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Valenzuela-Leon PC, Campos Chagas A, Martin-Martin I, Williams AE, Berger M, Shrivastava G, Paige AS, Kotsyfakis M, Tirloni L, Calvo E. Guianensin, a Simulium guianense salivary protein, has broad anti-hemostatic and anti-inflammatory properties. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1163367. [PMID: 37469515 PMCID: PMC10353047 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1163367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Salivary glands from blood-feeding arthropods secrete several molecules that inhibit mammalian hemostasis and facilitate blood feeding and pathogen transmission. The salivary functions from Simulium guianense, the main vector of Onchocerciasis in South America, remain largely understudied. Here, we have characterized a salivary protease inhibitor (Guianensin) from the blackfly Simulium guianense. Materials and methods A combination of bioinformatic and biophysical analyses, recombinant protein production, in vitro and in vivo experiments were utilized to characterize the molecula mechanism of action of Guianensin. Kinetics of Guianensin interaction with proteases involved in vertebrate inflammation and coagulation were carried out by surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry. Plasma recalcification and coagulometry and tail bleeding assays were performed to understand the role of Guianensin in coagulation. Results Guianensin was identified in the sialotranscriptome of adult S. guianense flies and belongs to the Kunitz domain of protease inhibitors. It targets various serine proteases involved in hemostasis and inflammation. Binding to these enzymes is highly specific to the catalytic site and is not detectable for their zymogens, the catalytic site-blocked human coagulation factor Xa (FXa), or thrombin. Accordingly, Guianensin significantly increased both PT (Prothrombin time) and aPTT (Activated partial thromboplastin time) in human plasma and consequently increased blood clotting time ex vivo. Guianensin also inhibited prothrombinase activity on endothelial cells. We show that Guianensin acts as a potent anti-inflammatory molecule on FXa-induced paw edema formation in mice. Conclusion The information generated by this work highlights the biological functionality of Guianensin as an antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory protein that may play significant roles in blood feeding and pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrezza Campos Chagas
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ines Martin-Martin
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Adeline E. Williams
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Markus Berger
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Gaurav Shrivastava
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andrew S. Paige
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michalis Kotsyfakis
- Laboratory of Genomics and Proteomics of Disease Vectors, Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Lucas Tirloni
- Tick-Pathogen Transmission Unit, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT, United States
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Chagas AC, Calvo E, Pimenta PFP, Ribeiro JMC. An insight into the sialome of Simulium guianense (DIPTERA:SIMulIIDAE), the main vector of River Blindness Disease in Brazil. BMC Genomics 2011; 12:612. [PMID: 22182526 PMCID: PMC3285218 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-12-612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the composition and function of the saliva in black flies such as Simulium guianense, the main vector of river blindness disease in Brazil. The complex salivary potion of hematophagous arthropods counteracts their host's hemostasis, inflammation, and immunity. RESULTS Transcriptome analysis revealed ubiquitous salivary protein families--such as the Antigen-5, Yellow, Kunitz domain, and serine proteases--in the S. guianense sialotranscriptome. Insect-specific families were also found. About 63.4% of all secreted products revealed protein families found only in Simulium. Additionally, we found a novel peptide similar to kunitoxin with a structure distantly related to serine protease inhibitors. This study revealed a relative increase of transcripts of the SVEP protein family when compared with Simulium vittatum and S. nigrimanum sialotranscriptomes. We were able to extract coding sequences from 164 proteins associated with blood and sugar feeding, the majority of which were confirmed by proteome analysis. CONCLUSIONS Our results contribute to understanding the role of Simulium saliva in transmission of Onchocerca volvulus and evolution of salivary proteins in black flies. It also consists of a platform for mining novel anti-hemostatic compounds, vaccine candidates against filariasis, and immuno-epidemiologic markers of vector exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrezza C Chagas
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892-8132, USA
- Entomology Laboratory, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892-8132, USA
| | - Paulo FP Pimenta
- Entomology Laboratory, Centro de Pesquisa René Rachou, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José MC Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892-8132, USA
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