1
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Keeling PJ, Mtawali M, Trznadel M, Livingston SJ, Wakeman KC. Parallel functional reduction in the mitochondria of apicomplexan parasites. Eur J Protistol 2024; 94:126065. [PMID: 38492251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2024.126065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Extreme functional reduction of mitochondria has taken place in parallel in many distantly related lineages of eukaryotes, leading to a number of recurring metabolic states with variously lost electron transport chain (ETC) complexes, loss of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and/or loss of the mitochondrial genome. The resulting mitochondria-related organelles (MROs) are generally structurally reduced and in the most extreme cases barely recognizable features of the cell with no role in energy metabolism whatsoever (e.g., mitosomes, which generally only make iron-sulfur clusters). Recently, a wide diversity of MROs were discovered to be hiding in plain sight: in gregarine apicomplexans. This diverse group of invertebrate parasites has been known and observed for centuries, but until recent applications of culture-free genomics, their mitochondria were unremarkable. The genomics, however, showed that mitochondrial function has reduced in parallel in multiple gregarine lineages to several different endpoints, including the most reduced mitosomes. Here we review this remarkable case of parallel evolution of MROs, and some of the interesting questions this work raises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada.
| | - Mahara Mtawali
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
| | - Morelia Trznadel
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
| | - Samuel J Livingston
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
| | - Kevin C Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
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2
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Li J, Fan Y, Li N, Guo Y, Wang W, Feng K, He W, Li F, Huang J, Xu Y, Xiao L, Feng Y. Comparative genomics analysis reveals sequence characteristics potentially related to host preference in Cryptosporidium xiaoi. Int J Parasitol 2024; 54:379-390. [PMID: 38492779 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium spp. are important diarrhea-associated pathogens in humans and livestock. Among the known species, Cryptosporidium xiaoi, which causes cryptosporidiosis in sheep and goats, was previously recognized as a genotype of the bovine-specific Cryptosporidium bovis based on their high sequence identity in the ssrRNA gene. However, the lack of genomic data has limited characterization of the genetic differences between the two closely related species. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of two C. xiaoi isolates and performed comparative genomic analysis to identify the sequence uniqueness of this ovine-adapted species compared with other Cryptosporidium spp. Our results showed that C. xiaoi is genetically related to C. bovis as shown by their 95.8% genomic identity and similar gene content. Consistent with this, both C. xiaoi and C. bovis appear to have fewer genes encoding mitochondrial metabolic enzymes and invasion-related protein families. However, they appear to possess several species-specific genes. Further analysis indicates that the sequence differences between these two Cryptosporidium spp. are mainly in 24 highly polymorphic genes, half of which are located in the subtelomeric regions. Some of these subtelomeric genes encode secretory proteins that have undergone positive selection. In addition, the genomes of two C. xiaoi isolates, identified as subtypes XXIIIf and XXIIIh, share 99.9% nucleotide sequence identity, with six highly divergent genes encoding putative secretory proteins. Therefore, these species-specific genes and sequence polymorphism in subtelomeric genes probably contribute to the different host preference of C. xiaoi and C. bovis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yingying Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Weijian Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Kangli Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wei He
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Falei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jianbo Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yanhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Lihua Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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3
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Agyabeng-Dadzie F, Xiao R, Kissinger JC. Cryptosporidium Genomics - Current Understanding, Advances, and Applications. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2024; 11:92-103. [PMID: 38813571 PMCID: PMC11130048 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-024-00318-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Here we highlight the significant contribution that genomics-based approaches have had on the field of Cryptosporidium research and the insights these approaches have generated into Cryptosporidium biology and transmission. Recent Findings There are advances in genomics, genetic manipulation, gene expression, and single-cell technologies. New and better genome sequences have revealed variable sub-telomeric gene families and genes under selection. RNA expression data now include single-cell and post-infection time points. These data have provided insights into the Cryptosporidium life cycle and host-pathogen interactions. Antisense and ncRNA transcripts are abundant. The critical role of the dsRNA virus is becoming apparent. Summary The community's ability to identify genomic targets in the abundant, yet still lacking, collection of genomic data, combined with their increased ability to assess function via gene knock-out, is revolutionizing the field. Advances in the detection of virulence genes, surveillance, population genomics, recombination studies, and epigenetics are upon us.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rui Xiao
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Jessica C. Kissinger
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Coverdell Center, 107, 500 D.W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602 USA
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4
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Xu R, Beatty WL, Greigert V, Witola WH, Sibley LD. Multiple pathways for glucose phosphate transport and utilization support growth of Cryptosporidium parvum. Nat Commun 2024; 15:380. [PMID: 38191884 PMCID: PMC10774378 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44696-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is an obligate intracellular parasite with a highly reduced mitochondrion that lacks the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the ability to generate ATP, making the parasite reliant on glycolysis. Genetic ablation experiments demonstrated that neither of the two putative glucose transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2 were essential for growth. Surprisingly, hexokinase was also dispensable for parasite growth while the downstream enzyme aldolase was required, suggesting the parasite has an alternative way of obtaining phosphorylated hexose. Complementation studies in E. coli support a role for direct transport of glucose-6-phosphate from the host cell by the parasite transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2, thus bypassing a requirement for hexokinase. Additionally, the parasite obtains phosphorylated glucose from amylopectin stores that are released by the action of the essential enzyme glycogen phosphorylase. Collectively, these findings reveal that C. parvum relies on multiple pathways to obtain phosphorylated glucose both for glycolysis and to restore carbohydrate reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Wandy L Beatty
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Valentin Greigert
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - William H Witola
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61802, USA
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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5
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Shaw S, Cohn IS, Baptista RP, Xia G, Melillo B, Agyabeng-Dadzie F, Kissinger JC, Striepen B. Genetic crosses within and between species of Cryptosporidium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313210120. [PMID: 38147547 PMCID: PMC10769859 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313210120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasites and their hosts are engaged in reciprocal coevolution that balances competing mechanisms of virulence, resistance, and evasion. This often leads to host specificity, but genomic reassortment between different strains can enable parasites to jump host barriers and conquer new niches. In the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium, genetic exchange has been hypothesized to play a prominent role in adaptation to humans. The sexual lifecycle of the parasite provides a potential mechanism for such exchange; however, the boundaries of Cryptosporidium sex are currently undefined. To explore this experimentally, we established a model for genetic crosses. Drug resistance was engineered using a mutated phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase gene and marking strains with this and the previously used Neo transgene enabled selection of recombinant progeny. This is highly efficient, and genomic recombination is evident and can be continuously monitored in real time by drug resistance, flow cytometry, and PCR mapping. Using this approach, multiple loci can now be modified with ease. We demonstrate that essential genes can be ablated by crossing a Cre recombinase driver strain with floxed strains. We further find that genetic crosses are also feasible between species. Crossing Cryptosporidium parvum, a parasite of cattle and humans, and Cryptosporidium tyzzeri a mouse parasite resulted in progeny with a recombinant genome derived from both species that continues to vigorously replicate sexually. These experiments have important fundamental and translational implications for the evolution of Cryptosporidium and open the door to reverse- and forward-genetic analysis of parasite biology and host specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Shaw
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Rodrigo P. Baptista
- Department of Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX77030
| | - Guoqin Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Bruno Melillo
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA92037
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA02142
| | | | - Jessica C. Kissinger
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases and Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA30602
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
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6
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Holt CC, Hehenberger E, Tikhonenkov DV, Jacko-Reynolds VKL, Okamoto N, Cooney EC, Irwin NAT, Keeling PJ. Multiple parallel origins of parasitic Marine Alveolates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7049. [PMID: 37923716 PMCID: PMC10624901 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42807-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial eukaryotes are important components of marine ecosystems, and the Marine Alveolates (MALVs) are consistently both abundant and diverse in global environmental sequencing surveys. MALVs are dinoflagellates that are thought to be parasites of other protists and animals, but the lack of data beyond ribosomal RNA gene sequences from all but a few described species means much of their biology and evolution remain unknown. Using single-cell transcriptomes from several MALVs and their free-living relatives, we show that MALVs evolved independently from two distinct, free-living ancestors and that their parasitism evolved in parallel. Phylogenomics shows one subgroup (MALV-II and -IV, or Syndiniales) is related to a novel lineage of free-living, eukaryovorous predators, the eleftherids, while the other (MALV-I, or Ichthyodinida) is related to the free-living predator Oxyrrhis and retains proteins targeted to a non-photosynthetic plastid. Reconstructing the evolution of photosynthesis, plastids, and parasitism in early-diverging dinoflagellates shows a number of parallels with the evolution of their apicomplexan sisters. In both groups, similar forms of parasitism evolved multiple times and photosynthesis was lost many times. By contrast, complete loss of the plastid organelle is infrequent and, when this does happen, leaves no residual genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey C Holt
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Elisabeth Hehenberger
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Denis V Tikhonenkov
- Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters, Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Russia
- AquaBioSafe Laboratory, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia
| | | | - Noriko Okamoto
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Elizabeth C Cooney
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Hakai Institute, Heriot Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicholas A T Irwin
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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7
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Fenwick M, Reers AR, Liu Y, Zigweid R, Sankaran B, Shin J, Hulverson MA, Hammerson B, Fernández Álvaro E, Myler PJ, Kaushansky A, Van Voorhis WC, Fan E, Staker BL. Identification of and Structural Insights into Hit Compounds Targeting N-Myristoyltransferase for Cryptosporidium Drug Development. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1821-1833. [PMID: 37722671 PMCID: PMC10580320 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Each year, approximately 50,000 children under 5 die as a result of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum, a protozoan parasite. There are currently no effective drugs or vaccines available to cure or prevent Cryptosporidium infection, and there are limited tools for identifying and validating targets for drug or vaccine development. We previously reported a high throughput screening (HTS) of a large compound library against Plasmodium N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), a validated drug target in multiple protozoan parasite species. To identify molecules that could be effective against Cryptosporidium, we counter-screened hits from the Plasmodium NMT HTS against Cryptosporidium NMT. We identified two potential hit compounds and validated them against CpNMT to determine if NMT might be an attractive drug target also for Cryptosporidium. We tested the compounds against Cryptosporidium using both cell-based and NMT enzymatic assays. We then determined the crystal structure of CpNMT bound to Myristoyl-Coenzyme A (MyrCoA) and structures of ternary complexes with MyrCoA and the hit compounds to identify the ligand binding modes. The binding site architectures display different conformational states in the presence of the two inhibitors and provide a basis for rational design of selective inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael
K. Fenwick
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Alexandra R. Reers
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Yi Liu
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Rachael Zigweid
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Banumathi Sankaran
- Berkeley
Center for Structural Biology, Advanced Light Source, Berkeley National
Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Janis Shin
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Matthew A. Hulverson
- Center
for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Division of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Bradley Hammerson
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | | | - Peter J. Myler
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Department
of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
- Department
of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Alexis Kaushansky
- Center
for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Division of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Department
of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Wesley C. Van Voorhis
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Division of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
| | - Erkang Fan
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Bart L. Staker
- Seattle
Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
- Center
for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, United States
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8
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Lamb IM, Okoye IC, Mather MW, Vaidya AB. Unique Properties of Apicomplexan Mitochondria. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:541-560. [PMID: 37406344 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032421-120540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites constitute more than 6,000 species infecting a wide range of hosts. These include important pathogens such as those causing malaria and toxoplasmosis. Their evolutionary emergence coincided with the dawn of animals. Mitochondrial genomes of apicomplexan parasites have undergone dramatic reduction in their coding capacity, with genes for only three proteins and ribosomal RNA genes present in scrambled fragments originating from both strands. Different branches of the apicomplexans have undergone rearrangements of these genes, with Toxoplasma having massive variations in gene arrangements spread over multiple copies. The vast evolutionary distance between the parasite and the host mitochondria has been exploited for the development of antiparasitic drugs, especially those used to treat malaria, wherein inhibition of the parasite mitochondrial respiratory chain is selectively targeted with little toxicity to the host mitochondria. We describe additional unique characteristics of the parasite mitochondria that are being investigated and provide greater insights into these deep-branching eukaryotic pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M Lamb
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;
| | - Ijeoma C Okoye
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;
| | - Michael W Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;
| | - Akhil B Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;
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9
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Liu Q, Guan XA, Li DF, Zheng YX, Wang S, Xuan XN, Zhao JL, He L. Babesia gibsoni Whole-Genome Sequencing, Assembling, Annotation, and Comparative Analysis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0072123. [PMID: 37432130 PMCID: PMC10434002 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00721-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular protozoan parasite Babesia gibsoni infects canine erythrocytes and causes babesiosis. The hazards to animal health have increased due to the rise of B. gibsoni infections and medication resistance. However, the lack of high-quality full-genome sequencing sets has expanded the obstacles to the development of pathogeneses, drugs, and vaccines. In this study, the whole genome of B. gibsoni was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. The genomic size of B. gibsoni was 7.94 Mbp in total. Four chromosomes with the size of 0.69 Mb, 2.10 Mb, 2.77 Mb, and 2.38 Mb, respectively, 1 apicoplast (28.4 Kb), and 1 mitochondrion (5.9 Kb) were confirmed. KEGG analysis revealed 2,641 putative proteins enriched on 316 pathways, and GO analysis showed 7,571 annotations of the nuclear genome in total. Synteny analysis showed a high correlation between B. gibsoni and B. bovis. A new divergent point of B. gibsoni occurred around 297.7 million years ago, which was earlier than that of B. bovis, B. ovata, and B. bigemina. Orthology analysis revealed 22 and 32 unique genes compared to several Babesia spp. and apicomplexan species. The metabolic pathways of B.gibsoni were characterized, pointing to a minimal size of the genome. A species-specific secretory protein SA1 and 19 homologous genes were identified. Selected specific proteins, including apetala 2 (AP2) factor, invasion-related proteins BgAMA-1 and BgRON2, and rhoptry function proteins BgWH_04g00700 were predicted, visualized, and modeled. Overall, whole-genome sequencing provided molecular-level support for the diagnosis, prevention, clinical treatment, and further research of B. gibsoni. IMPORTANCE The whole genome of B. gibsoni was first sequenced, annotated, and disclosed. The key part of genome composition, four chromosomes, was comparatively analyzed for the first time. A full-scale phylogeny evolution analysis based on the whole-genome-wide data of B. gibsoni was performed, and a new divergent point on the evolutionary path was revealed. In previous reports, molecular studies were often limited by incomplete genomic data, especially in key areas like life cycle regulation, metabolism, and host-pathogen interaction. With the whole-genome sequencing of B. gibsoni, we provide useful genetic data to encourage the exploration of new terrain and make it feasible to resolve the theoretical and practical problems of babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xing-Ai Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dong-Fang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ya-Xin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xue-Nan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Jun-Long Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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10
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Dayao DAE, Jaskiewicz JJ, Sheoran AS, Widmer G, Tzipori S. A highly antigenic fragment within the zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum Gp900 glycoprotein (Domain 3) is absent in human restricted Cryptosporidium species. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287997. [PMID: 37590269 PMCID: PMC10434960 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We identified a fragment (Domain 3-D3) of the immunodominant sporozoite surface glycoprotein of the zoonotic parasite Cryptosporidium gp900, which is absent C. hominis and C. parvum anthroponosum. The fragment is highly antigenic and is able to effectively differentiate between zoonotic C. parvum and species/genotypes that infect preferentially humans. D3 detection provides a serological tool to determine whether the source of human cryptosporidiosis is of animal or human origin. We demonstrate this in experimentally challenged piglets, mice, rats, and alpaca. We speculate that the absence of this fragment from the C. hominis and C. parvum anthroponosum gp900 protein may play a key role in their host restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Ann E. Dayao
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, United States of America
| | - Justyna J. Jaskiewicz
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, United States of America
- BioMEMS Resource Center, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Abhineet S. Sheoran
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, United States of America
| | - Giovanni Widmer
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, United States of America
| | - Saul Tzipori
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, United States of America
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11
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Dąbrowska J, Sroka J, Cencek T. Investigating Cryptosporidium spp. Using Genomic, Proteomic and Transcriptomic Techniques: Current Progress and Future Directions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12867. [PMID: 37629046 PMCID: PMC10454211 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is a widespread disease caused by the parasitic protozoan Cryptosporidium spp., which infects various vertebrate species, including humans. Once unknown as a gastroenteritis-causing agent, Cryptosporidium spp. is now recognized as a pathogen causing life-threatening disease, especially in immunocompromised individuals such as AIDS patients. Advances in diagnostic methods and increased awareness have led to a significant shift in the perception of Cryptosporidium spp. as a pathogen. Currently, genomic and proteomic studies play a main role in understanding the molecular biology of this complex-life-cycle parasite. Genomics has enabled the identification of numerous genes involved in the parasite's development and interaction with hosts. Proteomics has allowed for the identification of protein interactions, their function, structure, and cellular activity. The combination of these two approaches has significantly contributed to the development of new diagnostic tools, vaccines, and drugs for cryptosporidiosis. This review presents an overview of the significant achievements in Cryptosporidium research by utilizing genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Dąbrowska
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Disease, National Veterinary Research Institute, Partyzantów 57 Avenue, 24-100 Puławy, Poland (T.C.)
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12
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Shaw S, Cohn IS, Baptista RP, Xia G, Melillo B, Agyabeng-Dadzie F, Kissinger JC, Striepen B. Genetic crosses within and between species of Cryptosporidium. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.551960. [PMID: 37577700 PMCID: PMC10418217 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.551960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Parasites and their hosts are engaged in rapid coevolution that balances competing mechanisms of virulence, resistance, and evasion. This often leads to host specificity, but genomic reassortment between different strains can enable parasites to jump host barriers and conquer new niches. In the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium genetic exchange has been hypothesized to play a prominent role in adaptation to humans. The sexual lifecycle of the parasite provides a potential mechanism for such exchange; however, the boundaries of Cryptosporidium sex are currently undefined. To explore this experimentally, we established a model for genetic crosses. Drug resistance was engineered using a mutated phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase gene and marking strains with this and the previously used Neo transgene enabled selection of recombinant progeny. This is highly efficient, and genomic recombination is evident and can be continuously monitored in real time by drug resistance, flow cytometry, and PCR mapping. Using this approach multiple loci can now be modified with ease. We demonstrate that essential genes can be ablated by crossing a Cre recombinase driver strain with floxed strains. We further find that genetic crosses are also feasible between species. Crossing C. parvum, a parasite of cattle and humans, and C. tyzzeri a mouse parasite resulted in progeny with a recombinant genome derived from both species that continues to vigorously replicate sexually. These experiments have important fundamental and translational implications for the evolution of Cryptosporidium and open the door to reverse- and forward- genetic analysis of parasite biology and host specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Shaw
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Guoqin Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA
| | - Bruno Melillo
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Jessica C. Kissinger
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases and Institute of Bioinformatics University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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13
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Funkhouser-Jones LJ, Xu R, Wilke G, Fu Y, Schriefer LA, Makimaa H, Rodgers R, Kennedy EA, VanDussen KL, Stappenbeck TS, Baldridge MT, Sibley LD. Microbiota-produced indole metabolites disrupt mitochondrial function and inhibit Cryptosporidium parvum growth. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112680. [PMID: 37384526 PMCID: PMC10530208 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of life-threatening diarrhea in young children in resource-poor settings. To explore microbial influences on susceptibility, we screened 85 microbiota-associated metabolites for their effects on Cryptosporidium parvum growth in vitro. We identify eight inhibitory metabolites in three main classes: secondary bile salts/acids, a vitamin B6 precursor, and indoles. Growth restriction of C. parvum by indoles does not depend on the host aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. Instead, treatment impairs host mitochondrial function and reduces total cellular ATP, as well as directly reducing the membrane potential in the parasite mitosome, a degenerate mitochondria. Oral administration of indoles, or reconstitution of the gut microbiota with indole-producing bacteria, delays life cycle progression of the parasite in vitro and reduces the severity of C. parvum infection in mice. Collectively, these findings indicate that microbiota metabolites impair mitochondrial function and contribute to colonization resistance to Cryptosporidium infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J Funkhouser-Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Georgia Wilke
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yong Fu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lawrence A Schriefer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Heyde Makimaa
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rachel Rodgers
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Kennedy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kelli L VanDussen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Thaddeus S Stappenbeck
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Megan T Baldridge
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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14
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Xu R, Beatty WL, Greigert V, Witola WH, Sibley LD. Multiple pathways for glucose phosphate transport and utilization support growth of Cryptosporidium parvum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546703. [PMID: 37425855 PMCID: PMC10327089 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is an obligate intracellular parasite with a highly reduced mitochondrion that lacks the TCA cycle and the ability to generate ATP, making the parasite reliant on glycolysis. Genetic ablation experiments demonstrated that neither of the two putative glucose transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2 were essential for growth. Surprisingly, hexokinase was also dispensable for parasite growth while the downstream enzyme aldolase was required, suggesting the parasite has an alternative way of obtaining phosphorylated hexose. Complementation studies in E. coli support a role for direct transport of glucose-6-phosphate from the host cell by the parasite transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2, thus bypassing a requirement for hexokinase. Additionally, the parasite obtains phosphorylated glucose from amylopectin stores that are released by the action of the essential enzyme glycogen phosphorylase. Collectively, these findings reveal that C. parvum relies on multiple pathways to obtain phosphorylated glucose both for glycolysis and to restore carbohydrate reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Wandy L. Beatty
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Valentin Greigert
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - William H. Witola
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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15
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DeMichele E, Sosnowski O, Buret AG, Allain T. Regulatory Functions of Hypoxia in Host-Parasite Interactions: A Focus on Enteric, Tissue, and Blood Protozoa. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1598. [PMID: 37375100 PMCID: PMC10303274 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Body tissues are subjected to various oxygenic gradients and fluctuations and hence can become transiently hypoxic. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) is the master transcriptional regulator of the cellular hypoxic response and is capable of modulating cellular metabolism, immune responses, epithelial barrier integrity, and local microbiota. Recent reports have characterized the hypoxic response to various infections. However, little is known about the role of HIF activation in the context of protozoan parasitic infections. Growing evidence suggests that tissue and blood protozoa can activate HIF and subsequent HIF target genes in the host, helping or hindering their pathogenicity. In the gut, enteric protozoa are adapted to steep longitudinal and radial oxygen gradients to complete their life cycle, yet the role of HIF during these protozoan infections remains unclear. This review focuses on the hypoxic response to protozoa and its role in the pathophysiology of parasitic infections. We also discuss how hypoxia modulates host immune responses in the context of protozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily DeMichele
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Olivia Sosnowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Andre G. Buret
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Thibault Allain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; (E.D.); (O.S.); (A.G.B.)
- Inflammation Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Host-Parasite Interactions, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
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16
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Funkhouser-Jones LJ, Xu R, Wilke G, Fu Y, Shriefer LA, Makimaa H, Rodgers R, Kennedy EA, VanDussen KL, Stappenbeck TS, Baldridge MT, Sibley LD. Microbiota produced indole metabolites disrupt host cell mitochondrial energy production and inhibit Cryptosporidium parvum growth. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.25.542157. [PMID: 37292732 PMCID: PMC10245909 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.25.542157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of life-threatening diarrhea in young children in resource-poor settings. Susceptibility rapidly declines with age, associated with changes in the microbiota. To explore microbial influences on susceptibility, we screened 85 microbiota- associated metabolites enriched in the adult gut for their effects on C. parvum growth in vitro. We identified eight inhibitory metabolites in three main classes: secondary bile salts/acids, a vitamin B 6 precursor, and indoles. Growth restriction of C. parvum by indoles did not depend on the host aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. Instead, treatment impaired host mitochondrial function and reduced total cellular ATP, as well as directly reduced the membrane potential in the parasite mitosome, a degenerate mitochondria. Oral administration of indoles, or reconstitution of the gut microbiota with indole producing bacteria, delayed life cycle progression of the parasite in vitro and reduced severity of C. parvum infection in mice. Collectively, these findings indicate that microbiota metabolites contribute to colonization resistance to Cryptosporidium infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J. Funkhouser-Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Georgia Wilke
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yong Fu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lawrence A. Shriefer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Heyde Makimaa
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rachel Rodgers
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Kennedy
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kelli L. VanDussen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Megan T. Baldridge
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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17
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Baena A, Cabarcas F, Ocampo JC, Barrera LF, Alzate JF. Large genomic deletions delineate Mycobacterium tuberculosis L4 sublineages in South American countries. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285417. [PMID: 37205685 PMCID: PMC10198500 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is still one of the primary pathogens of humans causing tuberculosis (TB) disease. Mtb embraces nine well-defined phylogenetic lineages with biological and geographical disparities. The lineage L4 is the most globally widespread of all lineages and was introduced to America with European colonization. Taking advantage of many genome projects available in public repositories, we undertake an evolutionary and comparative genomic analysis of 522 L4 Latin American Mtb genomes. Initially, we performed careful quality control of public read datasets and applied several thresholds to filter out low-quality data. Using a genome de novo assembly strategy and phylogenomic methods, we spotted novel south American clades that have not been revealed yet. Additionally, we describe genomic deletion profiles of these strains from an evolutionary perspective and report Mycobacterium tuberculosis L4 sublineages signature-like gene deletions, some of the novel. One is a specific deletion of 6.5 kbp that is only present in sublineage 4.1.2.1. This deletion affects a complex group of 10 genes with putative products annotated, among others, as a lipoprotein, transmembrane protein, and toxin/antitoxin system proteins. The second novel deletion spans for 4.9 kbp and specific of a particular clade of the 4.8 sublineage and affects 7 genes. The last novel deletion affects 4 genes, extends for 4.8 kbp., and is specific to some strains within the 4.1.2.1 sublineage that are present in Colombia, Peru and Brasil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Baena
- Grupo de Inmunología Celular e Inmunogenética (GICIG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Sede de Investigación Universitaria-SIU, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Felipe Cabarcas
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica—CNSG, Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan C. Ocampo
- Grupo de Inmunología Celular e Inmunogenética (GICIG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Sede de Investigación Universitaria-SIU, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Luis F. Barrera
- Grupo de Inmunología Celular e Inmunogenética (GICIG), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Sede de Investigación Universitaria-SIU, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Instituto de Investigaciones médicas, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan F. Alzate
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Sede de Investigación Universitaria-SIU, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica—CNSG, Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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18
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Deficiency of Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase 1 Engenders Radioresistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Deubiquitinating c-Myc. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2023; 115:1244-1256. [PMID: 36423742 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2022.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Tumor radiation resistance is the main obstacle to effective radiation therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We identified the role of urea cycle key enzyme carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) in radioresistance of HCC and explored its mechanism, aiming to provide a novel radiosensitization strategy for the CPS1-deficiency HCC subtype. METHODS AND MATERIALS The expression of CPS1 was measured by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Cell growth assay, EdU assay, cell apoptosis assay, cell cycle assay, clone formation assay, and subcutaneous tumor assay were performed to explore the relationship between CPS1 and radioresistance of HCC cells. Lipid metabonomic analysis was used for investigating the effects of CPS1 on lipid synthesis of HCC cells. RNA sequencing and coimmunoprecipitation assay were carried out to reveal the mechanism of CPS1 participating in the regulation of HCC radiation therapy resistance. Furthermore, 10074-G5, the specific inhibitor of c-Myc, was administered to HCC cells to investigate the role of c-Myc in CPS1-deficiency HCC cells. RESULTS We found that urea cycle key enzyme CPS1 was frequently lower in human HCC samples and positively associated with the patient's prognosis. Functionally, the present study proved that CPS1 depletion could accelerate the development of HCC and induce radiation resistance of HCC in vitro and in vivo, and deficiency of CPS1 promoted the synthesis of some lipid molecules. Regarding the mechanism, we uncovered that inhibition of CPS1 upregulated CyclinA2 and CyclinD1 by stabilizing oncoprotein c-Myc at the posttranscriptional level and generated radioresistance of HCC cells. Moreover, inactivation of c-Myc using 10074-G5, a specific c-Myc inhibitor, could partially attenuate the proliferation and radioresistance induced by depletion of CPS1. CONCLUSIONS Our results recapitulated that silencing CPS1 could promote HCC progression and radioresistance via c-Myc stability mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, suggesting that targeting c-Myc in CPS1-deficiency HCC subtype may be a valuable radiosensitization strategy in the treatment of HCC.
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Multilocus Sequence Typing as a Useful Tool for the Study of the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Cryptosporidium Spp. FOLIA VETERINARIA 2023. [DOI: 10.2478/fv-2023-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
One of the most important aquatic parasites in industrialized countries, Cryptosporidium spp., is a major cause of diarrheal disease in humans and animals worldwide. The contingent evolution of cryptosporidia with hosts, host adaptation, and geographic variation contributed to the creation of species subtypes, thereby shaping their population genetic structures. Multilocus typing tools for population genetic characterizations of transmission dynamics and delineation of mechanisms for the emergence of virulent subtypes have played an important role in improving our understanding of the transmission of this parasite. However, to better understand the significance of different subtypes with clinical disease manifestations and transmission risks, a large number of samples and preferably from different geographical areas need to be analyzed. This review provides an analysis of genetic variation through multilocus sequence typing, provides an overview of subtypes, typing gene markers for Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium hominis, Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium andersoni genotypes and an overview of the hosts of these parasites.
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20
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Sendra KM, Watson AK, Kozhevnikova E, Moore AL, Embley TM, Hirt RP. Inhibition of mitosomal alternative oxidase causes lifecycle arrest of early-stage Trachipleistophora hominis meronts during intracellular infection of mammalian cells. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1011024. [PMID: 36538568 PMCID: PMC9767352 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitosomes are highly reduced forms of mitochondria which have lost two of the 'defining' features of the canonical organelle, the mitochondrial genome, and the capacity to generate energy in the form of ATP. Mitosomes are found in anaerobic protists and obligate parasites and, in most of the studied organisms, have a conserved function in the biosynthesis of iron-sulfur clusters (ISC) that are indispensable cofactors of many essential proteins. The genomes of some mitosome-bearing human pathogenic Microsporidia encode homologues of an alternative oxidase (AOX). This mitochondrial terminal respiratory oxidase is absent from the human host, and hence is a potential target for the development of new antimicrobial agents. Here we present experimental evidence for the mitosomal localization of AOX in the microsporidian Trachipleistophora hominis and demonstrate that it has an important role during the parasite's life cycle progression. Using a recently published methodology for synchronising T. hominis infection of mammalian cell lines, we demonstrated specific inhibition of T. hominis early meront growth and replication by an AOX inhibitor colletochlorin B. Treatment of T. hominis-infected host cells with the drug also inhibited re-infection by newly formed dispersive spores. Addition of the drug during the later stages of the parasite life cycle, when our methods suggest that AOX is not actively produced and T. hominis mitosomes are mainly active in Fe/S cluster biosynthesis, had no inhibitory effects on the parasites. Control experiments with the AOX-deficient microsporidian species Encephalitozoon cuniculi, further demonstrated the specificity of inhibition by the drug. Using the same methodology, we demonstrate effects of two clinically used anti-microsporidian drugs albendazole and fumagillin on the cell biology and life cycle progression of T. hominis infecting mammalian host cells. In summary, our results reveal that T. hominis mitosomes have an active role to play in the progression of the parasite life cycle as well as an important role in the biosynthesis of essential Fe/S clusters. Our work also demonstrates that T. hominis is a useful model for testing the efficacy of therapeutic agents and for studying the physiology and cell biology of microsporidian parasites growing inside infected mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kacper M. Sendra
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (KMS); (RPH)
| | - Andrew K. Watson
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anthony L. Moore
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - T. Martin Embley
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P. Hirt
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (KMS); (RPH)
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21
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Aboelsoued D, Abdel Megeed KN. Diagnosis and control of cryptosporidiosis in farm animals. J Parasit Dis 2022; 46:1133-1146. [PMID: 36457776 PMCID: PMC9606155 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-022-01513-2] [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: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a pathogenic protozoan parasite infecting the gastrointestinal epithelium of human and animal hosts. In farm animals, cryptosporidiosis causes significant economic losses including deaths in newborn animals, retarded growth, increased labor involved and high cost of drugs. The detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in fecal samples is traditionally dependent on examination of stained slides by light microscope or by advanced microscopical tools such as: electron microscopy and phase contrast microscopy. Immunological diagnosis using either antibody or antigen detection could offer high sensitivity and specificity. Examples for these tests are Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Immunochromatographic tests, Immunochromatographic lateral flow (ICLF), Immunofluorescence assays (IFA) and Flow cytometry coupled with cell sorting. Molecular methods could differentiate species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium and help in studying the epidemiological features of this parasite with rapid, simple and sensitive procedures. Nanotechnology-based platforms could improve the sensitivity and specificity of other detection methods like: ELISA, ICLF, IFA and polymerase chain reaction. As the available prophylactic and therapeutic drugs or natural products treatments are insufficient and no approved vaccines are available, the best approach to control this parasite is by following firm hygienic measures. Many vaccine attempts were performed using hyperimmune colostrum, live or attenuated vaccines, recombinant and Deoxyribonucleic acid vaccines. Also, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9 technology could help in Cryptosporidium genome editing to improve drug and vaccine discovery. Another approach that could be useful for assigning drug targets is metabolomics. Probiotics were also used successfully in the treatment of acute diarrhea and they proved a limiting effect on cryptosporidiosis in animal models. In addition, nanotherapy-based approaches could provide a good strategy for improving the potency of any type of drugs against Cryptosporidium and give good anti-cryptosporidial effects. In conclusion, accurate diagnosis using advanced techniques is the key to the control and prevention of cryptosporidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Aboelsoued
- Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Buhouth St., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Kadria Nasr Abdel Megeed
- Department of Parasitology and Animal Diseases, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Buhouth St., Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
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22
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Wang D, Wang C, Zhu G. Genomic reconstruction and features of glycosylation pathways in the apicomplexan Cryptosporidium parasites. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1051072. [PMID: 36465557 PMCID: PMC9713705 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1051072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a genus of apicomplexan parasites infecting humans or other vertebrates. The majority of the Cryptosporidium species live in host intestines (e.g., C. parvum, C. hominis and C. ubiquitum), but there are a few gastric species (e.g., C. muris and C. andersoni). Among them, C. parvum is the most important zoonotic species, for which a number of glycoproteins have been reported for being involved in the interacting with host cells. However, little is known on the cryptosporidium glycobiology. Information on the glycosylation pathways in Cryptosporidium parasites remains sketchy and only a few studies have truly determined the glycoforms in the parasites. Here we reanalyzed the Cryptosporidium genomes and reconstructed the glycosylation pathways, including the synthesis of N- and O-linked glycans and GPI-anchors. In N-glycosylation, intestinal Cryptosporidium possesses enzymes to make a simple precursor with two terminal glucoses on the long arm (i.e., Glc2Man5GlcNAc2 vs. Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 in humans), but gastric species only makes a simpler precursor containing only the "core" structure (i.e., Man3GlcNAc2). There is an ortholog of glucosidase II (GANAB) in all Cryptosporidium species, for which the authenticity is questioned because it contains no signal peptide and exist in gastric species lacking terminal glucoses for the enzyme to act on. In O-linked glycosylation, all Cryptosporidium species may attach one-unit HexNAc (GalNAc and GlcNAc) and two-unit Fuc-type (Man-Fuc) glycans to the target proteins. Cryptosporidium lacks enzymes to further process N- and O-glycans in the Golgi. The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchor in Cryptosporidium is predicted to be unbranched and unprocessed further in the Golgi. Cryptosporidium can synthesize limited nucleotide sugars, but possesses at least 12 transporters to scavenge nucleotide sugars or transport them across the ER/Golgi membranes. Overall, Cryptosporidium makes much simpler glycans than the hosts, and the N-glycoforms further differ between intestinal and gastric species. The Cryptosporidium N- and O-glycans are neutrally charged and have limited capacity to absorb water molecules in comparison to the host intestinal mucins that are negatively charged and highly expandable in waters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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23
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Wang L, Wang Y, Cui Z, Li D, Li X, Zhang S, Zhang L. Enrichment and proteomic identification of Cryptosporidium parvum oocyst wall. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:335. [PMID: 36151578 PMCID: PMC9508764 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05448-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cryptosporidium parvum is a zoonotic parasitic protozoan that can infect a variety of animals and humans and is transmitted between hosts via oocysts. The oocyst wall provides strong protection against hostile environmental factors; however, research is limited concerning the oocyst wall at the proteomic level. Methods A comprehensive analysis of the proteome of oocyst wall of C. parvum was performed using label-free qualitative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fractionation and mass spectrometry-based qualitative proteomics technologies. Among the identified proteins, a surface protein (CpSP1) encoded by the C. parvum cgd7_5140 (Cpcgd7_5140) gene was predicted to be located on the surface of the oocyst wall. We preliminarily characterized the sequence and subcellular localization of CpSP1. Results A total of 798 proteins were identified, accounting for about 20% of the CryptoDB proteome. By using bioinformatic analysis, functional annotation and subcellular localization of the identified proteins were examined for better understanding of the characteristics of the oocyst wall. To verify the localization of CpSP1, an indirect immunofluorescent antibody assay demonstrated that the protein was localized on the surface of the oocyst wall, illustrating the potential usage as a marker for C. parvum detection in vitro. Conclusion The results provide a global framework about the proteomic composition of the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall, thereby providing a theoretical basis for further study of Cryptosporidium oocyst wall formation as well as the selection of targets for Cryptosporidium detection. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05448-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.,International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuexin Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.,International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhaohui Cui
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.,International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongfang Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.,International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoying Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.,International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Sumei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China. .,International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Zhengzhou, 450046, China. .,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Longxian Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China. .,International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, Zhengzhou, 450046, China. .,Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
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24
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Sawant M, Benamrouz-Vanneste S, Meloni D, Gantois N, Even G, Guyot K, Creusy C, Duval E, Wintjens R, Weitzman JB, Chabe M, Viscogliosi E, Certad G. Putative SET-domain methyltransferases in Cryptosporidium parvum and histone methylation during infection. Virulence 2022; 13:1632-1650. [PMID: 36097362 PMCID: PMC9487757 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2123363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is a leading cause of diarrhoeal illness worldwide being a significant threat to young children and immunocompromised patients, but the pathogenesis caused by this parasite remains poorly understood. C. parvum was recently linked with oncogenesis. Notably, the mechanisms of gene expression regulation are unexplored in Cryptosporidium and little is known about how the parasite impact host genome regulation. Here, we investigated potential histone lysine methylation, a dynamic epigenetic modification, during the life cycle of the parasite. We identified SET-domain containing proteins, putative lysine methyltransferases (KMTs), in the C. parvum genome and classified them phylogenetically into distinct subfamilies (namely CpSET1, CpSET2, CpSET8, CpKMTox and CpAKMT). Our structural analysis further characterized CpSET1, CpSET2 and CpSET8 as histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTs). The expression of the CpSET genes varies considerably during the parasite life cycle and specific methyl-lysine antibodies showed dynamic changes in parasite histone methylation during development (CpSET1:H3K4; CpSET2:H3K36; CpSET8:H4K20). We investigated the impact of C. parvum infection on the host histone lysine methylation. Remarkably, parasite infection led to a considerable decrease in host H3K36me3 and H3K27me3 levels, highlighting the potential of the parasite to exploit the host epigenetic regulation to its advantage. This is the first study to describe epigenetic mechanisms occurring throughout the parasite life cycle and during the host–parasite interaction. A better understanding of histone methylation in both parasite and host genomes may highlight novel infection control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manasi Sawant
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Sadia Benamrouz-Vanneste
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.,Unité de Recherche Smart and Sustainable Cities, Faculté de Gestion, Economie et Sciences, Institut Catholique de Lille, France
| | - Dionigia Meloni
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Nausicaa Gantois
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Gaël Even
- Gènes Diffusion, F-59501 Douai, France.,PEGASE-Biosicences Plateforme d'Expertises Génomiques Appliquées aux Sciences Expérimentales, Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Karine Guyot
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Colette Creusy
- Service d'Anatomie et de Cytologie Pathologiques, Groupement des Hôpitaux de l'Institut Catholique de Lille (GHICL), F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Erika Duval
- Service d'Anatomie et de Cytologie Pathologiques, Groupement des Hôpitaux de l'Institut Catholique de Lille (GHICL), F-59000 Lille, France
| | - René Wintjens
- Unit of Microbiology, Bioorganic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Research in Drug Development (RD3), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jonathan B Weitzman
- UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell, Université Paris Cité, Fate, CNRS, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Magali Chabe
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Eric Viscogliosi
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Gabriela Certad
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.,Délégation à la Recherche Clinique et à l'Innovation, Groupement des Hôpitaux de l'Institut Catholique de Lille, F-59462 Lomme, France
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25
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Sheoran A, Carvalho A, Mimbela RP, South A, Major S, Ginese M, Girouard D, Tzipori S. Pregnant sows immunized with Cryptosporidium parvum significantly reduced infection in newborn piglets challenged with C. parvum but not with C. hominis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010690. [PMID: 35905106 PMCID: PMC9365126 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The piglet is the only model to investigate the immunogenic relationship between Cryptosporidium hominis and C. parvum, the species responsible for diarrhea in humans. Despite being indistinguishable antigenically, and high genetic homology between them, they are only moderately cross protective after an active infection. Methodology/Principal findings Here we examined the degree of passive protection conferred to piglets suckling sows immunized during pregnancy with C. parvum. After birth suckling piglets were challenged orally with either C. parvum or C. hominis at age 5 days. Animals challenged with C. parvum had significant reduction of infection rate, while piglets challenged with C. hominis showed no reduction despite high C. parvum serum and colostrum IgG and IgA antibody. Conclusions/Significance We add these data to earlier studies where we described that infection derived immunity provides partial cross-protection. Together, it appears that for full protection, vaccines against human cryptosporidiosis must contain antigenic elements derived from both species. Cryptosporidiosis, a parasitic infection causing diarrhea and dehydration, emerged as a global enteric pathogen in the 1980s with the AIDS pandemic. Cryptosporidium infections have evolved to become a serious cause of morbidity and mortality in children under the age of 2 years in low to middle income countries. Given these developments, there is a critical need for an effective human vaccine. C. hominis and C. parvum are two Cryptosporidium species, with C. hominis being more common and more infectious than C. parvum. In this study, passive protection conferred to piglets suckling sows immunized with C. parvum during pregnancy was examined. Newborn piglets were separated into 4 groups: 2 groups from sows immunized with C. parvum and 2 control groups from unimmunized sows. One immunized group and one control group were infected with C. parvum, and the second immunized group and the second control group were infected with C. hominis. Newborn piglets were equally and fully protected against diarrheal disease regardless of whether the sow off which they fed was immunized. The results confirm that the dam’s colostrum and milk convey non-specific disease-preventing elements for full protection from disease, while passively acquired specific antibody reduces considerably the extent of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhineet Sheoran
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
| | - Alison Carvalho
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
| | - Ruby Pina Mimbela
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
| | - Adam South
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
| | - Samuel Major
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
| | - Melanie Ginese
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
| | - Donald Girouard
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
| | - Saul Tzipori
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, United State of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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Dayao DA, Jaskiewcz J, Lee S, Oliveira BC, Sheoran A, Widmer G, Tzipori S. Development of Two Mouse Models for Vaccine Evaluation against Cryptosporidiosis. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0012722. [PMID: 35735982 PMCID: PMC9302090 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00127-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis was shown a decade ago to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality of diarrheal disease in children in low-income countries. A serious obstacle to develop and evaluate immunogens and vaccines to control this disease is the lack of well-characterized immunocompetent rodent models. Here, we optimized and compared two mouse models for the evaluation of vaccines: the Cryptosporidium tyzzeri model, which is convenient for screening large numbers of potential mixtures of immunogens, and the Cryptosporidium parvum-infected mouse pretreated with interferon gamma-neutralizing monoclonal antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Ann Dayao
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Justyna Jaskiewcz
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sangun Lee
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bruno Cesar Oliveira
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
- União das Faculdades dos Grandes Lagos, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Abhineet Sheoran
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Giovanni Widmer
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Saul Tzipori
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
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27
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Dhal AK, Panda C, Yun SIL, Mahapatra RK. An update on Cryptosporidium biology and therapeutic avenues. J Parasit Dis 2022; 46:923-939. [PMID: 35755159 PMCID: PMC9215156 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-022-01510-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium species has been identified as an important pediatric diarrheal pathogen in resource-limited countries, particularly in very young children (0–24 months). However, the only available drug (nitazoxanide) has limited efficacy and can only be prescribed in a medical setting to children older than one year. Many drug development projects have started to investigate new therapeutic avenues. Cryptosporidium’s unique biology is challenging for the traditional drug discovery pipeline and requires novel drug screening approaches. Notably, in recent years, new methods of oocyst generation, in vitro processing, and continuous three-dimensional cultivation capacities have been developed. This has enabled more physiologically pertinent research assays for inhibitor discovery. In a short time, many great strides have been made in the development of anti-Cryptosporidium drugs. These are expected to eventually turn into clinical candidates for cryptosporidiosis treatment in the future. This review describes the latest development in Cryptosporidium biology, genomics, transcriptomics of the parasite, assay development, and new drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajit Kumar Dhal
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - Chinmaya Panda
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - Soon-IL Yun
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea
- Department of Agricultural Convergence Technology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896 Republic of Korea
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28
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Kent RS, Briggs EM, Colon BL, Alvarez C, Silva Pereira S, De Niz M. Paving the Way: Contributions of Big Data to Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid Research. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:900878. [PMID: 35734575 PMCID: PMC9207352 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.900878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the age of big data an important question is how to ensure we make the most out of the resources we generate. In this review, we discuss the major methods used in Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid research to produce big datasets and advance our understanding of Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania biology. We debate the benefits and limitations of the current technologies, and propose future advancements that may be key to improving our use of these techniques. Finally, we consider the difficulties the field faces when trying to make the most of the abundance of data that has already been, and will continue to be, generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn S. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Emma M. Briggs
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Beatrice L. Colon
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Catalina Alvarez
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sara Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Mariana De Niz,
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29
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Mkandawire TT, Sateriale A. The Long and Short of Next Generation Sequencing for Cryptosporidium Research. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:871860. [PMID: 35419299 PMCID: PMC8995782 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.871860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The intestinal parasite Cryptosporidium is a significant cause of severe diarrhoeal disease that can have long term effects. Therapeutic options remain limited despite a significant impact on public health, partly due to various challenges in the field of Cryptosporidium research, including the availability of genomic and transcriptomic data from environmental and clinical isolates. In this review we explore how long read DNA and RNA sequencing technologies have begun to provide novel insights into the biology of the parasite. The increased deployment of these technologies will help researchers address key gaps in the understanding of Cryptosporidium biology, and ultimately drive translational research and better parasite control.
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30
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Wang D, Tian J, Yan Z, Yuan Q, Wu D, Liu X, Yang S, Guo S, Wang J, Yang Y, Xing J, An J, Huang Q. Mitochondrial fragmentation is crucial for c-Myc-driven hepatoblastoma-like liver tumor. Mol Ther 2022; 30:1645-1660. [PMID: 35085814 PMCID: PMC9077476 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma is the most common liver cancer in children, and the aggressive subtype often has a poor prognosis and lacks effective targeted therapy. Although aggressive hepatoblastoma (HB) is often accompanied by abnormally high expression of the transcription factor c-Myc, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that mitochondrial fragmentation was enhanced by c-Myc overexpression in human aggressive HB tissues and was associated with poor prognosis. Then, a mouse model resembling human HB was established via hydrodynamic injection of c-Myc plasmids. We observed that liver-specific knockout of the mitochondrial fusion molecule MFN1 or overexpression of mitochondrial fission molecule DRP1 promoted the occurrence of c-Myc-driven liver cancer. In contrast, when MFN1 was overexpressed in the liver, tumor formation was delayed. In vitro experiments showed that c-Myc transcriptionally upregulated the expression of DRP1 and decreased MFN1 expression through upregulation of miR-373-3p. Moreover, enhanced mitochondrial fragmentation significantly promoted aerobic glycolysis and the proliferation of HB cells by significantly increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and activating the RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways. Taken together, our results indicate that c-Myc-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation promotes the malignant transformation and progression of HB by activating ROS-mediated multi-oncogenic signaling.
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31
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Gao X, Yin J, Wang D, Li X, Zhang Y, Wang C, Zhang Y, Zhu G. Discovery of New Microneme Proteins in Cryptosporidium parvum and Implication of the Roles of a Rhomboid Membrane Protein (CpROM1) in Host-Parasite Interaction. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:778560. [PMID: 34966810 PMCID: PMC8710574 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.778560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites possess several unique secretory organelles, including rhoptries, micronemes, and dense granules, which play critical roles in the invasion of host cells. The molecular content of these organelles and their biological roles have been well-studied in Toxoplasma and Plasmodium, but are underappreciated in Cryptosporidium, which contains many parasites of medical and veterinary importance. Only four proteins have previously been identified or proposed to be located in micronemes, one of which, GP900, was confirmed using immunogold electron microscopy (IEM) to be present in the micronemes of intracellular merozoites. Here, we report on the discovery of four new microneme proteins (MICs) in the sporozoites of the zoonotic species C. parvum, identified using immunofluorescence assay (IFA). These proteins are encoded by cgd3_980, cgd1_3550, cgd1_3680, and cgd2_1590. The presence of the protein encoded by cgd3_980 in sporozoite micronemes was further confirmed using IEM. Cgd3_980 encodes one of the three C. parvum rhomboid peptidases (ROMs) and is, thus, designated CpROM1. IEM also confirmed the presence of CpROM1 in the micronemes of intracellular merozoites, parasitophorous vacuole membranes (PVM), and feeder organelles (FO). CpROM1 was enriched in the pellicles and concentrated at the host cell–parasite interface during the invasion of sporozoites and its subsequent transformation into trophozoites. CpROM1 transcript levels were also higher in oocysts and excysted sporozoites than in the intracellular parasite stages. These observations indicate that CpROM1, an intramembrane peptidase with membrane proteolytic activity, is involved in host–parasite interactions, including invasion and proteostasis of PVM and FO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Gao
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jigang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dongqiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaohui Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chenchen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Electron Microscopy Core Facility, The Institute of Zoonosis, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, The Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Dumaine JE, Sateriale A, Gibson AR, Reddy AG, Gullicksrud JA, Hunter EN, Clark JT, Striepen B. The enteric pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum exports proteins into the cytosol of the infected host cell. eLife 2021; 10:70451. [PMID: 34866573 PMCID: PMC8687662 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The parasite Cryptosporidium is responsible for diarrheal disease in young children causing death, malnutrition, and growth delay. Cryptosporidium invades enterocytes where it develops in a unique intracellular niche. Infected cells exhibit profound changes in morphology, physiology, and transcriptional activity. How the parasite effects these changes is poorly understood. We explored the localization of highly polymorphic proteins and found members of the Cryptosporidium parvum MEDLE protein family to be translocated into the cytosol of infected cells. All intracellular life stages engage in this export, which occurs after completion of invasion. Mutational studies defined an N-terminal host-targeting motif and demonstrated proteolytic processing at a specific leucine residue. Direct expression of MEDLE2 in mammalian cells triggered an ER stress response, which was also observed during infection. Taken together, our studies reveal the presence of a Cryptosporidium secretion system capable of delivering parasite proteins into the infected enterocyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Dumaine
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Adam Sateriale
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Alexis R Gibson
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Amita G Reddy
- Franklin College of Arts and Science, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
| | - Jodi A Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Emma N Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Joseph T Clark
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
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Li T, Liu H, Jiang N, Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhang J, Shen Y, Cao J. Comparative proteomics reveals Cryptosporidium parvum manipulation of the host cell molecular expression and immune response. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009949. [PMID: 34818332 PMCID: PMC8612570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a life-threating protozoan parasite belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, which mainly causes gastroenteritis in a variety of vertebrate hosts. Currently, there is a re-emergence of Cryptosporidium infection; however, no fully effective drug or vaccine is available to treat Cryptosporidiosis. In the present study, to better understand the detailed interaction between the host and Cryptosporidium parvum, a large-scale label-free proteomics study was conducted to characterize the changes to the proteome induced by C. parvum infection. Among 4406 proteins identified, 121 proteins were identified as differentially abundant (> 1.5-fold cutoff, P < 0.05) in C. parvum infected HCT-8 cells compared with uninfected cells. Among them, 67 proteins were upregulated, and 54 proteins were downregulated at 36 h post infection. Analysis of the differentially abundant proteins revealed an interferon-centered immune response of the host cells against C. parvum infection and extensive inhibition of metabolism-related enzymes in the host cells caused by infection. Several proteins were further verified using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. This systematic analysis of the proteomics of C. parvum-infected HCT-8 cells identified a wide range of functional proteins that participate in host anti-parasite immunity or act as potential targets during infection, providing new insights into the molecular mechanism of C. parvum infection. Cryptosporidium parvum is an emerging zoonotic pathogen transmitted via the fecal–oral route, and is considered a leading cause of moderate-to-severe diarrheal disease in young children in resource limited areas. After infection, C. parvum parasitizes intestinal epithelial cells and evokes an inflammatory immune response, leading to severe damage of the intestinal mucosa. The infection can be lethal to immunosuppressed individuals. However, no fully effective drug or vaccine is available for cryptosporidiosis, and the pathogenesis and immune mechanisms during C. parvum infection are obscure. Thus, an in-depth understanding of host-parasite interaction is needed. Hence, we established a C. parvum-infected HCT-8 cell model and performed comparative quantitative proteomic analyses to profile global host-parasite interactions and determine the molecular mechanisms that are activated during infection, aiming to offer new insights into the treatment of Cryptosporidium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Li
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
- The School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Liu
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiluo Wang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Wang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Yujuan Shen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
- The School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (YS); (JC)
| | - Jianping Cao
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research); Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China; WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China
- The School of Global Health, Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail: (YS); (JC)
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Long-read assembly and comparative evidence-based reanalysis of Cryptosporidium genome sequences reveals expanded transporter repertoire and duplication of entire chromosome ends including subtelomeric regions. Genome Res 2021; 32:203-213. [PMID: 34764149 PMCID: PMC8744675 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275325.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of waterborne diarrheal disease globally and an important contributor to mortality in infants and the immunosuppressed. Despite its importance, the Cryptosporidium community has only had access to a good, but incomplete, Cryptosporidium parvum IOWA reference genome sequence. Incomplete reference sequences hamper annotation, experimental design, and interpretation. We have generated a new C. parvum IOWA genome assembly supported by Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) and Oxford Nanopore long-read technologies and a new comparative and consistent genome annotation for three closely related species: C. parvum, Cryptosporidium hominis, and Cryptosporidium tyzzeri. We made 1926 C. parvum annotation updates based on experimental evidence. They include new transporters, ncRNAs, introns, and altered gene structures. The new assembly and annotation revealed a complete Dnmt2 methylase ortholog. Comparative annotation between C. parvum, C. hominis, and C. tyzzeri revealed that most “missing” orthologs are found, suggesting that the biological differences between the species must result from gene copy number variation, differences in gene regulation, and single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). Using the new assembly and annotation as reference, 190 genes are identified as evolving under positive selection, including many not detected previously. The new C. parvum IOWA reference genome assembly is larger, gap free, and lacks ambiguous bases. This chromosomal assembly recovers all 16 chromosome ends, 13 of which are contiguously assembled. The three remaining chromosome ends are provisionally placed. These ends represent duplication of entire chromosome ends including subtelomeric regions revealing a new level of genome plasticity that will both inform and impact future research.
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Ryan UM, Feng Y, Fayer R, Xiao L. Taxonomy and molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium and Giardia - a 50 year perspective (1971-2021). Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:1099-1119. [PMID: 34715087 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The protozoan parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia are significant causes of diarrhoea worldwide and are responsible for numerous waterborne and foodborne outbreaks of diseases. Over the last 50 years, the development of improved detection and typing tools has facilitated the expanding range of named species. Currently at least 44 Cryptosporidium spp. and >120 genotypes, and nine Giardia spp., are recognised. Many of these Cryptosporidium genotypes will likely be described as species in the future. The phylogenetic placement of Cryptosporidium at the genus level is still unclear and further research is required to better understand its evolutionary origins. Zoonotic transmission has long been known to play an important role in the epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis, and the development and application of next generation sequencing tools is providing evidence for this. Comparative whole genome sequencing is also providing key information on the genetic mechanisms for host specificity and human infectivity, and will enable One Health management of these zoonotic parasites in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Una M Ryan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ronald Fayer
- Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, BARC-East, Building 173, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Lihua Xiao
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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O'Leary JK, Sleator RD, Lucey B. Cryptosporidium spp. diagnosis and research in the 21 st century. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2021; 24:e00131. [PMID: 34471706 PMCID: PMC8390533 DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2021.e00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium has emerged as a leading cause of diarrhoeal illness worldwide, posing a significant threat to young children and immunocompromised patients. While endemic in the vast majority of developing countries, Cryptosporidium also has the potential to cause waterborne epidemics and large scale outbreaks in both developing and developed nations. Anthroponontic and zoonotic transmission routes are well defined, with the ingestion of faecally contaminated food and water supplies a common source of infection. Microscopy, the current diagnostic mainstay, is considered by many to be suboptimal. This has prompted a shift towards alternative diagnostic techniques in the advent of the molecular era. Molecular methods, particularly PCR, are gaining traction in a diagnostic capacity over microscopy in the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis, given the laborious and often tedious nature of the latter. Until now, developments in the field of Cryptosporidium detection and research have been somewhat hampered by the intractable nature of this parasite. However, recent advances in the field have taken the tentative first steps towards bringing Cryptosporidium research into the 21st century. Herein, we provide a review of these advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. O'Leary
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown Campus, Cork, Ireland
| | - Roy D. Sleator
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown Campus, Cork, Ireland
| | - Brigid Lucey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown Campus, Cork, Ireland
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Liu J, Feng W, Liu M, Rao H, Li X, Teng Y, Yang X, Xu J, Gao W, Li L. Stomach-specific c-Myc overexpression drives gastric adenoma in mice through AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2021; 21:434-446. [PMID: 33259779 PMCID: PMC8292868 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2020.4978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant cancers in the world. c-Myc, a well-known oncogene, is commonly amplified in many cancers, including gastric cancer. However, it is still not completely understood how c-Myc functions in GC. Here, we generated a stomach-specific c-Myc transgenic mouse model to investigate its role in GC. We found that overexpression of c-Myc in Atp4b+ gastric parietal cells could induce gastric adenoma in mice. Mechanistically, c-Myc promoted tumorigenesis via the AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, AKT inhibitor (MK-2206) or mTOR inhibitor (Rapamycin) inhibited the proliferation of c-Myc overexpressing gastric cancer cell lines. Thus, our findings highlight that gastric tumorigenesis can be induced by c-Myc overexpression through activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanyu Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoxue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Xu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqiang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji Med-X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Draft Genome Assemblies of Two Cryptosporidium hominis Isolates from New Zealand. Microbiol Resour Announc 2021; 10:e0036321. [PMID: 34197203 PMCID: PMC8248862 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00363-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium hominis is a protozoan parasite that causes gastrointestinal disease in humans worldwide. Here, we report on draft whole-genome sequences of two clinical isolates of C. hominis that were purified from patients with cryptosporidiosis in New Zealand.
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Baptista RP, Cooper GW, Kissinger JC. Challenges for Cryptosporidium Population Studies. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:894. [PMID: 34200631 PMCID: PMC8229070 DOI: 10.3390/genes12060894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is ranked sixth in the list of the most important food-borne parasites globally, and it is an important contributor to mortality in infants and the immunosuppressed. Recently, the number of genome sequences available for this parasite has increased drastically. The majority of the sequences are derived from population studies of Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis, the most important species causing disease in humans. Work with this parasite is challenging since it lacks an optimal, prolonged, in vitro culture system, which accurately reproduces the in vivo life cycle. This obstacle makes the cloning of isolates nearly impossible. Thus, patient isolates that are sequenced represent a population or, at times, mixed infections. Oocysts, the lifecycle stage currently used for sequencing, must be considered a population even if the sequence is derived from single-cell sequencing of a single oocyst because each oocyst contains four haploid meiotic progeny (sporozoites). Additionally, the community does not yet have a set of universal markers for strain typing that are distributed across all chromosomes. These variables pose challenges for population studies and require careful analyses to avoid biased interpretation. This review presents an overview of existing population studies, challenges, and potential solutions to facilitate future population analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo P. Baptista
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Garrett W. Cooper
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Jessica C. Kissinger
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
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Opportunities and Challenges in Developing a Cryptosporidium Controlled Human Infection Model for Testing Antiparasitic Agents. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:959-968. [PMID: 33822577 PMCID: PMC8154424 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of moderate-to-severe diarrhea in low- and middle-income countries, responsible for high mortality in children younger than two years of age, and it is also strongly associated with childhood malnutrition and growth stunting. There is no vaccine for cryptosporidiosis and existing therapeutic options are suboptimal to prevent morbidity and mortality in young children. Recently, novel therapeutic agents have been discovered through high-throughput phenotypic and target-based screening strategies, repurposing malaria hits, etc., and these agents have a promising preclinical in vitro and in vivo anti-Cryptosporidium efficacy. One key step in bringing safe and effective new therapies to young vulnerable children is the establishment of some prospect of direct benefit before initiating pediatric clinical studies. A Cryptosporidium controlled human infection model (CHIM) in healthy adult volunteers can be a robust clinical proof of concept model for evaluating novel therapeutics. CHIM could potentially accelerate the development path to pediatric studies by establishing the safety of a proposed pediatric dosing regimen and documenting preliminary efficacy in adults. We present, here, perspectives regarding the opportunities and perceived challenges with the Cryptosporidium human challenge model.
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Mathur V, Wakeman KC, Keeling PJ. Parallel functional reduction in the mitochondria of apicomplexan parasites. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2920-2928.e4. [PMID: 33974849 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Gregarines are an early-diverging lineage of apicomplexan parasites that hold many clues into the origin and evolution of the group, a remarkable transition from free-living phototrophic algae into obligate parasites of animals.1 Using single-cell transcriptomics targeting understudied lineages to complement available sequencing data, we characterized the mitochondrial metabolic repertoire across the tree of apicomplexans. In contrast to the large suite of proteins involved in aerobic respiration in well-studied parasites like Toxoplasma or Plasmodium,2 we find that gregarine trophozoites have significantly reduced energy metabolism: most lack respiratory complexes III and IV, and some lack the electron transport chains (ETCs) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle entirely. Phylogenomic analyses show that these reductions took place several times in parallel, resulting in a functional range from fully aerobic organelles to extremely reduced "mitosomes" restricted to Fe-S cluster biosynthesis. The mitochondrial genome has also been lost repeatedly: in species with severe functional reduction simply by gene loss but in one species with a complete ETC by relocating cox1 to the nuclear genome. Severe functional reduction of mitochondria is generally associated with structural reduction, resulting in small, nondescript mitochondrial-related organelles (MROs).3 By contrast, gregarines retain distinctive mitochondria with tubular cristae, even the most functionally reduced cases that also lack genes associated with cristae formation. Overall, the parallel, severe reduction of gregarine mitochondria expands the diversity of organisms that contain MROs and further emphasizes the role of parallel transitions in apicomplexan evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Mathur
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Kevin C Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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Zhu G, Yin J, Cuny GD. Current status and challenges in drug discovery against the globally important zoonotic cryptosporidiosis. ANIMAL DISEASES 2021. [DOI: 10.1186/s44149-021-00002-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe zoonotic cryptosporidiosis is globally distributed, one of the major diarrheal diseases in humans and animals. Cryptosporidium oocysts are also one of the major environmental concerns, making it a pathogen that fits well into the One Health concept. Despite its importance, fully effective drugs are not yet available. Anti-cryptosporidial drug discovery has historically faced many unusual challenges attributed to unique parasite biology and technical burdens. While significant progresses have been made recently, anti-cryptosporidial drug discovery still faces a major obstacle: identification of systemic drugs that can be absorbed by patients experiencing watery diarrhea and effectively pass through electron-dense (ED) band at the parasite-host cell interface to act on the epicellular parasite. There may be a need to develop an in vitro assay to effectively screen hits/leads for their capability to cross ED band. In the meantime, non-systemic drugs with strong mucoadhesive properties for extended gastrointestinal exposure may represent another direction in developing anti-cryptosporidial therapeutics. For developing both systemic and non-systemic drugs, a non-ruminant animal model exhibiting diarrheal symptoms suitable for routine evaluation of drug absorption and anti-cryptosporidial efficacy may be very helpful.
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Salomaki ED, Terpis KX, Rueckert S, Kotyk M, Varadínová ZK, Čepička I, Lane CE, Kolisko M. Gregarine single-cell transcriptomics reveals differential mitochondrial remodeling and adaptation in apicomplexans. BMC Biol 2021; 19:77. [PMID: 33863338 PMCID: PMC8051059 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01007-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apicomplexa is a diverse phylum comprising unicellular endobiotic animal parasites and contains some of the most well-studied microbial eukaryotes including the devastating human pathogens Plasmodium falciparum and Cryptosporidium hominis. In contrast, data on the invertebrate-infecting gregarines remains sparse and their evolutionary relationship to other apicomplexans remains obscure. Most apicomplexans retain a highly modified plastid, while their mitochondria remain metabolically conserved. Cryptosporidium spp. inhabit an anaerobic host-gut environment and represent the known exception, having completely lost their plastid while retaining an extremely reduced mitochondrion that has lost its genome. Recent advances in single-cell sequencing have enabled the first broad genome-scale explorations of gregarines, providing evidence of differential plastid retention throughout the group. However, little is known about the retention and metabolic capacity of gregarine mitochondria. RESULTS Here, we sequenced transcriptomes from five species of gregarines isolated from cockroaches. We combined these data with those from other apicomplexans, performed detailed phylogenomic analyses, and characterized their mitochondrial metabolism. Our results support the placement of Cryptosporidium as the earliest diverging lineage of apicomplexans, which impacts our interpretation of evolutionary events within the phylum. By mapping in silico predictions of core mitochondrial pathways onto our phylogeny, we identified convergently reduced mitochondria. These data show that the electron transport chain has been independently lost three times across the phylum, twice within gregarines. CONCLUSIONS Apicomplexan lineages show variable functional restructuring of mitochondrial metabolism that appears to have been driven by adaptations to parasitism and anaerobiosis. Our findings indicate that apicomplexans are rife with convergent adaptations, with shared features including morphology, energy metabolism, and intracellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Salomaki
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristina X Terpis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Sonja Rueckert
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Michael Kotyk
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Christopher E Lane
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
| | - Martin Kolisko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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44
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Jaskiewicz JJ, Tremblay JM, Tzipori S, Shoemaker CB. Identification and characterization of a new 34 kDa MORN motif-containing sporozoite surface-exposed protein, Cp-P34, unique to Cryptosporidium. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:761-775. [PMID: 33774040 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite the public health impact of childhood diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium, effective drugs and vaccines against this parasite are unavailable. Efforts to identify vaccine targets have focused on critical externally exposed virulence factors expressed in the parasite s invasive stages. However, no single surface antigen has yet been found that can elicit a significant protective immune response and it is likely that pooling multiple immune targets will be necessary. Discovery of surface proteins on Cryptosporidium sporozoites is therefore vital to this effort to develop a multi-antigenic vaccine. In this study we applied a novel single-domain camelid antibody (VHH) selection method to identify immunogenic proteins expressed on the surface of Cryptosporidium parvum sporozoites. By this approach, VHHs were identified that recognize two sporozoite surface-exposed antigens, the previously identified gp900 and an unrecognized immunogenic protein, Cp-P34. This Cp-P34 antigen, which contains multiple Membrane Occupation and Recognition Nexus (MORN) repeats, is found in excysted sporozoites as well as in the parasite s intracellular stages. Cp-P34 appears to accumulate inside the parasite and transiently appears on the surface of sporozoites to be shed in trails. Identical or nearly identical orthologs of Cp-P34 are found in the Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium tyzzeri genomes. Except for the conserved MORN motifs, the Cp-P34 gene shares no significant homology with genes of other protozoans and thus appears to be unique to Cryptosporidium spp. Cp-P34 elicits immune responses in naturally exposed alpacas and warrants further investigation as a potential vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna J Jaskiewicz
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Tremblay
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Saul Tzipori
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charles B Shoemaker
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA.
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Xu R, Feng Y, Xiao L, Sibley LD. Insulinase-like Protease 1 Contributes to Macrogamont Formation in Cryptosporidium parvum. mBio 2021; 12:e03405-20. [PMID: 33688009 PMCID: PMC8092296 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03405-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum contains an expanded family of 22 insulinase-like proteases (INS), a feature that contrasts with their otherwise streamlined genome. Here, we examined the function of INS1, which is most similar to the human insulinase protease that cleaves a variety of small peptide substrates. INS1 is an M16A clan member and contains a signal peptide, an N-terminal domain with the HXXEH active site, followed by three inactive domains. Unlike previously studied C. parvum INS proteins that are expressed in sporozoites and during merogony, INS1 was expressed exclusively in macrogamonts, where it was localized in small cytoplasmic vesicles. Although INS1 did not colocalize with the oocyst wall protein recognized by the antibody OW50, immune-electron microscopy indicated that INS1 resides in small vesicles in the secretory system. Notably, these small INS1-positive vesicles were often in close proximity to large OW50-positive vacuoles resembling wall-forming bodies, which contain precursors for oocyst wall formation. Genetic deletion of INS1, or replacement with an active-site mutant, resulted in lower formation of macrogamonts in vitro and reduced oocyst shedding in vivo Our findings reveal that INS1 functions in the formation or maturation of macrogamonts and that its loss results in attenuated virulence in immunocompromised mice.IMPORTANCE Cryptosporidiosis is a debilitating diarrheal disease in young children in developing countries. The absence of effective treatments or vaccines makes this infection very difficult to manage in susceptible populations. Although the oral dose of oocysts needed to cause infection is low, infected individuals shed very high numbers of oocysts, readily contaminating the environment. Our studies demonstrate that the protease INS1 is important for formation of female sexual stages and that in its absence, parasites produce fewer oocysts and are attenuated in immunocompromised mice. These findings suggest that mutants lacking INS1, or related proteases, are useful for further characterizing the pathway that leads to macrogamont maturation and oocyst wall formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lihua Xiao
- Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, China
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Abstract
Purpose of Review Cryptosporidium spp. (C. hominis and C. parvum) are a major cause of diarrhea-associated morbidity and mortality in young children globally. While C. hominis only infects humans, C. parvum is a zoonotic parasite that can be transmitted from infected animals to humans. There are no treatment or control measures to fully treat cryptosporidiosis or prevent the infection in humans and animals. Our knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of Cryptosporidium-host interactions and the underlying factors that govern infectivity and disease pathogenesis is very limited. Recent Findings Recent development of genetics and new animal models of infection, along with progress in cell culture platforms to complete the parasite lifecycle in vitro, is greatly advancing the Cryptosporidium field. Summary In this review, we will discuss our current knowledge of host-parasite interactions and how genetic manipulation of Cryptosporidium and promising infection models are opening the doors towards an improved understanding of parasite biology and disease pathogenesis.
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Hassan EM, Örmeci B, DeRosa MC, Dixon BR, Sattar SA, Iqbal A. A review of Cryptosporidium spp. and their detection in water. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2021; 83:1-25. [PMID: 33460403 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2020.515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium spp. are one of the most important waterborne pathogens worldwide and a leading cause of mortality from waterborne gastrointestinal diseases. Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in water can be very challenging due to their low numbers and the complexity of the water matrix. This review describes the biology of Cryptosporidium spp. and current methods used in their detection with a focus on C. parvum and C. hominis. Among the methods discussed and compared are microscopy, immunology-based methods using monoclonal antibodies, molecular methods including PCR (polymerase chain reaction)-based assays, and emerging aptamer-based methods. These methods have different capabilities and limitations, but one common challenge is the need for better sensitivity and specificity, particularly in the presence of contaminants. The application of DNA aptamers in the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts shows promise in overcoming these challenges, and there will likely be significant developments in aptamer-based sensors in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman M Hassan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada E-mail:
| | - Banu Örmeci
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada E-mail:
| | - Maria C DeRosa
- Department of Chemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada, K1S 5B6
| | - Brent R Dixon
- Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Food Directorate, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada, K1A 0K9
| | - Syed A Sattar
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada E-mail: ; C.R.E.M. Co Labs, Units 1-2, 3403 American Drive, Mississauga, ON, Canada, L4V 1T4
| | - Asma Iqbal
- C.R.E.M. Co Labs, Units 1-2, 3403 American Drive, Mississauga, ON, Canada, L4V 1T4
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48
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Arias-Agudelo LM, Garcia-Montoya G, Cabarcas F, Galvan-Diaz AL, Alzate JF. Comparative genomic analysis of the principal Cryptosporidium species that infect humans. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10478. [PMID: 33344091 PMCID: PMC7718795 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parasites are ubiquitous and can infect a broad range of vertebrates and are considered the most frequent protozoa associated with waterborne parasitic outbreaks. The intestine is the target of three of the species most frequently found in humans: C. hominis, C. parvum, and. C. meleagridis. Despite the recent advance in genome sequencing projects for this apicomplexan, a broad genomic comparison including the three species most prevalent in humans have not been published so far. In this work, we downloaded raw NGS data, assembled it under normalized conditions, and compared 23 publicly available genomes of C. hominis, C. parvum, and C. meleagridis. Although few genomes showed highly fragmented assemblies, most of them had less than 500 scaffolds and mean coverage that ranged between 35X and 511X. Synonymous single nucleotide variants were the most common in C. hominis and C. meleagridis, while in C. parvum, they accounted for around 50% of the SNV observed. Furthermore, deleterious nucleotide substitutions common to all three species were more common in genes associated with DNA repair, recombination, and chromosome-associated proteins. Indel events were observed in the 23 studied isolates that spanned up to 500 bases. The highest number of deletions was observed in C. meleagridis, followed by C. hominis, with more than 60 species-specific deletions found in some isolates of these two species. Although several genes with indel events have been partially annotated, most of them remain to encode uncharacterized proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Arias-Agudelo
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Gisela Garcia-Montoya
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Felipe Cabarcas
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia.,Grupo SISTEMIC, Departamento de Ingeniería Electrónica, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Ana L Galvan-Diaz
- Grupo de Microbiología ambiental. Escuela de Microbiología, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Juan F Alzate
- Centro Nacional de Secuenciación Genómica - CNSG, Sede de Investigación Universitaria - SIU, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia
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49
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Neonatal Mouse Gut Metabolites Influence Cryptosporidium parvum Infection in Intestinal Epithelial Cells. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02582-20. [PMID: 33323514 PMCID: PMC7773987 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02582-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium sp. occupies a unique intracellular niche that exposes the parasite to both host cell contents and the intestinal lumen, including metabolites from the diet and produced by the microbiota. Both dietary and microbial products change over the course of early development and could contribute to the changes seen in susceptibility to cryptosporidiosis in humans and mice. The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium sp. is a leading cause of diarrheal disease in those with compromised or underdeveloped immune systems, particularly infants and toddlers in resource-poor localities. As an enteric pathogen, Cryptosporidium sp. invades the apical surface of intestinal epithelial cells, where it resides in close proximity to metabolites in the intestinal lumen. However, the effect of gut metabolites on susceptibility to Cryptosporidium infection remains largely unstudied. Here, we first identified which gut metabolites are prevalent in neonatal mice when they are most susceptible to Cryptosporidium parvum infection and then tested the isolated effects of these metabolites on C. parvum invasion and growth in intestinal epithelial cells. Our findings demonstrate that medium or long-chain saturated fatty acids inhibit C. parvum growth, perhaps by negatively affecting the streamlined metabolism in C. parvum, which is unable to synthesize fatty acids. Conversely, long-chain unsaturated fatty acids enhanced C. parvum invasion, possibly by modulating membrane fluidity. Hence, gut metabolites, either from diet or produced by the microbiota, influence C. parvum growth in vitro and may also contribute to the early susceptibility to cryptosporidiosis seen in young animals.
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50
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O' Leary JK, Blake L, Corcoran GD, Sleator RD, Lucey B. Development of novel methodology for the molecular differentiation of Cryptosporidium parvum gp60 subtypes via high resolution melting analysis. MethodsX 2020; 7:101157. [PMID: 33318958 PMCID: PMC7724200 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.101157] [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: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium species subtypes are generally identified via DNA sequencing of the gp60 gene tandem repeat motif region. Due to the immunogenic nature of its glycoprotein products, gp60 is subject to host selective pressures, genetic recombination and evolutionary processes that drive extensive polymorphism at this locus. The elucidation of the polymorphic nature of this gene has led to the current mainstay in Cryptosporidium subtyping nomenclature. This study aimed to develop a real-time polymerase chain reaction based method utilising a post-PCR application, high resolution melting (HRM) analysis, in conjunction with the abovementioned gp60 nomenclature system, in order to differentiate between Cryptosporidium parvum gp60 subtypes. Subtype differentiation is based on the difference between the melting temperatures of individual subtypes conferred by variations in the polymorphic region of gp60. • Nested gp60 primers were designed to amplify a target region of <200 base pairs for effective HRM analysis • This method presents a rapid, sensitive, cost effective alternative to conventional sequencing. • This method is highly flexible and may be applied to other loci in order to facilitate multi-locus analysis and improve the discriminative abilities of the method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K O' Leary
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland
| | - Liam Blake
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland
| | - Gerard D Corcoran
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland
| | - Roy D Sleator
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland
| | - Brigid Lucey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland
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