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García-Longoria L, Ahrén D, Berthomieu A, Kalbskopf V, Rivero A, Hellgren O. Immune gene expression in the mosquito vector Culex quinquefasciatus during an avian malaria infection. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:904-919. [PMID: 36448733 PMCID: PMC10108303 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium relictum is the most widespread avian malaria parasite in the world. It is listed as one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species, having been responsible for the extinction of several endemic bird species, and the near-demise of several others. Here we present the first transcriptomic study focused on the effect of P. relictum on the immune system of its vector (the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus) at different times post-infection. We show that over 50% of immune genes identified as being part of the Toll pathway and 30%-40% of the immune genes identified within the Imd pathway are overexpressed during the critical period spanning the parasite's oocyst and sporozoite formation (8-12 days), revealing the crucial role played by both these pathways in this natural mosquito-Plasmodium combination. Comparison of infected mosquitoes with their uninfected counterparts also revealed some unexpected immune RNA expression patterns earlier and later in the infection: significant differences in expression of several immune effectors were observed as early as 30 min after ingestion of the infected blood meal. In addition, in the later stages of the infection (towards the end of the mosquito lifespan), we observed an unexpected increase in immune investment in uninfected, but not in infected, mosquitoes. In conclusion, our work extends the comparative transcriptomic analyses of malaria-infected mosquitoes beyond human and rodent parasites and provides insights into the degree of conservation of immune pathways and into the selective pressures exerted by Plasmodium parasites on their vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz García-Longoria
- Department of Anatomy, Cellular Biology and Zoology, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Dag Ahrén
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Victor Kalbskopf
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ana Rivero
- MIVEGEC (CNRS, Université de Montpellier, IRD), Montpellier, France
| | - Olof Hellgren
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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2
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Rodriguez MC, Cime-Castillo J, Argotte-Ramos R, Vargas V, Correa-Morales F, Sánchez-Tejeda G, Lanz-Mendoza H. Detection of NS1 protein from dengue virus in excreta and homogenates of wild-caught Aedes aegypti mosquitoes using monoclonal antibodies. Pathog Dis 2022; 80:6502351. [PMID: 35020898 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue fever is one of the most devastating infectious diseases worldwide. Development of methods for DENV detection in mosquitoes to assess prevalence as a preliminary screen for entomological surveillance in endemic regions of DENV will certainly contribute to the control of the disease. Production of a monoclonal antibody against the NS1 viral protein was generated using recombinant NS1 protein and used to detect and analyze DENV in both excreta and total homogenates from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Results demonstrated expression of NS1 in excreta of DENV laboratory infected mosquitoes and homogenates from field mosquitoes infected with DENV. The immunodetection method reported here represents a first-line strategy for assessing the prevalence of DENV in mosquitoes, for entomological surveillance in endemic regions of dengue. Detection of DENV prevalence in field mosquitoes could have an impact on vector surveillance measures to interrupt dengue transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carmen Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas; Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública; Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Jorge Cime-Castillo
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas; Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública; Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Rocío Argotte-Ramos
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas; Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública; Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Valeria Vargas
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas; Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública; Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Fabian Correa-Morales
- Dirección del Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vector; Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades; Secretaría de Salud México. Benjamin Franklin 132. C.P. 11800. Ciudad de México. Mexico
| | - Gustavo Sánchez-Tejeda
- Dirección del Programa de Enfermedades Transmitidas por Vector; Centro Nacional de Programas Preventivos y Control de Enfermedades; Secretaría de Salud México. Benjamin Franklin 132. C.P. 11800. Ciudad de México. Mexico
| | - Humberto Lanz-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas; Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública; Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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3
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Lecona-Valera AN, Rodriguez MH, Argotte-Ramos RS, Rodriguez MC. The chaperone micronemal protein Hsp70-1 from Plasmodium berghei ookinetes is shed during gliding on solid surface sustrata. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 246:111428. [PMID: 34756988 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium the causative agent of malaria is a member of the phylum Apicomplexa, where all invasive forms have a substrate-dependent motility called gliding, key to malaria transmission. Gliding allows parasite host-cell recognition, binding, cell entry and trespassing the cytoplasm. In this process Plasmodium releases molecules from micronemes and the cell surface that are deposited on trails left behind on the substratum as the parasite progresses. Previously we identified the heat shock protein 70-1 (HSP 70-1) on the surface and micronemes of P. berghei ookinetes, the parasite form that invades the mosquito midgut. To investigate if this protein is shed of from the parasite during invasion, we searched HSP 70-1 in gliding trails deposited on a solid surface by P. berghei ookinetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Lecona-Valera
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Ave. Universidad No. 655, Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62100, México
| | - M H Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Ave. Universidad No. 655, Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62100, México
| | - R S Argotte-Ramos
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Ave. Universidad No. 655, Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62100, México
| | - M C Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Ave. Universidad No. 655, Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Morelos, CP 62100, México.
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4
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Sookpongthai P, Utayopas K, Sitthiyotha T, Pengsakul T, Kaewthamasorn M, Wangkanont K, Harnyuttanakorn P, Chunsrivirot S, Pattaradilokrat S. Global diversity of the gene encoding the Pfs25 protein-a Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking vaccine candidate. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:571. [PMID: 34749796 PMCID: PMC8574928 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-05078-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Vaccines against the sexual stages of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum are indispensable for controlling malaria and abrogating the spread of drug-resistant parasites. Pfs25, a surface antigen of the sexual stage of P. falciparum, is a leading candidate for transmission-blocking vaccine development. While clinical trials have reported that Pfs25-based vaccines are safe and effective in inducing transmission-blocking antibodies, the extent of the genetic diversity of Pfs25 in malaria endemic populations has rarely been studied. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the global diversity of Pfs25 in P. falciparum populations. Methods A database of 307 Pfs25 sequences of P. falciparum was established. Population genetic analyses were performed to evaluate haplotype and nucleotide diversity, analyze haplotypic distribution patterns of Pfs25 in different geographical populations, and construct a haplotype network. Neutrality tests were conducted to determine evidence of natural selection. Homology models of the Pfs25 haplotypes were constructed, subjected to molecular dynamics (MD), and analyzed in terms of flexibility and percentages of secondary structures. Results The Pfs25 gene of P. falciparum was found to have 11 unique haplotypes. Of these, haplotype 1 (H1) and H2, the major haplotypes, represented 70% and 22% of the population, respectively, and were dominant in Asia, whereas only H1 was dominant in Africa, Central America, and South America. Other haplotypes were rare and region-specific, resulting in unique distribution patterns in different geographical populations. The diversity in Pfs25 originated from ten single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci located in the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains and anchor domain. Of these, an SNP at position 392 (GGA/GCA), resulting in amino acid substitution 131 (Gly/Ala), defined the two major haplotypes. The MD results showed that the structures of H1 and H2 variants were relatively similar. Limited polymorphism in Pfs25 could likely be due to negative selection. Conclusions The study successfully established a Pfs25 sequence database that can become an essential tool for monitoring vaccine efficacy, designing assays for detecting malaria carriers, and conducting epidemiological studies of P. falciparum. The discovery of the two major haplotypes, H1 and H2, and their conserved structures suggests that the current Pfs25-based vaccines could be used globally for malaria control. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-05078-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pornpawee Sookpongthai
- M.Sc. program in Zoology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Korawich Utayopas
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Thassanai Sitthiyotha
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Theerakamol Pengsakul
- Faculty of Medical Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand
| | - Morakot Kaewthamasorn
- Veterinary Parasitology Research Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Kittikhun Wangkanont
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | | | - Surasak Chunsrivirot
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand.,Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
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5
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Rodriguez MC, Martínez-Barnetche J, Lecona-Valera AN, Téllez-Sosa J, Argotte-Ramos RS, Alvarado-Delgado A, Ovilla MT, Saldaña-Navor V, Rodriguez MH. Expression of Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70-1) in Plasmodium berghei ookinetes and its participation in midgut mosquito infection. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2020; 240:111337. [PMID: 33147473 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2020.111337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The heat shock protein family 70 (Hsp70) comprises chaperone proteins that play major multiple roles in Plasmodium asexual and sexual development. In this study, we analyzed the expression of Hsp70-1 in gametocytes, gametes, zygotes, and its participation in ookinete formation and their transition into oocysts. A monoclonal antibody against recombinant Hsp70-1 revealed its presence in zygotes and micronemes of ookinetes. Compared to wild type parasites, Hsp70-1 knockout ookinetes produced fewer oocysts in Plasmodium-susceptible Anopheles albimanus mosquitoes. This may indicate a defective transformation of ookinetes into oocysts in the absence of Hsp70-1. The presence of this protein in micronemes suggests its participation in mosquito infection, probably aiding to the adequate structural conformation of proteins in charge of motility, recognition and invasion of the insect midgut epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carmen Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Jesús Martínez-Barnetche
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Alba N Lecona-Valera
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Juan Téllez-Sosa
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Rocio S Argotte-Ramos
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Alvarado-Delgado
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Marbella T Ovilla
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Vianey Saldaña-Navor
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Mario H Rodriguez
- Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad 655, C. P. 62100, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
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6
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Recio-Tótoro B, Condé R, Claudio-Piedras F, Lanz-Mendoza H. Affinity purification of Plasmodium ookinetes from in vitro cultures using extracellular matrix gel. Parasitol Int 2020; 80:102242. [PMID: 33152548 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Malaria transmission depends on the parasites' successful invasion of the mosquito. This is achieved by the ookinete, a motile zygote that forms in the blood bolus after the mosquito takes an infectious blood meal. The ookinete invades the midgut epithelium and strongly attaches to the basal lamina, differentiating into an oocyst that produces the vertebrate-invasive sporozoites. Despite their importance, the ookinete and the oocyst are the least studied stages of the parasite. Much of what we know about the ookinete comes from in vitro experiments, which are hindered by the concomitant contamination with blood cells and other parasite stages. Although methods to purify them exist, they vary in terms of yield, costs, and difficulty to perform. A method for ookinete purification taking advantage of their adhesive properties was herein developed. The method consists of covering any culture-suitable surface with extracellular matrix gel, after which the ookinete culture is incubated on the gel to allow for ookinete attachment. The contaminant cells are then simply washed away. This procedure results in purer and less stressed ookinete preparations, which, by the nature of the method, are ready for oocyst production. Furthermore, it allows for micro-purifications using only 1 μl of blood, opening the possibility to make axenic ookinete cultures without sacrificing mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benito Recio-Tótoro
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico; Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Renaud Condé
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Fabiola Claudio-Piedras
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Humberto Lanz-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 62100 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
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7
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly T. Rios
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Scott E. Lindner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Chaves LB, Perce-da-Silva DDS, Totino PRR, Riccio EKP, Baptista BDO, de Souza ABL, Rodrigues-da-Silva RN, Machado RLD, de Souza RM, Daniel-Ribeiro CT, Banic DM, Pratt-Riccio LR, Lima-Junior JDC. Plasmodium vivax ookinete surface protein (Pvs25) is highly conserved among field isolates from five different regions of the Brazilian Amazon. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2019; 73:287-294. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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9
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Howick VM, Russell AJC, Andrews T, Heaton H, Reid AJ, Natarajan K, Butungi H, Metcalf T, Verzier LH, Rayner JC, Berriman M, Herren JK, Billker O, Hemberg M, Talman AM, Lawniczak MKN. The Malaria Cell Atlas: Single parasite transcriptomes across the complete Plasmodium life cycle. Science 2019; 365:eaaw2619. [PMID: 31439762 PMCID: PMC7056351 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasites adopt a remarkable variety of morphological life stages as they transition through multiple mammalian host and mosquito vector environments. We profiled the single-cell transcriptomes of thousands of individual parasites, deriving the first high-resolution transcriptional atlas of the entire Plasmodium berghei life cycle. We then used our atlas to precisely define developmental stages of single cells from three different human malaria parasite species, including parasites isolated directly from infected individuals. The Malaria Cell Atlas provides both a comprehensive view of gene usage in a eukaryotic parasite and an open-access reference dataset for the study of malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia M Howick
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Andrew J C Russell
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Tallulah Andrews
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Haynes Heaton
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Adam J Reid
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Kedar Natarajan
- Danish Institute of Advanced Study (D-IAS), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Hellen Butungi
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, MRC Collaborating Centre for Multi-disciplinary Research on Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tom Metcalf
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Lisa H Verzier
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Jeremy K Herren
- International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Nairobi, Kenya
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, MRC Collaborating Centre for Multi-disciplinary Research on Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witswatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Oliver Billker
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Hemberg
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Arthur M Talman
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Mara K N Lawniczak
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK.
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Zhang C, Gao H, Yang Z, Jiang Y, Li Z, Wang X, Xiao B, Su XZ, Cui H, Yuan J. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated sequential editing of genes critical for ookinete motility in Plasmodium yoelii. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2016; 212:1-8. [PMID: 28034675 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2016.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 has been successfully adapted for gene editing in malaria parasites including Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium yoelii. However, the reported methods were limited to editing one gene at a time. In practice, it is often desired to modify multiple genetic loci in a parasite genome. Here we describe a CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome editing method that allows successive modification of more than one gene in the genome of P. yoelii using an improved single-vector system (pYCm) we developed previously. Drug resistant genes encoding human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) and a yeast bifunctional protein (yFCU), with cytosine deaminase (CD) and uridyl phosphoribosyl transferase (UPRT) activities in the plasmid, allowed sequential positive (pyrimethamine, Pyr) and negative (5-fluorocytosine, 5FC) selections and generation of transgenic parasites free of the episomal plasmid after genetic modification. Using this system, we were able to efficiently tag a gene of interest (Pyp28) and subsequently disrupted two genes (Pyctrp and Pycdpk3) that are individually critical for ookinete motility. Disruption of the genes either eliminated (Pyctrp) or greatly reduced (Pycdpk3) ookinete forward motility in matrigel in vitro and completely blocked oocyst development in mosquito midgut. The method will greatly facilitate studies of parasite gene function, development, and disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Han Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhenke Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhenkui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Bo Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Xin-Zhuan Su
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Huiting Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
| | - Jing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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11
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Shrestha S, Li X, Ning G, Miao J, Cui L. The RNA-binding protein Puf1 functions in the maintenance of gametocytes in Plasmodium falciparum. J Cell Sci 2016; 129:3144-52. [PMID: 27383769 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.186908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Translation control plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, especially in transition stages between the vertebrate host and mosquito vector. Here, we determined the function of the Puf-family member Puf1 (denoted as PfPuf1 for the P. falciparum protein) during P. falciparum sexual development. We show that PfPuf1 was expressed in all gametocyte stages and at higher levels in female gametocytes. PfPuf1 disruption did not interfere with the asexual erythrocyte cycle of the parasite but resulted in an approximately tenfold decrease of mature gametocytes. In the PfPuf1-disrupted lines, gametocytes appeared normal before stage III but subsequently exhibited a sharp decline in gametocytemia. This was accompanied by a concomitant accumulation of dead and dying late-stage gametocytes, which retained normal gross morphology. In addition, significantly more female gametocytes were lost in the PfPuf1-disrupted lines during development, resulting in a reversed male-to-female sex ratio. These results indicate that PfPuf1 is important for the differentiation and maintenance of gametocytes, especially female gametocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sony Shrestha
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Gang Ning
- Microscopy and Cytometry Facility, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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12
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Chaurio RA, Pacheco MA, Cornejo OE, Durrego E, Stanley CE, Castillo AI, Herrera S, Escalante AA. Evolution of the Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Candidates Pvs28 and Pvs25 in Plasmodium vivax: Geographic Differentiation and Evidence of Positive Selection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004786. [PMID: 27347876 PMCID: PMC4922550 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission-blocking (TB) vaccines are considered an important tool for malaria control and elimination. Among all the antigens characterized as TB vaccines against Plasmodium vivax, the ookinete surface proteins Pvs28 and Pvs25 are leading candidates. These proteins likely originated by a gene duplication event that took place before the radiation of the known Plasmodium species to primates. We report an evolutionary genetic analysis of a worldwide sample of pvs28 and pvs25 alleles. Our results show that both genes display low levels of genetic polymorphism when compared to the merozoite surface antigens AMA-1 and MSP-1; however, both ookinete antigens can be as polymorphic as other merozoite antigens such as MSP-8 and MSP-10. We found that parasite populations in Asia and the Americas are geographically differentiated with comparable levels of genetic diversity and specific amino acid replacements found only in the Americas. Furthermore, the observed variation was mainly accumulated in the EGF2- and EGF3-like domains for P. vivax in both proteins. This pattern was shared by other closely related non-human primate parasites such as Plasmodium cynomolgi, suggesting that it could be functionally important. In addition, examination with a suite of evolutionary genetic analyses indicated that the observed patterns are consistent with positive natural selection acting on Pvs28 and Pvs25 polymorphisms. The geographic pattern of genetic differentiation and the evidence for positive selection strongly suggest that the functional consequences of the observed polymorphism should be evaluated during development of TBVs that include Pvs25 and Pvs28. Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human malarial parasite outside Africa. The fact that patients can relapse due to the parasite dormant liver stages, among other biologic and epidemiologic characteristics of vivax malaria, facilitates the persistence of the disease in many endemic areas. These challenges have fueled the search for new control tools, including transmission blocking (TB) vaccines targeting the parasite sexual stages. Here we study the genetic diversity of two major TB vaccine antigens, Pvs25 and Pvs28. We show that these genes are relatively conserved worldwide but still harbor diversity that is not evenly distributed across the genes. These patterns are shared by the same proteins in closely related parasite species suggesting their functional importance. We also identify strong geographic differentiation between the circulating variants found in Asia and the Americas. Finally, evolutionary genetic analyses indicate that the observed variation in both genes could be maintained by natural selection. Thus, these polymorphisms may confer an adaptive advantage to the parasite. These results indicate that the genetic variation found in these genes and their geographic distribution should be considered by vaccine developers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo A Chaurio
- Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - M Andreína Pacheco
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Omar E Cornejo
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ester Durrego
- Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Craig E Stanley
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Andreína I Castillo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | | | - Ananias A Escalante
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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13
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Plasmodium falciparum ookinete expression of plasmepsin VII and plasmepsin X. Malar J 2016; 15:111. [PMID: 26911483 PMCID: PMC4765185 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1161-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium invasion of the mosquito midgut is a population bottleneck in the parasite lifecycle. Interference with molecular mechanisms by which the ookinete invades the mosquito midgut is one potential approach to developing malaria transmission-blocking strategies. Plasmodium aspartic proteases are one such class of potential targets: plasmepsin IV (known to be present in the asexual stage food vacuole) was previously shown to be involved in Plasmodium gallinaceum infection of the mosquito midgut, and plasmepsins VII and plasmepsin X (not known to be present in the asexual stage food vacuole) are upregulated in Plasmodium falciparum mosquito stages. These (and other) parasite-derived enzymes that play essential roles during ookinete midgut invasion are prime candidates for transmission-blocking vaccines. Methods Reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) was used to determine timing of P. falciparum plasmepsin VII (PfPM VII) and plasmepsin X (PfPM X) mRNA transcripts in parasite mosquito midgut stages. Protein expression was confirmed by western immunoblot and immunofluorescence assays (IFA) using anti-peptide monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against immunogenic regions of PfPM VII and PfPM X. These antibodies were also used in standard membrane feeding assays (SMFA) to determine whether inhibition of these proteases would affect parasite transmission to mosquitoes. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyse mosquito transmission assay results. Results RT-PCR, western immunoblot and immunofluorescence assay confirmed expression of PfPM VII and PfPM X in mosquito stages. Whereas PfPM VII was expressed in zygotes and ookinetes, PfPM X was expressed in gametes, zygotes, and ookinetes. Antibodies against PfPM VII and PfPM X decreased P. falciparum invasion of the mosquito midgut when used at high concentrations, indicating that these proteases play a role in Plasmodium mosquito midgut invasion. Failure to generate genetic knockouts of these genes limited determination of the precise role of these proteases in parasite transmission but suggests that they are essential during the intraerythrocytic life cycle. Conclusions PfPM VII and PfPM X are present in the mosquito-infective stages of P. falciparum. Standard membrane feeding assays demonstrate that antibodies against these proteins reduce the infectivity of P. falciparum for mosquitoes, suggesting their viability as transmission-blocking vaccine candidates. Further study of the role of these plasmepsins in P. falciparum biology is warranted. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-016-1161-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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14
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Cui L, Lindner S, Miao J. Translational regulation during stage transitions in malaria parasites. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2014; 1342:1-9. [PMID: 25387887 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The complicated life cycle of the malaria parasite involves a vertebrate host and a mosquito vector, and translational regulation plays a prominent role in orchestrating the developmental events in the two transition stages: gametocytes and sporozoites. Translational regulation is executed in both global and transcript-specific manners. Plasmodium uses a conserved mechanism involving phosphorylation of eIF2α to repress global protein synthesis during the latent period of sporozoite development in the mosquito salivary glands. Transcript-specific translational regulation is achieved by a network of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), among which the Dhh1 RNA helicase DOZI and Puf family RBPs are by far the best studied in Plasmodium. While the DOZI complex defines a new P granule with a role in protecting certain gametocyte mRNAs from degradation, the Puf proteins appear to repress expression of mRNAs in both gametocytes and sporozoites. These examples underscore the significance of translational regulation in Plasmodium development.
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15
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Morahan B, Garcia-Bustos J. Kinase signalling in Plasmodium sexual stages and interventions to stop malaria transmission. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2014; 193:23-32. [PMID: 24509402 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2014.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The symptoms of malaria, one of the infectious diseases with the highest mortality and morbidity world-wide, are caused by asexual parasites replicating inside red blood cells. Disease transmission, however, is effected by non-replicating cells which have differentiated into male or female gametocytes. These are the forms infectious to mosquito vectors and the insects are the only hosts where parasite sexual reproduction can take place. Malaria is thus a complex infection in which pharmacological treatment of symptoms may still allow transmission for long periods, while pharmacological blockage of infectivity may not cure symptoms. The process of parasite sexual differentiation and development is still being revealed but it is clear that kinase-mediated signalling mechanisms play a significant role. This review attempts to summarise our limited current knowledge on the signalling mechanisms involved in the transition from asexual replication to sexual differentiation and reproduction, with a brief mention to the effects of current treatments on the sexual stages and to some of the difficulties inherent in developing pharmacological interventions to curtail disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Morahan
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
| | - Jose Garcia-Bustos
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
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16
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Tremp AZ, Carter V, Saeed S, Dessens JT. Morphogenesis of Plasmodium zoites is uncoupled from tensile strength. Mol Microbiol 2013; 89:552-64. [PMID: 23773015 PMCID: PMC3912903 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A shared feature of the motile stages (zoites) of malaria parasites is a cortical cytoskeletal structure termed subpellicular network (SPN), thought to define and maintain cell shape. Plasmodium alveolins comprise structural components of the SPN, and alveolin gene knockout causes morphological abnormalities that coincide with markedly reduced tensile strength of the affected zoites, indicating the alveolins are prime cell shape determinants. Here, we characterize a novel SPN protein of Plasmodium berghei ookinetes and sporozoites named G2 (glycine at position 2), which is structurally unrelated to alveolins. G2 knockout abolishes parasite transmission and causes zoite malformations and motility defects similar to those observed in alveolin null mutants. Unlike alveolins, however, G2 contributes little to tensile strength, arguing against a cause-effect relationship between tensile strength and cell shape. We also show that G2 null mutant sporozoites display an abnormal arrangement of their subpellicular microtubules. These results provide important new understanding of the factors that determine zoite morphogenesis, as well as the potential roles of the cortical cytoskeleton in gliding motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Z Tremp
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
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17
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Miao J, Fan Q, Parker D, Li X, Li J, Cui L. Puf mediates translation repression of transmission-blocking vaccine candidates in malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003268. [PMID: 23637595 PMCID: PMC3630172 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Translational control of gene expression plays an essential role in development. In malaria parasites, translational regulation is critical during the development of specialized transition stages between the vertebrate host and mosquito vector. Here we show that a Pumilio/FBF (Puf) family RNA-binding protein, PfPuf2, is required for the translation repression of a number of transcripts in gametocytes including two genes encoding the transmission-blocking vaccine candidates Pfs25 and Pfs28. Whereas studies to date support a paradigm of Puf-mediated translation regulation through 3' untranslated regions (UTRs) of target mRNAs, this study, for the first time, identifies a functional Puf-binding element (PBE) in the 5'UTR of pfs25. We provide both in vitro and in vivo evidence to demonstrate that PfPuf2 binds to the PBEs in pfs25 and pfs28 to mediate translation repression. This finding provides a renewed view of Pufs as versatile translation regulators and sheds light on their functions in the development of lower branches of eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Miao
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Qi Fan
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Dalian Institute of Biotechnology, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Daniel Parker
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jianyong Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Sustained activation of Akt elicits mitochondrial dysfunction to block Plasmodium falciparum infection in the mosquito host. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003180. [PMID: 23468624 PMCID: PMC3585164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The overexpression of activated, myristoylated Akt in the midgut of female transgenic Anopheles stephensi results in resistance to infection with the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum but also decreased lifespan. In the present study, the understanding of mitochondria-dependent midgut homeostasis has been expanded to explain this apparent paradox in an insect of major medical importance. Given that Akt signaling is essential for cell growth and survival, we hypothesized that sustained Akt activation in the mosquito midgut would alter the balance of critical pathways that control mitochondrial dynamics to enhance parasite killing at some cost to survivorship. Toxic reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RNOS) rise to high levels in the midgut after blood feeding, due to a combination of high NO production and a decline in FOXO-dependent antioxidants. Despite an apparent increase in mitochondrial biogenesis in young females (3 d), energy deficiencies were apparent as decreased oxidative phosphorylation and increased [AMP]/[ATP] ratios. In addition, mitochondrial mass was lower and accompanied by the presence of stalled autophagosomes in the posterior midgut, a critical site for blood digestion and stem cell-mediated epithelial maintenance and repair, and by functional degradation of the epithelial barrier. By 18 d, the age at which An. stephensi would transmit P. falciparum to human hosts, mitochondrial dysfunction coupled to Akt-mediated repression of autophagy/mitophagy was more evident and midgut epithelial structure was markedly compromised. Inhibition of RNOS by co-feeding of the nitric-oxide synthase inhibitor L-NAME at infection abrogated Akt-dependent killing of P. falciparum that begins within 18 h of infection in 3–5 d old mosquitoes. Hence, Akt-induced changes in mitochondrial dynamics perturb midgut homeostasis to enhance parasite resistance and decrease mosquito infective lifespan. Further, quality control of mitochondrial function in the midgut is necessary for the maintenance of midgut health as reflected in energy homeostasis and tissue repair and renewal. Malaria is a major public health problem in the world and various strategies are under development for control, including vaccines and transgenic mosquitoes that block parasite transmission. We previously reported that overexpression of the major signaling protein Akt in the midgut of female Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes could impart resistance to infection with the most important human malaria parasite and also reduce the duration of mosquito infectivity to human hosts. However, to use this strategy for malaria transmission control in endemic areas, we must understand the mechanism by which parasites are killed to ensure that transmission of other human pathogens (e.g., viruses, nematodes) is not unexpectedly enhanced and to allow the design of rational, preventive interventions. Here, we report that overexpression of a constitutively active Akt in the mosquito midgut alters important cellular, and in particular, mitochondrial processes – in a manner similar to Akt control of these processes in mammalian cells – to generate high levels of toxic compounds that kill parasites within hours after infection. However, the same alterations in mitochondrial processes that result in parasite killing ultimately reduce mosquito infective lifespan for transmission, indicating that mitochondrial dynamics in the mosquito midgut could be targeted for multi-faceted genetic control of mosquito biology to reduce malaria transmission.
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19
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Conserved peptide sequences bind to actin and enolase on the surface of Plasmodium berghei ookinetes. Parasitology 2011; 138:1341-53. [PMID: 21816124 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182011001296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The description of Plasmodium ookinete surface proteins and their participation in the complex process of mosquito midgut invasion is still incomplete. In this study, using phage display, a consensus peptide sequence (PWWP) was identified in phages that bound to the Plasmodium berghei ookinete surface and, in selected phages, bound to actin and enolase in overlay assays with ookinete protein extracts. Actin was localized on the surface of fresh live ookinetes by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy using specific antibodies. The overall results indicated that enolase and actin can be located on the surface of ookinetes, and suggest that they could participate in Plasmodium invasion of the mosquito midgut.
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Hughes KR, Philip N, Lucas Starnes G, Taylor S, Waters AP. From cradle to grave: RNA biology in malaria parasites. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-RNA 2010; 1:287-303. [DOI: 10.1002/wrna.30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katie R. Hughes
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Biomedical Life Sciences, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
| | - Nisha Philip
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Biomedical Life Sciences, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
| | - G. Lucas Starnes
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Biomedical Life Sciences, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
| | - Sonya Taylor
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Biomedical Life Sciences, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
| | - Andrew P. Waters
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Biomedical Life Sciences, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, UK
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21
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Arrighi RB, Faye I. Plasmodium falciparum GPI toxin: a common foe for man and mosquito. Acta Trop 2010; 114:162-5. [PMID: 19539593 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2009.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2008] [Revised: 06/06/2009] [Accepted: 06/09/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which can be regarded as an endotoxin, plays a role in the induced pathology associated with severe malaria in humans. However, it is unclear whether the main mosquito vector, Anopheles gambiae, can specifically recognize, and respond to GPI from the malaria parasite. Recent data suggests that the malaria vector does mount a specific response against malaria GPI. In addition, following the strong immune response, mosquito fecundity is severely affected, resulting in a significant reduction in viable eggs produced. In this mini-review we look at the increased interest in understanding the way that malaria antigens are recognized in the mosquito, and how this relates to a better understanding of the interactions between the malaria parasite and both human and vector.
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Arakawa T, Tachibana M, Miyata T, Harakuni T, Kohama H, Matsumoto Y, Tsuji N, Hisaeda H, Stowers A, Torii M, Tsuboi T. Malaria ookinete surface protein-based vaccination via the intranasal route completely blocks parasite transmission in both passive and active vaccination regimens in a rodent model of malaria infection. Infect Immun 2009; 77:5496-500. [PMID: 19752035 PMCID: PMC2786443 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00640-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2009] [Revised: 07/06/2009] [Accepted: 09/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria vaccines based on ookinete surface proteins (OSPs) of the malaria parasites block oocyst development in feeding mosquitoes and hence disrupt the parasite life cycle and prevent the disease from being transmitted to other individuals. To investigate whether a noninvasive mucosal vaccination regimen effectively blocks parasite transmission in vivo, Plasmodium yoelii Pys25, a homolog of the Pfs25 and Pvs25 OSPs of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, respectively, was intranasally (i.n.) administered using a complement-deficient DBA/2 mouse malaria infection model, in which a highly elevated level of oocysts develops in feeding mosquitoes. Vaccinated mice developed a robust antibody response when the vaccine antigen was given together with cholera toxin adjuvant. The induced immune serum was passively transferred to DBA/2 mice 3 days after infection with P. yoelii 17XL, and Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes were allowed to feed on the infected mice before or after serum transfusion. This passive immunization completely blocked oocyst development; however, immune serum induced by the antigen or adjuvant alone did not have such a profound antiparasite effect. Further, when i.n. vaccinated mice were infected with the parasite and then mosquitoes were allowed to directly feed on the infected mice, complete blockage of transmission was again observed. To our knowledge, this is the first time that mucosal vaccination has been demonstrated to be efficacious for directly preventing parasite transmission from vaccinated animals to mosquitoes, and the results may provide important insight into rational design of nonparenteral vaccines for use against human malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Arakawa
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Mayumi Tachibana
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Takeshi Miyata
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Harakuni
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Hideyasu Kohama
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Yasunobu Matsumoto
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Naotoshi Tsuji
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Hajime Hisaeda
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Anthony Stowers
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Motomi Torii
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Molecular Microbiology Group, COMB, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan, Division of Host Defense and Vaccinology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Shigenobu-cho, Ehime 791-0295, Japan, Laboratory of Global Animal Resource Science, Department of Global Agricultural Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan, National Institute of Animal Health, National Agricultural Research Organization, 3-1-5 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856, Japan, Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
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23
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Chung DWD, Ponts N, Cervantes S, Le Roch KG. Post-translational modifications in Plasmodium: more than you think! Mol Biochem Parasitol 2009; 168:123-34. [PMID: 19666057 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2009.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2009] [Revised: 07/10/2009] [Accepted: 08/03/2009] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidences indicate that transcription in Plasmodium may be hard-wired and rigid, deviating from the classical model of transcriptional gene regulation. Thus, it is important that other regulatory pathways be investigated as a comprehensive effort to curb the deadly malarial parasite. Research in post-translational modifications in Plasmodium is an emerging field that may provide new venues for drug discovery and potential new insights into how parasitic protozoans regulate their life cycle. Here, we discuss the recent findings of post-translational modifications in Plasmodium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duk-Won Doug Chung
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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24
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Arrighi RBG, Debierre-Grockiego F, Schwarz RT, Faye I. The immunogenic properties of protozoan glycosylphosphatidylinositols in the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 33:216-223. [PMID: 18822312 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2008.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2008] [Revised: 08/19/2008] [Accepted: 08/23/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to humans, mosquitoes do not have an adaptive immune response to deal with pathogens, and therefore must rely on their innate immune system to deal with invaders. This facilitates the recognition of different microbes on the basis of surface components or antigens. Such antigens have been identified in various types of microbe such as bacteria and fungi, yet none has been identified in the genus protozoa, which includes pathogens such as the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. This study allowed us to test the antigenic properties of protozoan glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) on the mosquito immune system. We found that both P. falciparum GPI and T. gondii GPI induce the strong expression of several antimicrobial peptides following ingestion, and that as a result of the immune response against the GPIs, the number of eggs produced by the mosquito is reduced dramatically. Such effects have been associated with malaria infected mosquitoes, but never associated with a Plasmodium specific antigen. This study demonstrates that protozoan GPIs can be considered as protozoan specific immune elicitors in mosquitoes, and that P. falciparum GPI plays a critical role in the malaria parasite manipulation of the mosquito vector to facilitate its transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romanico B G Arrighi
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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25
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Murine model for assessment of Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking vaccine using transgenic Plasmodium berghei parasites expressing the target antigen Pfs25. Infect Immun 2008; 76:2018-24. [PMID: 18316385 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01409-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no animal model for Plasmodium falciparum challenge to evaluate malaria transmission-blocking vaccines based on the well-established Pfs25 target antigen. The biological activity of transmission-blocking antibodies is typically assessed using an assay known as the membrane feeding assay (MFA). It is an in vitro method that involves mixing antibodies with cultured P. falciparum gametocytes and feeding them to mosquitoes through an artificial membrane followed by assessment of infection in the mosquitoes. We genetically modified Plasmodium berghei to express Pfs25 and demonstrated that the transgenic parasites (TrPfs25Pb) are susceptible to anti-Pfs25 antibodies during mosquito-stage development. The asexual growth kinetics and mosquito infectivity of TrPfs25Pb were comparable to those of wild-type parasites, and TrPfs25Pb displayed Pfs25 on the surface of ookinetes. Immune sera from nonhuman primates immunized with a Pfs25-based vaccine when passively transferred to mice blocked transmission of TrPfs25Pb to Anopheles stephensi. Furthermore, mice immunized with Pfs25 DNA vaccine and challenged with TrPfs25Pb displayed reduced malaria transmission compared to mice immunized with wild-type plasmid. These studies describe development of an animal malaria model alternative to the in vitro MFA and show that the model can facilitate P. falciparum transmission-blocking vaccine evaluation based on the target antigen Pfs25. We believe that an animal model to test transmission-blocking vaccines would be superior to the MFA, since there may be additional immune factors that synergize the transmission-blocking activity of antibodies in vivo.
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26
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Srinivasan P, Fujioka H, Jacobs-Lorena M. PbCap380, a novel oocyst capsule protein, is essential for malaria parasite survival in the mosquito. Cell Microbiol 2008; 10:1304-12. [PMID: 18248630 DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2008.01127.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
An essential requisite for transmission of Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, is the successful completion of a complex developmental cycle in its mosquito vector. Of hundreds of ookinetes that form in the mosquito midgut, only few transform into oocysts, a loss attributed to the action of the mosquito immune system. However, once oocysts form, they appear to be resistant to mosquito defences. During oocyst development, a thick capsule forms around the parasite and appears to function as a protective cover. Little information is available about the composition of this capsule. Here we report on the identification and partial characterization of the first Plasmodium oocyst capsule protein (PbCap380). Genetic analysis indicates that the gene is essential and that PbCap380(-) mutant parasites form oocysts in normal numbers but are gradually eliminated. As a result, mosquitoes infected with PbCap380(-) parasites do not transmit malaria. Targeting of the oocyst capsule may provide a new strategy for malaria control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Srinivasan
- Malaria Research Institute, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 20852, USA.
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27
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Braks JAM, Mair GR, Franke-Fayard B, Janse CJ, Waters AP. A conserved U-rich RNA region implicated in regulation of translation in Plasmodium female gametocytes. Nucleic Acids Res 2007; 36:1176-86. [PMID: 18158300 PMCID: PMC2275103 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkm1142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Translational repression (TR) plays an important role in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression and embryonic development in metazoans. TR also regulates the expression of a subset of the cytoplasmic mRNA population during development of fertilized female gametes of the unicellular malaria parasite, Plasmodium spp. which results in the formation of a polar and motile form, the ookinete. We report the conserved and sex-specific regulatory role of either the 3'- or 5'-UTR of a subset of translationally repressed mRNA species as shown by almost complete inhibition of expression of a GFP reporter protein in the female gametocyte. A U-rich, TR-associated element, identified previously in the 3'-UTR of TR-associated transcripts, played an essential role in mediating TR and a similar region could be found in the 5'-UTR shown in this study to be active in TR. The silencing effect of this 5'-UTR was shown to be independent of its position relative to its ORF, as transposition to a location 3' of the ORF did not affect TR. These results demonstrate for the first time in a unicellular organism that the 5' or the 3'-UTR of TR-associated transcripts play an important and conserved role in mediating TR in female gametocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna A M Braks
- Department of Parasitology, Centre of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands
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28
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Mair GR, Braks JAM, Garver LS, Dimopoulos G, Hall N, Wiegant JC, Dirks RW, Khan SM, Janse CJ, Waters AP. Regulation of sexual development of Plasmodium by translational repression. Science 2006; 313:667-9. [PMID: 16888139 PMCID: PMC1609190 DOI: 10.1126/science.1125129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 347] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Translational repression of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) plays an important role in sexual differentiation and gametogenesis in multicellular eukaryotes. Translational repression and mRNA turnover were shown to influence stage-specific gene expression in the protozoan Plasmodium. The DDX6-class RNA helicase, DOZI (development of zygote inhibited), is found in a complex with mRNA species in cytoplasmic bodies of female, blood-stage gametocytes. These translationally repressed complexes are normally stored for translation after fertilization. Genetic disruption of pbdozi inhibits the formation of the ribonucleoprotein complexes, and instead, at least 370 transcripts are diverted to a degradation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar R. Mair
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joanna A. M. Braks
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lindsey S. Garver
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - George Dimopoulos
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Neil Hall
- The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
| | - Joop C.A.G. Wiegant
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roeland W. Dirks
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 AL Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Shahid M. Khan
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Chris J. Janse
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew P. Waters
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
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29
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Abstract
Since the publication of the sequence of the genome of Plasmodium falciparum, the major causative agent of human malaria, many post-genomic studies have been completed. Invaluably, these data can now be analysed comparatively owing to the availability of a significant amount of genome-sequence data from several closely related model species of Plasmodium and accompanying global proteome and transcriptome studies. This review summarizes our current knowledge and how this has already been--and will continue to be--exploited in the search for vaccines and drugs against this most significant infectious disease of the tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taco W A Kooij
- Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
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30
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Arévalo-Herrera M, Solarte Y, Yasnot MF, Castellanos A, Rincón A, Saul A, Mu J, Long C, Miller L, Herrera S. Induction of transmission-blocking immunity in Aotus monkeys by vaccination with a Plasmodium vivax clinical grade PVS25 recombinant protein. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2006; 73:32-7. [PMID: 16291764 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2005.73.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Aotus monkeys were used to determine the immunogenicity of Pvs25 protein expressed in the zygote/ookinete surface. Animals were immunized in three times with 100 microg of Pvs25 formulated in Montanide ISA-720. Antibodies to Pvs25 detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay appeared by day 30 after the first immunization, with a peak of antibodies levels on day 150. These antibodies were still detectable on day 300. Plasma samples on day 150 from experimental group were able to completely block the development of the parasite in Anopheles albimanus mosquitoes artificially fed with human isolates of Plasmodium vivax. Immunized Aotus monkeys were infected with blood forms of the P. vivax Salvador I strain and no boosting effect of blood infection on titers of antibodies to Pvs25 was observed despite the presence of infective gametocytes. In conclusion, Pvs25 protein formulated in Montanide ISA-720 induces efficient and long-lasting transmission-blocking antibodies that cannot be boosted by parasite infection.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Anopheles
- Antibodies, Protozoan/blood
- Antigens, Protozoan/administration & dosage
- Antigens, Protozoan/genetics
- Antigens, Protozoan/immunology
- Antigens, Surface/administration & dosage
- Antigens, Surface/genetics
- Antigens, Surface/immunology
- Cebidae
- Humans
- Immune Sera/immunology
- Malaria Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Malaria Vaccines/genetics
- Malaria Vaccines/immunology
- Malaria, Vivax/immunology
- Malaria, Vivax/prevention & control
- Malaria, Vivax/transmission
- Mannitol/administration & dosage
- Mannitol/analogs & derivatives
- Mannitol/immunology
- Oleic Acids/administration & dosage
- Oleic Acids/immunology
- Plasmodium vivax/immunology
- Recombinant Proteins/administration & dosage
- Recombinant Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Proteins/immunology
- Vaccination
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31
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Vontas J, Siden-Kiamos I, Papagiannakis G, Karras M, Waters AP, Louis C. Gene expression in Plasmodium berghei ookinetes and early oocysts in a co-culture system with mosquito cells. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2005; 139:1-13. [PMID: 15610814 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2004.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2004] [Accepted: 03/03/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Using an in vitro development system for Plasmodium berghei sporogonic stages and microarray technology we examined parasite gene expression during ookinete invasion of Aedes cells and the ensuing oocyst development. A number of genes were found to be differentially expressed. The most prominent class of up-regulated elements corresponded to products involved in protein synthesis and metabolism. Furthermore, several previously studied genes with a known in vivo developmental profile matched published data. A large number of genes with a hitherto unknown function during the life cycle stages studied also show a differential pattern of expression, indicating the involvement of their products in control and execution of active developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, Box 1527, 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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32
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Lim J, Gowda DC, Krishnegowda G, Luckhart S. Induction of nitric oxide synthase in Anopheles stephensi by Plasmodium falciparum: mechanism of signaling and the role of parasite glycosylphosphatidylinositols. Infect Immun 2005; 73:2778-89. [PMID: 15845481 PMCID: PMC1087374 DOI: 10.1128/iai.73.5.2778-2789.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasite (Plasmodium spp.) infection in the mosquito Anopheles stephensi induces significant expression of A. stephensi nitric oxide synthase (AsNOS) in the midgut epithelium as early as 6 h postinfection and intermittently thereafter. This induction results in the synthesis of inflammatory levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the blood-filled midgut that adversely impact parasite development. In mammals, P. falciparum glycosylphosphatidylinositols (PfGPIs) can induce NOS expression in immune and endothelial cells and are sufficient to reproduce the major effects of parasite infection. These effects are mediated in part by mimicry of insulin signaling by PfGPIs. In this study, we demonstrate that PfGPIs can induce AsNOS expression in A. stephensi cells in vitro and in the midgut epithelium in vivo. Signaling by P. falciparum merozoites and PfGPIs is mediated through A. stephensi Akt/protein kinase B and a pathway involving DSOR1, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, and an extracellular signal-regulated kinase. However, despite the involvement of kinases that are also associated with insulin signaling in A. stephensi cells, signaling by P. falciparum and by PfGPIs is distinctively different from signaling by insulin. Therefore, although mimicry of insulin by PfGPIs appears to be restricted to mammalian hosts of P. falciparum, the conservation of PfGPIs as a prominent parasite-derived signal of innate immunity can now be extended to include Anopheles mosquitoes, indicating that parasite signaling of innate immunity is conserved in mosquito and mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junghwa Lim
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 3146 Tupper Hall, One Shields Avenue, University of California at Davis, School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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33
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Gene expression in Plasmodium berghei ookinetes and early oocysts in a co-culture system with mosquito cells. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2005.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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34
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Baton LA, Ranford-Cartwright LC. Do malaria ookinete surface proteins P25 and P28 mediate parasite entry into mosquito midgut epithelial cells? Malar J 2005; 4:15. [PMID: 15733320 PMCID: PMC555762 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-4-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2005] [Accepted: 02/25/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background P25 and P28 are related ookinete surface proteins highly conserved throughout the Plasmodium genus that are under consideration as candidates for inclusion in transmission-blocking vaccines. Previous research using transgenic rodent malaria parasites lacking P25 and P28 has demonstrated that these proteins have multiple partially redundant functions during parasite infection of the mosquito vector, including an undefined role in ookinete traversal of the mosquito midgut epithelium, and it has been suggested that, unlike wild-type parasites, Dko P25/P28 parasites migrate across the midgut epithelium via an intercellular, rather than intracellular, route. Presentation of the hypothesis This paper presents an alternative interpretation for the previous observations of Dko P25/P28 parasites, based upon a recently published model of the route of ookinete invasion across the midgut epithelium. This model claims ookinete invasion is intracellular, with entry occurring through the lateral apical plasma membrane of midgut epithelial cells, and is associated with significant invagination of the midgut epithelium localised at the site of parasite penetration. Following this model, it is hypothesized that: (1) a sub-population of Dko P25/P28 ookinetes invaginate, but do not penetrate, the apical surface of the midgut epithelium and thus remain within the midgut lumen; and (2) another sub-population of Dko P25/P28 parasites successfully enters and migrates across the midgut epithelium via an intracellular route similar to wild-type parasites and subsequently develops into oocysts. Testing the hypothesis These hypotheses are tested by showing how they can account for previously published observations and incorporate them into a coherent and consistent explanatory framework. Based upon these hypotheses, several quantitative predictions are made, which can be experimentally tested, about the relationship between the densities of invading Dko P25/P28 ookinetes in different regions of the midgut epithelium and the number of oocyst stage parasites to which these mutant ookinetes give rise. Implications of the hypothesis The recently published model of ookinete invasion implies that Dko P25/P28 parasites are greatly, although not completely, impaired in their ability to enter the midgut epithelium. Therefore, P25 and/or P28 have a novel, previously unrecognized, function in mediating ookinete entry into midgut epithelial cells, suggesting that one mode of action of transmission-blocking antibodies to these ookinete surface proteins is to inhibit this function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Baton
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Joseph Black Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Lisa C Ranford-Cartwright
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Joseph Black Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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35
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Moreira CK, Marrelli MT, Jacobs-Lorena M. Gene expression in Plasmodium: from gametocytes to sporozoites. Int J Parasitol 2004; 34:1431-40. [PMID: 15582520 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2004.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2004] [Revised: 09/17/2004] [Accepted: 10/05/2004] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Completion of the complex developmental program of Plasmodium in the mosquito is essential for parasite transmission, yet this part of its life cycle is still poorly understood. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the identification and characterization of genes expressed during parasite development in the mosquito. This line of investigation was greatly facilitated by the availability of the genome sequence of several Plasmodium, and by the application of approaches such as proteomics, microarrays, gene disruption by homologous recombination (gene knockout) and by use of subtraction libraries. Here, we review what is presently known about genes expressed in gametocytes and during the Plasmodium life cycle in the mosquito.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Moreira
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Malaria Research Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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36
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Claudianos C, Dessens JT, Trueman HE, Arai M, Mendoza J, Butcher GA, Crompton T, Sinden RE. A malaria scavenger receptor-like protein essential for parasite development. Mol Microbiol 2002; 45:1473-84. [PMID: 12354219 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.03118.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasites suffer severe losses in the mosquito as they cross the midgut, haemolymph and salivary gland tissues, in part caused by immune responses of the insect. The parasite compensates for these losses by multiplying during the oocyst stage to form the infectious sporozoites. Upon human infection, malaria parasites are again attenuated by sustained immune attack. Here, we report a single copy gene that is highly conserved amongst Plasmodium species that encodes a secreted protein named PxSR. The predicted protein is composed of a unique combination of metazoan protein domains that have been previously associated with immune recognition/activation and lipid/protein adhesion interactions at the cell surface, namely: (i) scavenger receptor cysteine rich (SRCR); (ii) pentraxin (PTX); (iii) polycystine-1, lipoxygenase, alpha toxin (LH2/PLAT); (iv) Limulus clotting factor C, Coch-5b2 and Lgl1 (LCCL). In our assessment the PxSR molecule is completely novel in biology and is only found in Apicomplexa parasites. We show that PxSR is expressed in sporozoites of both human and rodent malaria species. Disruption of the PbSR gene in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei results in parasites that form normal numbers of oocysts, but fail to produce any sporozoites. We suggest that, in addition to a role in sporogonic development, PxSR may have a multiplicity of functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Claudianos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine, London, UK.
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37
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Abstract
Three major human diseases, malaria, sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis, are caused by protozoan parasites that are transmitted by blood-sucking insects. These insects are not mere 'flying syringes' that mechanically transfer parasites from one mammal to the next. Instead, they provide a specific environment--albeit not a particularly hospitable one--in which the parasites differentiate, proliferate and migrate to the correct tissues to ensure transmission to the next mammalian host. Recent studies on the role of parasite surface molecules in insect vectors have delivered some surprises and could provide insights on ways to interrupt transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Roditi
- Institut für Zellbiologie, Baltzerstrasse 4, CH-3012,., Bern, Switzerland.
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38
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Arrighi RBG, Hurd H. The role of Plasmodium berghei ookinete proteins in binding to basal lamina components and transformation into oocysts. Int J Parasitol 2002; 32:91-8. [PMID: 11796126 DOI: 10.1016/s0020-7519(01)00298-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The ookinete is a motile form of the malaria parasite that travels from the midgut lumen of the mosquito, invades the epithelial cells and settles beneath the basal lamina. The events surrounding cessation of ookinete motility and its transformation into an oocyst are poorly understood, but interaction between components of the basal lamina and the parasite surface has been implicated. Here we report that interactions occur between basal lamina constituents and ookinete proteins and that these interactions inhibit motility and are likely to be involved in transformation to an oocyst. Plasmodium berghei ookinetes bound weakly to microtitre plate wells coated with fibronectin and much more strongly to wells coated with laminin and collagen IV. A 1:1 mixture of collagen and laminin significantly enhanced binding. Binding increased with time of incubation up to 10 h and different components showed different binding profiles with time. Two parasite molecules were shown to act as ligands for basal lamina components. Western blots demonstrated that the surface molecule Pbs21 bound strongly to laminin but not to collagen IV whereas a 215 kDa molecule (possibly PbCTRP) bound to both laminin and collagen IV. Furthermore up to 90% inhibition of binding of ookinetes to collagen IV/laminin combination occurred if parasites were pre-incubated with anti-Pbs21 monoclonal antibody 13.1. Some transformation of ookinetes to oocysts occurred in wells coated with laminin or laminin/collagen IV combinations but collagen IV alone did not trigger transformation. No binding or transformation occurred in uncoated wells. Our data support the suggestion that ookinete proteins Pbs21 and a 215 kDa protein may have multiple roles including interactions with midgut basal lamina components that cause binding, inhibit motility and trigger transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romanico B G Arrighi
- Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology, School of Life Sciences, Huxley Building, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK
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39
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Hisaeda H, Collins WE, Saul A, Stowers AW. Antibodies to Plasmodium vivax transmission-blocking vaccine candidate antigens Pvs25 and Pvs28 do not show synergism. Vaccine 2001; 20:763-70. [PMID: 11738740 DOI: 10.1016/s0264-410x(01)00402-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Transmission-blocking vaccines against malaria parasites target molecules expressed by sexual stage parasites to elicit antibodies that prevent the infection of the mosquito vector. Pvs25 and Pvs28, expressed on the surface of ookinetes, are potential candidates for such a vaccine and induce antibodies that block the infectivity of Plasmodium vivax in immunized animals. To improve the ability to induce transmission-blocking antibodies, Pvs25 and Pvs28 were produced as a single fusion protein by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mice immunized with a low dose of the chimeric molecule (Pvs25-28) developed higher antibody responses compared with mice immunized with either Pvs25 or Pvs28. In membrane feeding assays, both anti-Pvs25-28 and anti-Pvs25 antisera had similarly potent transmission-blocking activities (and both were much greater than anti-Pvs28). Furthermore, serum from mice simultaneously immunized with both Pvs25 and Pvs28, or serum mixtures of anti-Pvs25 alone and anti-Pvs28 alone did not enhance the efficacy over anti-Pvs25 serum alone, demonstrating that there is no synergism in the ability to block transmission of P. vivax between anti-Pvs25 and anti-Pvs28 antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Hisaeda
- Malaria Vaccine Development Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 5640 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
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40
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Tomas AM, Margos G, Dimopoulos G, van Lin LH, de Koning-Ward TF, Sinha R, Lupetti P, Beetsma AL, Rodriguez MC, Karras M, Hager A, Mendoza J, Butcher GA, Kafatos F, Janse CJ, Waters AP, Sinden RE. P25 and P28 proteins of the malaria ookinete surface have multiple and partially redundant functions. EMBO J 2001; 20:3975-83. [PMID: 11483501 PMCID: PMC149139 DOI: 10.1093/emboj/20.15.3975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ookinete surface proteins (P25 and P28) are proven antimalarial transmission-blocking vaccine targets, yet their biological functions are unknown. By using single (Sko) and double gene knock-out (Dko) Plasmodium berghei parasites, we show that P25 and P28 share multiple functions during ookinete/oocyst development. In the midgut of mosquitoes, the formation of ookinetes lacking both proteins (Dko parasites) is significantly inhibited due to decreased protection against lethal factors, including protease attack. In addition, Dko ookinetes have a much reduced capacity to traverse the midgut epithelium and to transform into the oocyst stage. P25 and P28 are partially redundant in these functions, since the efficiency of ookinete/oocyst development is only mildly compromised in parasites lacking either P25 or P28 (Sko parasites) compared with that of Dko parasites. The fact that Sko parasites are efficiently transmitted by the mosquito is a compelling reason for including both target antigens in transmission-blocking vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriele Margos
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - George Dimopoulos
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | | | | | - Ria Sinha
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Pietro Lupetti
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Annette L. Beetsma
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Maria C. Rodriguez
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Marianna Karras
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Ariadne Hager
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Jacqui Mendoza
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Geoffrey A. Butcher
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | - Fotis Kafatos
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
| | | | | | - Robert E. Sinden
- Leiden University Medical Centre, Laboratory of Parasitology, PO Box 9605, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands,
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Biology Department, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Unit of Electron Microscopy and Cryotechniques, Dipartimento Biologia Evolutiva, Università di Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy Corresponding author e-mail:
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41
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Dessens JT, Mendoza J, Claudianos C, Vinetz JM, Khater E, Hassard S, Ranawaka GR, Sinden RE. Knockout of the rodent malaria parasite chitinase pbCHT1 reduces infectivity to mosquitoes. Infect Immun 2001; 69:4041-7. [PMID: 11349074 PMCID: PMC98467 DOI: 10.1128/iai.69.6.4041-4047.2001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During mosquito transmission, malaria ookinetes must cross a chitin-containing structure known as the peritrophic matrix (PM), which surrounds the infected blood meal in the mosquito midgut. In turn, ookinetes produce multiple chitinase activities presumably aimed at disrupting this physical barrier to allow ookinete invasion of the midgut epithelium. Plasmodium chitinase activities are demonstrated targets for human and avian malaria transmission blockade with the chitinase inhibitor allosamidin. Here, we identify and characterize the first chitinase gene of a rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei. We show that the gene, named PbCHT1, is a structural ortholog of PgCHT1 of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum and a paralog of PfCHT1 of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Targeted disruption of PbCHT1 reduced parasite infectivity in Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes by up to 90%. Reductions in infectivity were also observed in ookinete feeds-an artificial situation where midgut invasion occurs before PM formation-suggesting that PbCHT1 plays a role other than PM disruption. PbCHT1 null mutants had no residual ookinete-derived chitinase activity in vitro, suggesting that P. berghei ookinetes express only one chitinase gene. Moreover, PbCHT1 activity appeared insensitive to allosamidin inhibition, an observation that raises questions about the use of allosamidin and components like it as potential malaria transmission-blocking drugs. Taken together, these findings suggest a fundamental divergence among rodent, avian, and human malaria parasite chitinases, with implications for the evolution of Plasmodium-mosquito interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Dessens
- Department of Biology, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
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42
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Vlachou D, Lycett G, Sidén-Kiamos I, Blass C, Sinden RE, Louis C. Anopheles gambiae laminin interacts with the P25 surface protein of Plasmodium berghei ookinetes. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2001; 112:229-37. [PMID: 11223130 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-6851(00)00371-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Laminin is a major constituent of the basal lamina surrounding the midgut of the malaria vectors that has been implicated in the development of the Plasmodium oocyst. In this report we describe the cloning of the Anopheles gambiae gene encoding the laminin gamma 1 polypeptide and follow its expression during mosquito development. To further investigate the putative role of laminin in the transmission of the malaria parasite we studied the potential binding of the P25 surface protein of Plasmodium berghei using a yeast two-hybrid system. Heterodimer formation was observed and does not require any additional protein factors since purified fusion proteins can also bind each other in vitro. Laminin gamma 1 also interacts with the paralogue of P25, namely P28, albeit more weakly, possibly explaining why the two parasite proteins can substitute for each other in deletion mutants. This represents the first direct evidence for molecular interactions between a surface protein of the Plasmodium parasite with an Anopheles protein; the strong interplay between laminin gamma 1 and P25 suggests that this pair of proteins may function as a receptor/ligand complex regulating parasite development in the mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Vlachou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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