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Murillo E, Muskus C, Agudelo LA, Vélez ID, Ruiz-Lopez F. A new high-resolution melting analysis for the detection and identification of Plasmodium in human and Anopheles vectors of malaria. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1674. [PMID: 30737420 PMCID: PMC6368607 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36515-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Among vector-borne diseases malaria is the leading cause of morbidity in the world, with more than 200 million cases per year and a large number of deaths. The techniques traditionally used for the detection of Plasmodium in humans and Anopheles mosquitoes include microscopy, IRMA, ELISA, antibody or molecular assays, and anopheline dissection. However, these techniques are limited by their requirement of skilled personnel, low sensitivity or long processing times. A PCR-based high-resolution melting (PCR-HRM) analysis was developed for the detection and identification of P. falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae that infect humans and Anopheles. In 41 human samples PCR-HRM detected 14 samples positive for P. vivax, 17 for P. falciparum, three for P. malariae, three mixed infections for P. vivax/P. malariae and four negative samples. Whereas benchmarking assays of microscopy and nested PCR had false positive detections. Additionally, PCR-HRM was able to detect natural infection with Plasmodium spp. in An. darlingi and An. mattogrossensis. The PCR-HRM presented is the first single assay developed for the detection and identification of P. vivax, P. falciparum and/or P. malariae in human and Anopheles. This method improves on currently available assays as it is easy-to-use, rapid, sensitive and specific with a low risk of contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enderson Murillo
- PECET, Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Carlos Muskus
- PECET, Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Luz A Agudelo
- PECET, Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Iván D Vélez
- PECET, Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Freddy Ruiz-Lopez
- PECET, Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
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Culleton RL, Abkallo HM. Malaria parasite genetics: doing something useful. Parasitol Int 2014; 64:244-53. [PMID: 25073068 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2014.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Genetics has informed almost every aspect of the study of malaria parasites, and remains a key component of much of the research that aims to reduce the burden of the disease they cause. We describe the history of genetic studies of malaria parasites and give an overview of the utility of the discipline to malariology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Culleton
- Malaria Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
| | - Hussein M Abkallo
- Malaria Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
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Abdul-Ghani R, Al-Mekhlafi AM, Karanis P. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for malarial parasites of humans: would it come to clinical reality as a point-of-care test? Acta Trop 2012; 122:233-40. [PMID: 22366670 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2012.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Revised: 02/04/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel molecular method that accelerates and facilitates DNA amplification and detection under isothermal conditions. It represents a revolution in molecular biology by reducing the high cost, turnaround time and technicality of polymerase chain reaction and other amplification methods. It has been applied for the diagnosis of a variety of viral, bacterial, parasitic and other diseases in the biomedical field. LAMP has been involved in studies concerning the diagnosis of malaria which is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality in different parts of the world. For the success attained with this technology to diagnose human malaria, is it time to think that LAMP-based point-of-care diagnostics come to application to support the diagnosis of clinical malaria cases? The present review deals with the use of LAMP in the diagnosis of malaria and related investigations to make a view on what has been investigated and highlights the future perspectives regarding the possible applications of LAMP in diagnosis of the disease.
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Ramakrishnan C, Rademacher A, Soichot J, Costa G, Waters AP, Janse CJ, Ramesar J, Franke-Fayard BM, Levashina EA. Salivary gland-specific P. berghei reporter lines enable rapid evaluation of tissue-specific sporozoite loads in mosquitoes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36376. [PMID: 22574152 PMCID: PMC3344870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening human infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Levels of the salivary gland sporozoites (sgs), the only mosquito stage infectious to a mammalian host, represent an important cumulative index of Plasmodium development within a mosquito. However, current techniques of sgs quantification are laborious and imprecise. Here, transgenic P. berghei reporter lines that produce the green fluorescent protein fused to luciferase (GFP-LUC) specifically in sgs were generated, verified and characterised. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed the sgs stage specificity of expression of the reporter gene. The luciferase activity of the reporter lines was then exploited to establish a simple and fast biochemical assay to evaluate sgs loads in whole mosquitoes. Using this assay we successfully identified differences in sgs loads in mosquitoes silenced for genes that display opposing effects on P. berghei ookinete/oocyst development. It offers a new powerful tool to study infectivity of P. berghei to the mosquito, including analysis of vector-parasite interactions and evaluation of transmission-blocking vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Ramakrishnan
- CNRS UPR9022, INSERM U963, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Annika Rademacher
- CNRS UPR9022, INSERM U963, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julien Soichot
- CNRS UPR9022, INSERM U963, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Giulia Costa
- CNRS UPR9022, INSERM U963, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Andrew P. Waters
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Biomedical Life Sciences, and Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Chris J. Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jai Ramesar
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Blandine M. Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Elena A. Levashina
- CNRS UPR9022, INSERM U963, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- * E-mail:
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Nolan T, Petris E, Müller HM, Cronin A, Catteruccia F, Crisanti A. Analysis of two novel midgut-specific promoters driving transgene expression in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. PLoS One 2011; 6:e16471. [PMID: 21326609 PMCID: PMC3033896 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2010] [Accepted: 12/17/2010] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tissue-specific promoters controlling the expression of transgenes in Anopheles mosquitoes represent a valuable tool both for studying the interaction between these malaria vectors and the Plasmodium parasites they transmit and for novel malaria control strategies based on developing Plasmodium-refractory mosquitoes by expressing anti-parasitic genes. With this aim we have studied the promoter regions of two genes from the most important malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae, whose expression is strongly induced upon blood feeding. Results We analysed the A. gambiae Antryp1 and G12 genes, which we have shown to be midgut-specific and maximally expressed at 24 hours post-bloodmeal (PBM). Antryp1, required for bloodmeal digestion, encodes one member of a family of 7 trypsin genes. The G12 gene, of unknown function, was previously identified in our laboratory in a screen for genes induced in response to a bloodmeal. We fused 1.1 kb of the upstream regions containing the putative promoter of these genes to reporter genes and transformed these into the Indian malaria vector A. stephensi to see if we could recapitulate the expression pattern of the endogenous genes. Both the Antryp1 and G12 upstream regions were able to drive female-predominant, midgut-specific expression in transgenic mosquitoes. Expression of the Antryp1-driven reporter in transgenic A. stephensi lines was low, undetectable by northern blot analysis, and failed to fully match the induction kinetics of the endogenous Antryp1 gene in A. gambiae. This incomplete conservation of expression suggests either subtle differences in the transcriptional machinery between A. stephensi and A. gambiae or that the upstream region chosen lacked all the control elements. In contrast, the G12 upstream region was able to faithfully reproduce the expression profile of the endogenous A. gambiae gene, showing female midgut specificity in the adult mosquito and massive induction PBM, peaking at 24 hours. Conclusions Our studies on two putative blood-meal induced, midgut-specific promoters validate the use of G12 upstream regulatory regions to drive targeted transgene expression coinciding spatially and temporally with pre-sporogonic stages of Plasmodium parasites in the mosquito, offering the possibility of manipulating vector competence or performing functional studies on vector-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Nolan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisa Petris
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hans-Michael Müller
- Heidelberg University Biochemistry Centre, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ann Cronin
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Flaminia Catteruccia
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- * E-mail: (FC); (ACrisanti)
| | - Andrea Crisanti
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (FC); (ACrisanti)
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Ejiri H, Sato Y, Sasaki E, Sumiyama D, Tsuda Y, Sawabe K, Matsui S, Horie S, Akatani K, Takagi M, Omori S, Murata K, Yukawa M. Detection of avian Plasmodium spp. DNA sequences from mosquitoes captured in Minami Daito Island of Japan. J Vet Med Sci 2008; 70:1205-10. [PMID: 19057139 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.70.1205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Several species of birds in Minami Daito Island, an oceanic island located in the far south from the main islands of Japan, were found to be infected with avian Plasmodium. However, no vector species of the avian malaria in this island have been revealed yet. To speculate potential vectors, we collected mosquitoes there and investigated using a PCR procedure whether the mosquitoes harbor avian malaria or not. Totally 1,264 mosquitoes including 9 species were collected during March 2006 to February 2007. The mosquitoes collected were stored every species, sampled date and location for DNA extraction. Fifteen out of 399 DNA samples showed positive for the partial mtDNA cytb gene of avian Plasmodium. Estimated minimum infection rate among collected mosquitoes was 1.2% in this study. Four species of mosquitoes; Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, Lutzia fuscanus and Mansonia sp. had avian Plasmodium gene sequences. Detected DNA sequences from A. albopictus and L. fuscanus were identical to an avian Plasmodium lineage detected in bull-headed shrike (Lanius bucephalus) captured in the island. Different sequences were detected from C. quinquefasciatus, which were corresponding to an avian Plasmodium from a sparrow (Passer montanus) and Plasmodium gallinaceum. Our results suggest that A. albopictus, Lutzia fuscanus, C. quinquefasciatus, and Mansonia sp. could be potential vectors of avian malaria in Minami Daito Island. This study was the first report of molecular detection of avian Plasmodium from mosquitoes in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Ejiri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
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Hillyer JF, Barreau C, Vernick KD. Efficiency of salivary gland invasion by malaria sporozoites is controlled by rapid sporozoite destruction in the mosquito haemocoel. Int J Parasitol 2006; 37:673-81. [PMID: 17275826 PMCID: PMC1905829 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2006.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2006] [Revised: 11/08/2006] [Accepted: 12/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
For successful transmission to the vertebrate host, malaria sporozoites must migrate from the mosquito midgut to the salivary glands. Here, using purified sporozoites inoculated into the mosquito haemocoel, we show that salivary gland invasion is inefficient and that sporozoites have a narrow window of opportunity for salivary gland invasion. Only 19% of sporozoites invade the salivary glands, all invasion occurs within 8h at a rate of approximately 200 sporozoites per hour, and sporozoites that fail to invade within this time rapidly die and are degraded. Then, using natural release of sporozoites from oocysts, we show that haemolymph flow through the dorsal vessel facilitates proper invasion. Most mosquitoes had low steady-state numbers of circulating sporozoites, which is remarkable given the thousands of sporozoites released per oocyst, and suggests that sporozoite degradation is a rapid immune process most efficient in regions of high haemolymph flow. Only 2% of Anopheles gambiae haemocytes phagocytized Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, a rate insufficient to explain the extent of sporozoite clearance. Greater than 95% of haemocytes phagocytized Escherichia coli or latex particles, indicating that their failure to sequester large numbers of sporozoites is not due to an inability to engage in phagocytosis. These results reveal the operation of an efficient sporozoite-killing and degradation machinery within the mosquito haemocoel, which drastically limits the numbers of infective sporozoites in the mosquito salivary glands.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kenneth D. Vernick
- *Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 612 624 5068; fax: +1 612 624 6264. E-mail address:
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Detection, identification and semi-quantification of malaria parasites by NASBA amplification of small subunit ribosomal RNA sequences. J Microbiol Methods 1997. [DOI: 10.1016/s0167-7012(96)00966-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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