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Little E, Shenkutie TT, Negash MT, Abagero BR, Abebe A, Popovici J, Feleke SM, Lo E. Prevalence and Characteristics of Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes in Duffy-Positive and Duffy-Negative Populations across Ethiopia. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2024; 110:1091-1099. [PMID: 38626749 PMCID: PMC11154031 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0877] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites replicate asexually in human hosts. The proportion of infections that carries gametocytes is a proxy for human-to-mosquito transmissibility. It is unclear which proportion of Plasmodium vivax infections in Duffy-negative populations carries gametocytes. We determined the prevalence and characteristics of P. vivax gametocytes in Duffy-positive and -negative populations across broad regions of Ethiopia. Finger-prick blood samples were collected for microscopic and molecular screening of Plasmodium parasites and Duffy status of individuals. Molecular screening of Plasmodium species and Duffy blood group genotyping was done using SYBR green and the Taqman quantitative polymerase chain reaction method. Of the 447 febrile patients who were shown to be P. vivax smear positive, 414 (92.6%) were confirmed by molecular screening as P. vivax and 16 (3.9%) of them were from Duffy-negative individuals. Of these, 5 of 16 (31.3%) Duffy-negative P. vivax-infected samples were detected with gametocytes. Of the 398 Duffy-positive P. vivax-infected samples, 150 (37.7%) were detected with gametocytes, slightly greater than that in Duffy-negative samples. This study highlights the presence of P. vivax gametocytes in Duffy-negative infections, suggestive of human-to-mosquito transmissibility. Although P. vivax infections in Duffy-negative individuals were commonly associated with low parasitemia, some of these infections were shown to have relatively high parasitemia and may represent a prominent erythrocyte invasion capability of P. vivax, and hidden reservoirs that can contribute to transmission. A better understanding of P. vivax transmission biology and gametocyte function particularly in Duffy-negative populations would aid future treatment and management of P. vivax malaria in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebony Little
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Tassew T. Shenkutie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Debre Brehan University, Ethiopia
| | | | - Beka R. Abagero
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Abnet Abebe
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Eugenia Lo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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2
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Sharp PM, Plenderleith LJ, Culleton RL, Hahn BH. Origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. Trends Parasitol 2024:S1471-4922(24)00116-8. [PMID: 38806300 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.05.001] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The geographic origin of Plasmodium vivax, a leading cause of human malaria, has been the subject of much speculation. Here we review the evolutionary history of P. vivax and P. vivax-like parasites in humans and non-human primates on three continents, providing overwhelming evidence for an African origin. This conclusion is consistent with recent reports showing that Duffy-negative humans in Africa are, in fact, susceptible to P. vivax, with parasites invading Duffy-antigen-expressing erythroid precursors. Thus, the African origin of P. vivax not only explains the distribution of the Duffy-negative genotype but also provides new insight into the history and status of P. vivax malaria in Africa and efforts geared toward its eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Sharp
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK; Centre for Immunity, Infection, and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
| | | | - Richard L Culleton
- Division of Parasitology, Proteo-Science Centre, Ehime University, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan
| | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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3
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Sekine S, Chan CW, Kalkoa M, Yamar S, Iata H, Taleo G, Kc A, Kagaya W, Kido Y, Kaneko A. Tracing the origins of Plasmodium vivax resurgence after malaria elimination on Aneityum Island in Vanuatu. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:91. [PMID: 38762604 PMCID: PMC11102431 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00524-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Five years after successful malaria elimination, Aneityum Island in Vanuatu experienced an outbreak of Plasmodium vivax of unknown origin in 2002. Epidemiological investigations revealed several potential sources of P. vivax. We aimed to identify the genetic origin of P. vivax responsible for the resurgence. METHODS Five P. vivax microsatellite markers were genotyped using DNA extracted from archived blood samples. A total of 69 samples from four P. vivax populations was included: 29 from the outbreak in 2002, seven from Aneityum in 1999 and 2000, 18 from visitors to Aneityum in 2000, and 15 from nearby Tanna Island in 2002. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree was constructed to elucidate the relationships among P. vivax isolates. STRUCTURE and principal component analysis were used to assess patterns of genetic structure. RESULTS Here we show distinct genetic origins of P. vivax during the outbreak on Aneityum. While the origin of most P. vivax lineages found during the outbreak remains unidentified, limited genetic diversity among these lineages is consistent with a rapid expansion from a recent common ancestor. Contemporaneous P. vivax from neighboring Tanna and potential relapse of P. vivax acquired from other islands in 1999 and 2000 are also identified as minor contributors to the outbreak. CONCLUSIONS Multiple reintroductions of P. vivax after elimination highlight the high receptivity and vulnerability to malaria resurgence in island settings of Vanuatu, despite robust surveillance and high community compliance to control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Sekine
- Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, and Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Medical Technology, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, Osaka, Japan
| | - Chim W Chan
- Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, and Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Morris Kalkoa
- National Malaria and other Vector Borne Diseases Control Program (NVBDCP), Ministry of Health, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | - Sam Yamar
- National Malaria and other Vector Borne Diseases Control Program (NVBDCP), Ministry of Health, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | - Harry Iata
- National Malaria and other Vector Borne Diseases Control Program (NVBDCP), Ministry of Health, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | - George Taleo
- National Malaria and other Vector Borne Diseases Control Program (NVBDCP), Ministry of Health, Port Vila, Vanuatu
| | - Achyut Kc
- Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, and Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wataru Kagaya
- Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, and Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Eco-epidemiology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yasutoshi Kido
- Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, and Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akira Kaneko
- Department of Virology, Graduate School of Medicine, and Osaka International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan.
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Cepeda AS, Mello B, Pacheco MA, Luo Z, Sullivan SA, Carlton JM, Escalante AA. The Genome of Plasmodium gonderi: Insights into the Evolution of Human Malaria Parasites. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae027. [PMID: 38376987 PMCID: PMC10901558 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae027] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium species causing malaria in humans are not monophyletic, sharing common ancestors with nonhuman primate parasites. Plasmodium gonderi is one of the few known Plasmodium species infecting African old-world monkeys that are not found in apes. This study reports a de novo assembled P. gonderi genome with complete chromosomes. The P. gonderi genome shares codon usage, syntenic blocks, and other characteristics with the human parasites Plasmodium ovale s.l. and Plasmodium malariae, also of African origin, and the human parasite Plasmodium vivax and species found in nonhuman primates from Southeast Asia. Using phylogenetically aware methods, newly identified syntenic blocks were found enriched with conserved metabolic genes. Regions outside those blocks harbored genes encoding proteins involved in the vertebrate host-Plasmodium relationship undergoing faster evolution. Such genome architecture may have facilitated colonizing vertebrate hosts. Phylogenomic analyses estimated the common ancestor between P. vivax and an African ape parasite P. vivax-like, within the Asian nonhuman primates parasites clade. Time estimates incorporating P. gonderi placed the P. vivax and P. vivax-like common ancestor in the late Pleistocene, a time of active migration of hominids between Africa and Asia. Thus, phylogenomic and time-tree analyses are consistent with an Asian origin for P. vivax and an introduction of P. vivax-like into Africa. Unlike other studies, time estimates for the clade with Plasmodium falciparum, the most lethal human malaria parasite, coincide with their host species radiation, African hominids. Overall, the newly assembled genome presented here has the quality to support comparative genomic investigations in Plasmodium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axl S Cepeda
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA
| | - Beatriz Mello
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA
| | - Zunping Luo
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Steven A Sullivan
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Jane M Carlton
- Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA
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Gartner V, Redelings BD, Gaither C, Parr JB, Kalonji A, Phanzu F, Brazeau NF, Juliano JJ, Wray GA. Genomic insights into Plasmodium vivax population structure and diversity in central Africa. Malar J 2024; 23:27. [PMID: 38238806 PMCID: PMC10797969 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04852-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though Plasmodium vivax is the second most common malaria species to infect humans, it has not traditionally been considered a major human health concern in central Africa given the high prevalence of the human Duffy-negative phenotype that is believed to prevent infection. Increasing reports of asymptomatic and symptomatic infections in Duffy-negative individuals throughout Africa raise the possibility that P. vivax is evolving to evade host resistance, but there are few parasite samples with genomic data available from this part of the world. METHODS Whole genome sequencing of one new P. vivax isolate from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was performed and used in population genomics analyses to assess how this central African isolate fits into the global context of this species. RESULTS Plasmodium vivax from DRC is similar to other African populations and is not closely related to the non-human primate parasite P. vivax-like. Evidence is found for a duplication of the gene PvDBP and a single copy of PvDBP2. CONCLUSION These results suggest an endemic P. vivax population is present in central Africa. Intentional sampling of P. vivax across Africa would further contextualize this sample within African P. vivax diversity and shed light on the mechanisms of infection in Duffy negative individuals. These results are limited by the uncertainty of how representative this single sample is of the larger population of P. vivax in central Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Gartner
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Benjamin D Redelings
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
- Ronin Institute, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | | | | | - Albert Kalonji
- SANRU Asbl, 149 A/B, Boulevard du 30 Juin, Kinshasa, Gombe, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Fernandine Phanzu
- SANRU Asbl, 149 A/B, Boulevard du 30 Juin, Kinshasa, Gombe, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | | | | | - Gregory A Wray
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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6
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de Abreu-Fernandes R, Almeida-de-Oliveira NK, de Lavigne Mello AR, de Queiroz LT, Barros JDA, Baptista BDO, Oliveira-Ferreira J, de Souza RM, Pratt-Riccio LR, Brasil P, Daniel-Ribeiro CT, Ferreira-da-Cruz MDF. Are pvcrt-o and pvmdr1 Gene Mutations Associated with Plasmodium vivax Chloroquine-Resistant Parasites? Biomedicines 2024; 12:141. [PMID: 38255246 PMCID: PMC10812985 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Malaria remains a significant global public health issue. Since parasites quickly became resistant to most of the available antimalarial drugs, treatment effectiveness must be constantly monitored. In Brazil, up to 10% of cases of vivax malaria resistant to chloroquine (CQ) have been registered. Unlike P. falciparum, there are no definitive molecular markers for the chemoresistance of P. vivax to CQ. This work aimed to investigate whether polymorphisms in the pvcrt-o and pvmdr1 genes could be used as markers for assessing its resistance to CQ. (2) Methods: A total of 130 samples from P. vivax malaria cases with no clinical and/or parasitological evidence of CQ resistance were studied through polymerase chain reaction for gene amplification followed by target DNA sequencing. (3) Results: In the pvcrt-o exons, the K10 insert was present in 14% of the isolates. Regarding pvmdr1, T958M and F1076L haplotypes showed frequencies of 95% and 3%, respectively, while the SNP Y976F was not detected. (4) Conclusions: Since K10-pvcrt-o and F1076L/T958M-pvmdr1 polymorphisms were detected in samples from patients who responded well to CQ treatment, it can be concluded that mutations in these genes do not seem to have a potential for association with the phenotype of CQ resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca de Abreu-Fernandes
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Secretaria de Vigilância Sanitária & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil
| | - Natália Ketrin Almeida-de-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Secretaria de Vigilância Sanitária & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil
| | - Aline Rosa de Lavigne Mello
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Secretaria de Vigilância Sanitária & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil
| | - Lucas Tavares de Queiroz
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
| | - Jacqueline de Aguiar Barros
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
- Núcleo de Controle da Malária/Departamento de Vigilância Epidemiológica/Coordenação Geral de Vigilância em Saúde/SESAU-RR, Boa Vista 69305-080, Brazil
| | - Bárbara de Oliveira Baptista
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
| | | | - Rodrigo Medeiros de Souza
- Laboratório de Doenças Infecciosas da Amazônia Ocidental, Universidade Federal do Acre, Campus Floresta, Cruzeiro do Sul 69980-000, Brazil;
| | - Lilian Rose Pratt-Riccio
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
| | - Patrícia Brasil
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Secretaria de Vigilância Sanitária & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-361, Brazil
| | - Cláudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Secretaria de Vigilância Sanitária & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil
| | - Maria de Fátima Ferreira-da-Cruz
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil; (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (L.T.d.Q.); (J.d.A.B.); (B.d.O.B.); (L.R.P.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal), Reference Laboratory for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region for the Brazilian Ministry of Health, Secretaria de Vigilância Sanitária & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-361, Brazil
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Kepple D, Ford CT, Williams J, Abagero B, Li S, Popovici J, Yewhalaw D, Lo E. Comparative transcriptomics reveal differential gene expression among Plasmodium vivax geographical isolates and implications on erythrocyte invasion mechanisms. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011926. [PMID: 38285730 PMCID: PMC10901308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011926] [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: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The documentation of Plasmodium vivax malaria across Africa especially in regions where Duffy negatives are dominant suggests possibly alternative erythrocyte invasion mechanisms. While the transcriptomes of the Southeast Asian and South American P. vivax are well documented, the gene expression profile of P. vivax in Africa is unclear. In this study, we examined the expression of 4,404 gene transcripts belong to 12 functional groups and 43 erythrocyte binding gene candidates in Ethiopian isolates and compared them with the Cambodian and Brazilian P. vivax transcriptomes. Overall, there were 10-26% differences in the gene expression profile amongst geographical isolates, with the Ethiopian and Cambodian P. vivax being most similar. Majority of the gene transcripts involved in protein transportation, housekeeping, and host interaction were highly transcribed in the Ethiopian isolates. Members of the reticulocyte binding protein PvRBP2a and PvRBP3 expressed six-fold higher than Duffy binding protein PvDBP1 and 60-fold higher than PvEBP/DBP2 in the Ethiopian isolates. Other genes including PvMSP3.8, PvMSP3.9, PvTRAG2, PvTRAG14, and PvTRAG22 also showed relatively high expression. Differential expression patterns were observed among geographical isolates, e.g., PvDBP1 and PvEBP/DBP2 were highly expressed in the Cambodian but not the Brazilian and Ethiopian isolates, whereas PvRBP2a and PvRBP2b showed higher expression in the Ethiopian and Cambodian than the Brazilian isolates. Compared to Pvs25, gametocyte genes including PvAP2-G, PvGAP (female gametocytes), and Pvs47 (male gametocytes) were highly expressed across geographical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kepple
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Colby T. Ford
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
- School of Data Science, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Williams
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Beka Abagero
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Shaoyu Li
- Mathematics and Statistics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jean Popovici
- Malaria Research Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America
- Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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8
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Eccleston RC, Manko E, Campino S, Clark TG, Furnham N. A computational method for predicting the most likely evolutionary trajectories in the stepwise accumulation of resistance mutations. eLife 2023; 12:e84756. [PMID: 38132182 PMCID: PMC10807863 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84756] [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: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogen evolution of drug resistance often occurs in a stepwise manner via the accumulation of multiple mutations that in combination have a non-additive impact on fitness, a phenomenon known as epistasis. The evolution of resistance via the accumulation of point mutations in the DHFR genes of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Plasmodium vivax (Pv) has been studied extensively and multiple studies have shown epistatic interactions between these mutations determine the accessible evolutionary trajectories to highly resistant multiple mutations. Here, we simulated these evolutionary trajectories using a model of molecular evolution, parameterised using Rosetta Flex ddG predictions, where selection acts to reduce the target-drug binding affinity. We observe strong agreement with pathways determined using experimentally measured IC50 values of pyrimethamine binding, which suggests binding affinity is strongly predictive of resistance and epistasis in binding affinity strongly influences the order of fixation of resistance mutations. We also infer pathways directly from the frequency of mutations found in isolate data, and observe remarkable agreement with the most likely pathways predicted by our mechanistic model, as well as those determined experimentally. This suggests mutation frequency data can be used to intuitively infer evolutionary pathways, provided sufficient sampling of the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Charlotte Eccleston
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Emilia Manko
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Susana Campino
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Taane G Clark
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Furnham
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
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9
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Little E, Shenkutie TT, Negash MT, Abagero BR, Abebe A, Popovici J, Mekasha S, Lo E. Prevalence and characteristics of Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes in Duffy-positive and Duffy-negative populations across Ethiopia. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.10.23299780. [PMID: 38168152 PMCID: PMC10760292 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.10.23299780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites replicate asexually in the human host. The proportion of infections that carries gametocytes is a proxy for human-to-mosquito transmissibility. It is unclear what proportion of P. vivax infections in Duffy-negatives carries gametocytes. This study aims to determine the prevalence of P. vivax in Duffy-negatives across broad regions of Ethiopia and characterize parasite stages. Finger-prick blood samples were collected for microscopic and molecular screening of Plasmodium parasites and Duffy status of individuals. Molecular screening of plasmodium species and Duffy blood group genotyping was done using SYBR green and Taqman qPCR method. Among the total 447 samples, 414 (92.6%) were P. vivax confirmed and, 16 (3.9%) of them were from Duffy-negatives. Of these, 5/16 (31.3%) Duffy-negative P. vivax-infected samples were detected with gametocytes. Of the 398 Duffy-positive P. vivax-infected samples, 150 (37.7%) were detected with gametocytes, slightly higher than that in Duffy-negatives. This study highlights the presence of P. vivax gametocytes in Duffy-negative infections, suggestive of human-to-mosquito transmissibility. Although P. vivax infections in Duffy-negatives are commonly associated with low parasitemia, some of these infections were shown with relatively high parasitemia and may represent better erythrocyte invasion capability of P. vivax and hidden reservoirs that can contribute to transmission. A better understanding of P. vivax transmission biology and gametocyte function particularly in Duffy-negative populations would aid future treatment and management of vivax malaria in Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebony Little
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tassew T. Shenkutie
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Debre Brehan University, Debre Brehan, Ethiopia
| | | | - Beka R. Abagero
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Abnet Abebe
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Sindew Mekasha
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University, College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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10
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Kebede AM, Sutanto E, Trimarsanto H, Benavente ED, Barnes M, Pearson RD, Siegel SV, Erko B, Assefa A, Getachew S, Aseffa A, Petros B, Lo E, Mohammed R, Yilma D, Rumaseb A, Nosten F, Noviyanti R, Rayner JC, Kwiatkowski DP, Price RN, Golassa L, Auburn S. Genomic analysis of Plasmodium vivax describes patterns of connectivity and putative drivers of adaptation in Ethiopia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20788. [PMID: 38012191 PMCID: PMC10682486 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47889-w] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ethiopia has the greatest burden of Plasmodium vivax in Africa, but little is known about the epidemiological landscape of parasites across the country. We analysed the genomic diversity of 137 P. vivax isolates collected nine Ethiopian districts from 2012 to 2016. Signatures of selection were detected by cross-country comparisons with isolates from Thailand (n = 104) and Indonesia (n = 111), representing regions with low and high chloroquine resistance respectively. 26% (35/137) of Ethiopian infections were polyclonal, and 48.5% (17/35) of these comprised highly related clones (within-host identity-by-descent > 25%), indicating frequent co-transmission and superinfection. Parasite gene flow between districts could not be explained entirely by geographic distance, with economic and cultural factors hypothesised to have an impact on connectivity. Amplification of the duffy binding protein gene (pvdbp1) was prevalent across all districts (16-75%). Cross-population haplotype homozygosity revealed positive selection in a region proximal to the putative chloroquine resistance transporter gene (pvcrt-o). An S25P variant in amino acid transporter 1 (pvaat1), whose homologue has recently been implicated in P. falciparum chloroquine resistance evolution, was prevalent in Ethiopia (96%) but not Thailand or Indonesia (35-53%). The genomic architecture in Ethiopia highlights circulating variants of potential public health concern in an endemic setting with evidence of stable transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hidayat Trimarsanto
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, PO Box 41096, Darwin, NT, 0811, Australia
- Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ernest Diez Benavente
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mariana Barnes
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, PO Box 41096, Darwin, NT, 0811, Australia
| | | | | | - Berhanu Erko
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ashenafi Assefa
- Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sisay Getachew
- Armauer Hansen Research Unit (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Millipore Sigma (Bioreliance), Rockville, USA
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Unit (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Eugenia Lo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
| | | | - Daniel Yilma
- Jimma University Clinical Trial Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Angela Rumaseb
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, PO Box 41096, Darwin, NT, 0811, Australia
| | - Francois Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Julian C Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Ric N Price
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, PO Box 41096, Darwin, NT, 0811, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Lemu Golassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, PO Box 41096, Darwin, NT, 0811, Australia.
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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11
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Kojom Foko LP, Jakhan J, Tamang S, Hawadak J, Kouemo Motse FD, Singh V. First Insight into Drug Resistance Genetic Markers, Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase and Phylogenetic Patterns of Misdiagnosed Plasmodium vivax Malaria in Far North Region, Cameroon. Curr Microbiol 2023; 81:9. [PMID: 37968386 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03522-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) is the predominant malaria species in Africa, but growing rates of non-falciparum species such as P. vivax (Pv) have been reported recently. This study aimed at characterizing drug resistance genes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (G6PD), and phylogenetic patterns of a Pv + Pf co-infection misdiagnosed as a Pf mono-infection in the Far North region of Cameroon. Only one non-synonymous mutation in the pvdhps gene A383G was found. Pv drug resistance gene sequences were phylogenetically closer to the reference SAL-I strain and isolates from Southeast Asia and Western Pacific countries. Analyzing co-infecting Pf revealed no resistance mutations in Pfmdr1 and Pfk13 genes, but mutations in Pfcrt (C72V73I74E75T76) and Pfdhfr-Pfdhps genes (A16C50I51R59N108L164 - A436A437K540G581S613) were observed. No G6PD deficiency-related mutations were found. This is first study from Cameroon reporting presence of putative drug resistance mutations in Pv infections, especially in the pvdhps gene, and also outlined the absence of a G6PD-deficiency trait in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jahnvi Jakhan
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, Sector 8, New-Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Suman Tamang
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, Sector 8, New-Delhi, 110077, India
| | - Joseph Hawadak
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, Sector 8, New-Delhi, 110077, India
| | | | - Vineeta Singh
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, Sector 8, New-Delhi, 110077, India.
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12
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Sutanto E, Pava Z, Echeverry DF, Lopera-Mesa TM, Montenegro LM, Yasnot-Acosta MF, Benavente ED, Pearson RD, Herrera S, Arévalo-Herrera M, Trimarsanto H, Rumaseb A, Noviyanti R, Kwiatkowski DP, Price RN, Auburn S. Genomics of Plasmodium vivax in Colombia reveals evidence of local bottle-necking and inter-country connectivity in the Americas. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19779. [PMID: 37957271 PMCID: PMC10643449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46076-1] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Colombia aims to eliminate malaria by 2030 but remains one of the highest burden countries in the Americas. Plasmodium vivax contributes half of all malaria cases, with its control challenged by relapsing parasitaemia, drug resistance and cross-border spread. Using 64 Colombian P. vivax genomes collected between 2013 and 2017, we explored diversity and selection in two major foci of transmission: Chocó and Córdoba. Open-access data from other countries were used for comparative assessment of drug resistance candidates and to assess cross-border spread. Across Colombia, polyclonal infections were infrequent (12%), and infection connectivity was relatively high (median IBD = 5%), consistent with low endemicity. Chocó exhibited a higher frequency of polyclonal infections (23%) than Córdoba (7%), although the difference was not significant (P = 0.300). Most Colombian infections carried double pvdhfr (95%) and single pvdhps (71%) mutants, but other drug resistance mutations were less prevalent (< 10%). There was no evidence of selection at the pvaat1 gene, whose P. falciparum orthologue has recently been implicated in chloroquine resistance. Global population comparisons identified other putative adaptations. Within the Americas, low-level connectivity was observed between Colombia and Peru, highlighting potential for cross-border spread. Our findings demonstrate the potential of molecular data to inform on infection spread and adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zuleima Pava
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Diego F Echeverry
- Departamento de Microbiología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
- International Training and Medical Research Center (CIDEIM), Cali, Colombia
| | | | | | - Maria F Yasnot-Acosta
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas y Biomédicas de Córdoba (GIMBIC), Universidad de Córdoba, Monteria, Colombia
| | - Ernest Diez Benavente
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Myriam Arévalo-Herrera
- Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, Cali, Colombia
- Centro Internacional de Vacunas, Cali, Colombia
| | - Hidayat Trimarsanto
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Angela Rumaseb
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | | | | | - Ric N Price
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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13
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Phelan JE, Turkiewicz A, Manko E, Thorpe J, Vanheer LN, van de Vegte-Bolmer M, Ngoc NTH, Binh NTH, Thieu NQ, Gitaka J, Nolder D, Beshir KB, Dombrowski JG, Di Santi SM, Bousema T, Sutherland CJ, Campino S, Clark TG. Rapid profiling of Plasmodium parasites from genome sequences to assist malaria control. Genome Med 2023; 15:96. [PMID: 37950308 PMCID: PMC10636944 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01247-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria continues to be a major threat to global public health. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the underlying Plasmodium parasites has provided insights into the genomic epidemiology of malaria. Genome sequencing is rapidly gaining traction as a diagnostic and surveillance tool for clinical settings, where the profiling of co-infections, identification of imported malaria parasites, and detection of drug resistance are crucial for infection control and disease elimination. To support this informatically, we have developed the Malaria-Profiler tool, which rapidly (within minutes) predicts Plasmodium species, geographical source, and resistance to antimalarial drugs directly from WGS data. RESULTS The online and command line versions of Malaria-Profiler detect ~ 250 markers from genome sequences covering Plasmodium speciation, likely geographical source, and resistance to chloroquine, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), and other anti-malarial drugs for P. falciparum, but also providing mutations for orthologous resistance genes in other species. The predictive performance of the mutation library was assessed using 9321 clinical isolates with WGS and geographical data, with most being single-species infections (P. falciparum 7152/7462, P. vivax 1502/1661, P. knowlesi 143/151, P. malariae 18/18, P. ovale ssp. 5/5), but co-infections were identified (456/9321; 4.8%). The accuracy of the predicted geographical profiles was high to both continental (96.1%) and regional levels (94.6%). For P. falciparum, markers were identified for resistance to chloroquine (49.2%; regional range: 24.5% to 100%), sulfadoxine (83.3%; 35.4- 90.5%), pyrimethamine (85.4%; 80.0-100%) and combined SP (77.4%). Markers associated with the partial resistance of artemisinin were found in WGS from isolates sourced from Southeast Asia (30.6%). CONCLUSIONS Malaria-Profiler is a user-friendly tool that can rapidly and accurately predict the geographical regional source and anti-malarial drug resistance profiles across large numbers of samples with WGS data. The software is flexible with modifiable bioinformatic pipelines. For example, it is possible to select the sequencing platform, display specific variants, and customise the format of outputs. With the increasing application of next-generation sequencing platforms on Plasmodium DNA, Malaria-Profiler has the potential to be integrated into point-of-care and surveillance settings, thereby assisting malaria control. Malaria-Profiler is available online (bioinformatics.lshtm.ac.uk/malaria-profiler) and as standalone software ( https://github.com/jodyphelan/malaria-profiler ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jody E Phelan
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Anna Turkiewicz
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Emilia Manko
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Joseph Thorpe
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Leen N Vanheer
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Marga van de Vegte-Bolmer
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nguyen Thi Hong Ngoc
- Molecular Biology Department, Parasitology and Entomology, Vietnam National Institute of Malariology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Thi Huong Binh
- Molecular Biology Department, Parasitology and Entomology, Vietnam National Institute of Malariology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Quang Thieu
- Molecular Biology Department, Parasitology and Entomology, Vietnam National Institute of Malariology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Jesse Gitaka
- Directorate of Research and Innovation, Mount Kenya University, Gen. Kago Rd, Thika, Kenya
| | - Debbie Nolder
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- UK Health Security Agency Malaria Reference Laboratory, LSHTM, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Khalid B Beshir
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Jamille G Dombrowski
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia Maria Di Santi
- School of Medicine, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Teun Bousema
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, University of Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Colin J Sutherland
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- UK Health Security Agency Malaria Reference Laboratory, LSHTM, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Taane G Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, LSHTM, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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14
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Coonahan E, Gage H, Chen D, Noormahomed EV, Buene TP, Mendes de Sousa I, Akrami K, Chambal L, Schooley RT, Winzeler EA, Cowell AN. Whole-genome surveillance identifies markers of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance and novel genomic regions under selection in Mozambique. mBio 2023; 14:e0176823. [PMID: 37750720 PMCID: PMC10653802 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01768-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Malaria is a devastating disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. The evolution of parasite drug resistance continues to hamper progress toward malaria elimination, and despite extensive efforts to control malaria, it remains a leading cause of death in Mozambique and other countries in the region. The development of successful vaccines and identification of molecular markers to track drug efficacy are essential for managing the disease burden. We present an analysis of the parasite genome in Mozambique, a country with one of the highest malaria burdens globally and limited available genomic data, revealing current selection pressure. We contribute additional evidence to limited prior studies supporting the effectiveness of SWGA in producing reliable genomic data from complex clinical samples. Our results provide the identity of genomic loci that may be associated with current antimalarial drug use, including artemisinin and lumefantrine, and reveal selection pressure predicted to compromise the efficacy of current vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Coonahan
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Hunter Gage
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Daisy Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Emilia Virginia Noormahomed
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Parasitology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
- Mozambique Institute of Health Education and Research (MIHER), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Titos Paulo Buene
- Department of Microbiology, Parasitology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
- Mozambique Institute of Health Education and Research (MIHER), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Irina Mendes de Sousa
- Mozambique Institute of Health Education and Research (MIHER), Maputo, Mozambique
- Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Kevan Akrami
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Lucia Chambal
- Mozambique Institute of Health Education and Research (MIHER), Maputo, Mozambique
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
- Maputo Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Robert T. Schooley
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Annie N. Cowell
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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15
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De Meulenaere K, Cuypers B, Gamboa D, Laukens K, Rosanas-Urgell A. A new Plasmodium vivax reference genome for South American isolates. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:606. [PMID: 37821878 PMCID: PMC10568799 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09707-5] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax is the second most important cause of human malaria worldwide, and accounts for the majority of malaria cases in South America. A high-quality reference genome exists for Papua Indonesia (PvP01) and Thailand (PvW1), but is lacking for South America. A reference genome specifically for South America would be beneficial though, as P. vivax is a genetically diverse parasite with geographical clustering. RESULTS This study presents a new high-quality assembly of a South American P. vivax isolate, referred to as PvPAM (P. vivax Peruvian AMazon). The genome was obtained from a low input patient sample from the Peruvian Amazon and sequenced using PacBio technology, resulting in a highly complete assembly with 6497 functional genes. Telomeric ends were present in 17 out of 28 chromosomal ends, and additional (sub)telomeric regions are present in 12 unassigned contigs. A comparison of multigene families between PvPAM and the PvP01 genome revealed remarkable variation in vir genes, and the presence of merozoite surface proteins (MSP) 3.6 and 3.7. Three dhfr and dhps drug resistance associated mutations are present in PvPAM, similar to those found in other Peruvian isolates. Mapping of publicly available South American whole genome sequencing (WGS) data to PvPAM resulted in significantly fewer variants and truncated reads compared to the use of PvP01 or PvW1 as reference genomes. To minimize the number of core genome variants in non-South American samples, PvW1 is most suited for Southeast Asian isolates, both PvPAM and PvW1 are suited for South Asian isolates, and PvPAM is recommended for African isolates. Interestingly, non-South American samples still contained the least subtelomeric variants when mapped to PvPAM, indicating high quality of the PvPAM subtelomeric regions. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that the PvPAM reference genome more accurately represents South American P. vivax isolates in comparison to PvP01 and PvW1. In addition, PvPAM has a high level of completeness, and contains a similar number of annotated genes as PvP01 or PvW1. The PvPAM genome therefore will be a valuable resource to improve future genomic analyses on P. vivax isolates from the South American continent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katlijn De Meulenaere
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Bart Cuypers
- Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dionicia Gamboa
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Kris Laukens
- Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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16
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Moss S, Mańko E, Vasileva H, Da Silva ET, Goncalves A, Osborne A, Phelan J, Rodrigues A, Djata P, D'Alessandro U, Mabey D, Krishna S, Last A, Clark TG, Campino S. Population dynamics and drug resistance mutations in Plasmodium falciparum on the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6311. [PMID: 37072433 PMCID: PMC10113324 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33176-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Following integrated malaria control interventions, malaria burden on the Bijagós Archipelago has significantly decreased. Understanding the genomic diversity of circulating Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites can assist infection control, through identifying drug resistance mutations and characterising the complexity of population structure. This study presents the first whole genome sequence data for P. falciparum isolates from the Bijagós Archipelago. Amplified DNA from P. falciparum isolates sourced from dried blood spot samples of 15 asymptomatic malaria cases were sequenced. Using 1.3 million SNPs characterised across 795 African P. falciparum isolates, population structure analyses revealed that isolates from the archipelago cluster with samples from mainland West Africa and appear closely related to mainland populations; without forming a separate phylogenetic cluster. This study characterises SNPs associated with antimalarial drug resistance on the archipelago. We observed fixation of the PfDHFR mutations N51I and S108N, associated with resistance to sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine, and the continued presence of PfCRT K76T, associated with chloroquine resistance. These data have relevance for infection control and drug resistance surveillance; particularly considering expected increases in antimalarial drug use following updated WHO recommendations, and the recent implementation of seasonal malaria chemoprevention and mass drug administration in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Moss
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Emilia Mańko
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Hristina Vasileva
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Eunice Teixeira Da Silva
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Ministry of Public Health, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Adriana Goncalves
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ashley Osborne
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jody Phelan
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Paulo Djata
- National Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Public Health, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | | | - David Mabey
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sanjeev Krishna
- Clinical Academic Group, Institute for Infection and Immunity, and St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, St. George's University of London, London, UK
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné, Gabon
- Institut Für Tropenmedizin Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anna Last
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Taane G Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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17
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Decote-Ricardo D, de Oliveira Nascimento D, Freire-de-Lima L, Morrot A, Freire-de-Lima CG. Special Issue: "Parasitic Infection and Host Immunity": Editorial. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11041027. [PMID: 37110450 PMCID: PMC10144446 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11041027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasite-host interactions depend on a complex interplay between the metabolism of the parasite, their antigens, and the host immune response system [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Decote-Ricardo
- Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 23890-000, Brazil
| | | | - Leonardo Freire-de-Lima
- Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-170, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Morrot
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21044-020, Brazil
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
| | - Celio Geraldo Freire-de-Lima
- Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-170, Brazil
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18
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Kepple D, Ford CT, Williams J, Abagero B, Li S, Popovici J, Yewhalaw D, Lo E. Comparative transcriptomics reveal differential gene expression in Plasmodium vivax geographical isolates and implications on erythrocyte invasion mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.16.528793. [PMID: 36824754 PMCID: PMC9949051 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.16.528793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax uses Duffy binding protein (PvDBP1) to bind to the Duffy Antigen-Chemokine Receptor (DARC) to invade human erythrocytes. Individuals who lack DARC expression (Duffy-negative) are thought to be resistance to P. vivax. In recent years, P. vivax malaria is becoming more prevalent in Africa with a portion of these cases detected in Duffy-negatives. Apart from DBP1, members of the reticulocyte binding protein (RBP) and tryptophan-rich antigen (TRAg) families may also play a role in erythrocyte invasion. While the transcriptomes of the Southeast Asian and South American P. vivax are well documented, the gene expression profile of P. vivax in Africa and more specifically the expression level of several erythrocyte binding gene candidates as compared to DBP1 are largely unknown. This paper characterized the first P. vivax transcriptome in Africa and compared with those from the Southeast Asian and South American isolates. The expression of 4,404 gene transcripts belong to 12 functional groups including 43 specific erythrocyte binding gene candidates were examined. Overall, there were 10-26% differences in the gene expression profile amongst the geographical isolates, with the Ethiopian and Cambodian P. vivax being most similar. Majority of the gene transcripts involved in protein transportation, housekeeping, and host interaction were highly transcribed in the Ethiopian P. vivax. Erythrocyte binding genes including PvRBP2a and PvRBP3 expressed six-fold higher than PvDBP1and 60-fold higher than PvEBP/DBP2. Other genes including PvRBP1a, PvMSP3.8, PvMSP3.9, PvTRAG2, PvTRAG14, and PvTRAG22 also showed relatively high expression. Differential expression was observed among geographical isolates, e.g., PvDBP1 and PvEBP/DBP2 were highly expressed in the Cambodian but not the Brazilian and Ethiopian isolates, whereas PvRBP2a and PvRBP2b showed higher expression in the Ethiopian and Cambodian than the Brazilian isolates. Compared to Pvs25, the standard biomarker for detecting female gametocytes, PvAP2-G (PVP01_1440800), GAP (PVP01_1403000), and Pvs47 (PVP01_1208000) were highly expressed across geographical samples. These findings provide an important baseline for future comparisons of P. vivax transcriptomes from Duffy-negative infections and highlight potential biomarkers for improved gametocyte detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kepple
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Colby T. Ford
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
- School of Data Science, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Jonathan Williams
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Beka Abagero
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Shaoyu Li
- Mathematics and Statistics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Jean Popovici
- Malaria Research Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- Tropical and Infectious Diseases Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
- School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
- School of Data Science, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
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19
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Turkiewicz A, Manko E, Oresegun DR, Nolder D, Spadar A, Sutherland CJ, Cox-Singh J, Moon RW, Lau YL, Campino S, Clark TG. Population genetic analysis of Plasmodium knowlesi reveals differential selection and exchange events between Borneo and Peninsular sub-populations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2142. [PMID: 36750737 PMCID: PMC9905552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29368-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi parasite is a growing public health concern in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, where elimination of P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria has been the focus of control efforts. Understanding of the genetic diversity of P. knowlesi parasites can provide insights into its evolution, population structure, diagnostics, transmission dynamics, and the emergence of drug resistance. Previous work has revealed that P. knowlesi fall into three main sub-populations distinguished by a combination of geographical location and macaque host (Macaca fascicularis and M. nemestrina). It has been shown that Malaysian Borneo groups display profound heterogeneity with long regions of high or low divergence resulting in mosaic patterns between sub-populations, with some evidence of chromosomal-segment exchanges. However, the genetic structure of non-Borneo sub-populations is less clear. By gathering one of the largest collections of P. knowlesi whole-genome sequencing data, we studied structural genomic changes across sub-populations, with the analysis revealing differences in Borneo clusters linked to mosquito-related stages of the parasite cycle, in contrast to differences in host-related stages for the Peninsular group. Our work identifies new genetic exchange events, including introgressions between Malaysian Peninsular and M. nemestrina-associated clusters on various chromosomes, including in parasite invasion genes (DBP[Formula: see text], NBPX[Formula: see text] and NBPX[Formula: see text]), and important proteins expressed in the vertebrate parasite stages. Recombination events appear to have occurred between the Peninsular and M. fascicularis-associated groups, including in the DBP[Formula: see text] and DBP[Formula: see text] invasion associated genes. Overall, our work finds that genetic exchange events have occurred among the recognised contemporary groups of P. knowlesi parasites during their evolutionary history, leading to apparent mosaicism between these sub-populations. These findings generate new hypotheses relevant to parasite evolutionary biology and P. knowlesi epidemiology, which can inform malaria control approaches to containing the impact of zoonotic malaria on human communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Turkiewicz
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Emilia Manko
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Damiola R Oresegun
- Division of Infection, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Debbie Nolder
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- UK Health Security Agency Malaria Reference Laboratory, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Anton Spadar
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Colin J Sutherland
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- UK Health Security Agency Malaria Reference Laboratory, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Janet Cox-Singh
- Division of Infection, School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Robert W Moon
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | | | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Taane G Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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20
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Dombrowski JG, Acford-Palmer H, Campos M, Separovic EPM, Epiphanio S, Clark TG, Campino S, Marinho CRF. Genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax isolates from pregnant women in the Western Brazilian Amazon: a prospective cohort study. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2023; 18:100407. [PMID: 36844021 PMCID: PMC9950542 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Background Each year, 92 million pregnant women are at risk of contracting malaria during pregnancy, with the underestimation of the mortality and morbidity burden associated with Plasmodium vivax. During pregnancy, P. vivax infection is associated with low birth weight, maternal anaemia, premature delivery, and stillbirth. In the State of Acre (Brazil), high transmission leaves pregnant women at greater risk of contracting malaria and having a greater number of recurrences. The study of genetic diversity and the association of haplotypes with adverse pregnancy effects is of great importance for the control of the disease. Here we investigate the genetic diversity of P. vivax parasites infecting pregnant women across their pregnancies. Methods P. vivax DNA was extracted from 330 samples from 177 women followed during pregnancy, collected in the State of Acre, Brazil. All samples were negative for Plasmodium falciparum DNA. Sequence data for the Pvmsp1 gene was analysed alongside data from six microsatellite (MS) markers. Allelic frequencies, haplotype frequencies, expected heterozygosity (HE) were calculated. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was conducted on four samples from pregnant women and phylogenetic analysis performed with other samples from South American regions. Findings Initially, the pregnant women were stratified into two groups-1 recurrence and 2 or more recurrences-in which no differences were observed in clinical gestational outcomes or in placental histological changes between the two groups. Then we evaluated the parasites genetically. An average of 18.5 distinct alleles were found at each of the MS loci, and the HE calculated for each marker indicates a high genetic diversity occurring within the population. There was a high percentage of polyclonal infections (61.7%, 108/175), and one haplotype (H1) occurred frequently (20%), with only 9 of the haplotypes appearing in more than one patient. Interpretation Most pregnant women had polyclonal infections that could be the result of relapses and/or re-infections. The high percentage of H1 parasites, along with the low frequency of many other haplotypes are suggestive of a clonal expansion. Phylogenetic analysis shows that P. vivax population within pregnant women clustered with other Brazilian samples in the region. Funding FAPESP and CNPq - Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Holly Acford-Palmer
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Monica Campos
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sabrina Epiphanio
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Taane Gregory Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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21
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Ibrahim A, Manko E, Dombrowski JG, Campos M, Benavente ED, Nolder D, Sutherland CJ, Nosten F, Fernandez D, Vélez-Tobón G, Castaño AT, Aguiar ACC, Pereira DB, da Silva Santos S, Suarez-Mutis M, Di Santi SM, Regina de Souza Baptista A, Dantas Machado RL, Marinho CR, Clark TG, Campino S. Population-based genomic study of Plasmodium vivax malaria in seven Brazilian states and across South America. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2023; 18:100420. [PMID: 36844008 PMCID: PMC9950661 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Background Brazil is a unique and understudied setting for malaria, with complex foci of transmission associated with human and environmental conditions. An understanding of the population genomic diversity of P. vivax parasites across Brazil can support malaria control strategies. Methods Through whole genome sequencing of P. vivax isolates across 7 Brazilian states, we use population genomic approaches to compare genetic diversity within country (n = 123), continent (6 countries, n = 315) and globally (26 countries, n = 885). Findings We confirm that South American isolates are distinct, have more ancestral populations than the other global regions, with differentiating mutations in genes under selective pressure linked to antimalarial drugs (pvmdr1, pvdhfr-ts) and mosquito vectors (pvcrmp3, pvP45/48, pvP47). We demonstrate Brazil as a distinct parasite population, with signals of selection including ABC transporter (PvABCI3) and PHIST exported proteins. Interpretation Brazil has a complex population structure, with evidence of P. simium infections and Amazonian parasites separating into multiple clusters. Overall, our work provides the first Brazil-wide analysis of P. vivax population structure and identifies important mutations, which can inform future research and control measures. Funding AI is funded by an MRC LiD PhD studentship. TGC is funded by the Medical Research Council (Grant no. MR/M01360X/1, MR/N010469/1, MR/R025576/1, MR/R020973/1 and MR/X005895/1). SC is funded by Medical Research Council UK grants (MR/M01360X/1, MR/R025576/1, MR/R020973/1 and MR/X005895/1) and Bloomsbury SET (ref. CCF17-7779). FN is funded by The Shloklo Malaria Research Unit - part of the Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, supported by the Wellcome Trust (Grant no. 220211). ARSB is funded by São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP (Grant no. 2002/09546-1). RLDM is funded by Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development - CNPq (Grant no. 302353/2003-8 and 471605/2011-5); CRFM is funded by FAPESP (Grant no. 2020/06747-4) and CNPq (Grant no. 302917/2019-5 and 408636/2018-1); JGD is funded by FAPESP fellowships (2016/13465-0 and 2019/12068-5) and CNPq (Grant no. 409216/2018-6).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Ibrahim
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Emilia Manko
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jamille G. Dombrowski
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University
of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mónica Campos
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ernest Diez Benavente
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Debbie Nolder
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Public Health England Malaria Reference Laboratory, London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Colin J. Sutherland
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Public Health England Malaria Reference Laboratory, London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Francois Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research
Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Tak,
Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of
Clinical Medicine Research Building, University of Oxford Old Road Campus,
Oxford, UK
| | - Diana Fernandez
- Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia,
Colombia
| | - Gabriel Vélez-Tobón
- Grupo Malaria, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia,
Colombia
| | | | | | | | - Simone da Silva Santos
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Institute Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz-
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Martha Suarez-Mutis
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Institute Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz-
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Andrea Regina de Souza Baptista
- Centro de Investigação de Microrganismos – CIM, Departamento de
Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense,
Brazil
| | - Ricardo Luiz Dantas Machado
- Centro de Investigação de Microrganismos – CIM, Departamento de
Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense,
Brazil
| | - Claudio R.F. Marinho
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University
of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Taane G. Clark
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Faculty of Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Susana Campino
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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22
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Carlucci R, Di Gresia G, Mediavilla MG, Cricco JA, Tekwani BL, Khan SI, Labadie GR. Expanding the scope of novel 1,2,3-triazole derivatives as new antiparasitic drug candidates. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:122-134. [PMID: 36760749 PMCID: PMC9890560 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00324d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that prenyl and aliphatic triazoles are interesting motifs to prepare new chemical entities for antiparasitic and antituberculosis drug development. In this opportunity a new series of prenyl-1,2,3-triazoles were prepared from isoprenyl azides and different alkynes looking for new antimalarial drug candidates. The compounds were prepared by copper(i) catalyzed dipolar cycloaddition of the isoprenyl azide equilibrium mixture providing exclusively 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles in a regiospecific fashion. The complete collection of 64 compounds was tested on chloroquine-sensitive (CQ sensitive), Sierra Leone (D6), and the chloroquine-resistant, Indochina (W2), strains of Plasmodium falciparum and those compounds which were not previously reported were also tested against Leishmania donovani, the causative agent for visceral leishmaniasis. Thirteen analogs displayed antimalarial activity with IC50 below 10 μM, while the antileishmanial activity of the newly reported analogs could not improve upon those previously reported. Compounds 1o and 1r were identified as the most promising antimalarial drug leads with IC50 below 3.0 μM for both CQ-sensitive and resistant P. falciparum strains with high selectivity index. Finally, a chemoinformatic in silico analysis was performed to evaluate physicochemical parameters, cytotoxicity risk and drug score. The validation of a bifunctional farnesyl/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase PfFPPS/GGPPS as the potential target of the antimalarial activity of selected analogs should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzo Carlucci
- Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario Suipacha 531 S2002LRK Rosario Argentina +54 341 4370477 +54 341 4370477
| | - Gabriel Di Gresia
- Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario Suipacha 531 S2002LRK Rosario Argentina +54 341 4370477 +54 341 4370477
| | - María Gabriela Mediavilla
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR) Suipacha 531 S2002LRK Rosario Argentina
| | - Julia A Cricco
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR) Suipacha 531 S2002LRK Rosario Argentina
| | - Babu L Tekwani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Scientific Platforms, Southern Research Birmingham AL 35205 USA
| | - Shabana I Khan
- National Center for Natural Products Research & Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi University MS 38677 USA
| | - Guillermo R Labadie
- Instituto de Química Rosario (IQUIR) UNR, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario Suipacha 531 S2002LRK Rosario Argentina +54 341 4370477 +54 341 4370477
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario Suipacha 531 S2002LRK Rosario Argentina
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23
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Deelder W, Manko E, Phelan JE, Campino S, Palla L, Clark TG. Geographical classification of malaria parasites through applying machine learning to whole genome sequence data. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21150. [PMID: 36476815 PMCID: PMC9729610 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25568-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, is a major global health challenge. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax genomes is providing insights into parasite genetic diversity, transmission patterns, and can inform decision making for clinical and surveillance purposes. Advances in sequencing technologies are helping to generate timely and big genomic datasets, with the prospect of applying Artificial Intelligence analytical techniques (e.g., machine learning) to support programmatic malaria control and elimination. Here, we assess the potential of applying deep learning convolutional neural network approaches to predict the geographic origin of infections (continents, countries, GPS locations) using WGS data of P. falciparum (n = 5957; 27 countries) and P. vivax (n = 659; 13 countries) isolates. Using identified high-quality genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (P. falciparum: 750 k, P. vivax: 588 k), an analysis of population structure and ancestry revealed clustering at the country-level. When predicting locations for both species, classification (compared to regression) methods had the lowest distance errors, and > 90% accuracy at a country level. Our work demonstrates the utility of machine learning approaches for geo-classification of malaria parasites. With timelier WGS data generation across more malaria-affected regions, the performance of machine learning approaches for geo-classification will improve, thereby supporting disease control activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter Deelder
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- Dalberg Advisors, 7 Rue de Chantepoulet, 1201, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emilia Manko
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Jody E Phelan
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Susana Campino
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Luigi Palla
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Taane G Clark
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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24
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Kattenberg JH, Nguyen HV, Nguyen HL, Sauve E, Nguyen NTH, Chopo-Pizarro A, Trimarsanto H, Monsieurs P, Guetens P, Nguyen XX, Esbroeck MV, Auburn S, Nguyen BTH, Rosanas-Urgell A. Novel highly-multiplexed AmpliSeq targeted assay for Plasmodium vivax genetic surveillance use cases at multiple geographical scales. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:953187. [PMID: 36034708 PMCID: PMC9403277 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.953187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the power of genetic surveillance tools has been acknowledged widely, there is an urgent need in malaria endemic countries for feasible and cost-effective tools to implement in national malaria control programs (NMCPs) that can generate evidence to guide malaria control and elimination strategies, especially in the case of Plasmodium vivax. Several genetic surveillance applications (‘use cases’) have been identified to align research, technology development, and public health efforts, requiring different types of molecular markers. Here we present a new highly-multiplexed deep sequencing assay (Pv AmpliSeq). The assay targets the 33-SNP vivaxGEN-geo panel for country-level classification, and a newly designed 42-SNP within-country barcode for analysis of parasite dynamics in Vietnam and 11 putative drug resistance genes in a highly multiplexed NGS protocol with easy workflow, applicable for many different genetic surveillance use cases. The Pv AmpliSeq assay was validated using: 1) isolates from travelers and migrants in Belgium, and 2) routine collections of the national malaria control program at sentinel sites in Vietnam. The assay targets 229 amplicons and achieved a high depth of coverage (mean 595.7 ± 481) and high accuracy (mean error-rate of 0.013 ± 0.007). P. vivax parasites could be characterized from dried blood spots with a minimum of 5 parasites/µL and 10% of minority-clones. The assay achieved good spatial specificity for between-country prediction of origin using the 33-SNP vivaxGEN-geo panel that targets rare alleles specific for certain countries and regions. A high resolution for within-country diversity in Vietnam was achieved using the designed 42-SNP within-country barcode that targets common alleles (median MAF 0.34, range 0.01-0.49. Many variants were detected in (putative) drug resistance genes, with different predominant haplotypes in the pvmdr1 and pvcrt genes in different provinces in Vietnam. The capacity of the assay for high resolution identity-by-descent (IBD) analysis was demonstrated and identified a high rate of shared ancestry within Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, as well as between the coastal province of Binh Thuan and Lam Dong. Our approach performed well in geographically differentiating isolates at multiple spatial scales, detecting variants in putative resistance genes, and can be easily adjusted to suit the needs in other settings in a country or region. We prioritize making this tool available to researchers and NMCPs in endemic countries to increase ownership and ensure data usage for decision-making and malaria policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Helena Kattenberg
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Johanna Helena Kattenberg, ; Anna Rosanas-Urgell,
| | - Hong Van Nguyen
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hieu Luong Nguyen
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Erin Sauve
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ngoc Thi Hong Nguyen
- Department of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ana Chopo-Pizarro
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hidayat Trimarsanto
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Pieter Monsieurs
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pieter Guetens
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Xa Xuan Nguyen
- Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Marjan Van Esbroeck
- Clinical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Mahidol‐Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Binh Thi Huong Nguyen
- Department of Clinical Research, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Johanna Helena Kattenberg, ; Anna Rosanas-Urgell,
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25
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Prevalence of pvmrp1 Polymorphisms and Its Contribution to Antimalarial Response. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081482. [PMID: 35893540 PMCID: PMC9394237 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081482] [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] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
As more sporadic cases of chloroquine resistance occur (CQR) in Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria, molecular markers have become an important tool to monitor the introduction and spread of drug resistance. P. vivax multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (PvMRP1), as one of the members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, may modulate this phenotype. In this study, we investigated the gene mutations and copy number variations (CNVs) in the pvmrp1 in 102 P. vivax isolates from China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Myanmar, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (PRK), and Cambodia. And we also obtained 72 available global pvmrp1 sequences deposited in the PlasmoDB database to investigate the genetic diversity, haplotype diversity, natural selection, and population structure of pvmrp1. In total, 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms reflected in 23 non-synonymous, five synonymous mutations and one gene deletion were identified, and CNVs were found in 2.9% of the isolates. Combined with the antimalarial drug susceptibility observed in the previous in vitro assays, except the prevalence of S354N between the two CQ sensitivity categories revealed a significant difference, no genetic mutations or CNVs associated with drug sensitivity were found. The genetic polymorphism analysis of 166 isolates worldwide found that the overall nucleotide diversity (π) of pvmrp1 was 0.0011, with 46 haplotypes identified (Hd = 0.9290). The ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous mutations (dn/ds = 0.5536) and the neutrality tests statistic Fu and Li’s D* test (Fu and Li’s D* = −3.9871, p < 0.02) suggests that pvmrp1 had evolved under a purifying selection. Due to geographical differences, genetic differentiation levels of pvmrp1 in different regions were different to some extent. Overall, this study provides a new idea for finding CQR molecular monitoring of P. vivax and provides more sequences of pvmrp1 in Asia for subsequent research. However, further validation is still needed through laboratory and epidemiological field studies of P. vivax samples from more regions.
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26
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Rougeron V, Daron J, Fontaine MC, Prugnolle F. Evolutionary history of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium simium in the Americas. Malar J 2022; 21:141. [PMID: 35505431 PMCID: PMC9066938 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04132-7] [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] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human-infecting species in the Americas. However, the origins of this parasite in this continent are still debated. Similarly, it is now accepted that the existence of Plasmodium simium is explained by a P. vivax transfer from humans to monkey in America. However, many uncertainties still exist concerning the origin of the transfer and whether several transfers occurred. In this review, the most recent studies that addressed these questions using genetic and genomic approaches are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Rougeron
- International Research Laboratory, REHABS, CNRS-NMU-UCBL, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa.
| | - Josquin Daron
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900, rue Jean-François Breton, 34900, Montpellier, France
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900, rue Jean-François Breton, 34900, Montpellier, France.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- International Research Laboratory, REHABS, CNRS-NMU-UCBL, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
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27
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Ford A, Kepple D, Williams J, Kolesar G, Ford CT, Abebe A, Golassa L, Janies DA, Yewhalaw D, Lo E. Gene Polymorphisms Among Plasmodium vivax Geographical Isolates and the Potential as New Biomarkers for Gametocyte Detection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:789417. [PMID: 35096643 PMCID: PMC8793628 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.789417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique biological features of Plasmodium vivax not only make it difficult to control but also to eliminate. For the transmission of the malaria parasite from infected human to the vector, gametocytes play a major role. The transmission potential of a malarial infection is inferred based on microscopic detection of gametocytes and molecular screening of genes in the female gametocytes. Microscopy-based detection methods could grossly underestimate the reservoirs of infection as gametocytes may occur as submicroscopic or as micro- or macro-gametocytes. The identification of genes that are highly expressed and polymorphic in male and female gametocytes is critical for monitoring changes not only in their relative proportions but also the composition of gametocyte clones contributing to transmission over time. Recent transcriptomic study revealed two distinct clusters of highly correlated genes expressed in the P. vivax gametocytes, indicating that the male and female terminal gametocytogeneses are independently regulated. However, the detective power of these genes is unclear. In this study, we compared genetic variations of 15 and 11 genes expressed, respectively, in the female and male gametocytes among P. vivax isolates from Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America. Further, we constructed phylogenetic trees to determine the resolution power and clustering patterns of gametocyte clones. As expected, Pvs25 (PVP01_0616100) and Pvs16 (PVP01_0305600) expressed in the female gametocytes were highly conserved in all geographical isolates. In contrast, genes including 6-cysteine protein Pvs230 (PVP01_0415800) and upregulated in late gametocytes ULG8 (PVP01_1452800) expressed in the female gametocytes, as well as two CPW-WPC family proteins (PVP01_1215900 and PVP01_1320100) expressed in the male gametocytes indicated considerably high nucleotide and haplotype diversity among isolates. Parasite samples expressed in male and female gametocyte genes were observed in separate phylogenetic clusters and likely represented distinct gametocyte clones. Compared to Pvs25, Pvs230 (PVP01_0415800) and a CPW-WPC family protein (PVP01_0904300) showed higher expression in a subset of Ethiopian P. vivax samples. Thus, Pvs230, ULG8, and CPW-WPC family proteins including PVP01_0904300, PVP01_1215900, and PVP01_1320100 could potentially be used as novel biomarkers for detecting both sexes of P. vivax gametocytes in low-density infections and estimating transmission reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Ford
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Daniel Kepple
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Jonathan Williams
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Gabrielle Kolesar
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Colby T Ford
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States.,School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Abnet Abebe
- Department of Parasitology, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Lemu Golassa
- Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel A Janies
- Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | - Delenasaw Yewhalaw
- Tropical and Infectious Disease Research Center, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.,School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Eugenia Lo
- Biological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States.,School of Data Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States
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28
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Llanos-Cuentas A, Manrrique P, Rosas-Aguirre A, Herrera S, Hsiang MS. Tafenoquine for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2022; 23:759-768. [PMID: 35379070 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2022.2058394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Plasmodium vivax malaria causes significant disease burden worldwide, especially in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. P. vivax is characterized by the production of liver hypnozoites that cause clinical relapses upon periodic activation. Primaquine, an 8-aminoquinoline drug, has been the standard of care for decades to treat liver-stage P. vivax malaria; however, it requires long treatment regimens (one to two weeks) that lead to poor adherence and thus clinical relapses. Tafenoquine (TFQ), a newly available and efficacious single-dose 8-aminoquinoline, aims to address this challenge. Safe administration is possible when paired with the use of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) diagnostics to prevent 8-aminoquinoline-induced hemolysis in patients with underlying G6PD deficiency (G6PDd). AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors present the recent literature regarding the pharmacology, efficacy, safety, and tolerability of TFQ and highlight regional differences in these areas. The authors also discuss the potential for TFQ, complemented with primaquine PQ and effective screening for G6PDd, to improve P. vivax clinical management and facilitate targeted mass drug administration in communities to decrease transmission. EXPERT OPINION Clinical studies show therapeutic efficacy of TFQ as well as a good performance in terms of safety and tolerability. Additional research regarding the effectiveness and safety TFQ in malaria elimination strategies such as targeted or mass drug administration are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paulo Manrrique
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, PA, USA
| | - Angel Rosas-Aguirre
- Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Sonia Herrera
- Department of Epidemiology, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Michelle S Hsiang
- Department of Epidemiology, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Health, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of PediatricsUniversity of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, USA
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29
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Polymorphism analysis of pfmdr1 gene in Plasmodium falciparum isolates 11 years post-adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Saudi Arabia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:517. [PMID: 35017593 PMCID: PMC8752599 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04450-x] [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] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A total of 227 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Jazan region, southwestern Saudi Arabia were amplified for the P. falciparum multi-drug resistance 1 (pfmdr1) gene to detect point mutations 11 years after the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) in Saudi Arabia. The pfmdr1 86Y mutation was found in 11.5% (26/227) of the isolates while the N86 wild allele was detected in 88.5%. Moreover, 184F point mutations dominated (86.3%) the instances of pfmdr1 polymorphism while no mutation was observed at codons 1034, 1042 and 1246. Three pfmdr1 haplotypes were identified, NFSND (74.9%), NYSND (13.7%) and YFSND (11.4%). Associations of the prevalence of 86Y mutation and YFSND haplotype with participants’ nationality, residency and parasitaemia level were found to be significant (P < 0.05). The findings revealed significant decline in the prevalence of the pfmdr1 86Y mutation in P. falciparum isolates from Jazan region over a decade after the implementation of ACT treatment. Moreover, the high prevalence of the NFSND haplotype might be indicative of the potential emergence of CQ-sensitive but artemether-lumefantrine-resistant P. falciparum strains since the adoption of ACT. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the molecular markers of antimalarial drug resistance in Jazan region is highly recommended.
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30
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Zeng W, Zhao H, Zhao W, Yang Q, Li X, Li X, Duan M, Wang X, Li C, Xiang Z, Chen X, Cui L, Yang Z. Molecular Surveillance and Ex Vivo Drug Susceptibilities of Plasmodium vivax Isolates From the China-Myanmar Border. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:738075. [PMID: 34790586 PMCID: PMC8591282 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.738075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance in Plasmodium vivax may pose a challenge to malaria elimination. Previous studies have found that P. vivax has a decreased sensitivity to antimalarial drugs in some areas of the Greater Mekong Sub-region. This study aims to investigate the ex vivo drug susceptibilities of P. vivax isolates from the China–Myanmar border and genetic variations of resistance-related genes. A total of 46 P. vivax clinical isolates were assessed for ex vivo susceptibility to seven antimalarial drugs using the schizont maturation assay. The medians of IC50 (half-maximum inhibitory concentrations) for chloroquine, artesunate, and dihydroartemisinin from 46 parasite isolates were 96.48, 1.95, and 1.63 nM, respectively, while the medians of IC50 values for piperaquine, pyronaridine, mefloquine, and quinine from 39 parasite isolates were 19.60, 15.53, 16.38, and 26.04 nM, respectively. Sequence polymorphisms in pvmdr1 (P. vivax multidrug resistance-1), pvmrp1 (P. vivax multidrug resistance protein 1), pvdhfr (P. vivax dihydrofolate reductase), and pvdhps (P. vivax dihydropteroate synthase) were determined by PCR and sequencing. Pvmdr1 had 13 non-synonymous substitutions, of which, T908S and T958M were fixed, G698S (97.8%) and F1076L (93.5%) were highly prevalent, and other substitutions had relatively low prevalences. Pvmrp1 had three non-synonymous substitutions, with Y1393D being fixed, G1419A approaching fixation (97.8%), and V1478I being rare (2.2%). Several pvdhfr and pvdhps mutations were relatively frequent in the studied parasite population. The pvmdr1 G698S substitution was associated with a reduced sensitivity to chloroquine, artesunate, and dihydroartemisinin. This study suggests the possible emergence of P. vivax isolates resistant to certain antimalarial drugs at the China–Myanmar border, which demands continuous surveillance for drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weilin Zeng
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiaosong Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Mengxi Duan
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xun Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Cuiying Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Zheng Xiang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Zhaoqing Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
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31
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Deelder W, Benavente ED, Phelan J, Manko E, Campino S, Palla L, Clark TG. Using deep learning to identify recent positive selection in malaria parasite sequence data. Malar J 2021; 20:270. [PMID: 34126997 PMCID: PMC8201710 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03788-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria, caused by Plasmodium parasites, is a major global public health problem. To assist an understanding of malaria pathogenesis, including drug resistance, there is a need for the timely detection of underlying genetic mutations and their spread. With the increasing use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Plasmodium DNA, the potential of deep learning models to detect loci under recent positive selection, historically signals of drug resistance, was evaluated. METHODS A deep learning-based approach (called "DeepSweep") was developed, which can be trained on haplotypic images from genetic regions with known sweeps, to identify loci under positive selection. DeepSweep software is available from https://github.com/WDee/Deepsweep . RESULTS Using simulated genomic data, DeepSweep could detect recent sweeps with high predictive accuracy (areas under ROC curve > 0.95). DeepSweep was applied to Plasmodium falciparum (n = 1125; genome size 23 Mbp) and Plasmodium vivax (n = 368; genome size 29 Mbp) WGS data, and the genes identified overlapped with two established extended haplotype homozygosity methods (within-population iHS, across-population Rsb) (~ 60-75% overlap of hits at P < 0.0001). DeepSweep hits included regions proximal to known drug resistance loci for both P. falciparum (e.g. pfcrt, pfdhps and pfmdr1) and P. vivax (e.g. pvmrp1). CONCLUSION The deep learning approach can detect positive selection signatures in malaria parasite WGS data. Further, as the approach is generalizable, it may be trained to detect other types of selection. With the ability to rapidly generate WGS data at low cost, machine learning approaches (e.g. DeepSweep) have the potential to assist parasite genome-based surveillance and inform malaria control decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter Deelder
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- Dalberg Advisors, 7 Rue de Chantepoulet, CH-1201, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Jody Phelan
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Emilia Manko
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Susana Campino
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Luigi Palla
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Taane G Clark
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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