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Ahuja K, Vats A, Beg MA, Kariyawasam KKGDUL, Chaudhury A, Chatterjee M, Karunaweera ND, Selvapandiyan A. High resolution melting based method for rapid discriminatory diagnosis of co-infecting Leptomonas seymouri in Leishmania donovani-induced leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int 2019; 75:102047. [PMID: 31887394 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.102047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite of family Trypanosomatidae, causes fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Indian subcontinent and Africa and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka. Another member of Trypanosomatidae, Leptomonas seymouri, resembling Leishmania was discovered recently to co-exist with L. donovani in the clinical samples from India and Sri Lanka and therefore, interfere with its investigations. We earlier described a method for selective elimination of such co-existing L. seymouri from clinical samples of VL exploiting the differential growth of the parasites at 37 °C in vitro. Here, we explored ways for a rapid discriminatory diagnosis using high resolution melting (HRM) curves to detect co-occurring L. seymouri with L. donovani in clinical samples. Initial attempt with kDNA-minicircle (mitochondrial DNA) based HRM did not display different Tm values between L. donovani and L. seymouri. Surprisingly, all of their minicircle sequences co-existed in similar clades in the dendrogram analysis, although the kDNA sequences are known for its species and strain specific variations among the Trypanosomatids. However, an HRM analysis that targets the HSP70 gene successfully recognized the presence of L. seymouri in the clinical isolates. This discovery will facilitate rapid diagnosis of L. seymouri and further investigations in to this elusive organism, including the clinico-pathological implications of its co-existence with L. donovani in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Ahuja
- JH-Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India; Department of Bio & Nano Technology, Bio & Nano Technology Centre, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Abhishek Vats
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi 110060, India
| | - Mirza Adil Beg
- JH-Institute of Molecular Medicine, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi 110062, India
| | - K K G D U L Kariyawasam
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
| | - Ashok Chaudhury
- Department of Bio & Nano Technology, Bio & Nano Technology Centre, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar 125001, India
| | - Mitali Chatterjee
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Kolkata 700020, India
| | - Nadira D Karunaweera
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, No. 25, Kynsey Road, Colombo 00800, Sri Lanka
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Ahuja K, Arora G, Khare P, Selvapandiyan A. Selective elimination of Leptomonas from the in vitro co-culture with Leishmania. Parasitol Int 2015; 64:1-5. [PMID: 25582929 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania and Leptomonas are protozoan parasites of the family Trypanosomatidae. Leishmania donovani causes the fatal visceral leishmaniasis (VL; kala-azar) in mammals and is transmitted by sand fly vector. Certain VL-cured human populations in India and Sudan develop post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) due to the same parasite. Although Leptomonas is parasitic mainly in insects, several recent reports on the clinical isolates of L. donovani from VL and PKDL patients in India confirm co-infection of Leptomonas seymouri, probably due to immune suppression in those individuals. Detection of L. seymouri in the in vitro cultures of L. donovani from clinical origin is difficult due to many similarities between L. seymouri and L. donovani. We describe here ways to detect L. seymouri and L. donovani in co-culture. In addition, based on our observation regarding the growth of L. seymouri in different culture conditions, we report here a novel procedure, which can selectively eliminate L. seymouri from the in vitro co-culture with L. donovani. This would be beneficial to researchers who prefer to deal with pure populations of Leishmania parasites for various downstream immunological and genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Ahuja
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, New Delhi India; Department of Research, Sir Gangaram Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Ginni Arora
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, New Delhi India
| | | | - Angamuthu Selvapandiyan
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, New Delhi India; Department of Research, Sir Gangaram Hospital, New Delhi, India.
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3
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Leishmania mexicana amazonensis: plasma membrane adenine nucleotide translocator and chemotaxis. Exp Parasitol 2007; 118:408-19. [PMID: 18031742 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2007.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2007] [Revised: 09/26/2007] [Accepted: 10/02/2007] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania cannot synthesize purines de novo and rely on their host to furnish these compounds. To accomplish this, they possess multiple purine nucleoside and nucleobase transporters. Subcellular fractionation, immunohistochemical localization with anti-adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) antibodies and surface biotinylation show that the mitochondrial ANT is also present in the plasma membrane of both promastigotes and amastigotes. Leishmania, however, do not appear to rely on this transporter to supplement their purine or energy requirements via preformed ATP from its host. Rather, Leishmania appear to use the plasma membrane ANT as part of a chemotaxis response. ATP is a chemorepellant for Leishmania and cells treated with atractyloside, an inhibitor of ANT, no longer exhibit negative chemotaxis for this compound.
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Yakovich AJ, Ragone FL, Alfonzo JD, Sackett DL, Werbovetz KA. Leishmania tarentolae: purification and characterization of tubulin and its suitability for antileishmanial drug screening. Exp Parasitol 2006; 114:289-96. [PMID: 16753146 PMCID: PMC1986769 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2006.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2006] [Revised: 04/17/2006] [Accepted: 04/24/2006] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Previously, tubulin has been purified from Leishmania amazonensis and used to identify novel molecules with selective antimitotic activity. However, L. amazonensis is pathogenic and requires a relatively expensive medium for large-scale cultivation. Herein, the purification and characterization of tubulin from the non-pathogenic Leishmania tarentolae is reported, together with the sequence of alpha- and beta-tubulin from this organism. This protein was purified by sonication, diethylaminoethyl-Sepharose chromatography, and one assembly disassembly cycle in 1% overall recovery based on total cellular protein. Leishmania tarentolae tubulin was indistinguishable from the corresponding L. amazonensis protein in terms of binding affinity for dinitroaniline sulfanilamides and sensitivity to assembly inhibition by these compounds. The amino acid sequences derived from the L. tarentolae alpha- and beta-tubulin genes were 99.6 and 99.4% identical to the corresponding amino acid sequences from the Leishmania major Friedlin strain. These results indicate that tubulin from L. tarentolae is suitable for use in drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Yakovich
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Frank L. Ragone
- College of Biological Sciences, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Juan D. Alfonzo
- College of Biological Sciences, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dan L. Sackett
- Laboratory of Integrative and Medical Biophysics, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Karl A. Werbovetz
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 614 292 5499; fax: +1 614 292 2435; E-mail address:
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Mittal MK, Misra S, Owais M, Goyal N. Expression, purification, and characterization of Leishmania donovani trypanothione reductase in Escherichia coli. Protein Expr Purif 2005; 40:279-86. [PMID: 15766869 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2004.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2004] [Revised: 12/08/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Trypanothione reductase (TR) is an NADPH-dependent flavoprotein oxidoreductase central to thiol metabolism in all the trypanosomatids including Leishmania. The unique presence of this enzyme in trypanosomatids and absence in mammalian host make this enzyme an attractive target for the development of the antileishmanials. Complete open reading frame encoding trypanothione reductase from Leishmania donovani (Dd8 strain, causative agent of Indian visceral leishmaniasis) was cloned, sequenced, and expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3) as glutathione S-transferase fusion protein. The conditions were developed for overexpression of fusion protein in soluble form and purification of the recombinant protein to homogeneity. The recombinant LdTR was 54.68 kDa in size, dimeric in nature, and reduces oxidized trypanothione to reduced form. The kinetic parameters for trypanothione disulfide are K(m), 50 microM; k(cat), 18,181 min(-1); and k(cat)/K(m), 6.06x10(6) M(-1) s(-1). The yield of recombinant LdTR was approximately 16 mg/L bacterial culture and accounted for 6% of the total soluble proteins. The expressed protein was inhibited by known TR inhibitors as well as by SbIII, the known antileishmanial compound. This is the first report of large-scale production of any leishmanial TR in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukul K Mittal
- Division of Biochemistry, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India
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Selvapandiyan A, Duncan R, Debrabant A, Bertholet S, Sreenivas G, Negi NS, Salotra P, Nakhasi HL. Expression of a mutant form of Leishmania donovani centrin reduces the growth of the parasite. J Biol Chem 2001; 276:43253-61. [PMID: 11544261 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m106806200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmania donovani, a protozoan parasite, causes visceral disease in humans. To identify genes that control growth, we have isolated for the first time in the order Kinetoplastida a gene encoding for centrin from L. donovani. Centrin is a calcium-binding cytoskeletal protein essential for centrosome duplication or segregation. Protein sequence similarity and immunoreactivity confirmed that Leishmania centrin is a homolog of human centrin 2. Immunofluorescence analysis localized the protein in the basal body. Calcium binding analysis revealed that its C-terminal Ca(2+) binding domain binds 16-fold more calcium than the N-terminal domain. Electrophoretic mobility shift of centrin treated with EGTA and abrogation of the shift in its mutants lacking a Ca(2+) binding site suggest that Ca(2+) binding to these regions may have a role in the protein conformation. The levels of centrin mRNA and protein were high during the exponential growth of the parasite in culture and declined to a low level in the stationary phase. Expression of N-terminal-deleted centrin in the parasite significantly reduces its growth rate, and it was found that significantly more cells are arrested in the G(2)/M stage than in control cells. These studies indicate that centrin may have a functional role in Leishmania growth.
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MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Blotting, Northern
- Blotting, Southern
- Blotting, Western
- Calcium/metabolism
- Calcium-Binding Proteins/chemistry
- Cell Cycle
- Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/chemistry
- Cloning, Molecular
- Cytoskeleton/metabolism
- Egtazic Acid/pharmacology
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Deletion
- Immunoblotting
- Leishmania donovani/chemistry
- Leishmania donovani/genetics
- Leishmania donovani/physiology
- Microscopy, Fluorescence
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
- Phylogeny
- Plasmids/metabolism
- Protein Conformation
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- RNA/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
- Time Factors
- Transfection
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Affiliation(s)
- A Selvapandiyan
- Laboratory of Bacterial, Parasitic, and Unconventional Agents, Division of Emerging and Transfusion Transmitted Disease, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA
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Gupta N, Goyal N, Rastogi AK. In vitro cultivation and characterization of axenic amastigotes of Leishmania. Trends Parasitol 2001; 17:150-3. [PMID: 11286801 DOI: 10.1016/s1471-4922(00)01811-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The establishment of axenic cultures of the amastigote stage of Leishmania is important to understand the mechanisms regulating the differentiation, survival and pathogenicity of the parasite with a view to develop and identify molecular and chemotherapeutic targets. Recent developments in axenic culture and the characterization of amastigotes of different species of Leishmania are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Gupta
- Division of Biochemistry, Central Drug Research Institute, -226001, Lucknow, India
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Christensen CB, Jørgensen L, Jensen AT, Gasim S, Chen M, Kharazmi A, Theander TG, Andresen K. Molecular characterization of a Leishmania donovanii cDNA clone with similarity to human 20S proteasome a-type subunit. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2000; 1500:77-87. [PMID: 10564720 DOI: 10.1016/s0925-4439(99)00086-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Using plasma from patients infected or previously infected with Leishmania donovanii, we isolated a L. donovanii cDNA clone with similarity to the proteasome a-type subunit from humans and other eukaryotes. The cDNA clone, designated LePa, was DNA sequenced and Northern blot analysis of L. donovanii poly(A(+))mRNA indicated the isolation of a full length cDNA clone with a transcript size of 1.9 kb. The expressed recombinant LePa fusion protein induced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in one out of seven patients who had suffered from visceral leishmaniasis. Plasma from 16 out of 25 patients with visceral leishmaniasis and four out of 18 patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis contained IgG antibodies which reacted with the purified LePa fusion protein as evaluated in an ELISA. The LePa DNA sequence was inserted into an eukaryotic expression vector and Balb/c mice were vaccinated. DNA vaccination of Balb/c mice with LePa generated an initial significant reduction in lesion size after challenge.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Protozoan/blood
- Base Sequence
- Blotting, Northern
- Blotting, Western
- Cloning, Molecular
- Cysteine Endopeptidases/genetics
- DNA, Complementary/genetics
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- Humans
- Leishmania donovani/genetics
- Leishmania donovani/immunology
- Leishmania donovani/isolation & purification
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral/immunology
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral/parasitology
- Leishmaniasis, Visceral/prevention & control
- Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Multienzyme Complexes/genetics
- Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/immunology
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/pharmacology
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
- Vaccines, DNA/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- C B Christensen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
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9
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Lye LF, Chiang SC, Hsu JY, Lee ST. Expression and cellular localization of ribonucleotide reductase small subunit M2 protein in hydroxyurea-resistant Leishmania mexicana amazonensis. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1999; 102:263-71. [PMID: 10498182 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-6851(99)00099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
We raised a specific antiserum against the recombinant M2 subunit protein of ribonucleotide reductase of Leishmania mexicana amazonensis in rabbit. This antiserum was used to study the expression and cellular location of the M2 protein in wildtype as well as hydroxyurea-resistant variants (HuR) of the parasite. The protein increased with increasing dose of the drug used for selection of resistance. The increase in protein level was accompanied by an increase in the copy numbers of mRNA of the M2 gene in the variants. In contrast to mammalian cells, the M2 protein of Leishmania is located in the nucleus rather than in the cytoplasm. The number of cells expressing M2 protein is also different in mammalian cells versus Leishmania. In mammalian cells, expression of M2 protein is a strictly S-phase-correlated event and in exponentially growing cells only approximately 50% of the cells are in S-phase and only these cells synthesize M2 protein. In L. m. amazonensis, however, almost all exponentially growing cells are positive for M2 protein. This makes it unlikely that M2 protein expression in Leishmania is S-phase dependent. In view of these findings, a fresh look in the future into the regulatory mechanisms of synthesis and the site of action of RNR in L. m. amazonensis is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- L F Lye
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
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Pogue GP, Joshi M, Lee NS, Dwyer DM, Kenney RT, Gam AA, Nakhasi HL. Conservation of low-copy gene loci in Old World leishmanias identifies mechanisms of parasite evolution and diagnostic markers. Mol Biochem Parasitol 1996; 81:27-40. [PMID: 8892303 DOI: 10.1016/0166-6851(96)02697-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Genome plasticity has been hypothesized to be a driving force behind parasite speciation. We have evaluated divergence in single and low-copy genes in terms of locus organization, chromosomal localization and gene expression in Leishmania infantum, L. major, L. tropica and three widely divergent geographic isolates of L. donovani. Seventeen genes of low to moderate copy number (1-4 copies/haploid genome) were analyzed to identify restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) providing heritable markers distinguishing Old World (OW) leishmanias. These RFLP markers were conserved in parasite isolates from primary infections demonstrating their utility as diagnostic tools. The species designations established by RFLP analysis of field isolates was confirmed by use of monoclonal antibodies. All 17 genes were present in each OW leishmania analyzed except LSIP (A45), which was absent from L. infantum. The 17 genes were found to be distributed among 9 distinct chromosomes. However, in spite of variations in chromosome karyotypes among the various OW leishmanias, individual gene probes localized to a similar sized chromosome from each isolate. These observations coupled with a molecular tree derived from RFLP data suggest that the OW leishmanias comprise a monophyletic lineage, with species associated with cutaneous disease exhibiting the greatest level of divergence. Data from this study supports previous observations that species causing cutaneous and visceral disease have diverged primarily by nucleotide substitutions. Such nucleotide divergence may not only lead to changes in protein function and antigenicity, but may also alter gene regulation programs as exemplified by the finding that the LdI-9-5 and LdE-6-1 genes were expressed only in visceralizing leishmanias.
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Affiliation(s)
- G P Pogue
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Food and Drug Administration Bethesda MD 20892, USA
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