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Lin JW, Spaccapelo R, Schwarzer E, Sajid M, Annoura T, Deroost K, Ravelli RBG, Aime E, Capuccini B, Mommaas-Kienhuis AM, O'Toole T, Prins F, Franke-Fayard BMD, Ramesar J, Chevalley-Maurel S, Kroeze H, Koster AJ, Tanke HJ, Crisanti A, Langhorne J, Arese P, Van den Steen PE, Janse CJ, Khan SM. Replication of Plasmodium in reticulocytes can occur without hemozoin formation, resulting in chloroquine resistance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 212:893-903. [PMID: 25941254 PMCID: PMC4451122 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20141731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Lin et al. generate Plasmodium berghei mutants lacking enzymes critical to hemoglobin digestion. A double gene deletion mutant lacking enzymes involved in the initial steps of hemoglobin proteolysis is able to replicate inside reticulocytes of infected mice with limited hemoglobin degradation and no hemozoin formation, and moreover, is resistant to the antimalarial drug chloroquine. Most studies on malaria-parasite digestion of hemoglobin (Hb) have been performed using P. falciparum maintained in mature erythrocytes, in vitro. In this study, we examine Plasmodium Hb degradation in vivo in mice, using the parasite P. berghei, and show that it is possible to create mutant parasites lacking enzymes involved in the initial steps of Hb proteolysis. These mutants only complete development in reticulocytes and mature into both schizonts and gametocytes. Hb degradation is severely impaired and large amounts of undigested Hb remains in the reticulocyte cytoplasm and in vesicles in the parasite. The mutants produce little or no hemozoin (Hz), the detoxification by-product of Hb degradation. Further, they are resistant to chloroquine, an antimalarial drug that interferes with Hz formation, but their sensitivity to artesunate, also thought to be dependent on Hb degradation, is retained. Survival in reticulocytes with reduced or absent Hb digestion may imply a novel mechanism of drug resistance. These findings have implications for drug development against human-malaria parasites, such as P. vivax and P. ovale, which develop inside reticulocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wen Lin
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, England, UK
| | - Roberta Spaccapelo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Evelin Schwarzer
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Mohammed Sajid
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Takeshi Annoura
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Katrien Deroost
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Raimond B G Ravelli
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Elena Aime
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Barbara Capuccini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06132 Perugia, Italy Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, England, UK
| | - Anna M Mommaas-Kienhuis
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Tom O'Toole
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology, Vrije University Medical Center, 1007 MB Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Frans Prins
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Blandine M D Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jai Ramesar
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Séverine Chevalley-Maurel
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hans Kroeze
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Abraham J Koster
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hans J Tanke
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Andrea Crisanti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Piazzale Gambuli, 06132 Perugia, Italy Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, SAF, London SW7 2AZ, England, UK
| | - Jean Langhorne
- Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London NW7 1AA, England, UK
| | - Paolo Arese
- Department of Oncology, University of Torino, 10124 Torino, Italy
| | - Philippe E Van den Steen
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chris J Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Shahid M Khan
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, and Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, Netherlands
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