole has remained the drug of choice in the treatment of anaerobic infections, parasitic as well as bacterial, ever since its development in 1959. In contrast to most other antimicrobials, it has a pleiotropic mode of action and reacts with a large number of molecules. Importantly, metronidazole, which is strictly speaking a prodrug, needs to be reduced at its nitro group in order to become toxic. Reduction of metronidazole, however, only takes place under very low concentrations of oxygen, explaining why metronidazole is exclusively toxic to microaerophilic and anaerobic microorganisms. In general, resistance rates amongst the pathogens treated with metronidazole have remained low until the present day. Nevertheless, metronidazole resistance does occur, and for the treatment of some pathogens, especially Helicobacter pylori, metronidazole has become almost useless in some parts of the world. This review will give an account on the current status of research on metronidazole's mode of action, metronidazole resistance in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, and on other 5-nitroimidazoles in use.
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7
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Antioxidant defence systems in the protozoan pathogen Giardia intestinalis. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2016; 206:56-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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8
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Transcriptional profiling of Giardia intestinalis in response to oxidative stress. Int J Parasitol 2015; 45:925-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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9
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Ansell BRE, McConville MJ, Ma'ayeh SY, Dagley MJ, Gasser RB, Svärd SG, Jex AR. Drug resistance in Giardia duodenalis. Biotechnol Adv 2015; 33:888-901. [PMID: 25922317 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Revised: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Giardia duodenalis is a microaerophilic parasite of the human gastrointestinal tract and a major contributor to diarrheal and post-infectious chronic gastrointestinal disease world-wide. Treatment of G. duodenalis infection currently relies on a small number of drug classes. Nitroheterocyclics, in particular metronidazole, have represented the front line treatment for the last 40 years. Nitroheterocyclic-resistant G. duodenalis have been isolated from patients and created in vitro, prompting considerable research into the biomolecular mechanisms of resistance. These compounds are redox-active and are believed to damage proteins and DNA after being activated by oxidoreductase enzymes in metabolically active cells. In this review, we explore the molecular phenotypes of nitroheterocyclic-resistant G. duodenalis described to date in the context of the protist's unusual glycolytic and antioxidant systems. We propose that resistance mechanisms are likely to extend well beyond currently described resistance-associated enzymes (i.e., pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductases and nitroreductases), to include NAD(P)H- and flavin-generating pathways, and possibly redox-sensitive epigenetic regulation. Mechanisms that allow G. duodenalis to tolerate oxidative stress may lead to resistance against both oxygen and nitroheterocyclics, with implications for clinical control. The present review highlights the potential for systems biology tools and advanced bioinformatics to further investigate the multifaceted mechanisms of nitroheterocyclic resistance in this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan R E Ansell
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Cnr Park Dr and Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
| | - Malcolm J McConville
- Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Showgy Y Ma'ayeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 596, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Michael J Dagley
- Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, 30 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Robin B Gasser
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Cnr Park Dr and Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Staffan G Svärd
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Box 596, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Aaron R Jex
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Cnr Park Dr and Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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10
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Bahadur V, Mastronicola D, Singh AK, Tiwari HK, Pucillo LP, Sarti P, Singh BK, Giuffrè A. Antigiardial activity of novel triazolyl-quinolone-based chalcone derivatives: when oxygen makes the difference. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:256. [PMID: 25904901 PMCID: PMC4389562 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Giardiasis is a common diarrheal disease worldwide caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis. It is urgent to develop novel drugs to treat giardiasis, due to increasing clinical resistance to the gold standard drug metronidazole (MTZ). New potential antiparasitic compounds are usually tested for their killing efficacy against G. intestinalis under anaerobic conditions, in which MTZ is maximally effective. On the other hand, though commonly regarded as an ‘anaerobic pathogen,’ G. intestinalis is exposed to relatively high O2 levels in vivo, living attached to the mucosa of the proximal small intestine. It is thus important to test the effect of O2 when searching for novel potential antigiardial agents, as outlined in a previous study [Bahadur et al. (2014) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 58, 543]. Here, 45 novel chalcone derivatives with triazolyl-quinolone scaffold were synthesized, purified, and characterized by high resolution mass spectrometry, 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy. Efficacy of the compounds against G. intestinalis trophozoites was tested under both anaerobic and microaerobic conditions, and selectivity was assessed in a counter-screen on human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. MTZ was used as a positive control in the assays. All the tested compounds proved to be more effective against the parasite in the presence of O2, with the exception of MTZ that was less effective. Under anaerobiosis eighteen compounds were found to be as effective as MTZ or more (up to three to fourfold); the same compounds proved to be up to >100-fold more effective than MTZ under microaerobic conditions. Four of them represent potential candidates for the design of novel antigiardial drugs, being highly selective against Giardia trophozoites. This study further underlines the importance of taking O2 into account when testing novel potential antigiardial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Bahadur
- Bio-Organic Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi Delhi, India
| | - Daniela Mastronicola
- CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology Rome, Italy ; Department of Biochemical Sciences and Istituto Pasteur - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
| | - Amit K Singh
- Bio-Organic Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi Delhi, India
| | - Hemandra K Tiwari
- Bio-Organic Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi Delhi, India
| | - Leopoldo P Pucillo
- L. Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Sarti
- CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology Rome, Italy ; Department of Biochemical Sciences and Istituto Pasteur - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy
| | - Brajendra K Singh
- Bio-Organic Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi Delhi, India
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Comparative biochemistry of Giardia, Hexamita and Spironucleus: Enigmatic diplomonads. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2014; 197:43-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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12
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Mastronicola D, Falabella M, Testa F, Pucillo LP, Teixeira M, Sarti P, Saraiva LM, Giuffrè A. Functional characterization of peroxiredoxins from the human protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2014; 8:e2631. [PMID: 24416465 PMCID: PMC3886907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The microaerophilic protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis, causative of one of the most common human intestinal diseases worldwide, infects the mucosa of the proximal small intestine, where it has to cope with O2 and nitric oxide (NO). Elucidating the antioxidant defense system of this pathogen lacking catalase and other conventional antioxidant enzymes is thus important to unveil novel potential drug targets. Enzymes metabolizing O2, NO and superoxide anion (O2−•) have been recently reported for Giardia, but it is yet unknown how the parasite copes with H2O2 and peroxynitrite (ONOO−). Giardia encodes two yet uncharacterized 2-cys peroxiredoxins (Prxs), GiPrx1a and GiPrx1b. Peroxiredoxins are peroxidases implicated in virulence and drug resistance in several parasitic protozoa, able to protect from nitroxidative stress and repair oxidatively damaged molecules. GiPrx1a and a truncated form of GiPrx1b (deltaGiPrx1b) were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and functionally characterized. Both Prxs effectively metabolize H2O2 and alkyl-hydroperoxides (cumyl- and tert-butyl-hydroperoxide) in the presence of NADPH and E. coli thioredoxin reductase/thioredoxin as the reducing system. Stopped-flow experiments show that both proteins in the reduced state react with ONOO− rapidly (k = 4×105 M−1 s−1 and 2×105 M−1 s−1 at 4°C, for GiPrx1a and deltaGiPrx1b, respectively). Consistent with a protective role against oxidative stress, expression of GiPrx1a (but not deltaGiPrx1b) is induced in parasitic cells exposed to air O2 for 24 h. Based on these results, GiPrx1a and deltaGiPrx1b are suggested to play an important role in the antioxidant defense of Giardia, possibly contributing to pathogenesis. Giardia intestinalis causes one of the most common human intestinal diseases worldwide, called giardiasis. This microorganism infects the small intestine where it has to cope with O2, nitric oxide (NO) and related reactive species that are toxic for Giardia as it lacks most of the conventional antioxidant enzymes. Understanding how this pathogen survives oxidative stress is thus important because it may help to identify novel drug targets to combat giardiasis. Some enzymes playing a role in the antioxidant defense of Giardia have been recently reported, but it is yet unknown how the parasite copes with two well-known oxidants, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−). In this study, the Authors show that Giardia expresses two enzymes (called peroxiredoxins), yet uncharacterized, that are able not only to degrade both H2O2 and ONOO−, but also to repair damaged molecules (called hydroperoxides) that accumulate in the cell under oxidative stress conditions. These results are totally unprecedented because no enzymes with these types of functions have been reported for Giardia to date. If these two enzymes will prove to be essential for Giardia virulence in future studies, a new way will be paved towards the discovery of novel drugs to treat giardiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Micol Falabella
- Department of Biochemical Sciences and Istituto Pasteur – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Testa
- Department of Biochemical Sciences and Istituto Pasteur – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | | | - Miguel Teixeira
- Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paolo Sarti
- CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biochemical Sciences and Istituto Pasteur – Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Lígia M. Saraiva
- Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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13
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Faso C, Bischof S, Hehl AB. The proteome landscape of Giardia lamblia encystation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83207. [PMID: 24391747 PMCID: PMC3877021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 11/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardia lamblia is an intestinal protozoan parasite required to survive in the environment in order to be transmitted to a new host. To ensure parasite survival, flagellated trophozoites colonizing the small intestine differentiate into non-motile environmentally-resistant cysts which are then shed in the environment. This cell differentiation process called encystation is characterized by significant morphological remodeling which includes secretion of large amounts of cyst wall material. Although much is known about the transcriptional regulation of encystation and the synthesis and trafficking of cyst wall material, the investigation of global changes in protein content and abundance during G. lamblia encystation is still unaddressed. In this study, we report on the quantitative analysis of the G. lamblia proteome during encystation using tandem mass spectrometry. Quantification of more than 1000 proteins revealed major changes in protein abundance in early, mid and late encystation, notably in constitutive secretory protein trafficking. Early stages of encystation were marked by a striking decrease of endoplasmic reticulum-targeted variant-specific surface proteins and significant increases in cytoskeleton regulatory components, NEK protein kinases and proteins involved in protein folding and glycolysis. This was in stark contrast to cells in the later stages of encystation which presented a surprisingly similar proteome composition to non-encysting trophozoites. Altogether these data constitute the first quantitative atlas of the Giardia proteome covering the whole process of encystation and point towards an important role for post-transcriptional control of gene expression in Giardia differentiation. Furthermore, our data provide a valuable resource for the community-based annotation effort of the G. lamblia genome, where almost 70% of all predicted gene models remains “hypothetical”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Faso
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (ABH); (CF)
| | | | - Adrian B. Hehl
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (ABH); (CF)
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14
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O(2)-dependent efficacy of novel piperidine- and piperazine-based chalcones against the human parasite Giardia intestinalis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 58:543-9. [PMID: 24217695 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00990-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Giardia intestinalis is the most frequent protozoan agent of intestinal diseases worldwide. Though commonly regarded as an anaerobic pathogen, it preferentially colonizes the fairly oxygen-rich mucosa of the proximal small intestine. Therefore, when testing new potential antigiardial drugs, O2 should be taken into account, since it also reduces the efficacy of metronidazole, the gold standard drug against giardiasis. In this study, 46 novel chalcones were synthesized by microwave-assisted Claisen-Schmidt condensation, purified, characterized by high-resolution mass spectrometry, (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance, and infrared spectroscopy, and tested for their toxicity against G. intestinalis under standard anaerobic conditions. As a novel approach, compounds showing antigiardial activity under anaerobiosis were also assayed under microaerobic conditions, and their selectivity against parasitic cells was assessed in a counterscreen on human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cells. Among the tested compounds, three [30(a), 31(e), and 33] were more effective in the presence of O2 than under anaerobic conditions and killed the parasite 2 to 4 times more efficiently than metronidazole under anaerobiosis. Two of them [30(a) and 31(e)] proved to be selective against parasitic cells, thus representing potential candidates for the design of novel antigiardial drugs. This study highlights the importance of testing new potential antigiardial agents not only under anaerobic conditions but also at low, more physiological O2 concentrations.
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Shukla G, Singh S, Verma A. Oral Administration of the Probiotic Lactobacillus casei Ameliorates Gut Morphology and Physiology in Malnourished-Giardia intestinalis-Infected BALB/c Mice. ISRN PARASITOLOGY 2013; 2013:762638. [PMID: 27335861 PMCID: PMC4890930 DOI: 10.5402/2013/762638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Malnutrition reduces the host immunity and enhances the host susceptibility to various diseases. The present study describes the effect of oral administration of probiotic Lactobacillus casei to malnourished-Giardia-infected BALB/c mice with respect to surface alterations and brush border membrane enzyme activity of the small intestine. It was observed that probiotic feeding either prior to or simultaneously with Giardia infection to malnourished mice led to significantly enhanced activity of disaccharidases compared with malnourished and Giardia-infected mice. Scanning electron microscopy also revealed less mucosal damage in the villi of small intestine of probiotic-fed malnourished-Giardia-infected mice compared with completely damaged, mummified, or blunted villi of malnourished-Giardia-infected mice. The findings indicate that probiotics can be used as the prophylactic candidate in abrogating the gut and intestinal dissacharidases anamolies in malnourished hosts suffering from the intestinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geeta Shukla
- Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Sumedha Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Angela Verma
- Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
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Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG modulates the mucosal immune response in Giardia intestinalis-infected BALB/c mice. Dig Dis Sci 2013; 58:1218-25. [PMID: 23263901 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-012-2503-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gut homeostasis can be altered by the oral administration of health-promoting microorganisms, namely probiotics that are known to reinforce the host immune response. AIM The aim of this study was to elucidate the immunomodulatory effect of orally administered probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in Giardia-infected mice. METHODS BALB/c mice were fed orally with probiotic LGG either 7 days prior to or simultaneously with the challenge dose of Giardia trophozoites. The administration of the probiotic was continued for 25 days, and immunomodulatory potentials in terms of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels, CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, and expression of pro-inflammatory [tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interferon-gamma (INF-γ)] and anti-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10] were studied. RESULTS Oral feeding of LGG prior to or simultaneously with the test dose of Giardia seems to have modulated both arms (humoral and cellular) of the mucosal immune system since a significant increase in the levels of specific secretory IgA antibody, IgA+ cells, and CD4+ T lymphocytes were observed in contrast with the decreased percentage of cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes. The stimulated mucosal immune response in probiotic fed Giardia-infected mice was further correlated with the enhanced levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine INF-γ. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to show that oral administration of the effective probiotic LGG to Giardia infected mice could be used as a bacterio-therapy that restores the normal gut microflora and modulates the mucosal immune response.
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Goyal N, Rishi P, Shukla G. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG antagonizes Giardia intestinalis induced oxidative stress and intestinal disaccharidases: an experimental study. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2013; 29:1049-57. [PMID: 23361971 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-013-1268-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The present study describes the in vivo modulatory potential of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), an effective probiotic, in Giardia intestinalis-infected BALB/c mice. Experimentally, it was observed that oral administration of lactobacilli prior or simultaneous with Giardia trophozoites to mice, efficiently (p < 0.05) reduced both the severity and duration of giardiasis. More specifically, probiotics fed, Giardia-infected mice, showed a significant increase in the levels of antioxidants [reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)] and intestinal disaccharidases [sucrase and lactase] and decreased levels of oxidants in the small intestine, in comparison with Giardia-infected mice. Histopathological findings also revealed almost normal cellular morphology of the small intestine in probiotic-fed Giardia-infected mice compared with fused enterocytes, villous atrophy and increased infiltration of lymphocytes in Giardia-infected mice. The results of the present study has shed new light on the anti-oxidative properties of LGG in Giardia mediated tissue injury, thereby suggesting that the effects of probiotic LGG are biologically plausible and could be used as an alternative microbial interference therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Goyal
- Department of Microbiology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
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Leitsch D, Schlosser S, Burgess A, Duchêne M. Nitroimidazole drugs vary in their mode of action in the human parasite Giardia lamblia. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2012; 2:166-70. [PMID: 24533278 PMCID: PMC3862438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Revised: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Giardia lamblia (syn. duodenalis, intestinalis) is a globally occurring micro-aerophilic human parasite that causes gastrointestinal disease. Standard treatment of G. lamblia infections is based on the 5-nitroimidazole drugs metronidazole and tinidazole. In two other micro-aerophilic parasites, Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis, 5-nitroimidazole drugs bind to proteins involved in the thioredoxin-mediated redox network and disrupt the redox equilibrium by inhibiting thioredoxin reductase and depleting intracellular thiol pools. The major aim of this study was to assess whether nitroimidazoles exert a similar toxic effect on G. lamblia physiology. The 5-nitroimidazoles metronidazole and tinidazole were found to bind to the same subset of proteins including thioredoxin reductase. However, in contrast to E. histolytica and T. vaginalis, none of the other proteins bound are candidates for being involved in the thioredoxin-mediated redox network. Translation elongation factor EF-1γ, an essential factor in protein synthesis, was widely degraded upon treatment with 5-nitroimidazoles. 2-Nitroimidazole (azomycin) and the 5-nitroimidazole ronidazole did not bind to any G. lamblia proteins, which is in contrast to previous findings in E. histolytica and T. vaginalis. All nitroimidazoles tested reduced intracellular thiol pools in G. lamblia, but metronidazole, also in contrast to the situation in the other two parasites, had the slightest effect. Taken together, our results suggest that nitroimidazole drugs affect G. lamblia in a fundamentally different way than E. histolytica and T. vaginalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Leitsch
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine at the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Schlosser
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine at the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anita Burgess
- Division of Cancer and Cell Biology, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael Duchêne
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine at the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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A detoxifying oxygen reductase in the anaerobic protozoan Entamoeba histolytica. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2012; 11:1112-8. [PMID: 22798391 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00149-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We report the characterization of a bacterial-type oxygen reductase abundant in the cytoplasm of the anaerobic protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Upon host infection, E. histolytica is confronted with various oxygen tensions in the host intestine, as well as increased reactive oxygen and nitrogen species at the site of local tissue inflammation. Resistance to oxygen-derived stress thus plays an important role in the pathogenic potential of E. histolytica. The genome of E. histolytica has four genes that encode flavodiiron proteins, which are bacterial-type oxygen or nitric oxide reductases and were likely acquired by lateral gene transfer from prokaryotes. The EhFdp1 gene has higher expression in virulent than in nonvirulent Entamoeba strains and species, hinting that the response to oxidative stress may be one correlate of virulence potential. We demonstrate that EhFdp1 is abundantly expressed in the cytoplasm of E. histolytica and that the protein levels are markedly increased (up to ~5-fold) upon oxygen exposure. Additionally, we produced fully functional recombinant EhFdp1 and demonstrated that this enzyme is a specific and robust oxygen reductase but has poor nitric oxide reductase activity. This observation represents a new mechanism of oxygen resistance in the anaerobic protozoan pathogen E. histolytica.
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Testa F, Mastronicola D, Cabelli DE, Bordi E, Pucillo LP, Sarti P, Saraiva LM, Giuffrè A, Teixeira M. The superoxide reductase from the early diverging eukaryote Giardia intestinalis. Free Radic Biol Med 2011; 51:1567-74. [PMID: 21839165 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2011.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Revised: 06/02/2011] [Accepted: 07/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Unlike superoxide dismutases (SODs), superoxide reductases (SORs) eliminate superoxide anion (O(2)(•-)) not through its dismutation, but via reduction to hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in the presence of an electron donor. The microaerobic protist Giardia intestinalis, responsible for a common intestinal disease in humans, though lacking SOD and other canonical reactive oxygen species-detoxifying systems, is among the very few eukaryotes encoding a SOR yet identified. In this study, the recombinant SOR from Giardia (SOR(Gi)) was purified and characterized by pulse radiolysis and stopped-flow spectrophotometry. The protein, isolated in the reduced state, after oxidation by superoxide or hexachloroiridate(IV), yields a resting species (T(final)) with Fe(3+) ligated to glutamate or hydroxide depending on pH (apparent pK(a)=8.7). Although showing negligible SOD activity, reduced SOR(Gi) reacts with O(2)(•-) with a pH-independent second-order rate constant k(1)=1.0×10(9) M(-1) s(-1) and yields the ferric-(hydro)peroxo intermediate T(1); this in turn rapidly decays to the T(final) state with pH-dependent rates, without populating other detectable intermediates. Immunoblotting assays show that SOR(Gi) is expressed in the disease-causing trophozoite of Giardia. We propose that the superoxide-scavenging activity of SOR in Giardia may promote the survival of this air-sensitive parasite in the fairly aerobic proximal human small intestine during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Testa
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, CNR Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Sapienza Università di Roma, I-00185 Rome, Italy
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