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Ait Maatallah I, Akarid K, Lemrani M. Tissue tropism: Is it an intrinsic characteristic of Leishmania species? Acta Trop 2022; 232:106512. [PMID: 35568069 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The genus Leishmania comprises a wide range of species, some of which are pathogenic to humans and each of which has a different tissue preference, resulting in one of the three clinical forms of human leishmaniasis: visceral, cutaneous, or mucocutaneous. Although, all pathogenic species are deposited intradermally in the mammalian host upon an infectious sand fly bite, only the viscerotropic strains can leave the skin and reach the internal organs. We assume that Leishmania tissue tropism is not only the result of Leishmania genetic determinism but is also governed by the interaction of the parasite with different vectorial and human host elements. To shed light on these elements and key steps determining the course of the infection, we describe throughout this review the disease's progression from the early stages of infection taking place in the skin to the late stages succeeding in the parasite's visceral dissemination. Hence, we address the question of Leishmania tropism, through providing relevant hypotheses and answers gathered from the literature.
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Phenotypical and genotypical differences among Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis isolates that caused different clinical frames in humans and dogs: A systematic review. Acta Trop 2021; 221:106018. [PMID: 34157292 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis is an important etiological agent of American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) in Brazil. The species causes a large spectrum of clinical manifestations in humans and dogs, ranging from cutaneous, cutaneous diffuse, mucocutaneous, and visceral involvement, however, the factors that drive the development of different disease forms by the same species are not yet fully known. In the present work, it was systematically reviewed the studies addressing phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis isolates causing cutaneous and visceral clinical frames in humans and dogs, comparing the results observed. For this, four research databases were searched for the following keywords: (Leishmania amazonensis AND visceral leishmaniasis) AND (tropism OR virulence OR visceralization OR adaptations OR mutation OR clinical presentation OR resistance OR survival OR wide spectrum). The results revealed that the complexity disease seems to involve the combination of genetic factors of the parasite (as modifications in molecules related to the virulence and metabolism) and also of the host's immune background and status. Nonetheless, the exact mechanism that leads to different clinical manifestations between strains of the same species is still uncertain and future studies must be developed to better elucidate this phenomenon.
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3
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McCall LI. Quo vadis? Central Rules of Pathogen and Disease Tropism. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:640987. [PMID: 33718287 PMCID: PMC7947345 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.640987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding why certain people get sick and die while others recover or never become ill is a fundamental question in biomedical research. A key determinant of this process is pathogen and disease tropism: the locations that become infected (pathogen tropism), and the locations that become damaged (disease tropism). Identifying the factors that regulate tropism is essential to understand disease processes, but also to drive the development of new interventions. This review intersects research from across infectious diseases to define the central mediators of disease and pathogen tropism. This review also highlights methods of study, and translational implications. Overall, tropism is a central but under-appreciated aspect of infection pathogenesis which should be at the forefront when considering the development of new methods of intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura-Isobel McCall
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- Laboratories of Molecular Anthropology and Microbiome Research, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
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Application of next generation sequencing (NGS) for descriptive analysis of 30 genomes of Leishmania infantum isolates in Middle-North Brazil. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12321. [PMID: 32704096 PMCID: PMC7378178 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68953-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a life-threatening disease caused by the protozoa Leishmania donovani and L. infantum. Likely, L. infantum was introduced in the New World by the Iberic colonizers. Due to recent introduction, the genetic diversity is low. Access to genomic information through the sequencing of Leishmania isolates allows the characterization of populations through the identification and analysis of variations. Population structure information may reveal important data on disease dynamics. Aiming to describe the genetic diversity of L. infantum from the Middle-North, Brazil, next generation sequencing of 30 Leishmania isolates obtained in the city of Teresina, from where the disease dispersed, was performed. The variations were categorized accordingly to the genome region and impact and provided the basis for chromosomal ploidy and population structure analysis. The results showed low diversity between the isolates and the Iberic reference genome JPCM5. Most variations were seen in non-coding regions, with modifying impact. The ploidy number analysis showed aneuploid profile. The population structure analysis revealed the presence of two L. infantum populations identified in Teresina. Further population genetics studies with a larger number of isolates should be performed in order to identify the genetic background associated with virulence and parasite ecology.
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Santos ARRD, Serufo ÂV, Figueiredo MM, Godoi LC, Vitório JG, Marcelino AP, Avelar DMD, Rodrigues FTG, Machado-Coelho GLL, Medeiros FAC, Jerônimo SMB, Oliveira EJD, Nascimento FC, Teixeira SMR, Gazzinelli RT, Nagem RAP, Fernandes AP. Evaluation of three recombinant proteins for the development of ELISA and immunochromatographic tests for visceral leishmaniasis serodiagnosis. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2019; 114:e180405. [PMID: 30726344 PMCID: PMC6364332 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760180405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is an infectious disease that is a significant
cause of death among infants aged under 1 year and the elderly in Brazil.
Serodiagnosis is a mainstay of VL elimination programs; however, it has
significant limitations due to low accuracy. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate three recombinant Leishmania
infantum proteins (rFc, rC9, and rA2) selected from previous
proteomics and genomics analyses to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent
assay (ELISA) and immunochromatographic tests (ICT) for the serodiagnosis of
human VL (HVL) and canine VL (CVL). METHODS A total of 186 human (70 L. infantum-infected symptomatic,
20 other disease-infected, and 96 healthy) and 185 canine (82 L.
infantum-infected symptomatic, 27 L.
infantum-infected asymptomatic, and 76 healthy) sera samples were
used for antibody detection. FINDINGS Of the three proteins, rA2 (91.5% sensitivity and 87% specificity) and rC9
(95.7% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity) displayed the best performance in
ELISA-HVL and ELISA-CVL, respectively. ICT-rA2 also displayed the best
performance for HVL diagnosis (92.3% sensitivity and 88.0% specificity) and
had high concordance with immunofluorescence antibody tests (IFAT),
ELISA-rK39, IT-LEISH®, and ELISAEXT. ICT-rFc, ICT-rC9,
and ICT-rA2 had sensitivities of 88.6%, 86.5%, and 87.0%, respectively, with
specificity values of 84.0%, 92.0%, and 100%, respectively for CVL
diagnosis. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The three antigens selected by us are promising candidates for VL diagnosis
regardless of the test format, although the antigen combinations and test
parameters may warrant further optimisation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ângela Vieira Serufo
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Faculdade de Farmácia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Maria Marta Figueiredo
- Centro de Tecnologia em Vacinas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Lara Carvalho Godoi
- Centro de Tecnologia em Vacinas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Santuza Maria Ribeiro Teixeira
- Centro de Tecnologia em Vacinas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.,Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Ricardo Tostes Gazzinelli
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.,Centro de Tecnologia em Vacinas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.,Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Ronaldo Alves Pinto Nagem
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Ana Paula Fernandes
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Faculdade de Farmácia, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.,Centro de Tecnologia em Vacinas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
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Genomic Analysis of Colombian Leishmania panamensis strains with different level of virulence. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17336. [PMID: 30478412 PMCID: PMC6255768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35778-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of Leishmania infection in mammalian hosts and the subsequent manifestation of clinical symptoms require internalization into macrophages, immune evasion and parasite survival and replication. Although many of the genes involved in these processes have been described, the genetic and genomic variability associated to differences in virulence is largely unknown. Here we present the genomic variation of four Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis strains exhibiting different levels of virulence in BALB/c mice and its application to predict novel genes related to virulence. De novo DNA sequencing and assembly of the most virulent strain allowed comparative genomics analysis with sequenced L. (Viannia) panamensis and L. (Viannia) braziliensis strains, and showed important variations at intra and interspecific levels. Moreover, the mutation detection and a CNV search revealed both base and structural genomic variation within the species. Interestingly, we found differences in the copy number and protein diversity of some genes previously related to virulence. Several machine-learning approaches were applied to combine previous knowledge with features derived from genomic variation and predict a curated set of 66 novel genes related to virulence. These genes can be prioritized for validation experiments and could potentially become promising drug and immune targets for the development of novel prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.
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Comparative genomics of Tunisian Leishmania major isolates causing human cutaneous leishmaniasis with contrasting clinical severity. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 50:110-120. [PMID: 27818279 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (L.) major parasites affects urban and suburban areas in the center and south of Tunisia where the disease is endemo-epidemic. Several cases were reported in human patients for which infection due to L. major induced lesions with a broad range of severity. However, very little is known about the mechanisms underlying this diversity. Our hypothesis is that parasite genomic variability could, in addition to the host immunological background, contribute to the intra-species clinical variability observed in patients and explain the lesion size differences observed in the experimental model. Based on several epidemiological, in vivo and in vitro experiments, we focused on two clinical isolates showing contrasted severity in patients and BALB/c experimental mice model. We used DNA-seq as a high-throughput technology to facilitate the identification of genetic variants with discriminating potential between both isolates. Our results demonstrate that various levels of heterogeneity could be found between both L. major isolates in terms of chromosome or gene copy number variation (CNV), and that the intra-species divergence could surprisingly be related to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and Insertion/Deletion (InDels) events. Interestingly, we particularly focused here on genes affected by both types of variants and correlated them with the observed gene CNV. Whether these differences are sufficient to explain the severity in patients is obviously still open to debate, but we do believe that additional layers of -omic information is needed to complement the genomic screen in order to draw a more complete map of severity determinants.
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8
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McCall LI, McKerrow JH. Determinants of disease phenotype in trypanosomatid parasites. Trends Parasitol 2014; 30:342-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2014.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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9
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Fernandes AP, Canavaci AMC, McCall LI, Matlashewski G. A2 and other visceralizing proteins of Leishmania: role in pathogenesis and application for vaccine development. Subcell Biochem 2014; 74:77-101. [PMID: 24264241 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a re-emergent disease and a significant cause of morbidity worldwide. Amongst the more than 20 Leishmania species, Leishmania donovani, Leishmania infantum and more rarely Leishmania amazonensis are associated with visceral leishmaniasis. A major question in leishmaniasis research is how these species migrate to and infect visceral organs whereas other species such as Leishmania major and Leishmania braziliensis remain in the skin, causing tegumentary leishmaniasis. Here we present the more recent advances and approaches towards the identification of species-specific visceralizing factors of Leishmania, such as the A2 protein, leading to a better understanding of parasite biology. We also discuss their potential use for the development of a vaccine for visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Fernandes
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Campus Pampulha, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270901, Brazil,
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10
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Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne neglected tropical disease associated with a spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from self-healing cutaneous lesions to fatal visceral infections. Among the most important questions in Leishmania research is why some species like L. donovani infect visceral organs, whereas other species like L. major remain in the skin. The determinants of visceral leishmaniasis are still poorly understood, although genomic, immunologic, and animal models are beginning to provide important insight into this disease. In this review, we discuss the vector, host, and pathogen factors that mediate the development of visceral leishmaniasis. We examine the progression of the parasite from the initial site of sand fly bite to the visceral organs and its ability to survive there. The identification of visceral disease determinants is required to understand disease evolution, to understand visceral organ survival mechanisms, and potentially to develop better interventions for this largely neglected disease.
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11
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Role of cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in visceral organ infection by Leishmania donovani. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2012; 12:70-7. [PMID: 23125352 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00263-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The initial 7 steps of the glycolytic pathway from glucose to 3-phosphoglycerate are localized in the glycosomes in Leishmania, including step 6, catalyzed by the enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). In L. donovani and L. mexicana, there exists a second GAPDH enzyme present in the cytosol that is absent in L. braziliensis and that has become a pseudogene in L. major. To investigate the role of the cytosolic GAPDH (cGAPDH), an L. donovani cGAPDH-null mutant was generated, and conversely, the functional L. donovani cGAPDH was introduced into L. major and the resulting engineered parasites were characterized. The L. donovani cGAPDH-null mutant was able to proliferate at the same rate as the wild-type parasite in glucose-deficient medium. However, in the presence of glucose, the L. donovani cGAPDH-null mutant consumed less glucose and proliferated more slowly than the wild-type parasite and displayed reduced infectivity in visceral organs of experimentally infected mice. This demonstrates that cGAPDH is functional in L. donovani and is required for survival in visceral organs. Restoration of cGAPDH activity in L. major, in contrast, had an adverse effect on L. major proliferation in glucose-containing medium, providing a possible explanation of why it has evolved into a pseudogene in L. major. This study indicates that there is a difference in glucose metabolism between L. donovani and L. major, and this may represent an important factor in the ability of L. donovani to cause visceral disease.
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12
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Hartley MA, Ronet C, Zangger H, Beverley SM, Fasel N. Leishmania RNA virus: when the host pays the toll. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2012; 2:99. [PMID: 22919688 PMCID: PMC3417650 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2012.00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of an RNA virus in a South American subgenus of the Leishmania parasite, L. (Viannia), was detected several decades ago but its role in leishmanial virulence and metastasis was only recently described. In Leishmania guyanensis, the nucleic acid of Leishmania RNA virus (LRV1) acts as a potent innate immunogen, eliciting a hyper-inflammatory immune response through toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3). The resultant inflammatory cascade has been shown to increase disease severity, parasite persistence, and perhaps even resistance to anti-leishmanial drugs. Curiously, LRVs were found mostly in clinical isolates prone to infectious metastasis in both their human source and experimental animal model, suggesting an association between the viral hyperpathogen and metastatic complications such as mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (MCL). MCL presents as chronic secondary lesions in the mucosa of the mouth and nose, debilitatingly inflamed and notoriously refractory to treatment. Immunologically, this outcome has many of the same hallmarks associated with the reaction to LRV: production of type 1 interferons, bias toward a chronic Th1 inflammatory state and an impaired ability of host cells to eliminate parasites through oxidative stress. More intriguing, is that the risk of developing MCL is found almost exclusively in infections of the L. (Viannia) subtype, further indication that leishmanial metastasis is caused, at least in part, by a parasitic component. LRV present in this subgenus may contribute to the destructive inflammation of metastatic disease either by acting in concert with other intrinsic "metastatic factors" or by independently preying on host TLR3 hypersensitivity. Because LRV amplifies parasite virulence, its presence may provide a unique target for diagnostic and clinical intervention of metastatic leishmaniasis. Taking examples from other members of the Totiviridae virus family, this paper reviews the benefits and costs of endosymbiosis, specifically for the maintenance of LRV infection in Leishmania parasites, which is often at the expense of its human host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary-Anne Hartley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne Epalinges, Switzerland
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13
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Abstract
Parasitic protozoa belonging to the genus Leishmania are the cause of a spectrum of diseases in humans, as well as chronic long-term infections. These parasites exhibit a remarkable capacity to survive and proliferate within the phagolysosome compartment of host macrophages. Studies with defined Leishmania mutants in mouse models of infection have highlighted processes that are required for parasite survival in macrophages. Parasite mutants have been identified that (i) are poorly virulent when the insect (promastigote) stage is used to initiate infection, but retain wild-type virulence following transformation to the obligate intracellular amastigote stage, (ii) are highly attenuated when either promastigotes or amastigotes are used, and (iii) are unable to induce characteristic lesion granulomas, but can persist within macrophages in other tissues. From these analyses it can be concluded that promastigote stages of some species require the surface expression of lipophosphoglycan, but not other surface components. Survival and subsequent proliferation of Leishmania in macrophages requires the activation of heat-shock responses (involving the up-regulation and/or phosphorylation of heat-shock proteins), the presence of oxidative and nitrosative defence mechanisms, and uptake and catabolism of carbon sources (glycoproteins, hexoses and amino acids) and essential nutrients (purines, amino acids and vitamins). Parasite mutants with defects in specific kinase/phosphatase-dependent signalling pathways are also severely attenuated in amastigote virulence, highlighting the potential importance of post-translational regulatory mechanisms in parasite adaptation to this host niche.
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14
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Rogers MB, Hilley JD, Dickens NJ, Wilkes J, Bates PA, Depledge DP, Harris D, Her Y, Herzyk P, Imamura H, Otto TD, Sanders M, Seeger K, Dujardin JC, Berriman M, Smith DF, Hertz-Fowler C, Mottram JC. Chromosome and gene copy number variation allow major structural change between species and strains of Leishmania. Genome Res 2011; 21:2129-42. [PMID: 22038252 PMCID: PMC3227102 DOI: 10.1101/gr.122945.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 316] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 08/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania parasites cause a spectrum of clinical pathology in humans ranging from disfiguring cutaneous lesions to fatal visceral leishmaniasis. We have generated a reference genome for Leishmania mexicana and refined the reference genomes for Leishmania major, Leishmania infantum, and Leishmania braziliensis. This has allowed the identification of a remarkably low number of genes or paralog groups (2, 14, 19, and 67, respectively) unique to one species. These were found to be conserved in additional isolates of the same species. We have predicted allelic variation and find that in these isolates, L. major and L. infantum have a surprisingly low number of predicted heterozygous SNPs compared with L. braziliensis and L. mexicana. We used short read coverage to infer ploidy and gene copy numbers, identifying large copy number variations between species, with 200 tandem gene arrays in L. major and 132 in L. mexicana. Chromosome copy number also varied significantly between species, with nine supernumerary chromosomes in L. infantum, four in L. mexicana, two in L. braziliensis, and one in L. major. A significant bias against gene arrays on supernumerary chromosomes was shown to exist, indicating that duplication events occur more frequently on disomic chromosomes. Taken together, our data demonstrate that there is little variation in unique gene content across Leishmania species, but large-scale genetic heterogeneity can result through gene amplification on disomic chromosomes and variation in chromosome number. Increased gene copy number due to chromosome amplification may contribute to alterations in gene expression in response to environmental conditions in the host, providing a genetic basis for disease tropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B. Rogers
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - James D. Hilley
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. Dickens
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
| | - Jon Wilkes
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
| | - Paul A. Bates
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel P. Depledge
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - David Harris
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Yerim Her
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Pawel Herzyk
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
| | - Hideo Imamura
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Unit of Molecular Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Thomas D. Otto
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Mandy Sanders
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Kathy Seeger
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Unit of Molecular Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Matthew Berriman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah F. Smith
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Christiane Hertz-Fowler
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy C. Mottram
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, United Kingdom
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15
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Expression of a Leishmania donovani nucleotide sugar transporter in Leishmania major enhances survival in visceral organs. Exp Parasitol 2011; 129:337-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2011.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Revised: 09/15/2011] [Accepted: 09/21/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Abstract
Trypanosomes are protozoan parasites of medical and veterinary importance. It is well established that different species, subspecies and strains of trypanosome can cause very different disease in the mammalian host, exemplified by the two human-infective subspecies of Trypanosoma brucei that cause either acute or chronic disease. We are beginning to understand how the host response shapes the course of the disease and how genetic variation in the host can be a factor in disease severity, particularly in the mouse model, but until recently the role of parasite genetic variation that determines differential disease outcome has been a neglected area. This review will discuss the recent advances in this field, covering both our current knowledge of the T. brucei genes involved and the approaches that are leading towards the identification of T. brucei virulence genes. Finally, the potential for using parasite genotype variation to examine the evolutionary context of virulence will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Morrison
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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17
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Jeon H, Go Y, Seo M, Lee WH, Suk K. Functional selection of phagocytosis-promoting genes: cell sorting-based selection. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 15:949-55. [PMID: 20660795 DOI: 10.1177/1087057110376090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Phagocytosis is a critical host defense mechanism that clears invading pathogens, apoptotic cells, and cell debris; it is an essential process for normal development, tissue remodeling, immune response, and inflammation. Here, a functional selection strategy was used to isolate novel phagocytosis-promoting genes. After the retroviral transfer of mouse brain cDNA library into NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells, cell sorting was used to select the cells that phagocytosed fluorescent zymosan particles. The cDNAs were retrieved from the selected cells and identified by DNA sequencing as eIF5A, Meg3, Tubb5, Sparcl-1, Uchl-1, Bsg (CD147), Ube2v1, and Pamr1. The phagocytosis-promoting activity for some of these cDNAs was confirmed by transient transfection in the independent phagocytosis assays. Thus, the unbiased selection procedure successfully identified multiple phagocytosis-promoting genes. The selection method can be applied to other cell-based assays where cells with a desired phenotype can be physically separated. Moreover, the new gene targets uncovered in this study could be relevant to biomolecule screening in search of phagocytosis-regulating agents. In a small-scale screen, a series of imidazopyridine compounds was tested to identify the small molecules that modulate eIF5A-mediated phagocytic activity. Several compounds that influenced the phagocytic activity can be further used as chemical-genetic tools to delineate the mechanisms of eIF5A action and be potential drug candidates that are capable of therapeutically modulating phagocytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyejin Jeon
- Department of Pharmacology, Brain Science and Engineering Institute, CMRI, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
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Zhang WW, Matlashewski G. Screening Leishmania donovani-specific genes required for visceral infection. Mol Microbiol 2010; 77:505-17. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07230.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Müller M, Padmanabhan PK, Papadopoulou B. Selective inactivation of SIDER2 retroposon-mediated mRNA decay contributes to stage- and species-specific gene expression in Leishmania. Mol Microbiol 2010; 77:471-91. [PMID: 20497500 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2010.07226.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite their high genomic synteny, the Leishmania major and Leishmania infantum species exhibit extensive differences in mRNA expression patterns throughout the parasite's development. Yet, the underlying mechanisms for this species-specific differential gene expression are largely unknown. Here we report that Short Interspersed DEgenerated Retroposons of the SIDER2 subfamily, shown previously to promote rapid mRNA turnover, confer differential regulation of orthologous transcripts resulting in a stage- and species-specific gene expression. We demonstrate that SIDER2-mediated decay of two L. major transcripts encoding a hypothetical protein and an aminomethyltransferase to a similar extent in promastigote and amastigote developmental forms results in a constitutive low expression of the corresponding proteins. In contrast, their L. infantum orthologs are differentially expressed due to the selective inactivation of SIDER2 in intracellular amastigotes. Inactivation of the SIDER2 function blocks the SIDER2-mediated deadenylation-independent decay pathway, and stabilized transcripts are degraded by a slower, deadenylation-dependent mechanism. Sequence variations in SIDER2 retroposons between orthologous transcripts do not contribute to SIDER2 inactivation. Our data suggest that SIDER2 inactivation is 3'-untranslated region context-dependent and that involves possibly species- and stage-specific trans-acting factor(s). These findings further emphasize the important contribution of SIDER retroposons in the control of gene expression across the Leishmania genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Müller
- Infectious Disease Research Center, CHUL Research Center and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
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Dumonteil E. Vaccine development against Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania species in the post-genomic era. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2010; 9:1075-82. [PMID: 19805015 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2009.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2008] [Revised: 02/17/2009] [Accepted: 02/19/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi and the genus Leishmania are protozoan parasites causing diseases of major public health importance, and the recent completion of the sequencing of their genomes has opened new opportunities to further our understanding of the mechanisms required for protection and the development of vaccines. For example, trans-sialidases, one of the largest protein families from T. cruzi, contain dominant CD8+ T cell epitopes, and their use as preventive or therapeutic vaccines in different animal models has provided encouraging results. A much wider range of antigens and vaccine formulations have been tested against Leishmania, and new correlates for protection are being defined, such as the induction of multifunctional Th1 effector cells capable of producing a complex set of cytokines. Also, while a large number of these vaccine candidates have been rather successful in mouse models, their usefulness in more relevant animal models is still poor, in spite of significant immunogenicity. Novel proteomics and genomics approaches are being used for antigen discovery and the identification of new vaccine candidates, some of which have shown promise for the control of infection. These studies cast little doubt that T. cruzi and Leishmania genomes represent major resources for understanding key aspects of the mechanisms of immune protection against these parasites, and the increasing use of these tools will greatly impact vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Dumonteil
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
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Seo M, Lee WH, Suk K. Identification of novel cell migration-promoting genes by a functional genetic screen. FASEB J 2009; 24:464-78. [PMID: 19812375 DOI: 10.1096/fj.09-137562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Here we describe the identification of novel cell migration-promoting genes based on an unbiased functional genetic screen in cultured cells. After the introduction of the retroviral mouse brain cDNA library into NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells, migration-promoted cells were selected by a 3-dimensional migration assay using cell culture inserts. After 5 rounds of enrichment, cDNAs were retrieved from the cells with a selected phenotype. Cell migration-promoting activity was confirmed by independent migration assays for the retrieved cDNAs, among which further investigation was focused on coiled-coil-helix-coiled-coil-helix domain-containing protein 2 (chchd2). Whereas overexpression of chchd2 promoted cell migration, knockdown of endogenous chchd2 expression reduced cell migration. Chchd2-induced cell migration was associated with augmented formation of actin stress fibers and focal adhesion, which was mediated through Akt, RhoA/ROCK, and Jnk pathways. CHCHD2 protein directly interacted with hyaluronic acid-binding protein 1 (HABP1) that possessed migration-suppressing activity. Intracellular localization and further functional studies suggested that CHCHD2 and HABP1 may mutually regulate each other to balance cell migration. Thus, chchd2 is a novel cell migration determinant identified by an in vitro functional genetic selection strategy. The selection method can also be useful for the isolation of genes that give other phenotypes of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minchul Seo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Brain Science and Engineering Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
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Doyle MA, MacRae JI, De Souza DP, Saunders EC, McConville MJ, Likić VA. LeishCyc: a biochemical pathways database for Leishmania major. BMC SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2009; 3:57. [PMID: 19497128 PMCID: PMC2700086 DOI: 10.1186/1752-0509-3-57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2009] [Accepted: 06/05/2009] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Background Leishmania spp. are sandfly transmitted protozoan parasites that cause a spectrum of diseases in more than 12 million people worldwide. Much research is now focusing on how these parasites adapt to the distinct nutrient environments they encounter in the digestive tract of the sandfly vector and the phagolysosome compartment of mammalian macrophages. While data mining and annotation of the genomes of three Leishmania species has provided an initial inventory of predicted metabolic components and associated pathways, resources for integrating this information into metabolic networks and incorporating data from transcript, protein, and metabolite profiling studies is currently lacking. The development of a reliable, expertly curated, and widely available model of Leishmania metabolic networks is required to facilitate systems analysis, as well as discovery and prioritization of new drug targets for this important human pathogen. Description The LeishCyc database was initially built from the genome sequence of Leishmania major (v5.2), based on the annotation published by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. LeishCyc was manually curated to remove errors, correct automated predictions, and add information from the literature. The ongoing curation is based on public sources, literature searches, and our own experimental and bioinformatics studies. In a number of instances we have improved on the original genome annotation, and, in some ambiguous cases, collected relevant information from the literature in order to help clarify gene or protein annotation in the future. All genes in LeishCyc are linked to the corresponding entry in GeneDB (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute). Conclusion The LeishCyc database describes Leishmania major genes, gene products, metabolites, their relationships and biochemical organization into metabolic pathways. LeishCyc provides a systematic approach to organizing the evolving information about Leishmania biochemical networks and is a tool for analysis, interpretation, and visualization of Leishmania Omics data (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) in the context of metabolic pathways. LeishCyc is the first such database for the Trypanosomatidae family, which includes a number of other important human parasites. Flexible query/visualization capabilities are provided by the Pathway Tools software and its Web interface. The LeishCyc database is made freely available over the Internet .
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Doyle
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Richardson JM, Morrison LS, Bland ND, Bruce S, Coombs GH, Mottram JC, Walkinshaw MD. Structures of Leishmania major orthologues of macrophage migration inhibitory factor. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2009; 380:442-8. [PMID: 19187777 PMCID: PMC3242041 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2009] [Accepted: 01/07/2009] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania major, an intracellular parasitic protozoon that infects, differentiates and replicates within macrophages, expresses two closely related MIF-like proteins. To ascertain the roles and potential differences of these two Leishmania proteins, recombinant L. major MIF1 and MIF2 have been produced and the structures resolved by X-ray crystallography. Each has a trimeric ring architecture similar to mammalian MIF, but with some structurally distinct features. LmjMIF1, but not LmjMIF2, has tautomerase activity. LmjMIF2 is found in all life cycle stages whereas LmjMIF1 is found exclusively in amastigotes, the intracellular stage responsible for mammalian disease. The findings are consistent with parasite MIFs modulating or circumventing the host macrophage response, thereby promoting parasite survival, but suggest the LmjMIFs have potentially different biological roles. Analysis of the Leishmania braziliensis genome showed that this species lacks both MIF genes. Thus MIF is not a virulence factor in all species of Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Richardson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK
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