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Wang X, Guo K, Shan Z, Ying Z, Zhu Z, Yang S, Yang N, Liu Q, Wang L, Liu J. Unveiling the impact of cGMP-dependent protein kinase of Neospora caninum on calcium fluxes and egress functions through quantitative phosphoproteome analysis. Commun Biol 2025; 8:744. [PMID: 40360693 PMCID: PMC12075863 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2025] [Indexed: 05/15/2025] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum, a pathogen associated with abortion in pregnant cattle and motor nerve disorders in dogs, poses a substantial threat. Cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) functions as a central signal transduction hub in apicomplexan parasites. However, PKG has not been characterized in N. caninum, and its targets and pathways controlled by PKG remain unknown. Using a mini auxin-inducible degron system (mAID), we knocked down PKG in N. caninum, demonstrating its indispensable role in tachyzoite invasion and egress from host cells. PKG promotes microneme secretion and enhances tachyzoite gliding motility by elevating intracellular Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]i). Phosphoproteomics identified 1125 proteins as potential downstream targets of PKG, showing significantly reduced phosphorylation after treatment with the PKG inhibitor MBP146-78. These proteins are involved in signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, lipid transport and metabolism, vesicle transport, and ion transport. Additionally, CACNAP, a calcium channel-associated protein that facilitates calcium influx at the plasma membrane, plays a supportive role in the egress process of N. caninum. These findings underscore the importance of PKG and its downstream molecules in regulating egress, offering novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the activation of [Ca2+]i.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianmei Wang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Kun Guo
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zhili Shan
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zhu Ying
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zifu Zhu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Shiman Yang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Na Yang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Lifang Wang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China.
- National Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health and Safety, Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China.
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2
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Cruz-Mirón R, Pandey N, Alexandros Katelas D, Kuchipudi A, Sriram D, Gangopadhyay A, Chakraborti S, Srivastav RK, Gupta N. Sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase is an essential and druggable lipid-dependent ion pump in Toxoplasma gondii. Commun Biol 2025; 8:702. [PMID: 40329047 PMCID: PMC12056192 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08058-z] [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: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2025] [Indexed: 05/08/2025] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a common intracellular pathogenic protist causing acute and chronic infections in many warm-blooded organisms. Calcium homeostasis is pivotal for its asexual reproduction in mammalian host cells, and sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase (SERCA) is considered vital for maintaining ion homeostasis within the parasite. This work studied the physiological relevance, structure-function relationship, mechanism, and therapeutic value of SERCA in the acutely-infectious tachyzoite stage of T. gondii. A conditional depletion of SERCA, located in the endoplasmic reticulum, by auxin-inducible degradation is lethal for the parasite due to severe defects in its replication, gliding motility, and invasion. The observed phenotypes are caused by dysregulated calcium ion homeostasis and microneme secretion in the absence of TgSERCA. Furthermore, ectopic expression of TgSERCA restored the lytic cycle of a phosphatidylthreonine-null and phosphatidylserine-enriched mutant with perturbed calcium homeostasis, motility and invasion. These lipids are expressed in the parasite ER, co-localizing with TgSERCA. Last but not least, the structure-function modeling and ligand docking of TgSERCA with a library comprising >5000 chemicals identified two compounds (RB-15, NR-301) that inhibited the lytic cycle by affecting the tachyzoite locomotion, invasion, microneme discharge, and calcium levels. In conclusion, we demonstrate TgSERCA as an indispensable lipid-assisted calcium pump in T. gondii and report small molecules with therapeutic potential against toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalba Cruz-Mirón
- Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India
| | - Namita Pandey
- Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India
| | - Dimitrios Alexandros Katelas
- Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Arunakar Kuchipudi
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dharmarajan Sriram
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India
| | - Aditi Gangopadhyay
- Department of Chemical Technology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Soumyananda Chakraborti
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India
| | - Ratnesh Kumar Srivastav
- Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India
| | - Nishith Gupta
- Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India.
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani), Hyderabad, India.
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3
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Herneisen AL, Lourido S. Finding the brakes on the Toxoplasma life cycle. Trends Parasitol 2025; 41:264-266. [PMID: 40055102 PMCID: PMC11968206 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2025.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2025] [Accepted: 02/19/2025] [Indexed: 04/05/2025]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii motility is an all-or-nothing response. Claywell et al. identify negative-feedback loops in cyclic-nucleotide signaling that allow parasites to turn off motility and commit to intracellular replication. Feedback mechanisms and bistability are useful frameworks for describing, modeling, and testing T. gondii motility signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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4
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Claywell JE, Fu Y, Sibley LD. Phospho-relay feedback loops control egress vs. intracellular development in Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Rep 2025; 44:115260. [PMID: 39903669 PMCID: PMC11922314 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115260] [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: 08/22/2024] [Revised: 11/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2025] [Indexed: 02/06/2025] Open
Abstract
The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii alternates between a motile invasive and a quiescent intracellular replicative form, yet how these transitions are regulated is unknown. A positive feedback loop involving protein kinase G (PKG) and calcium-dependent PKs (CDPKs) controls motility, invasion, and egress by Toxoplasma gondii, while PKA isoform c1 (PKAc1) counteracts this pathway. Shortly after invasion, PKAc1 is activated by cyclic AMP (cAMP) produced by adenylate cyclases, leading to the suppression of the PKG/CDPK pathway. PKAc1 further activates phosphodiesterase 2, which selectively consumes cAMP, thus forming a negative feedback loop, causing transient activation of PKAc1. Perturbation of cyclic GMP (cGMP) vs. calcium demonstrates that PKAc1 acts on targets between guanylate cyclase and calcium release. The combined activation of PKG/CDPKs and inhibition by PKAc1, controlled by a transient negative feedback loop, ensures that the parasite is responsive to environmental signals needed to activate motility while also ensuring periods of long-term stable intracellular growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ja E Claywell
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yong Fu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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5
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Seveno M, Loubens MN, Berry L, Graindorge A, Lebrun M, Lavazec C, Lamarque MH. The malaria parasite PP1 phosphatase controls the initiation of the egress pathway of asexual blood-stages by regulating the rounding-up of the vacuole. PLoS Pathog 2025; 21:e1012455. [PMID: 39808636 PMCID: PMC11731718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012455] [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: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 12/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2025] Open
Abstract
A sustained blood-stage infection of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum relies on the active exit of merozoites from their host erythrocytes. During this process, named egress, the infected red blood cell undergoes sequential morphological events: the rounding-up of the surrounding parasitophorous vacuole, the disruption of the vacuole membrane and finally the rupture of the red blood cell membrane. These events are coordinated by two intracellular second messengers, cGMP and calcium ions (Ca2+), that control the activation of their dedicated kinases, PKG and CDPKs respectively, and thus the secretion of parasitic factors that assist membranes rupture. We had previously identified the serine-threonine phosphatase PP1 as an essential enzyme required for the rupture of the surrounding vacuole. Here, we address its precise positioning and function within the egress signaling pathway by combining chemical genetics and live-microscopy. Fluorescent reporters of the parasitophorous vacuole morphology were expressed in the conditional PfPP1-iKO line which allowed to monitor the kinetics of natural and induced egress, as well as the rescue capacity of known egress inducers. Our results underscore a dual function for PP1 in the egress cascade. First, we provide further evidence that PP1 controls the homeostasis of the second messenger cGMP by modulating the basal activity of guanylyl cyclase alpha and consequently the PKG-dependent downstream Ca2+ signaling. Second, we demonstrate that PP1 also regulates the rounding-up of the parasitophorous vacuole, as this step is almost completely abolished in PfPP1-null schizonts. Strikingly, our data show that rounding-up is the step triggered by egress inducers, and support its reliance on Ca2+, as the calcium ionophore A23187 bypasses the egress defect of PfPP1-null schizonts, restores proper egress kinetics and promotes the initiation of the rounding-up step. Therefore, this study places the phosphatase PP1 upstream of the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, and sheds new light on the regulation of rounding-up, the first step in P. falciparum blood stage egress cascade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Seveno
- LPHI, UMR 5294 CNRS/UM–UA15 Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Manon N. Loubens
- LPHI, UMR 5294 CNRS/UM–UA15 Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurence Berry
- LPHI, UMR 5294 CNRS/UM–UA15 Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Arnault Graindorge
- LPHI, UMR 5294 CNRS/UM–UA15 Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Maryse Lebrun
- LPHI, UMR 5294 CNRS/UM–UA15 Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Catherine Lavazec
- INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université Paris Cité, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
| | - Mauld H. Lamarque
- LPHI, UMR 5294 CNRS/UM–UA15 Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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6
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Yang J, Pei Y, Wang X, Ying Z, Zhu Z, Liu Q, Liu J. Dense granule protein 41 of Neospora caninum modulates tachyzoite egress by regulating microneme secretion. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:386. [PMID: 39556123 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08405-9] [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: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 11/06/2024] [Indexed: 11/19/2024]
Abstract
Egress represents a crucial process employed by Neospora caninum in the establishment of infection. Dense granule proteins (GRAs), secreted by the dense granule, play significant roles in modifying the parasitophorous vacuole, maintenance of morphology, and regulating host-cell interactions. However, their precise involvement in tachyzoite egress remains inadequately characterized. In this study, we identified a homologous gene, Ncgra41, corresponding to the dense granule protein 41 (GRA41) of Toxoplasma gondii, which is associated with egress, utilizing NCBI and ToxoDB databases. NcGRA41 is localized extracellularly within dense granules and intracellularly within parasitic vacuoles. Deletion of NcGRA41 did not affect tachyzoites invasion or proliferation but significantly reduced egress capacity and pathogenicity in mice. The phenotypic characteristics were restored in a complementary strain. Further investigation revealed that the absence of NcGRA41 reduced gliding motility and the transcription level of the subtilisin-like protein (SUB1). A microneme secretion assay demonstrated a significant decrease in NcMIC1 secretion, along with reduced expression levels of NcMIC1, NcMIC4, and NcMIC8. These findings demonstrate that NcGRA41, a novel dense granule protein in N. caninum, modulates tachyzoites egress and influences pathogenicity by regulating microneme secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Yanqun Pei
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Xianmei Wang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Zhu Ying
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Zifu Zhu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
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7
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Cabral G, Ren B, Bisio H, Otey D, Soldati-Favre D, Brown KM. Orthologs of Plasmodium ICM1 are dispensable for Ca 2+ mobilization in Toxoplasma gondii. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0122924. [PMID: 39162502 PMCID: PMC11448412 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01229-24] [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: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites mobilize ionic calcium (Ca2+) from intracellular stores to promote microneme secretion and facilitate motile processes including gliding motility, invasion, and egress. Recently, a multipass transmembrane protein, ICM1, was found to be important for calcium mobilization in Plasmodium falciparum and P. berghei. Comparative genomics and phylogenetics have revealed putative ICM orthologs in Toxoplasma gondii and other apicomplexans. T. gondii possesses two ICM-like proteins, which we have named TgICM1-L (TGGT1_305470) and TgICM2-L (TGGT1_309910). TgICM1-L and TgICM2-L localized to undefined puncta within the parasite cytosol. TgICM1-L and TgICM2-L are individually dispensable in tachyzoites, suggesting a potential compensatory relationship between the two proteins may exist. Surprisingly, mutants lacking both TgICM1-L and TgICM2-L are fully viable, exhibiting no obvious defects in growth, microneme secretion, invasion, or egress. Furthermore, loss of TgICM1-L, TgICM2-L, or both does not impair the parasite's ability to mobilize Ca2+. These findings suggest that additional proteins may participate in Ca2+ mobilization or import in Apicomplexa, reducing the dependence on ICM-like proteins in T. gondii. Collectively, these results highlight similar yet distinct mechanisms of Ca2+ mobilization between T. gondii and Plasmodium.IMPORTANCECa2+ signaling plays a crucial role in governing apicomplexan motility; yet, the mechanisms underlying Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores in these parasites remain unclear. In Plasmodium, the necessity of ICM1 for Ca2+ mobilization raises the question of whether this mechanism is conserved in other apicomplexans. Investigation into the orthologs of Plasmodium ICM1 in T. gondii revealed a differing requirement for ICM proteins between the two parasites. This study suggests that T. gondii employs ICM-independent mechanisms to regulate Ca2+ homeostasis and mobilization. Proteins involved in Ca2+ signaling in apicomplexans represent promising targets for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Cabral
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Bingjian Ren
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hugo Bisio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Aix-Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Génomique & Structurale, Marseille, France
| | - Dawson Otey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kevin M. Brown
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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Dass S, Shunmugam S, Charital S, Duley S, Arnold CS, Katris NJ, Cavaillès P, Cesbron-Delauw MF, Yamaryo-Botté Y, Botté CY. Toxoplasma acyl-CoA synthetase TgACS3 is crucial to channel host fatty acids in lipid droplets and for parasite propagation. J Lipid Res 2024; 65:100645. [PMID: 39306040 PMCID: PMC11526091 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2024.100645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa comprise important pathogenic parasitic protists that heavily depend on lipid acquisition to survive within their human host cells. Lipid synthesis relies on the incorporation of an essential combination of fatty acids (FAs) either generated by a metabolically adaptable de novo synthesis in the parasite or by scavenging from the host cell. The incorporation of FAs into membrane lipids depends on their obligate metabolic activation by specific enzyme groups, acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSs). Each ACS has its own specificity, so it can fulfill specific metabolic functions. Whilst such functionalities have been well studied in other eukaryotic models, their roles and importance in Apicomplexa are currently very limited, especially for Toxoplasma gondii. Here, we report the identification of seven putative ACSs encoded by the genome of T. gondii (TgACS), which localize to different sub-cellular compartments of the parasite, suggesting exclusive functions. We show that the perinuclear/cytoplasmic TgACS3 regulates the replication and growth of Toxoplasma tachyzoites. Conditional disruption of TgACS3 shows that the enzyme is required for parasite propagation and survival, especially under high host nutrient content. Lipidomic analysis of parasites lacking TgACS3 reveals its role in the activation of host-derived FAs that are used for i) parasite membrane phospholipid and ii) storage triacylglycerol (TAG) syntheses, allowing proper membrane biogenesis of parasite progenies. Altogether, our results reveal the role of TgACS3 as the bulk FA activator for membrane biogenesis allowing intracellular division and survival in T. gondii tachyzoites, further pointing to the importance of ACS and FA metabolism for the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena Dass
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Serena Shunmugam
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Sarah Charital
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Samuel Duley
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe-Sébastien Arnold
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicholas J Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Pierre Cavaillès
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Marie-France Cesbron-Delauw
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Yoshiki Yamaryo-Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France.
| | - Cyrille Y Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France.
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9
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Tagoe DNA, Ribeiro E Silva A, Drozda AA, Coppens I, Coleman BI, Gubbels MJ. Toxoplasma FER1 is a versatile and dynamic mediator of differential microneme trafficking and microneme exocytosis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21819. [PMID: 39294204 PMCID: PMC11410953 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-72628-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a polarized cell concentrating several secretory organelles at the apical pole. The secretory micronemes come in two sub-populations differentiated by dependence on Rab5A/C in their biogenesis. Calcium-dependent exocytosis of micronemes occurs at the very apical tip and is critical for parasite egress from its host cell, adhesion and invasion of the next cell. Ferlins represent a protein family with roles in exocytosis containing multiple Ca2+-sensing C2 domains. We determined that T. gondii's ferlin 1 (FER1) localized dynamically to the parasite's secretory pathway. FER1 function was dissected by dominant negative overexpression strategies. We demonstrated that FER1 traffics microneme organelles along the following trajectories: (1) Along the cortex to the apical end; (2) To the apical tip for fusion with the plasma membrane; (3) Differential microneme sub-population traffic, and that FER1 could putatively be responsible for microneme protein trafficking. (4) From the trans-Golgi-endosomal network to the subpellicular cortex; (5) Retrograde transport allowing microneme recycling from mother to daughter. Finally, FER1 overexpression triggers a microneme exocytosis burst, supporting the notion that the radially organized micronemes at the apical tip comprise a readily-releasable microneme pool. In summary, FER1 is pivotal for dynamic microneme trafficking, acts differently on the two microneme subpopulations, and acts on the plasma membrane fusion step during microneme exocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N A Tagoe
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
- CANbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc., Burlington, MA, USA
| | | | - Allison A Drozda
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
- KromaTiD, Longmont, CO, USA
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Bradley I Coleman
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
- Flagship Pioneering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marc-Jan Gubbels
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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10
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Herneisen AL, Peters ML, Smith TA, Shortt E, Lourido S. SPARK regulates AGC kinases central to the Toxoplasma gondii asexual cycle. eLife 2024; 13:RP93877. [PMID: 39136687 PMCID: PMC11321763 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites balance proliferation, persistence, and spread in their metazoan hosts. AGC kinases, such as PKG, PKA, and the PDK1 ortholog SPARK, integrate environmental signals to toggle parasites between replicative and motile life stages. Recent studies have cataloged pathways downstream of apicomplexan PKG and PKA; however, less is known about the global integration of AGC kinase signaling cascades. Here, conditional genetics coupled to unbiased proteomics demonstrates that SPARK complexes with an elongin-like protein to regulate the stability of PKA and PKG in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. Defects attributed to SPARK depletion develop after PKG and PKA are down-regulated. Parasites lacking SPARK differentiate into the chronic form of infection, which may arise from reduced activity of a coccidian-specific PKA ortholog. This work delineates the signaling topology of AGC kinases that together control transitions within the asexual cycle of this important family of parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Michelle L Peters
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Tyler A Smith
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Emily Shortt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
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11
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Herneisen AL, Peters ML, Smith TA, Shortt E, Lourido S. SPARK regulates AGC kinases central to the Toxoplasma gondii asexual cycle. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.30.564746. [PMID: 37961644 PMCID: PMC10634940 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites balance proliferation, persistence, and spread in their metazoan hosts. AGC kinases, such as PKG, PKA, and the PDK1 ortholog SPARK, integrate environmental signals to toggle parasites between replicative and motile life stages. Recent studies have cataloged pathways downstream of apicomplexan PKG and PKA; however, less is known about the global integration of AGC kinase signaling cascades. Here, conditional genetics coupled to unbiased proteomics demonstrates that SPARK complexes with an elongin-like protein to regulate the stability of PKA and PKG in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii. Defects attributed to SPARK depletion develop after PKG and PKA are down-regulated. Parasites lacking SPARK differentiate into the chronic form of infection, which may arise from reduced activity of a coccidian-specific PKA ortholog. This work delineates the signaling topology of AGC kinases that together control transitions within the asexual cycle of this important family of parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L. Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Michelle L. Peters
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Tyler A. Smith
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Emily Shortt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
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12
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Charital S, Shunmugam S, Dass S, Alazzi AM, Arnold CS, Katris NJ, Duley S, Quansah NA, Pierrel F, Govin J, Yamaryo-Botté Y, Botté CY. The acyl-CoA synthetase TgACS1 allows neutral lipid metabolism and extracellular motility in Toxoplasma gondii through relocation via its peroxisomal targeting sequence (PTS) under low nutrient conditions. mBio 2024; 15:e0042724. [PMID: 38501871 PMCID: PMC11005404 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00427-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa parasites cause major diseases such as toxoplasmosis and malaria that have major health and economic burdens. These unicellular pathogens are obligate intracellular parasites that heavily depend on lipid metabolism for the survival within their hosts. Their lipid synthesis relies on an essential combination of fatty acids (FAs) obtained from both de novo synthesis and scavenging from the host. The constant flux of scavenged FA needs to be channeled toward parasite lipid storage, and these FA storages are timely mobilized during parasite division. In eukaryotes, the utilization of FA relies on their obligate metabolic activation mediated by acyl-co-enzyme A (CoA) synthases (ACSs), which catalyze the thioesterification of FA to a CoA. Besides the essential functions of FA for parasite survival, the presence and roles of ACS are yet to be determined in Apicomplexa. Here, we identified TgACS1 as a Toxoplasma gondii cytosolic ACS that is involved in FA mobilization in the parasite specifically during low host nutrient conditions, especially in extracellular stages where it adopts a different localization. Heterologous complementation of yeast ACS mutants confirmed TgACS1 as being an Acyl-CoA synthetase of the bubble gum family that is most likely involved in β-oxidation processes. We further demonstrate that TgACS1 is critical for gliding motility of extracellular parasite facing low nutrient conditions, by relocating to peroxisomal-like area.IMPORTANCEToxoplasma gondii, causing human toxoplasmosis, is an Apicomplexa parasite and model within this phylum that hosts major infectious agents, such as Plasmodium spp., responsible for malaria. The diseases caused by apicomplexans are responsible for major social and economic burdens affecting hundreds of millions of people, like toxoplasmosis chronically present in about one-third of the world's population. Lack of efficient vaccines, rapid emergence of resistance to existing treatments, and toxic side effects of current treatments all argue for the urgent need to develop new therapeutic tools to combat these diseases. Understanding the key metabolic pathways sustaining host-intracellular parasite interactions is pivotal to develop new efficient ways to kill these parasites. Current consensus supports parasite lipid synthesis and trafficking as pertinent target for novel treatments. Many processes of this essential lipid metabolism in the parasite are not fully understood. The capacity for the parasites to sense and metabolically adapt to the host physiological conditions has only recently been unraveled. Our results clearly indicate the role of acyl-co-enzyme A (CoA) synthetases for the essential metabolic activation of fatty acid (FA) used to maintain parasite propagation and survival. The significance of our research is (i) the identification of seven of these enzymes that localize at different cellular areas in T. gondii parasites; (ii) using lipidomic approaches, we show that TgACS1 mobilizes FA under low host nutrient content; (iii) yeast complementation showed that acyl-CoA synthase 1 (ACS1) is an ACS that is likely involved in peroxisomal β-oxidation; (iv) the importance of the peroxisomal targeting sequence for correct localization of TgACS1 to a peroxisomal-like compartment in extracellular parasites; and lastly, (v) that TgACS1 has a crucial role in energy production and extracellular parasite motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Charital
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Serena Shunmugam
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Sheena Dass
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Anna Maria Alazzi
- Team Govin, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Christophe-Sébastien Arnold
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicholas J. Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Samuel Duley
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Nyamekye A. Quansah
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Fabien Pierrel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France
| | - Jérôme Govin
- Team Govin, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Yoshiki Yamaryo-Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Cyrille Y. Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
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13
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He TY, Li YT, Liu ZD, Cheng H, Bao YF, Zhang JL. Lipid metabolism: the potential targets for toxoplasmosis treatment. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:111. [PMID: 38448975 PMCID: PMC10916224 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06213-9] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). The current treatment for toxoplasmosis remains constrained due to the absence of pharmaceutical interventions. Thus, the pursuit of more efficient targets is of great importance. Lipid metabolism in T. gondii, including fatty acid metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, and neutral lipid metabolism, assumes a crucial function in T. gondii because those pathways are largely involved in the formation of the membranous structure and cellular processes such as division, invasion, egress, replication, and apoptosis. The inhibitors of T. gondii's lipid metabolism can directly lead to the disturbance of various lipid component levels and serious destruction of membrane structure, ultimately leading to the death of the parasites. In this review, the specific lipid metabolism pathways, correlative enzymes, and inhibitors of lipid metabolism of T. gondii are elaborated in detail to generate novel ideas for the development of anti-T. gondii drugs that target the parasites' lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Yi He
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Ye-Tian Li
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Zhen-Di Liu
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Hao Cheng
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yi-Feng Bao
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Ji-Li Zhang
- Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
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14
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Shan Z, Song X, Yang X, Xue Y, Wu Y, Wang X, Liu J, Liu Q. Calreticulin (CALR) promotes ionophore-induced microneme secretion in Toxoplasma gondii. Parasitol Res 2024; 123:139. [PMID: 38381180 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08162-9] [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: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
The flow of calcium ions (Ca2+) is involved in numerous vital activities of Toxoplasma gondii. Calreticulin is a type of Ca2+-binding protein in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that is involved in Ca2+ signaling pathway regulation, Ca2+ storage, and protein folding. In this work, the calreticulin (CALR), a protein predicted to possess a conserved domain of calreticulin in T. gondii, was characterized. The CALR localized in the ER. Using reverse genetics, we discovered that CALR is not necessary for the lytic cycle, including invasion and replication. However, depletion of CALR affected microneme secretion triggered by A23187, which is a Ca2+ ionophore used to increase cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration. Furthermore, we discovered that CALR influences Ca2+ release. Transcriptomic comparison between Δcalr and Δku80 parasites showed that 226 genes in the Δcalr parasites were significantly downregulated (p < 0.05). The cellular biological functions of the downregulated genes were mainly involved in calmodulin-dependent protein kinase pathways. Furthermore, in the absence of CALR, tachyzoites were still able to cause acute infection in mice. These results imply that by influencing ER Ca2+ release content, CALR may further impair the ionophore-induced secretion of the parasite. However, this protein is not required for the completion of the parasite's lytic cycle or for the acute virulence of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Shan
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xingju Song
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xu Yang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yangfei Xue
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yayun Wu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Xianmei Wang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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15
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Moss WJ, Brusini L, Kuehnel R, Brochet M, Brown KM. Apicomplexan phosphodiesterases in cyclic nucleotide turnover: conservation, function, and therapeutic potential. mBio 2024; 15:e0305623. [PMID: 38132724 PMCID: PMC10865986 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03056-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa encompasses a large number of intracellular parasites infecting a wide range of animals. Cyclic nucleotide signaling is crucial for a variety of apicomplexan life stages and cellular processes. The cyclases and kinases that synthesize and respond to cyclic nucleotides (i.e., 3',5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate and 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate) are highly conserved and essential throughout the parasite phylum. Growing evidence indicates that phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are also critical for regulating cyclic nucleotide signaling via cyclic nucleotide hydrolysis. Here, we discuss recent advances in apicomplexan PDE biology and opportunities for therapeutic interventions, with special emphasis on the major human apicomplexan parasite genera Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Babesia. In particular, we show a highly flexible repertoire of apicomplexan PDEs associated with a wide range of cellular requirements across parasites and lifecycle stages. Despite this phylogenetic diversity, cellular requirements of apicomplexan PDEs for motility, host cell egress, or invasion are conserved. However, the molecular wiring of associated PDEs is extremely malleable suggesting that PDE diversity and redundancy are key for the optimization of cyclic nucleotide turnover to respond to the various environments encountered by each parasite and life stage. Understanding how apicomplexan PDEs are regulated and integrating multiple signaling systems into a unified response represent an untapped avenue for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J. Moss
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Lorenzo Brusini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ronja Kuehnel
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kevin M. Brown
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
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16
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Philippe N, Shukla A, Abergel C, Bisio H. Genetic manipulation of giant viruses and their host, Acanthamoeba castellanii. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:3-29. [PMID: 37964008 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00910-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Giant viruses (GVs) provide an unprecedented source of genetic innovation in the viral world and are thus, besides their importance in basic and environmental virology, in the spotlight for bioengineering advances. Their host, Acanthamoeba castellanii, is an accidental human pathogen that acts as a natural host and environmental reservoir of other human pathogens. Tools for genetic manipulation of viruses and host were lacking. Here, we provide a detailed method for genetic manipulation of A. castellanii and the GVs it plays host to by using CRISPR-Cas9 or homologous recombination. We detail the steps of vector preparation (4 d), transfection of amoeba cells (1 h), infection (1 h), selection (5 d for viruses, 2 weeks for amoebas) and cloning of recombinant viruses (4 d) or amoebas (2 weeks). This procedure takes ~3 weeks or 1 month for the generation of recombinant viruses or amoebas, respectively. This methodology allows the generation of stable gene modifications, which was not possible by using RNA silencing, the only previously available reverse genetic tool. We also include detailed sample-preparation steps for protein localization by immunofluorescence (4 h), western blotting (4 h), quantification of viral particles by optical density (15 min), calculation of viral lethal dose 50 (7 d) and quantification of DNA replication by quantitative PCR (4 h) to allow efficient broad phenotyping of recombinant organisms. This methodology allows the function of thousands of ORFan genes present in GVs, as well as the complex pathogen-host, pathogen-pathogen or pathogen-symbiont interactions in A. castellanii, to be studied in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadege Philippe
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Genomique & Structurale, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Mediterranee, FR3479, IM2B), Marseille, France
| | - Avi Shukla
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Genomique & Structurale, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Mediterranee, FR3479, IM2B), Marseille, France
| | - Chantal Abergel
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Genomique & Structurale, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Mediterranee, FR3479, IM2B), Marseille, France.
| | - Hugo Bisio
- Aix-Marseille University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Information Genomique & Structurale, Unite Mixte de Recherche 7256 (Institut de Microbiologie de la Mediterranee, FR3479, IM2B), Marseille, France.
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17
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Chan AW, Broncel M, Yifrach E, Haseley NR, Chakladar S, Andree E, Herneisen AL, Shortt E, Treeck M, Lourido S. Analysis of CDPK1 targets identifies a trafficking adaptor complex that regulates microneme exocytosis in Toxoplasma. eLife 2023; 12:RP85654. [PMID: 37933960 PMCID: PMC10629828 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites use Ca2+-regulated exocytosis to secrete essential virulence factors from specialized organelles called micronemes. Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are required for microneme exocytosis; however, the molecular events that regulate trafficking and fusion of micronemes with the plasma membrane remain unresolved. Here, we combine sub-minute resolution phosphoproteomics and bio-orthogonal labeling of kinase substrates in Toxoplasma gondii to identify 163 proteins phosphorylated in a CDPK1-dependent manner. In addition to known regulators of secretion, we identify uncharacterized targets with predicted functions across signaling, gene expression, trafficking, metabolism, and ion homeostasis. One of the CDPK1 targets is a putative HOOK activating adaptor. In other eukaryotes, HOOK homologs form the FHF complex with FTS and FHIP to activate dynein-mediated trafficking of endosomes along microtubules. We show the FHF complex is partially conserved in T. gondii, consisting of HOOK, an FTS homolog, and two parasite-specific proteins (TGGT1_306920 and TGGT1_316650). CDPK1 kinase activity and HOOK are required for the rapid apical trafficking of micronemes as parasites initiate motility. Moreover, parasites lacking HOOK or FTS display impaired microneme protein secretion, leading to a block in the invasion of host cells. Taken together, our work provides a comprehensive catalog of CDPK1 targets and reveals how vesicular trafficking has been tuned to support a parasitic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex W Chan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Eden Yifrach
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | - Nicole R Haseley
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | | | - Elena Andree
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | - Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Emily Shortt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
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18
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Chan AW, Broncel M, Yifrach E, Haseley N, Chakladar S, Andree E, Herneisen AL, Shortt E, Treeck M, Lourido S. Analysis of CDPK1 targets identifies a trafficking adaptor complex that regulates microneme exocytosis in Toxoplasma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523553. [PMID: 36712004 PMCID: PMC9882037 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites use Ca2+-regulated exocytosis to secrete essential virulence factors from specialized organelles called micronemes. Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are required for microneme exocytosis; however, the molecular events that regulate trafficking and fusion of micronemes with the plasma membrane remain unresolved. Here, we combine sub-minute resolution phosphoproteomics and bio-orthogonal labeling of kinase substrates in Toxoplasma gondii to identify 163 proteins phosphorylated in a CDPK1-dependent manner. In addition to known regulators of secretion, we identify uncharacterized targets with predicted functions across signaling, gene expression, trafficking, metabolism, and ion homeostasis. One of the CDPK1 targets is a putative HOOK activating adaptor. In other eukaryotes, HOOK homologs form the FHF complex with FTS and FHIP to activate dynein-mediated trafficking of endosomes along microtubules. We show the FHF complex is partially conserved in T. gondii, consisting of HOOK, an FTS homolog, and two parasite-specific proteins (TGGT1_306920 and TGGT1_316650). CDPK1 kinase activity and HOOK are required for the rapid apical trafficking of micronemes as parasites initiate motility. Moreover, parasites lacking HOOK or FTS display impaired microneme protein secretion, leading to a block in the invasion of host cells. Taken together, our work provides a comprehensive catalog of CDPK1 targets and reveals how vesicular trafficking has been tuned to support a parasitic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex W Chan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Eden Yifrach
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Haseley
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Elena Andree
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emily Shortt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signaling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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19
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Kuehnel RM, Ganga E, Balestra AC, Suarez C, Wyss M, Klages N, Brusini L, Maco B, Brancucci N, Voss TS, Soldati D, Brochet M. A Plasmodium membrane receptor platform integrates cues for egress and invasion in blood forms and activation of transmission stages. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf2161. [PMID: 37327340 PMCID: PMC10275601 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf2161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Critical events in the life cycle of malaria-causing parasites depend on cyclic guanosine monophosphate homeostasis by guanylyl cyclases (GCs) and phosphodiesterases, including merozoite egress or invasion of erythrocytes and gametocyte activation. These processes rely on a single GCα, but in the absence of known signaling receptors, how this pathway integrates distinct triggers is unknown. We show that temperature-dependent epistatic interactions between phosphodiesterases counterbalance GCα basal activity preventing gametocyte activation before mosquito blood feed. GCα interacts with two multipass membrane cofactors in schizonts and gametocytes: UGO (unique GC organizer) and SLF (signaling linking factor). While SLF regulates GCα basal activity, UGO is essential for GCα up-regulation in response to natural signals inducing merozoite egress and gametocyte activation. This work identifies a GC membrane receptor platform that senses signals triggering processes specific to an intracellular parasitic lifestyle, including host cell egress and invasion to ensure intraerythrocytic amplification and transmission to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronja Marie Kuehnel
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emma Ganga
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aurélia C. Balestra
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Suarez
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Wyss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natacha Klages
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lorenzo Brusini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Till S. Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 12111 Geneva, Switzerland
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20
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Krishnamurthy S, Maru P, Wang Y, Bitew MA, Mukhopadhyay D, Yamaryo-Botté Y, Paredes-Santos TC, Sangaré LO, Swale C, Botté CY, Saeij JPJ. CRISPR Screens Identify Toxoplasma Genes That Determine Parasite Fitness in Interferon Gamma-Stimulated Human Cells. mBio 2023; 14:e0006023. [PMID: 36916910 PMCID: PMC10128063 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00060-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma virulence depends on its ability to evade or survive the toxoplasmacidal mechanisms induced by interferon gamma (IFNγ). While many Toxoplasma genes involved in the evasion of the murine IFNγ response have been identified, genes required to survive the human IFNγ response are largely unknown. In this study, we used a genome-wide loss-of-function screen to identify Toxoplasma genes important for parasite fitness in IFNγ-stimulated primary human fibroblasts. We generated gene knockouts for the top six hits from the screen and confirmed their importance for parasite growth in IFNγ-stimulated human fibroblasts. Of these six genes, three have homology to GRA32, localize to dense granules, and coimmunoprecipitate with each other and GRA32, suggesting they might form a complex. Deletion of individual members of this complex leads to early parasite egress in IFNγ-stimulated cells. Thus, prevention of early egress is an important Toxoplasma fitness determinant in IFNγ-stimulated human cells. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma infection causes serious complications in immunocompromised individuals and in the developing fetus. During infection, certain immune cells release a protein called interferon gamma that activates cells to destroy the parasite or inhibit its growth. While most Toxoplasma parasites are cleared by this immune response, some can survive by blocking or evading the IFNγ-induced restrictive environment. Many Toxoplasma genes that determine parasite survival in IFNγ-activated murine cells are known but parasite genes conferring fitness in IFNγ-activated human cells are largely unknown. Using a Toxoplasma adapted genome-wide loss-of-function screen, we identified many Toxoplasma genes that determine parasite fitness in IFNγ-activated human cells. The gene products of four top hits play a role in preventing early parasite egress in IFNγ-stimulated human cells. Understanding how IFNγ-stimulated human cells inhibit Toxoplasma growth and how Toxoplasma counteracts this, could lead to the development of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shruthi Krishnamurthy
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Parag Maru
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Mebratu A. Bitew
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Debanjan Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Yoshiki Yamaryo-Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Batiment Jean Roget, Grenoble, France
| | - Tatiana C. Paredes-Santos
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Lamba O. Sangaré
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Christopher Swale
- Team Host-Pathogen Interactions and Immunity to Infection, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR5309, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Cyrille Y. Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, INSERM U1209, Université Grenoble Alpes, Batiment Jean Roget, Grenoble, France
| | - Jeroen P. J. Saeij
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
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Elsworth B, Keroack C, Rezvani Y, Paul A, Barazorda K, Tennessen J, Sack S, Moreira C, Gubbels MJ, Meyers M, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh M. Babesia divergens egress from host cells is orchestrated by essential and druggable kinases and proteases. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2553721. [PMID: 36909484 PMCID: PMC10002801 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2553721/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan egress from host cells is fundamental to the spread of infection and is poorly characterized in Babesia spp., parasites of veterinary importance and emerging zoonoses. Through the use of video microscopy, transcriptomics and chemical genetics, we have implicated signaling, proteases and gliding motility as key drivers of egress by Babesia divergens. We developed reverse genetics to perform a knockdown screen of putative mediators of egress, identifying kinases and proteases involved in distinct steps of egress (ASP3, PKG and CDPK4) and invasion (ASP2, ASP3 and PKG). Inhibition of egress leads to continued intracellular replication, indicating exit from the replication cycle is uncoupled from egress. Chemical genetics validated PKG, ASP2 and ASP3 as druggable targets in Babesia spp. All taken together, egress in B. divergens more closely resembles T. gondii than the more evolutionarily-related Plasmodium spp. We have established a molecular framework for biological and translational studies of B. divergens egress.
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Zhu C, Liang X, Chen X, Liang M, Zheng J, Wan B, Luo S. Characterizing the Specific Recognition of Xanthurenic Acid by GEP1 and GEP1-GCα Interactions in cGMP Signaling Pathway in Gametogenesis of Malaria Parasites. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032561. [PMID: 36768882 PMCID: PMC9916804 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Gametogenesis is an essential step for malaria parasite transmission and is activated in mosquito by signals including temperature drop, pH change, and mosquito-derived xanthurenic acid (XA). Recently, a membrane protein gametogenesis essential protein 1 (GEP1) was found to be responsible for sensing these signals and interacting with a giant guanylate cyclase α (GCα) to activate the cGMP-PKG-Ca2+ signaling pathway for malaria parasite gametogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms for this process remain unclear. In this study, we used AlphaFold2 to predict the structure of GEP1 and found that it consists of a conserved N-terminal helical domain and a transmembrane domain that adopts a structure similar to that of cationic amino acid transporters. Molecular docking results showed that XA binds to GEP1 via a pocket similar to the ligand binding sites of known amino acid transporters. In addition, truncations of this N-terminal sequence significantly enhanced the expression, solubility, and stability of GEP1. In addition, we found that GEP1 interacts with GCα via its C-terminal region, which is interrupted by mutations of a few conserved residues. These findings provide further insights into the molecular mechanism for the XA recognition by GEP1 and the activation of the gametogenesis of malaria parasites through GEP1-GCα interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhu
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaoge Liang
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xu Chen
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Miaomiao Liang
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jianting Zheng
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bingbing Wan
- Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
- Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shukun Luo
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
- Correspondence:
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23
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Chen K, Huang X, Distler U, Tenzer S, Günay-Esiyok Ö, Gupta N. Apically-located P4-ATPase1-Lem1 complex internalizes phosphatidylserine and regulates motility-dependent invasion and egress in Toxoplasma gondii. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:1893-1906. [PMID: 36936814 PMCID: PMC10015115 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The membrane asymmetry regulated by P4-ATPases is crucial for the functioning of eukaryotic cells. The underlying spatial translocation or flipping of specific lipids is usually assured by respective P4-ATPases coupled to conforming non-catalytic subunits. Our previous work has identified five P4-ATPases (TgP4-ATPase1-5) and three non-catalytic partner proteins (TgLem1-3) in the intracellular protozoan pathogen, Toxoplasma gondii. However, their flipping activity, physiological relevance and functional coupling remain unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that TgP4-ATPase1 and TgLem1 work together to translocate phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) during the lytic cycle of T. gondii. Both proteins localize in the plasma membrane at the invasive (apical) end of its acutely-infectious tachyzoite stage. The genetic knockout of P4-ATPase1 and conditional depletion of Lem1 in tachyzoites severely disrupt the asexual reproduction and translocation of PtdSer across the plasma membrane. Moreover, the phenotypic analysis of individual mutants revealed a requirement of lipid flipping for the motility, egress and invasion of tachyzoites. Not least, the proximity-dependent biotinylation and reciprocal immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated the physical interaction of P4-ATPase1 and Lem1. Our findings disclose the mechanism and significance of PtdSer flipping during the lytic cycle and identify the P4-ATPase1-Lem1 heterocomplex as a potential drug target in T. gondii.
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Key Words
- BSA, bovine serum albumin
- CDC50, Cell Division Control 50
- COS, crossover sequence
- Cdc50
- DAPI, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole
- DHFR-TS, dihydrofolate reductase – thymidylate synthase
- HFF, human foreskin fibroblast
- HXGPRT, hypoxanthine-xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase
- IAA, indole-3-acetic acid
- LEM, Ligand Effector Module
- Lem1
- NBD, nitrobenzoxadiazole
- NBD-lipid
- P4-ATPase1
- PBS, phosphate-buffered saline
- Phosphatidylserine
- Phospholipid flipping
- PtdCho, phosphatidylcholine
- PtdEtn, phosphatidylethanolamine
- PtdSer, phosphatidylserine
- PtdThr, phosphatidylthreonine
- UTR, untranslated region
- cGMP, cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate
- mAID, (mini) auxin-inducible degron
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Chen
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Xiyu Huang
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Distler
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefan Tenzer
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes-Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Özlem Günay-Esiyok
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nishith Gupta
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
- Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS-P), Hyderabad, India
- Corresponding author at: Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
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24
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Barnes CBG, Dans MG, Jonsdottir TK, Crabb BS, Gilson PR. PfATP4 inhibitors in the Medicines for Malaria Venture Malaria Box and Pathogen Box block the schizont-to-ring transition by inhibiting egress rather than invasion. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1060202. [PMID: 36530423 PMCID: PMC9747762 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1060202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The cation efflux pump Plasmodium falciparum ATPase 4 (PfATP4) maintains Na+ homeostasis in malaria parasites and has been implicated in the mechanism of action of many structurally diverse antimalarial agents, including >7% of the antimalarial compounds in the Medicines for Malaria Venture's 'Malaria Box' and 'Pathogen Box'. Recent screens of the 'Malaria Box' and 'Pathogen Box' revealed that many PfATP4 inhibitors prevent parasites from exiting their host red blood cell (egress) or entering new host cells (invasion), suggesting that these compounds may have additional molecular targets involved in egress or invasion. Here, we demonstrate that five PfATP4 inhibitors reduce egress but not invasion. These compounds appear to inhibit egress by blocking the activation of protein kinase G, an enzyme that, once stimulated, rapidly activates parasite egress. We establish a direct link between egress and PfATP4 function by showing that the inhibition of egress is attenuated in a Na+-depleted environment and in parasites with a mutation in pfatp4. Finally, we show that PfATP4 inhibitors induce host cell lysis when administered prior to the completion of parasite replication. Since host cell lysis mimics egress but is not followed by invasion, this phenomenon likely explains why several PfATP4 inhibitors were previously classified as invasion inhibitors. Collectively, our results confirm that PfATP4-mediated Na+ efflux is critical to the regulation of parasite egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia B. G. Barnes
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Madeline G. Dans
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Thorey K. Jonsdottir
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Brendan S. Crabb
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul R. Gilson
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: Paul R. Gilson,
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25
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Oliveira Souza RO, Jacobs KN, Back PS, Bradley PJ, Arrizabalaga G. IMC10 and LMF1 mediate mitochondrial morphology through mitochondrion-pellicle contact sites in Toxoplasma gondii. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:279336. [PMID: 36314270 PMCID: PMC9845740 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The single mitochondrion of Toxoplasma gondii is highly dynamic, being predominantly in a peripherally distributed lasso-shape in intracellular parasites and collapsed in extracellular parasites. The peripheral positioning of the mitochondrion is associated with apparent contacts between the mitochondrion membrane and the parasite pellicle. The outer mitochondrial membrane-associated protein LMF1 is critical for the correct positioning of the mitochondrion. Intracellular parasites lacking LMF1 fail to form the lasso-shaped mitochondrion. To identify other proteins that tether the mitochondrion of the parasite to the pellicle, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen for LMF1 interactors. We identified 70 putative interactors localized in different cellular compartments, such as the apical end of the parasite, mitochondrial membrane and the inner membrane complex (IMC), including with the pellicle protein IMC10. Using protein-protein interaction assays, we confirmed the interaction of LMF1 with IMC10. Conditional knockdown of IMC10 does not affect parasite viability but severely affects mitochondrial morphology in intracellular parasites and mitochondrial distribution to the daughter cells during division. In effect, IMC10 knockdown phenocopies disruption of LMF1, suggesting that these two proteins define a novel membrane tether between the mitochondrion and the IMC in Toxoplasma. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kylie N. Jacobs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Peter S. Back
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Peter J. Bradley
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Gustavo Arrizabalaga
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA,Author for correspondence ()
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26
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Griffith MB, Pearce CS, Heaslip AT. Dense granule biogenesis, secretion, and function in Toxoplasma gondii. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12904. [PMID: 35302693 PMCID: PMC9482668 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite and the causative agent of Toxoplasmosis. A key to understanding and treating the disease lies with determining how the parasite can survive and replicate within cells of its host. Proteins released from specialized secretory vesicles, named the dense granules (DGs), have diverse functions that are critical for adapting the intracellular environment, and are thus key to survival and pathogenicity. In this review, we describe the current understanding and outstanding questions regarding dense granule biogenesis, trafficking, and regulation of secretion. In addition, we provide an overview of dense granule protein ("GRA") function upon secretion, with a focus on proteins that have recently been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Griffith
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Camille S Pearce
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Aoife T Heaslip
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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27
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A Signaling Factor Linked to Toxoplasma gondii Guanylate Cyclase Complex Controls Invasion and Egress during Acute and Chronic Infection. mBio 2022; 13:e0196522. [PMID: 36200777 PMCID: PMC9600588 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01965-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular apicomplexan parasite that relies on cyclic GMP (cGMP)-dependent signaling to trigger timely egress from host cells in response to extrinsic and intrinsic signals. A guanylate cyclase (GC) complex, conserved across the Apicomplexa, plays a pivotal role in integrating these signals, such as the key lipid mediator phosphatidic acid and changes in pH and ionic composition. This complex is composed of an atypical GC fused to a flippase-like P4-ATPase domain and assembled with the cell division control protein CDC50.1 and a unique GC organizer (UGO). While the dissemination of the fast-replicating tachyzoites responsible for acute infection is well understood, it is less clear if the cyst-forming bradyzoites can disseminate and contribute to cyst burden. Here, we characterized a novel component of the GC complex recently termed signaling linking factor (SLF). Tachyzoites conditionally depleted in SLF are impaired in microneme exocytosis, conoid extrusion, and motility and hence unable to invade and egress. A stage-specific promoter swap strategy allowed the generation of SLF- and GC-deficient bradyzoites that are viable as tachyzoites but show a reduction in cyst burden during the onset of chronic infection. Upon oral infection, SLF-deficient cysts failed to establish infection in mice, suggesting SLF's importance for the natural route of T. gondii infection. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa. This life-threatening opportunistic pathogen establishes a chronic infection in human and animals that is resistant to immune attacks and chemotherapeutic intervention. The slow-growing parasites persist in tissue cysts that constitute a predominant source of transmission. Host cell invasion and egress are two critical steps of the parasite lytic cycle that are governed by a guanylate cyclase complex conserved across the Apicomplexa. A signaling linked factor is characterized here as an additional component of the complex that not only is essential during acute infection but also plays a pivotal role during natural oral infection with tissue cysts' dissemination and persistence.
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28
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Nofal SD, Dominicus C, Broncel M, Katris NJ, Flynn HR, Arrizabalaga G, Botté CY, Invergo BM, Treeck M. A positive feedback loop mediates crosstalk between calcium, cyclic nucleotide and lipid signalling in calcium-induced Toxoplasma gondii egress. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010901. [PMID: 36265000 PMCID: PMC9624417 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fundamental processes that govern the lytic cycle of the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii are regulated by several signalling pathways. However, how these pathways are connected remains largely unknown. Here, we compare the phospho-signalling networks during Toxoplasma egress from its host cell by artificially raising cGMP or calcium levels. We show that both egress inducers trigger indistinguishable signalling responses and provide evidence for a positive feedback loop linking calcium and cyclic nucleotide signalling. Using WT and conditional knockout parasites of the non-essential calcium-dependent protein kinase 3 (CDPK3), which display a delay in calcium inonophore-mediated egress, we explore changes in phosphorylation and lipid signalling in sub-minute timecourses after inducing Ca2+ release. These studies indicate that cAMP and lipid metabolism are central to the feedback loop, which is partly dependent on CDPK3 and allows the parasite to respond faster to inducers of egress. Biochemical analysis of 4 phosphodiesterases (PDEs) identified in our phosphoproteomes establishes PDE2 as a cAMP-specific PDE which regulates Ca2+ induced egress in a CDPK3-independent manner. The other PDEs display dual hydrolytic activity and play no role in Ca2+ induced egress. In summary, we uncover a positive feedback loop that enhances signalling during egress, thereby linking several signalling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie D. Nofal
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caia Dominicus
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advance Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Helen R. Flynn
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gustavo Arrizabalaga
- University of Indianapolis, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Cyrille Y. Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advance Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Brandon M. Invergo
- Translational Research Exchange at Exeter, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
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29
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Brusini L, Haase R, Tosetti N, Maco B, Brochet M, Vadas O, Soldati-Favre D. Conoid extrusion regulates glideosome assembly to control motility and invasion in Apicomplexa. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1777-1790. [DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01212-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Abstract
Human malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites, remains one of the most important global public health problems, with the World Health Organization reporting more than 240 million cases and 600,000 deaths annually as of 2020 (World malaria report 2021). Our understanding of the biology of these parasites is critical for development of effective therapeutics and prophylactics, including both antimalarials and vaccines. Plasmodium is a protozoan organism that is intracellular for most of its life cycle. However, to complete its complex life cycle and to allow for both amplification and transmission, the parasite must egress out of the host cell in a highly regulated manner. This review discusses the major pathways and proteins involved in the egress events during the Plasmodium life cycle-merozoite and gametocyte egress out of red blood cells, sporozoite egress out of the oocyst, and merozoite egress out of the hepatocyte. The similarities, as well as the differences, between the various egress pathways of the parasite highlight both novel cell biology and potential therapeutic targets to arrest its life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine; and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA;
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31
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Herneisen AL, Li ZH, Chan AW, Moreno SNJ, Lourido S. Temporal and thermal profiling of the Toxoplasma proteome implicates parasite Protein Phosphatase 1 in the regulation of Ca 2+-responsive pathways. eLife 2022; 11:e80336. [PMID: 35976251 PMCID: PMC9436416 DOI: 10.7554/elife.80336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites cause persistent mortality and morbidity worldwide through diseases including malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. Ca2+ signaling pathways have been repurposed in these eukaryotic pathogens to regulate parasite-specific cellular processes governing the replicative and lytic phases of the infectious cycle, as well as the transition between them. Despite the presence of conserved Ca2+-responsive proteins, little is known about how specific signaling elements interact to impact pathogenesis. We mapped the Ca2+-responsive proteome of the model apicomplexan Taxoplasma gondii via time-resolved phosphoproteomics and thermal proteome profiling. The waves of phosphoregulation following PKG activation and stimulated Ca2+ release corroborate known physiological changes but identify specific proteins operating in these pathways. Thermal profiling of parasite extracts identified many expected Ca2+-responsive proteins, such as parasite Ca2+-dependent protein kinases. Our approach also identified numerous Ca2+-responsive proteins that are not predicted to bind Ca2+, yet are critical components of the parasite signaling network. We characterized protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) as a Ca2+-responsive enzyme that relocalized to the parasite apex upon Ca2+ store release. Conditional depletion of PP1 revealed that the phosphatase regulates Ca2+ uptake to promote parasite motility. PP1 may thus be partly responsible for Ca2+-regulated serine/threonine phosphatase activity in apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Zhu-Hong Li
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - Alex W Chan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - Silvia NJ Moreno
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical ResearchCambridgeUnited States
- Biology Department, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
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CDC50 Orthologues in Plasmodium falciparum Have Distinct Roles in Merozoite Egress and Trophozoite Maturation. mBio 2022; 13:e0163522. [PMID: 35862778 PMCID: PMC9426505 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01635-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In model organisms, type IV ATPases (P4-ATPases) require cell division control protein 50 (CDC50) chaperones for their phospholipid flipping activity. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, guanylyl cyclase alpha (GCα) is an integral membrane protein that is essential for release (egress) of merozoites from their host erythrocytes. GCα is unusual in that it contains both a C-terminal cyclase domain and an N-terminal P4-ATPase domain of unknown function. We sought to investigate whether any of the three CDC50 orthologues (termed A, B, and C) encoded by P. falciparum are required for GCα function. Using gene tagging and conditional gene disruption, we demonstrate that CDC50B and CDC50C but not CDC50A are expressed in the clinically important asexual blood stages and that CDC50B is a binding partner of GCα whereas CDC50C is the binding partner of another putative P4-ATPase, phospholipid-transporting ATPase 2 (ATP2). Our findings indicate that CDC50B has no essential role for intraerythrocytic parasite maturation but modulates the rate of parasite egress by interacting with GCα for optimal cGMP synthesis. In contrast, CDC50C is essential for blood stage trophozoite maturation. Additionally, we find that the CDC50C-ATP2 complex may influence parasite endocytosis of host cell hemoglobin and consequently hemozoin formation.
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Santos JM, Frénal K. Dominique Soldati-Favre: Bringing Toxoplasma gondii to the Molecular World. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:910611. [PMID: 35711657 PMCID: PMC9196188 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.910611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joana M Santos
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Karine Frénal
- Université Bordeaux, CNRS, Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, Bordeaux, France
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Smith TA, Lopez-Perez GS, Herneisen AL, Shortt E, Lourido S. Screening the Toxoplasma kinome with high-throughput tagging identifies a regulator of invasion and egress. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:868-881. [PMID: 35484233 PMCID: PMC9167752 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01104-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinases regulate fundamental aspects of eukaryotic cell biology, making them attractive chemotherapeutic targets in parasites like Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. To systematically examine the parasite kinome, we developed a high-throughput tagging (HiT) strategy to endogenously label protein kinases with an auxin-inducible degron and fluorophore. Hundreds of tagging vectors were assembled from synthetic sequences in a single reaction and used to generate pools of mutants to determine localization and function. Examining 1,160 arrayed clones, we assigned 40 protein localizations and associated 15 kinases with distinct defects. The fitness of tagged alleles was also measured by pooled screening, distinguishing delayed from acute phenotypes. A previously unstudied kinase, associated with a delayed phenotype, was shown to be a regulator of invasion and egress. We named the kinase Store Potentiating/Activating Regulatory Kinase (SPARK), based on its impact on intracellular Ca2+ stores. Despite homology to mammalian 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1), SPARK lacks a lipid-binding domain, suggesting a rewiring of the pathway in parasites. HiT screening extends genome-wide approaches into complex cellular phenotypes, providing a scalable and versatile platform to dissect parasite biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler A Smith
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emily Shortt
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Li W, Grech J, Stortz JF, Gow M, Periz J, Meissner M, Jimenez-Ruiz E. A splitCas9 phenotypic screen in Toxoplasma gondii identifies proteins involved in host cell egress and invasion. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:882-895. [PMID: 35538310 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01114-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites, such as Toxoplasma gondii, have specific adaptations that enable invasion and exit from the host cell. Owing to the phylogenetic distance between apicomplexan parasites and model organisms, comparative genomics has limited capacity to infer gene functions. Further, although CRISPR/Cas9-based screens have assigned roles to some Toxoplasma genes, the functions of encoded proteins have proven difficult to assign. To overcome this problem, we devised a conditional Cas9-system in T. gondii that enables phenotypic screens. Using an indicator strain for F-actin dynamics and apicoplast segregation, we screened 320 genes to identify those required for defined steps in the asexual life cycle. The detailed characterization of two genes identified in our screen, through the generation of conditional knockout parasites using the DiCre-system, revealed that signalling linking factor (SLF) is an integral part of a signalling complex required for early induction of egress, and a novel conoid protein (conoid gliding protein, CGP) functions late during egress and is required for the activation of gliding motility. Establishing different indicator lines and applying our conditional Cas9 screen could enable the identification of genes involved in organellar biogenesis, parasite replication or maintenance of the endosymbiotic organelles in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Janessa Grech
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Felix Stortz
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.,Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Matthew Gow
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Javier Periz
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Meissner
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany. .,Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Elena Jimenez-Ruiz
- Experimental Parasitology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, LMU, Munich, Germany.
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Huynh MH, Carruthers VB. Toxoplasma gondii excretion of glycolytic products is associated with acidification of the parasitophorous vacuole during parasite egress. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010139. [PMID: 35512005 PMCID: PMC9113570 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle is a repetition of host cell invasion, replication, egress, and re-invasion into the next host cell. While the molecular players involved in egress have been studied in greater detail in recent years, the signals and pathways for triggering egress from the host cell have not been fully elucidated. A perforin-like protein, PLP1, has been shown to be necessary for permeabilizing the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) membrane or exit from the host cell. In vitro studies indicated that PLP1 is most active in acidic conditions, and indirect evidence using superecliptic pHluorin indicated that the PV pH drops prior to parasite egress. Using ratiometric pHluorin, a GFP variant that responds to changes in pH with changes in its bimodal excitation spectrum peaks, allowed us to directly measure the pH in the PV prior to and during egress by live-imaging microscopy. A statistically significant change was observed in PV pH during ionomycin or zaprinast induced egress in both wild-type RH and Δplp1 vacuoles compared to DMSO-treated vacuoles. Interestingly, if parasites are chemically paralyzed, a pH drop is still observed in RH but not in Δplp1 tachyzoites. This indicates that the pH drop is dependent on the presence of PLP1 or motility. Efforts to determine transporters, exchangers, or pumps that could contribute to the drop in PV pH identified two formate-nitrite transporters (FNTs). Auxin induced conditional knockdown and knockouts of FNT1 and FNT2 reduced the levels of lactate and pyruvate released by the parasites and lead to an abatement of vacuolar acidification. While additional transporters and molecules are undoubtedly involved, we provide evidence of a definitive reduction in vacuolar pH associated with induced and natural egress and characterize two transporters that contribute to the acidification. Toxoplasma gondii is a single celled intracellular parasite that infects many different animals, and it is thought to infect up to one third of the human population. This parasite must rupture out of its replicative compartment and the host cell to spread from one cell to another. Previous studies indicated that a decrease in pH occurs within the replicative compartment near the time of parasite exit from host cells, an event termed egress. However, it remained unknown whether the decrease in pH is directly tied to egress and, if so, what is responsible for the decrease in pH. Here we used a fluorescent reporter protein to directly measure pH within the replicative compartment during parasite egress. We found that pH decreases immediately prior to parasite egress and that this decrease is linked to parasite disruption of membranes. We also identified a family of transporters that release acidic products from parasite use of glucose for energy as contributing to the decrease in pH during egress. Our findings provide new insight that connects parasite glucose metabolism to acidification of its replicative compartment during egress from infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- My-Hang Huynh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Vern B. Carruthers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Gubbels MJ, Ferguson DJP, Saha S, Romano JD, Chavan S, Primo VA, Michaud C, Coppens I, Engelberg K. Toxoplasma gondii's Basal Complex: The Other Apicomplexan Business End Is Multifunctional. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:882166. [PMID: 35573773 PMCID: PMC9103881 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.882166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The Apicomplexa are famously named for their apical complex, a constellation of organelles at their apical end dedicated to invasion of their host cells. In contrast, at the other end of the cell, the basal complex (BC) has been overshadowed since it is much less prominent and specific functions were not immediately obvious. However, in the past decade a staggering array of functions have been associated with the BC and strides have been made in understanding its structure. Here, these collective insights are supplemented with new data to provide an overview of the understanding of the BC in Toxoplasma gondii. The emerging picture is that the BC is a dynamic and multifunctional complex, with a series of (putative) functions. The BC has multiple roles in cell division: it is the site where building blocks are added to the cytoskeleton scaffold; it exerts a two-step stretch and constriction mechanism as contractile ring; and it is key in organelle division. Furthermore, the BC has numerous putative roles in 'import', such as the recycling of mother cell remnants, the acquisition of host-derived vesicles, possibly the uptake of lipids derived from the extracellular medium, and the endocytosis of micronemal proteins. The latter process ties the BC to motility, whereas an additional role in motility is conferred by Myosin C. Furthermore, the BC acts on the assembly and/or function of the intravacuolar network, which may directly or indirectly contribute to the establishment of chronic tissue cysts. Here we provide experimental support for molecules acting in several of these processes and identify several new BC proteins critical to maintaining the cytoplasmic bridge between divided parasites. However, the dispensable nature of many BC components leaves many questions unanswered regarding its function. In conclusion, the BC in T. gondii is a dynamic and multifunctional structure at the posterior end of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Jan Gubbels
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - David J. P. Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sudeshna Saha
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Julia D. Romano
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Suyog Chavan
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Vincent A. Primo
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Cynthia Michaud
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Klemens Engelberg
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
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Bisio H, Krishnan A, Marq JB, Soldati-Favre D. Toxoplasma gondii phosphatidylserine flippase complex ATP2B-CDC50.4 critically participates in microneme exocytosis. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010438. [PMID: 35325010 PMCID: PMC8982854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated microneme secretion governs motility, host cell invasion and egress in the obligate intracellular apicomplexans. Intracellular calcium oscillations and phospholipid dynamics critically regulate microneme exocytosis. Despite its importance for the lytic cycle of these parasites, molecular mechanistic details about exocytosis are still missing. Some members of the P4-ATPases act as flippases, changing the phospholipid distribution by translocation from the outer to the inner leaflet of the membrane. Here, the localization and function of the repertoire of P4-ATPases was investigated across the lytic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. Of relevance, ATP2B and the non-catalytic subunit cell division control protein 50.4 (CDC50.4) form a stable heterocomplex at the parasite plasma membrane, essential for microneme exocytosis. This complex is responsible for flipping phosphatidylserine, which presumably acts as a lipid mediator for organelle fusion with the plasma membrane. Overall, this study points toward the importance of phosphatidylserine asymmetric distribution at the plasma membrane for microneme exocytosis. Biological membranes display diverse functions, including membrane fusion, which are conferred by a defined composition and organization of proteins and lipids. Apicomplexan parasites possess specialized secretory organelles (micronemes), implicated in motility, invasion and egress from host cells. Microneme exocytosis is already known to depend on phosphatidic acid for its fusion with the plasma membrane. Here we identify a type P4-ATPase and its CDC50 chaperone (ATP2B-CDC50.4) that act as a flippase and contribute to the enrichment of phosphatidylserine (PS) in the inner leaflet of the parasite plasma membrane. The disruption of PS asymmetric distribution at the plasma membrane impacts microneme exocytosis. Overall, our results shed light on the importance of membrane homeostasis and lipid composition in controlling microneme secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bisio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Toxoplasma motility is both activated and suppressed by 3′,5′-cyclic nucleotide signaling. Cyclic GMP (cGMP) signaling through Toxoplasma gondii protein kinase G (TgPKG) activates motility, whereas cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling through TgPKAc1 inhibits motility. Despite their importance, it remains unclear how cGMP and cAMP levels are maintained in Toxoplasma. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are known to inactivate cyclic nucleotides and are highly expanded in the Toxoplasma genome. Here, we analyzed the expression and function of the 18-member TgPDE family in tachyzoites, the virulent life stage of Toxoplasma. We detected the expression of 11 of 18 TgPDEs, confirming prior expression studies. A knockdown screen of the TgPDE family revealed four TgPDEs that contribute to lytic Toxoplasma growth (TgPDE1, TgPDE2, TgPDE5, and TgPDE9). Depletion of TgPDE1 or TgPDE2 caused severe growth defects, prompting further investigation. While TgPDE1 was important for extracellular motility, TgPDE2 was important for host cell invasion, parasite replication, host cell egress, and extracellular motility. TgPDE1 displayed a plasma membrane/cytomembranous distribution, whereas TgPDE2 displayed an endoplasmic reticulum/cytomembranous distribution. Biochemical analysis of TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 purified from Toxoplasma lysates revealed that TgPDE1 hydrolyzes both cGMP and cAMP, whereas TgPDE2 was cAMP specific. Interactome studies of TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 indicated that they do not physically interact with each other or other TgPDEs but may be regulated by kinases and proteases. Our studies have identified TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 as central regulators of tachyzoite cyclic nucleotide levels and enable future studies aimed at determining how these enzymes are regulated and cooperate to control Toxoplasma motility and growth. IMPORTANCE Apicomplexan parasites require motility to actively infect host cells and cause disease. Cyclic nucleotide signaling governs apicomplexan motility, but it is unclear how cyclic nucleotide levels are maintained in these parasites. In search of novel regulators of cyclic nucleotides in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma, we identified and characterized two catalytically active phosphodiesterases, TgPDE1 and TgPDE2, that are important for Toxoplasma’s virulent tachyzoite life cycle. Enzymes that generate, sense, or degrade cyclic nucleotides make attractive targets for therapies aimed at paralyzing and killing apicomplexan parasites.
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasitic protist infecting a wide group of warm-blooded animals, ranging from birds to humans. While this infection is usually asymptomatic in healthy individuals, it can also lead to severe ocular or neurological outcomes in immunocompromised individuals or in developing fetuses. This obligate intracellular parasite has the ability to infect a considerable range of nucleated cells and can propagate in the intermediate host. Yet, under the pressure of the immune system it transforms into an encysted persistent form residing primarily in the brain and muscle tissues. Encysted parasites, which are resistant to current medication, may reactivate and give rise to an acute infection. The clinical outcome of toxoplasmosis depends on a complex balance between the host immune response and parasite virulence factors. Susceptibility to the disease is thus determined by both parasite strains and host species. Recent advances on our understanding of host cell-parasite interactions and parasite virulence have brought new insights into the pathophysiology of T. gondii infection and are summarized here.
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Rinkenberger N, Abrams ME, Matta SK, Schoggins JW, Alto NM, Sibley LD. Overexpression screen of interferon-stimulated genes identifies RARRES3 as a restrictor of Toxoplasma gondii infection. eLife 2021; 10:e73137. [PMID: 34871166 PMCID: PMC8789288 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an important human pathogen infecting an estimated one in three people worldwide. The cytokine interferon gamma (IFNγ) is induced during infection and is critical for restricting T. gondii growth in human cells. Growth restriction is presumed to be due to the induction of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) that are upregulated to protect the host from infection. Although there are hundreds of ISGs induced by IFNγ, their individual roles in restricting parasite growth in human cells remain somewhat elusive. To address this deficiency, we screened a library of 414 IFNγ induced ISGs to identify factors that impact T. gondii infection in human cells. In addition to IRF1, which likely acts through the induction of numerous downstream genes, we identified RARRES3 as a single factor that restricts T. gondii infection by inducing premature egress of the parasite in multiple human cell lines. Overall, while we successfully identified a novel IFNγ induced factor restricting T. gondii infection, the limited number of ISGs capable of restricting T. gondii infection when individually expressed suggests that IFNγ-mediated immunity to T. gondii infection is a complex, multifactorial process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Rinkenberger
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - Michael E Abrams
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas SouthwesternDallasUnited States
| | - Sumit K Matta
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
| | - John W Schoggins
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas SouthwesternDallasUnited States
| | - Neal M Alto
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas SouthwesternDallasUnited States
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt LouisUnited States
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Fu Y, Brown KM, Jones NG, Moreno SNJ, Sibley LD. Toxoplasma bradyzoites exhibit physiological plasticity of calcium and energy stores controlling motility and egress. eLife 2021; 10:e73011. [PMID: 34860156 PMCID: PMC8683080 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii has evolved different developmental stages for disseminating during acute infection (i.e., tachyzoites) and establishing chronic infection (i.e., bradyzoites). Calcium ion (Ca2+) signaling tightly regulates the lytic cycle of tachyzoites by controlling microneme secretion and motility to drive egress and cell invasion. However, the roles of Ca2+ signaling pathways in bradyzoites remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that Ca2+ responses are highly restricted in bradyzoites and that they fail to egress in response to agonists. Development of dual-reporter parasites revealed dampened Ca2+ responses and minimal microneme secretion by bradyzoites induced in vitro or harvested from infected mice and tested ex vivo. Ratiometric Ca2+ imaging demonstrated lower Ca2+ basal levels, reduced magnitude, and slower Ca2+ kinetics in bradyzoites compared with tachyzoites stimulated with agonists. Diminished responses in bradyzoites were associated with downregulation of Ca2+-ATPases involved in intracellular Ca2+ storage in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and acidocalcisomes. Once liberated from cysts by trypsin digestion, bradyzoites incubated in glucose plus Ca2+ rapidly restored their intracellular Ca2+ and ATP stores, leading to enhanced gliding. Collectively, our findings indicate that intracellular bradyzoites exhibit dampened Ca2+ signaling and lower energy levels that restrict egress, and yet upon release they rapidly respond to changes in the environment to regain motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Fu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of MedicineSt LouisUnited States
| | - Kevin M Brown
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of MedicineSt LouisUnited States
| | - Nathaniel G Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of MedicineSt LouisUnited States
| | - Silvia NJ Moreno
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases and Department of Cellular Biology, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University in St. Louis, School of MedicineSt LouisUnited States
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Tosetti N, Krishnan A, Haase R, Maco B, Suarez C, Ren B, Soldati-Favre D. Revisiting the Role of Toxoplasma gondii ERK7 in the Maintenance and Stability of the Apical Complex. mBio 2021; 12:e0205721. [PMID: 34607461 PMCID: PMC8546650 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02057-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii extracellular signal-regulated kinase 7 (ERK7) is known to contribute to the integrity of the apical complex and to participate in the final step of conoid biogenesis. In the absence of ERK7, mature parasites lose their conoid complex and are unable to glide, invade, or egress from host cells. In contrast to a previous report, we show here that the depletion of ERK7 phenocopies the depletion of the apical cap protein AC9 or AC10. The absence of ERK7 leads to the loss of the apical polar ring (APR), the disorganization of the basket of subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs), and a severe impairment in microneme secretion. Ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM), coupled to N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (NHS-ester) staining on intracellular parasites, offers an unprecedented level of resolution and highlights the disorganization of the rhoptries as well as the dilated plasma membrane at the apical pole in the absence of ERK7. Comparative proteomics analysis of wild-type and ERK7-depleted parasites confirmed the disappearance of known apical complex proteins, including markers of the apical polar ring and a new apical cap named AC11. Concomitantly, the absence of ERK7 led to an accumulation of microneme proteins, resulting from the defect in the exocytosis of the organelles. AC9-depleted parasites were included as controls and exhibited an increase in inner membrane complex proteins, with two new proteins assigned to this compartment, namely, IMC33 and IMC34. IMPORTANCE The conoid is an enigmatic, dynamic organelle positioned at the apical tip of the coccidian subgroup of the Apicomplexa, close to the apical polar ring (APR) from which the subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs) emerge and through which the secretory organelles (micronemes and rhoptries) reach the plasma membrane for exocytosis. In Toxoplasma gondii, the conoid protrudes concomitantly with microneme secretion, during egress, motility, and invasion. The conditional depletion of the apical cap structural protein AC9 or AC10 leads to a disorganization of SPMTs as well as the loss of the APR and conoid, resulting in a microneme secretion defect and a block in motility, invasion, and egress. We show here that the depletion of the kinase ERK7 phenocopies AC9 and AC10 mutants. The combination of ultrastructure expansion microscopy and NHS-ester staining revealed that ERK7-depleted parasites exhibit a dilated apical plasma membrane and an altered positioning of the rhoptries, while electron microscopy images unambiguously highlight the loss of the APR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolò Tosetti
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Romuald Haase
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Suarez
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bingjian Ren
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Ressurreição M, van Ooij C. Lipid transport proteins in malaria, from Plasmodium parasites to their hosts. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2021; 1866:159047. [PMID: 34461309 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2021.159047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryotic unicellular pathogens from the genus Plasmodium are the etiological agents of malaria, a disease that persists over a wide range of vertebrate species, including humans. During its dynamic lifecycle, survival in the different hosts depends on the parasite's ability to establish a suitable environmental milieu. To achieve this, specific host processes are exploited to support optimal growth, including extensive modifications to the infected host cell. These modifications include the formation of novel membranous structures, which are induced by the parasite. Consequently, to maintain a finely tuned and dynamic lipid environment, the organisation and distribution of lipids to different cell sites likely requires specialised lipid transfer proteins (LTPs). Indeed, several parasite and host-derived LTPs have been identified and shown to be essential at specific stages. Here we describe the roles of LTPs in parasite development and adaptation to its host including how the latest studies are profiting from the improved genetic, lipidomic and imaging toolkits available to study Plasmodium parasites. Lastly, a list of predicted Plasmodium LTPs is provided to encourage research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Ressurreição
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
| | - Christiaan van Ooij
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
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Lamy A, Macarini-Bruzaferro E, Dieudonné T, Perálvarez-Marín A, Lenoir G, Montigny C, le Maire M, Vázquez-Ibar JL. ATP2, The essential P4-ATPase of malaria parasites, catalyzes lipid-stimulated ATP hydrolysis in complex with a Cdc50 β-subunit. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 10:132-147. [PMID: 33372863 PMCID: PMC7832587 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1870413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Gene targeting approaches have demonstrated the essential role for the malaria parasite of membrane transport proteins involved in lipid transport and in the maintenance of membrane lipid asymmetry, representing emerging oportunites for therapeutical intervention. This is the case of ATP2, a Plasmodium-encoded 4 P-type ATPase (P4-ATPase or lipid flippase), whose activity is completely irreplaceable during the asexual stages of the parasite. Moreover, a recent chemogenomic study has situated ATP2 as the possible target of two antimalarial drug candidates. In eukaryotes, P4-ATPases assure the asymmetric phospholipid distribution in membranes by translocating phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet. In this work, we have used a recombinantly-produced P. chabaudi ATP2 (PcATP2), to gain insights into the function and structural organization of this essential transporter. Our work demonstrates that PcATP2 associates with two of the three Plasmodium-encoded Cdc50 proteins: PcCdc50B and PcCdc50A. Purified PcATP2/PcCdc50B complex displays ATPase activity in the presence of either phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylethanolamine. In addition, this activity is upregulated by phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate. Overall, our work describes the first biochemical characterization of a Plasmodium lipid flippase, a first step towards the understanding of the essential physiological role of this transporter and towards its validation as a potential antimalarial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Lamy
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ewerton Macarini-Bruzaferro
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Department of Clinical Medicine (FMUSP), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thibaud Dieudonné
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Alex Perálvarez-Marín
- Biophysics Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Guillaume Lenoir
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Cédric Montigny
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marc le Maire
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - José Luis Vázquez-Ibar
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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46
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Huynh MH, Roiko MS, Gomes AO, Schinke EN, Schultz AJ, Agrawal S, Oellig CA, Sexton TR, Beauchamp JM, Laliberté J, Sivaraman KK, Hersh LB, McGowan S, Carruthers VB. Toxoplasma gondii Toxolysin 4 Contributes to Efficient Parasite Egress from Host Cells. mSphere 2021; 6:e0044421. [PMID: 34190588 PMCID: PMC8265663 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00444-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Egress from host cells is an essential step in the lytic cycle of T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites; however, only a few parasite secretory proteins are known to affect this process. The putative metalloproteinase toxolysin 4 (TLN4) was previously shown to be an extensively processed microneme protein, but further characterization was impeded by the inability to genetically ablate TLN4. Here, we show that TLN4 has the structural properties of an M16 family metalloproteinase, that it possesses proteolytic activity on a model substrate, and that genetic disruption of TLN4 reduces the efficiency of egress from host cells. Complementation of the knockout strain with the TLN4 coding sequence significantly restored egress competency, affirming that the phenotype of the Δtln4 parasite was due to the absence of TLN4. This work identifies TLN4 as the first metalloproteinase and the second microneme protein to function in T. gondii egress. The study also lays a foundation for future mechanistic studies defining the precise role of TLN4 in parasite exit from host cells. IMPORTANCE After replicating within infected host cells, the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii must rupture out of such cells in a process termed egress. Although it is known that T. gondii egress is an active event that involves disruption of host-derived membranes surrounding the parasite, very few proteins that are released by the parasite are known to facilitate egress. In this study, we identify a parasite secretory protease that is necessary for efficient and timely egress, laying the foundation for understanding precisely how this protease facilitates T. gondii exit from host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- My-Hang Huynh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Marijo S. Roiko
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Angelica O. Gomes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ellyn N. Schinke
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Aric J. Schultz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Swati Agrawal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Christine A. Oellig
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Travis R. Sexton
- Department of Cardiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jessica M. Beauchamp
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julie Laliberté
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Komagal Kannan Sivaraman
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Louis B. Hersh
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and Center for Structural Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Sheena McGowan
- Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vern B. Carruthers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Dass S, Shunmugam S, Berry L, Arnold CS, Katris NJ, Duley S, Pierrel F, Cesbron-Delauw MF, Yamaryo-Botté Y, Botté CY. Toxoplasma LIPIN is essential in channeling host lipid fluxes through membrane biogenesis and lipid storage. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2813. [PMID: 34001876 PMCID: PMC8129101 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22956-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa are obligate intracellular parasites responsible for major human diseases. Their intracellular survival relies on intense lipid synthesis, which fuels membrane biogenesis. Parasite lipids are generated as an essential combination of fatty acids scavenged from the host and de novo synthesized within the parasite apicoplast. The molecular and metabolic mechanisms allowing regulation and channeling of these fatty acid fluxes for intracellular parasite survival are currently unknown. Here, we identify an essential phosphatidic acid phosphatase in Toxoplasma gondii, TgLIPIN, as the central metabolic nexus responsible for controlled lipid synthesis sustaining parasite development. Lipidomics reveal that TgLIPIN controls the synthesis of diacylglycerol and levels of phosphatidic acid that regulates the fine balance of lipids between storage and membrane biogenesis. Using fluxomic approaches, we uncover the first parasite host-scavenged lipidome and show that TgLIPIN prevents parasite death by 'lipotoxicity' through effective channeling of host-scavenged fatty acids to storage triacylglycerols and membrane phospholipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheena Dass
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Serena Shunmugam
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Laurence Berry
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions, UMR 5235, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe-Sebastien Arnold
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicholas J Katris
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Samuel Duley
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Fabien Pierrel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France
| | - Marie-France Cesbron-Delauw
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France
| | - Yoshiki Yamaryo-Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France.
| | - Cyrille Y Botté
- Apicolipid Team, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS UMR5309, Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, Grenoble, France.
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48
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Haase S, Condron M, Miller D, Cherkaoui D, Jordan S, Gulbis JM, Baum J. Identification and characterisation of a phospholipid scramblase in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 243:111374. [PMID: 33974939 PMCID: PMC8202325 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies highlight the emerging role of lipids as important messengers in malaria parasite biology. In an attempt to identify interacting proteins and regulators of these dynamic and versatile molecules, we hypothesised the involvement of phospholipid translocases and their substrates in the infection of the host erythrocyte by the malaria parasite Plasmodium spp. Here, using a data base searching approach of the Plasmodium Genomics Resources (www.plasmodb.org), we have identified a putative phospholipid (PL) scramblase in P. falciparum (PfPLSCR) that is conserved across the genus and in closely related unicellular algae. By reconstituting recombinant PfPLSCR into liposomes, we demonstrate metal ion dependent PL translocase activity and substrate preference, confirming PfPLSCR as a bona fide scramblase. We show that PfPLSCR is expressed during asexual and sexual parasite development, localising to different membranous compartments of the parasite throughout the intra-erythrocytic life cycle. Two different gene knockout approaches, however, suggest that PfPLSCR is not essential for erythrocyte invasion and asexual parasite development, pointing towards a possible role in other stages of the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Haase
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK.
| | - Melanie Condron
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Miller
- Division of Structural Biology, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dounia Cherkaoui
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Sarah Jordan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline M Gulbis
- Division of Structural Biology, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK.
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49
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Gubbels MJ, Coppens I, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh MT, Engelberg K. The Modular Circuitry of Apicomplexan Cell Division Plasticity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:670049. [PMID: 33912479 PMCID: PMC8072463 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.670049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The close-knit group of apicomplexan parasites displays a wide variety of cell division modes, which differ between parasites as well as between different life stages within a single parasite species. The beginning and endpoint of the asexual replication cycles is a 'zoite' harboring the defining apical organelles required for host cell invasion. However, the number of zoites produced per division round varies dramatically and can unfold in several different ways. This plasticity of the cell division cycle originates from a combination of hard-wired developmental programs modulated by environmental triggers. Although the environmental triggers and sensors differ between species and developmental stages, widely conserved secondary messengers mediate the signal transduction pathways. These environmental and genetic input integrate in division-mode specific chromosome organization and chromatin modifications that set the stage for each division mode. Cell cycle progression is conveyed by a smorgasbord of positively and negatively acting transcription factors, often acting in concert with epigenetic reader complexes, that can vary dramatically between species as well as division modes. A unique set of cell cycle regulators with spatially distinct localization patterns insert discrete check points which permit individual control and can uncouple general cell cycle progression from nuclear amplification. Clusters of expressed genes are grouped into four functional modules seen in all division modes: 1. mother cytoskeleton disassembly; 2. DNA replication and segregation (D&S); 3. karyokinesis; 4. zoite assembly. A plug-and-play strategy results in the variety of extant division modes. The timing of mother cytoskeleton disassembly is hard-wired at the species level for asexual division modes: it is either the first step, or it is the last step. In the former scenario zoite assembly occurs at the plasma membrane (external budding), and in the latter scenario zoites are assembled in the cytoplasm (internal budding). The number of times each other module is repeated can vary regardless of this first decision, and defines the modes of cell division: schizogony, binary fission, endodyogeny, endopolygeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Jan Gubbels
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kourosh Zarringhalam
- Department of Mathematics, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Manoj T. Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Klemens Engelberg
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, United States
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50
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Ben Chaabene R, Lentini G, Soldati-Favre D. Biogenesis and discharge of the rhoptries: Key organelles for entry and hijack of host cells by the Apicomplexa. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:453-465. [PMID: 33368727 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rhoptries are specialized secretory organelles found in the Apicomplexa phylum, playing a central role in the establishment of parasitism. The rhoptry content includes membranous as well as proteinaceous materials that are discharged into the host cell in a regulated fashion during parasite entry. A set of rhoptry neck proteins form a RON complex that critically participates in the moving junction formation during invasion. Some of the rhoptry bulb proteins are associated with the membranous materials and contribute to the formation of the parasitophorous vacuole membrane while others are targeted into the host cell including the nucleus to subvert cellular functions. Here, we review the recent studies on Toxoplasma and Plasmodium parasites that shed light on the key steps leading to rhoptry biogenesis, trafficking, and discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouaa Ben Chaabene
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gaëlle Lentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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