1
|
Chappell L, Peguero R, Conner WR, Fowler S, Cooper B, Pfarr K, Hoerauf A, Lustigman S, Sakanari J, Sullivan W. Fexinidazole and Corallopyronin A target Wolbachia-infected sheath cells present in filarial nematodes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.01.23.634442. [PMID: 39896488 PMCID: PMC11785234 DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.23.634442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
The discovery of the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia as an obligate symbiont of filarial nematodes has led to antibiotic-based treatments for filarial diseases. While lab and clinical studies have yielded promising results, recent animal studies reveal that Wolbachia levels may rebound following treatment with suboptimal doses of the antibiotic rifampicin. Previous work showed that a likely source of the bacterial rebound in females were dense clusters of Wolbachia in ovarian tissue. The number, size, and density of these Wolbachia clusters were not diminished despite antibiotic treatment. Here we define the cellular characteristics of the Wolbachia clusters in Brugia pahangi (wBp) and identify drugs that also target them. We have evidence that the Wolbachia clusters originate from newly formed sheath cells adjacent to the ovarian Distal Tip Cells. The dramatically enlarged volume of an infected sheath cell is strikingly similar to endosymbiont-induced bacteriocytes found in many insect species. Ultrastructural analysis reveals that the clustered Wolbachia present within the sheath cells exhibit a distinct morphology and form direct connections with the oocyte membrane and possibly the cytoplasm. This includes membrane-based channels providing a connection between Wolbachia-infected sheath cells and oocytes. We also determined that the Wolbachia within the sheath cells are either quiescent or replicating at a very low rate. Screens of known antibiotics and other drugs revealed that two drugs, Fexinidazole and Corallopyronin A, significantly reduced the number of clustered Wolbachia located within the sheath cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Chappell
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Ricardo Peguero
- Molecular Parasitology, New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - William R Conner
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Sommer Fowler
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Brandon Cooper
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Kenneth Pfarr
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University of Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University of Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sara Lustigman
- Molecular Parasitology, New York Blood Center, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Judy Sakanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - William Sullivan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mioduchowska M, Konecka E, Gołdyn B, Pinceel T, Brendonck L, Lukić D, Kaczmarek Ł, Namiotko T, Zając K, Zając T, Jastrzębski JP, Bartoszek K. Playing Peekaboo with a Master Manipulator: Metagenetic Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of Wolbachia Supergroups in Freshwater Invertebrates. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119400. [PMID: 37298356 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The infamous "master manipulators"-intracellular bacteria of the genus Wolbachia-infect a broad range of phylogenetically diverse invertebrate hosts in terrestrial ecosystems. Wolbachia has an important impact on the ecology and evolution of their host with documented effects including induced parthenogenesis, male killing, feminization, and cytoplasmic incompatibility. Nonetheless, data on Wolbachia infections in non-terrestrial invertebrates are scarce. Sampling bias and methodological limitations are some of the reasons limiting the detection of these bacteria in aquatic organisms. In this study, we present a new metagenetic method for detecting the co-occurrence of different Wolbachia strains in freshwater invertebrates host species, i.e., freshwater Arthropoda (Crustacea), Mollusca (Bivalvia), and water bears (Tardigrada) by applying NGS primers designed by us and a Python script that allows the identification of Wolbachia target sequences from the microbiome communities. We also compare the results obtained using the commonly applied NGS primers and the Sanger sequencing approach. Finally, we describe three supergroups of Wolbachia: (i) a new supergroup V identified in Crustacea and Bivalvia hosts; (ii) supergroup A identified in Crustacea, Bivalvia, and Eutardigrada hosts, and (iii) supergroup E infection in the Crustacea host microbiome community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Mioduchowska
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
- Department of Marine Plankton Research, Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdansk, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Edyta Konecka
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Bartłomiej Gołdyn
- Department of General Zoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tom Pinceel
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
- Community Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Brendonck
- Animal Ecology, Global Change and Sustainable Development, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa
| | - Dunja Lukić
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Łukasz Kaczmarek
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Namiotko
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics and Biosystematics, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Zając
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Tadeusz Zając
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Jan P Jastrzębski
- Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
- Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Bartoszek
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Division of Statistics and Machine Learning, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Konecka E. Fifty shades of bacterial endosymbionts and some of them still remain a mystery: Wolbachia and Cardinium in oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida). J Invertebr Pathol 2022; 189:107733. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2022.107733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
4
|
Manoj RRS, Latrofa MS, Epis S, Otranto D. Wolbachia: endosymbiont of onchocercid nematodes and their vectors. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:245. [PMID: 33962669 PMCID: PMC8105934 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04742-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular maternally transmitted, gram-negative bacterium which forms a spectrum of endosymbiotic relationships from parasitism to obligatory mutualism in a wide range of arthropods and onchocercid nematodes, respectively. In arthropods Wolbachia produces reproductive manipulations such as male killing, feminization, parthenogenesis and cytoplasmic incompatibility for its propagation and provides an additional fitness benefit for the host to protect against pathogens, whilst in onchocercid nematodes, apart from the mutual metabolic dependence, this bacterium is involved in moulting, embryogenesis, growth and survival of the host. Methods This review details the molecular data of Wolbachia and its effect on host biology, immunity, ecology and evolution, reproduction, endosymbiont-based treatment and control strategies exploited for filariasis. Relevant peer-reviewed scientic papers available in various authenticated scientific data bases were considered while writing the review. Conclusions The information presented provides an overview on Wolbachia biology and its use in the control and/or treatment of vectors, onchocercid nematodes and viral diseases of medical and veterinary importance. This offers the development of new approaches for the control of a variety of vector-borne diseases. Graphic Abstract ![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sara Epis
- Department of Biosciences and Pediatric CRC 'Romeo Ed Enrica Invernizzi', University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy. .,Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Large scale genome reconstructions illuminate Wolbachia evolution. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5235. [PMID: 33067437 PMCID: PMC7568565 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19016-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is an iconic example of a successful intracellular bacterium. Despite its importance as a manipulator of invertebrate biology, its evolutionary dynamics have been poorly studied from a genomic viewpoint. To expand the number of Wolbachia genomes, we screen over 30,000 publicly available shotgun DNA sequencing samples from 500 hosts. By assembling over 1000 Wolbachia genomes, we provide a substantial increase in host representation. Our phylogenies based on both core-genome and gene content provide a robust reference for future studies, support new strains in model organisms, and reveal recent horizontal transfers amongst distantly related hosts. We find various instances of gene function gains and losses in different super-groups and in cytoplasmic incompatibility inducing strains. Our Wolbachia-host co-phylogenies indicate that horizontal transmission is widespread at the host intraspecific level and that there is no support for a general Wolbachia-mitochondrial synchronous divergence. By greatly expanding the number of assembled genomes for Wolbachia (a group of intracellular bacteria) and constructing robust phylogenies, this study finds strong rate heterogeneity among Wolbachiapopulations and no support for synchronous divergence between Wolbachia and host mitochondria.
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang X, Xiong X, Cao W, Zhang C, Werren JH, Wang X. Genome Assembly of the A-Group Wolbachia in Nasonia oneida Using Linked-Reads Technology. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 11:3008-3013. [PMID: 31596462 PMCID: PMC6821208 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia are obligate intracellular bacteria which commonly infect various nematode and arthropod species. Genome sequences have been generated from arthropod samples following enrichment for the intracellular bacteria, and genomes have also been assembled from arthropod whole-genome sequencing projects. However, these methods remain challenging for infections that occur at low titers in hosts. Here we report the first Wolbachia genome assembled from host sequences using 10× Genomics linked-reads technology. The high read depth attainable by this method allows for recovery of intracellular bacteria that are at low concentrations. Based on the depth differences (714× for the insect and 59× for the bacterium), we assembled the genome of a Wolbachia in the parasitoid jewel wasp species Nasonia oneida. The final draft assembly consists of 1,293, 06 bp in 47 scaffolds with 1,114 coding genes and 97.01% genome completeness assessed by checkM. Comparisons of the five Multi Locus Sequence Typing genes revealed that the sequenced Wolbachia genome is the A1 strain (henceforth wOneA1) previously reported in N. oneida. Pyrosequencing confirms that the wasp strain lacks A2 and B types previously detected in this insect, which were likely lost during laboratory culturing. Assembling bacterial genomes from host genome projects can provide an effective method for sequencing bacterial genomes, even when the infections occur at low density in sampled tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiao Xiong
- Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University.,Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqi Cao
- Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University
| | - Chao Zhang
- Translational Medical Center for Stem Cell Therapy and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Xu Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, Auburn University.,Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn University.,HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, Alabama.,Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hedtke SM, Kuesel AC, Crawford KE, Graves PM, Boussinesq M, Lau CL, Boakye DA, Grant WN. Genomic Epidemiology in Filarial Nematodes: Transforming the Basis for Elimination Program Decisions. Front Genet 2020; 10:1282. [PMID: 31998356 PMCID: PMC6964045 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis are targeted for elimination, primarily using mass drug administration at the country and community levels. Elimination of transmission is the onchocerciasis target and global elimination as a public health problem is the end point for lymphatic filariasis. Where program duration, treatment coverage, and compliance are sufficiently high, elimination is achievable for both parasites within defined geographic areas. However, transmission has re-emerged after apparent elimination in some areas, and in others has continued despite years of mass drug treatment. A critical question is whether this re-emergence and/or persistence of transmission is due to persistence of local parasites-i.e., the result of insufficient duration or drug coverage, poor parasite response to the drugs, or inadequate methods of assessment and/or criteria for determining when to stop treatment-or due to re-introduction of parasites via human or vector movement from another endemic area. We review recent genetics-based research exploring these questions in Onchocerca volvulus, the filarial nematode that causes onchocerciasis, and Wuchereria bancrofti, the major pathogen for lymphatic filariasis. We focus in particular on the combination of genomic epidemiology and genome-wide associations to delineate transmission zones and distinguish between local and introduced parasites as the source of resurgence or continuing transmission, and to identify genetic markers associated with parasite response to chemotherapy. Our ultimate goal is to assist elimination efforts by developing easy-to-use tools that incorporate genetic information about transmission and drug response for more effective mass drug distribution, surveillance strategies, and decisions on when to stop interventions to improve sustainability of elimination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M. Hedtke
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Annette C. Kuesel
- Unicef/UNDP/World Bank/World Health Organization Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Katie E. Crawford
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Patricia M. Graves
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | - Michel Boussinesq
- Unité Mixte Internationale 233 "TransVIHMI", Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), INSERM U1175, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Colleen L. Lau
- Department of Global Health, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Daniel A. Boakye
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana
| | - Warwick N. Grant
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chiodi A, Comandatore F, Sassera D, Petroni G, Bandi C, Brilli M. SeqDeχ: A Sequence Deconvolution Tool for Genome Separation of Endosymbionts From Mixed Sequencing Samples. Front Genet 2019; 10:853. [PMID: 31608107 PMCID: PMC6761303 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the advent of NGS technology has made genome sequencing much cheaper than in the past; the high parallelization capability and the possibility to sequence more than one organism at once have opened the door to processing whole symbiotic consortia. However, this approach needs the development of specific bioinformatics tools able to analyze these data. In this work, we describe SeqDex, a tool that starts from a preliminary assembly obtained from sequencing a mixture of DNA from different organisms, to identify the contigs coming from one organism of interest. SeqDex is a fully automated machine learning–based tool exploiting partial taxonomic affiliations and compositional analysis to predict the taxonomic affiliations of contigs in an assembly. In literature, there are few methods able to deconvolve host–symbiont datasets, and most of them heavily rely on user curation and are therefore time consuming. The problem has strong similarities with metagenomic studies, where mixed samples are sequenced and the bioinformatics challenge is trying to separate contigs on the basis of their source organism; however, in symbiotic systems, additional information can be exploited to improve the output. To assess the ability of SeqDex to deconvolve host–symbiont datasets, we compared it to state-of-the-art methods for metagenomic binning and for host–symbiont deconvolution on three study cases. The results point out the good performances of the presented tool that, in addition to the ease of use and customization potential, make SeqDex a useful tool for rapid identification of endosymbiont sequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Chiodi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Comandatore
- Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "L. Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Sassera
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Bandi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Brilli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Pediatric Clinical Research Center "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bakowski MA, McNamara CW. Advances in Antiwolbachial Drug Discovery for Treatment of Parasitic Filarial Worm Infections. Trop Med Infect Dis 2019; 4:tropicalmed4030108. [PMID: 31323841 PMCID: PMC6789823 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed4030108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular bacteria now known as Wolbachia were first described in filarial worms in the 1970s, but the idea of Wolbachia being used as a macrofilaricidal target did not gain wide attention until the early 2000s, with research in filariae suggesting the requirement of worms for the endosymbiont. This new-found interest prompted the eventual organization of the Anti-Wolbachia Consortium (A-WOL) at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, who, among others have been active in the field of antiwolbachial drug discovery to treat filarial infections. Clinical proof of concept studies using doxycycline demonstrated the utility of the antiwolbachial therapy, but efficacious treatments were of long duration and not safe for all infected. With the advance of robotics, automation, and high-speed computing, the search for superior antiwolbachials shifted away from smaller studies with a select number of antibiotics to high-throughput screening approaches, centered largely around cell-based phenotypic screens due to the rather limited knowledge about, and tools available to manipulate, this bacterium. A concomitant effort was put towards developing validation approaches and in vivo models supporting drug discovery efforts. In this review, we summarize the strategies behind and outcomes of recent large phenotypic screens published within the last 5 years, hit compound validation approaches and promising candidates with profiles superior to doxycycline, including ones positioned to advance into clinical trials for treatment of filarial worm infections.
Collapse
|