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Uribe-Querol E, Rosales C. Neutrophils versus Protozoan Parasites: Plasmodium, Trichomonas, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, and Entameoba. Microorganisms 2024; 12:827. [PMID: 38674770 PMCID: PMC11051968 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040827] [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: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are the most abundant polymorphonuclear granular leukocytes in human blood and are an essential part of the innate immune system. Neutrophils are efficient cells that eliminate pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but their role in dealing with protozoan parasitic infections remains controversial. At sites of protozoan parasite infections, a large number of infiltrating neutrophils is observed, suggesting that neutrophils are important cells for controlling the infection. Yet, in most cases, there is also a strong inflammatory response that can provoke tissue damage. Diseases like malaria, trichomoniasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and amoebiasis affect millions of people globally. In this review, we summarize these protozoan diseases and describe the novel view on how neutrophils are involved in protection from these parasites. Also, we present recent evidence that neutrophils play a double role in these infections participating both in control of the parasite and in the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen Uribe-Querol
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo, División de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Carlos Rosales
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
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2
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Kamil M, Kina UY, Atmaca HN, Unal S, Deveci G, Burak P, Aly ASI. Endoplasmic reticulum localized TMEM33 domain-containing protein is crucial for all life cycle stages of the malaria parasite. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:767-780. [PMID: 38238886 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays a pivotal role in the regulation of stress responses in multiple eukaryotic cells. However, little is known about the effector mechanisms that regulate stress responses in ER of the malaria parasite. Herein, we aimed to identify the importance of a transmembrane protein 33 (TMEM33)-domain-containing protein in life cycle of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. TMEM33 is an ER membrane-resident protein that is involved in regulating stress responses in various eukaryotic cells. A C-terminal tagged TMEM33 was localized in the ER throughout the blood and mosquito stages of development. Targeted deletion of TMEM33 confirmed its importance for asexual blood stages and ookinete development, in addition to its essential role for sporozoite infectivity in the mammalian host. Pilot scale analysis shows that the loss of TMEM33 results in the initiation of ER stress response and induction of autophagy. Our findings conclude an important role of TMEM33 in the development of all life cycle stages of the malaria parasite, which indicates its potential as an antimalarial target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Kamil
- Aly Lab, Department of Microbiology, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Childrens Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Umit Yasar Kina
- Aly Lab, Department of Microbiology, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Habibe Nur Atmaca
- Aly Lab, Department of Microbiology, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sinem Unal
- Aly Lab, Department of Microbiology, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gozde Deveci
- Aly Lab, Department of Microbiology, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Pinar Burak
- Aly Lab, Department of Microbiology, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmed S I Aly
- Aly Lab, Department of Microbiology, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Science and Engineering, Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco
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3
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Jabeena CA, Rajavelu A. Histone globular domain epigenetic modifications: The regulators of chromatin dynamics in malaria parasite. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300596. [PMID: 38078518 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium species adapt a complex lifecycle with multiple phenotypes to survive inside various cell types of humans and mosquitoes. Stage-specific gene expression in the developmental stages of parasites is tightly controlled in Plasmodium species; however, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be explored. Genome organization and gene expression for each stage of the malaria parasite need to be better characterized. Recent studies indicated that epigenetic modifications of histone proteins play a vital role in chromatin plasticity. Like other eukaryotes, Plasmodium species N-terminal tail modifications form a distinct "histone code," which creates the docking sites for histone reader proteins, including gene activator/repressor complexes, to regulate gene expression. The emerging research findings shed light on various unconventional epigenetic changes in histone proteins' core/globular domain regions, which might contribute to the chromatin organization in different developmental stages of the malaria parasite. The malaria parasite lost many transcription factors during evolution, and it is proposed that the nature of local chromatin structure essentially regulates the stage-specific gene expression. This review highlights recent discoveries of unconventional histone globular domain epigenetic modifications and their functions in regulating chromatin structure dynamics in various developmental stages of malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Jabeena
- Pathogen Biology Group, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thycaud P O, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695014, India
| | - Arumugam Rajavelu
- Pathogen Biology Group, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thycaud P O, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695014, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600 036, India
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4
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Karthika A, Hemavathy N, Amala M, Rajamanikandan S, Veerapandian M, Prabhu D, Vetrivel U, Jung Chen C, Jeyaraj Pandian C, Jeyakanthan J. Structural and functional characterization of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in Plasmodium falciparum (3D7) and identification of its potent inhibitors. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:2058-2074. [PMID: 37599457 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2248271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum predominantly causes severe malaria and deaths worldwide. Moreover, resistance developed by P. falciparum to frontline drugs in recent years has markedly increased malaria-related deaths in South Asian Countries. Ribulose 5-phosphate and NADPH synthesized by Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) act as a direct precursor for nucleotide synthesis and P. falciparum survival during oxidative challenges in the intra-erythrocytic growth phase . In the present study, we have elucidated the structure and functional characteristics of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) in P. falciparum and have identified potent hits against 6PGD by pharmacophore-based virtual screening with ZINC and ChemBridge databases. Molecular docking and Molecular dynamics simulation, binding free energies (MMGBSA & MMPBSA), and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were integratively employed to validate and prioritize the most potential hits. The 6PGD structure was found to have an open and closed conformation during MD simulation. The apo form of 6PGD was found to be in closed conformation, while a open conformation attributed to facilitating binding of cofactor. It was also inferred from the conformational analysis that the small domain of 6PGD has a high influence in altering the conformation that may aid in open/closed conformation of 6PGD. The top three hits identified using pharmacophore hypotheses were ChemBridge_11084819, ChemBridge_80178394, and ChemBridge_17912340. Though all three hits scored a high glide score, MMGBSA, and favorable ADMET properties, ChemBridge_11084819 and ChemBrdige_17912340 showed higher stability and binding free energy. Moreover, these hits also featured stable H-bond interactions with the active loop of 6PGD with binding free energy comparable to substrate-bound complex. Therefore, the ChemBridge_11084819 and ChemBridge_17912340 moieties demonstrate to have high therapeutic potential against 6PGD in P. falciparum.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alagesan Karthika
- Structural Biology and Bio-Computing Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Science Block, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nagarajan Hemavathy
- Structural Biology and Bio-Computing Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Science Block, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
- Centre for Bioinformatics, Vision Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mathimaran Amala
- Structural Biology and Bio-Computing Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Science Block, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sundaraj Rajamanikandan
- Centre for Drug Discovery, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Malaisamy Veerapandian
- Structural Biology and Bio-Computing Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Science Block, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Dhamodharan Prabhu
- Centre for Drug Discovery, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Umashankar Vetrivel
- ICMR-National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Nehru Nagar, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
- ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Chun Jung Chen
- Life Science Group, Scientific Research Division, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Chitra Jeyaraj Pandian
- Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Umayal Ramanathan College for Women, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jeyaraman Jeyakanthan
- Structural Biology and Bio-Computing Lab, Department of Bioinformatics, Science Block, Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
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5
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Ntumngia FB, Kolli SK, Annamalai Subramani P, Barnes SJ, Nicholas J, Ogbondah MM, Barnes BB, Salinas ND, Thawornpan P, Tolia NH, Chootong P, Adams JH. Naturally acquired antibodies against Plasmodium vivax pre-erythrocytic stage vaccine antigens inhibit sporozoite invasion of human hepatocytes in vitro. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1260. [PMID: 38218737 PMCID: PMC10787766 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51820-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
In Plasmodium vivax, the most studied vaccine antigens are aimed at blocking merozoite invasion of erythrocytes and disease development. Very few studies have evaluated pre-erythrocytic (PE) stage antigens. The P. vivax circumsporozoite protein (CSP), is considered the leading PE vaccine candidate, but immunity to CSP is short-lived and variant specific. Thus, there is a need to identify other potential candidates to partner with CSP in a multivalent vaccine to protect against infection and disease. We hypothesize that sporozoite antigens important for host cell infection are considered potential targets. In this study, we evaluated the magnitude and quality of naturally acquired antibody responses to four P. vivax PE antigens: sporozoite surface protein 3 (SSP3), sporozoite protein essential for traversal 1 (SPECT1), cell traversal protein of ookinetes and sporozoites (CelTOS) and CSP in plasma of P. vivax infected patients from Thailand. Naturally acquired antibodies to these antigens were prevalent in the study subjects, but with significant differences in magnitude of IgG antibody responses. About 80% of study participants had antibodies to all four antigens and only 2% did not have antibodies to any of the antigens. Most importantly, these antibodies inhibited sporozoite infection of hepatocytes in vitro. Significant variations in magnitude of antigen-specific inhibitory antibody responses were observed with individual samples. The highest inhibitory responses were observed with anti-CelTOS antibodies, followed by anti-SPECT1, SSP3 and CSP antibodies respectively. These data highlight the vaccine potential of these antigens in protecting against hepatocyte infection and the need for a multi-valent pre-erythrocytic vaccine to prevent liver stage development of P. vivax sporozoites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis Babila Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Surendra Kumar Kolli
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | - Samantha J Barnes
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Justin Nicholas
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Madison M Ogbondah
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Brian B Barnes
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St Petersburg, FL, USA
| | - Nichole D Salinas
- Host Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pongsakorn Thawornpan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Niraj H Tolia
- Host Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Patchanee Chootong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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6
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Geens R, Stanisich J, Beyens O, D'Hondt S, Thiberge J, Ryckebosch A, De Groot A, Magez S, Vertommen D, Amino R, De Winter H, Volkov AN, Tompa P, Sterckx YG. Biophysical characterization of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein's N-terminal domain. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4852. [PMID: 38059674 PMCID: PMC10749493 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is the main surface antigen of the Plasmodium sporozoite (SPZ) and forms the basis of the currently only licensed anti-malarial vaccine (RTS,S/AS01). CSP uniformly coats the SPZ and plays a pivotal role in its immunobiology, in both the insect and the vertebrate hosts. Although CSP's N-terminal domain (CSPN ) has been reported to play an important role in multiple CSP functions, a thorough biophysical and structural characterization of CSPN is currently lacking. Here, we present an alternative method for the recombinant production and purification of CSPN from Plasmodium falciparum (PfCSPN ), which provides pure, high-quality protein preparations with high yields. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining in-solution experimental methods and in silico analyses, we provide strong evidence that PfCSPN is an intrinsically disordered region displaying some degree of compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Geens
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- Structural Biology BrusselsVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Jessica Stanisich
- Cellular and Molecular ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Olivier Beyens
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (UAMC)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Stijn D'Hondt
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (UAMC)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Amber Ryckebosch
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Anke De Groot
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Stefan Magez
- Cellular and Molecular ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Ghent University Global CampusIncheonSouth Korea
| | - Didier Vertommen
- de Duve Institute and MASSPROT Platform, UCLouvainBrusselsBelgium
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Unit of Malaria Infection & ImmunityInstitut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Hans De Winter
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (UAMC)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Alexander N. Volkov
- Structural Biology BrusselsVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural BiologyVlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)BrusselsBelgium
- Jean Jeener NMR CentreVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Peter Tompa
- Structural Biology BrusselsVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural BiologyVlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)BrusselsBelgium
- Institute of Enzymology, Biological Research CenterHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Yann G.‐J. Sterckx
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
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7
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Sharma M, Lozano-Amado D, Chowdhury D, Singh U. Extracellular Vesicles and Their Impact on the Biology of Protozoan Parasites. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:448. [PMID: 37755909 PMCID: PMC10537256 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8090448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-membrane-bound structures produced naturally by all cells and have a variety of functions. EVs act as vehicles for transporting important molecular signals from one cell to another. Several parasites have been shown to secrete EVs, and their biological functions have been extensively studied. EVs have been shown to facilitate communication with the host cells (such as modulation of the host's immune system or promoting attachment and invasion into the host cells) or for communication between parasitic cells (e.g., transferring drug-resistance genes or factors modulating stage conversion). It is clear that EVs play an important role in host-parasite interactions. In this review, we summarized the latest research on the EVs secreted by protozoan parasites and their role in host-parasite and parasite-parasite communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manu Sharma
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.S.); (D.L.-A.); (D.C.)
| | - Daniela Lozano-Amado
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.S.); (D.L.-A.); (D.C.)
| | - Debabrata Chowdhury
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.S.); (D.L.-A.); (D.C.)
| | - Upinder Singh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; (M.S.); (D.L.-A.); (D.C.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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8
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Kina UY, Kamil M, Deveci G, Rafiqi AM, Matuschewski K, Aly ASI. A Candidate Bacterial-Type Amino Acid Decarboxylase Is Essential for Male Gamete Exflagellation and Mosquito Transmission of the Malaria Parasite. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0016723. [PMID: 37260388 PMCID: PMC10353352 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00167-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A frequent side effect of chemotherapy against malaria parasite blood infections is a dramatic induction of the sexual blood stages, thereby enhancing the risk of future malaria transmissions. The polyamine biosynthesis pathway has been suggested as a candidate target for transmission-blocking anti-malarial drug development. Herein, we describe the role of a bacterial-type amino acid decarboxylase (AAD) in the life cycle of the malaria model parasite Plasmodium yoelii. Hallmarks of AAD include a conserved catalytic lysine residue and high-level homology to arginine/lysine/ornithine decarboxylases of pathogenic bacteria. By targeted gene deletion, we show that AAD plays an essential role in the exflagellation of microgametes, resulting in complete absence of sporozoites in the mosquito vector. These data highlight the central role of the biosysthesis of polyamines in the final steps of male gamete sexual development of the malaria parasite and, hence, onward transmission to mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umit Y. Kina
- Aly lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mohd Kamil
- Aly lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Gozde Deveci
- Aly lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ab. Matteen Rafiqi
- Aly lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ahmed S. I. Aly
- Aly lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- School of Science and Engineering, Al Akhawayn University, Ifrane, Morocco
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9
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Król G, Fortunka K, Majchrzak M, Piktel E, Paprocka P, Mańkowska A, Lesiak A, Karasiński M, Strzelecka A, Durnaś B, Bucki R. Metallic Nanoparticles and Core-Shell Nanosystems in the Treatment, Diagnosis, and Prevention of Parasitic Diseases. Pathogens 2023; 12:838. [PMID: 37375528 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12060838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The usage of nanotechnology in the fight against parasitic diseases is in the early stages of development, but it brings hopes that this new field will provide a solution to target the early stages of parasitosis, compensate for the lack of vaccines for most parasitic diseases, and also provide new treatment options for diseases in which parasites show increased resistance to current drugs. The huge physicochemical diversity of nanomaterials developed so far, mainly for antibacterial and anti-cancer therapies, requires additional studies to determine their antiparasitic potential. When designing metallic nanoparticles (MeNPs) and specific nanosystems, such as complexes of MeNPs, with the shell of attached drugs, several physicochemical properties need to be considered. The most important are: size, shape, surface charge, type of surfactants that control their dispersion, and shell molecules that should assure specific molecular interaction with targeted molecules of parasites' cells. Therefore, it can be expected that the development of antiparasitic drugs using strategies provided by nanotechnology and the use of nanomaterials for diagnostic purposes will soon provide new and effective methods of antiparasitic therapy and effective diagnostic tools that will improve the prevention and reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Król
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Kamila Fortunka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Michał Majchrzak
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Ewelina Piktel
- Independent Laboratory of Nanomedicine, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2B, 15-222 Białystok, Poland
| | - Paulina Paprocka
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Angelika Mańkowska
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Agata Lesiak
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Maciej Karasiński
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Białystok, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Strzelecka
- Department of Public Health , Institute of Health Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Bonita Durnaś
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
| | - Robert Bucki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, Collegium Medicum, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19A, 25-317 Kielce, Poland
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Białystok, Mickiewicza 2C, 15-222 Białystok, Poland
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10
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Deveci G, Kamil M, Kina U, Temel BA, Aly ASI. Genetic disruption of nucleoside transporter 4 reveals its critical roles in malaria parasite sporozoite functions. Pathog Glob Health 2023; 117:284-292. [PMID: 36003062 PMCID: PMC10081079 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2022.2112880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
All protozoan parasites are lacking the pathway to synthesize purines de novo and therefore they depend on their host cells to provide purines. A number of highly conserved nucleoside transporter (NT) proteins are encoded in malaria parasite genomes, of which NT1 is characterized in Plasmodium falciparum and P. yoelii as a plasma membrane protein that is responsible for salvage of purines from the host, and NT2 is an endoplasmic membrane NT protein. Whereas NT3 is only present in primate malaria parasites, little is known about NT4, which is conserved in all malaria parasite species. Herein, we targeted NT4 gene for deletion in P. berghei. NT4 knockout parasites developed normally as blood stages, ookinetes and formed oocysts with sporozoites compared with wild-type (WT) P. berghei ANKA parasites. However, nt4(-) sporozoites showed significantly decreased egress from oocysts to hemolymph, significant reduction of colonization of the salivary glands, and complete abolishment of infection of the mammalian host by salivary gland and hemolymph sporozoites. Therefore, we identify NT4 as a NT that is important, not for replication and growth, but for sporozoite infectivity functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gozde Deveci
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mohd Kamil
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Umit Kina
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Binnur Aydogan Temel
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmed S. I. Aly
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey
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11
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Pascual Alonso I, Almeida García F, Valdés Tresanco ME, Arrebola Sánchez Y, Ojeda Del Sol D, Sánchez Ramírez B, Florent I, Schmitt M, Avilés FX. Marine Invertebrates: A Promissory Still Unexplored Source of Inhibitors of Biomedically Relevant Metallo Aminopeptidases Belonging to the M1 and M17 Families. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21050279. [PMID: 37233473 DOI: 10.3390/md21050279] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolytic enzymes, also known as peptidases, are critical in all living organisms. Peptidases control the cleavage, activation, turnover, and synthesis of proteins and regulate many biochemical and physiological processes. They are also involved in several pathophysiological processes. Among peptidases, aminopeptidases catalyze the cleavage of the N-terminal amino acids of proteins or peptide substrates. They are distributed in many phyla and play critical roles in physiology and pathophysiology. Many of them are metallopeptidases belonging to the M1 and M17 families, among others. Some, such as M1 aminopeptidases N and A, thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading ectoenzyme, and M17 leucyl aminopeptidase, are targets for the development of therapeutic agents for human diseases, including cancer, hypertension, central nervous system disorders, inflammation, immune system disorders, skin pathologies, and infectious diseases, such as malaria. The relevance of aminopeptidases has driven the search and identification of potent and selective inhibitors as major tools to control proteolysis with an impact in biochemistry, biotechnology, and biomedicine. The present contribution focuses on marine invertebrate biodiversity as an important and promising source of inhibitors of metalloaminopeptidases from M1 and M17 families, with foreseen biomedical applications in human diseases. The results reviewed in the present contribution support and encourage further studies with inhibitors isolated from marine invertebrates in different biomedical models associated with the activity of these families of exopeptidases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isel Pascual Alonso
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana 10400, Cuba
| | - Fabiola Almeida García
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana 10400, Cuba
| | - Mario Ernesto Valdés Tresanco
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana 10400, Cuba
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | | | - Daniel Ojeda Del Sol
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana 10400, Cuba
| | | | - Isabelle Florent
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR7245), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP52, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marjorie Schmitt
- Université de Haute-Alsace, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, LIMA UMR 7042, 68000 Mulhouse, France
| | - Francesc Xavier Avilés
- Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine and Department of Biochemistry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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12
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Lopes EA, Santos MMM, Mori M. Antimalarial drugs: what's new in the patents? Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:151-168. [PMID: 37060305 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2203814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The efficacy of current therapeutic warheads in preventing malaria transmission or treating the disease is often hampered by the emergence of drug-resistance. No effective vaccines are available to date, and novel drugs able to counteract drug-resistant forms of malaria and/or to target multiple stages of the parasite's lifecycle are urgently needed. AREAS COVERED This review covers patents that protect antimalarial small molecules bearing the artemisinin or other chemical scaffolds, as well as vaccines, that have been published in the period 2015-2022. Literature was searched in public databases of articles and patents. Patents protecting small molecules that prevent malaria transmission are not discussed herein. EXPERT OPINION Significant progress has been made in the design of antimalarial agents. Most of these candidates have been tested in standardized strains, with the use of Plasmodium clinical isolates for testing still underdeveloped. Several compounds have been profiled in in vivo mouse models of malaria, including humanised mice. Despite having different efficacy, these new molecules might further progress the field and hopefully will advance to clinical development soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Lopes
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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13
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Jeninga MD, Tang J, Selvarajah SA, Maier AG, Duffy MF, Petter M. Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes display global chromatin remodelling during sexual differentiation. BMC Biol 2023; 21:65. [PMID: 37013531 PMCID: PMC10071754 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01568-4] [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: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The protozoan malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has a complex life cycle during which it needs to differentiate into multiple morphologically distinct life forms. A key process for transmission of the disease is the development of male and female gametocytes in the human blood, yet the mechanisms determining sexual dimorphism in these haploid, genetically identical sexual precursor cells remain largely unknown. To understand the epigenetic program underlying the differentiation of male and female gametocytes, we separated the two sexual forms by flow cytometry and performed RNAseq as well as comprehensive ChIPseq profiling of several histone variants and modifications. RESULTS We show that in female gametocytes the chromatin landscape is globally remodelled with respect to genome-wide patterns and combinatorial usage of histone variants and histone modifications. We identified sex specific differences in heterochromatin distribution, implicating exported proteins and ncRNAs in sex determination. Specifically in female gametocytes, the histone variants H2A.Z/H2B.Z were highly enriched in H3K9me3-associated heterochromatin. H3K27ac occupancy correlated with stage-specific gene expression, but in contrast to asexual parasites this was unlinked to H3K4me3 co-occupancy at promoters in female gametocytes. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, we defined novel combinatorial chromatin states differentially organising the genome in gametocytes and asexual parasites and unravelled fundamental, sex-specific differences in the epigenetic code. Our chromatin maps represent an important resource for future understanding of the mechanisms driving sexual differentiation in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myriam D Jeninga
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jingyi Tang
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Shamista A Selvarajah
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Alexander G Maier
- The Australian National University, Research School of Biology, 134 Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Michael F Duffy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
- Bio21 Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Michaela Petter
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Bio21 Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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14
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A single dose of genetically-attenuated malaria blood-stage parasites protects against two Plasmodium species infections. Vaccine 2023; 41:1281-1285. [PMID: 36653222 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Genetically-growth-attenuated blood-stage parasites were generated inPlasmodium falciparumby targeted deletion of NT1 (Nucleoside Transporter-1) gene, and Pfnt1(-) parasites only grew after providing the culture with supra-physiological concentrations of purines. Genetically-attenuatedP. yoeliint1(-)parasites induced sterile-protection against homologous blood-stage infectious challenge after immunization with single subpatent doses, which remained subpatent even in immune-compromised mice. Here, we showed that immunizations with frozen-stocks of equally-mixedP. bergheiandP. yoelii nt1(-)parasites in single subcutaneous doses, which did not lead to patent blood-stage infection, conferred sterile protection against intravenous infectious blood-stage challenge with wild-type parasites ofP. bergheiANKA andP. yoelii17X-NL strains. This data highlights the possibility that a single subcutaneous sub-patent dose of two species of genetically-growth-attenuated parasites, which can protect humans against twoPlasmodiumspp. infections, could be developed in cultures provided with supra-physiological concentrations of purines, and shipped to endemic areas as frozen-stock doses.
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15
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Aguado ME, Izquierdo M, González-Matos M, Varela AC, Méndez Y, Del Rivero MA, Rivera DG, González-Bacerio J. Parasite Metalo-aminopeptidases as Targets in Human Infectious Diseases. Curr Drug Targets 2023; 24:416-461. [PMID: 36825701 DOI: 10.2174/1389450124666230224140724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parasitic human infectious diseases are a worldwide health problem due to the increased resistance to conventional drugs. For this reason, the identification of novel molecular targets and the discovery of new chemotherapeutic agents are urgently required. Metalo- aminopeptidases are promising targets in parasitic infections. They participate in crucial processes for parasite growth and pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE In this review, we describe the structural, functional and kinetic properties, and inhibitors, of several parasite metalo-aminopeptidases, for their use as targets in parasitic diseases. CONCLUSION Plasmodium falciparum M1 and M17 aminopeptidases are essential enzymes for parasite development, and M18 aminopeptidase could be involved in hemoglobin digestion and erythrocyte invasion and egression. Trypanosoma cruzi, T. brucei and Leishmania major acidic M17 aminopeptidases can play a nutritional role. T. brucei basic M17 aminopeptidase down-regulation delays the cytokinesis. The inhibition of Leishmania basic M17 aminopeptidase could affect parasite viability. L. donovani methionyl aminopeptidase inhibition prevents apoptosis but not the parasite death. Decrease in Acanthamoeba castellanii M17 aminopeptidase activity produces cell wall structural modifications and encystation inhibition. Inhibition of Babesia bovis growth is probably related to the inhibition of the parasite M17 aminopeptidase, probably involved in host hemoglobin degradation. Schistosoma mansoni M17 aminopeptidases inhibition may affect parasite development, since they could participate in hemoglobin degradation, surface membrane remodeling and eggs hatching. Toxoplasma gondii M17 aminopeptidase inhibition could attenuate parasite virulence, since it is apparently involved in the hydrolysis of cathepsin Cs- or proteasome-produced dipeptides and/or cell attachment/invasion processes. These data are relevant to validate these enzymes as targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirtha E Aguado
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Maikel Izquierdo
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Maikel González-Matos
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Ana C Varela
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Yanira Méndez
- Center for Natural Products Research, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata y G, 10400, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Maday A Del Rivero
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Daniel G Rivera
- Center for Natural Products Research, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata y G, 10400, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Jorge González-Bacerio
- Center for Protein Studies, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 Entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, calle 25 #455 entre I y J, 10400, Vedado, La Habana, Cuba
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16
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An Alternative Autophagy-Related Mechanism of Chloroquine Drug Resistance in the Malaria Parasite. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0026922. [PMID: 36342168 PMCID: PMC9764996 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00269-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We generated highly chloroquine (CQ)-resistant (ResCQ) Plasmodium yoelii parasites by stepwise exposure to increasing concentrations of CQ and CQ-sensitive parasites (SenCQ) by parallel mock treatments. No mutations in genes that are associated with drug resistance were detected in ResCQ clones. Autophagy-related genes were highly upregulated in SenCQ compared to ResCQ parasites during CQ treatment. This indicates that CQ resistance can be developed in the malaria parasite by the inhibition of autophagy as an alternative drug resistance mechanism.
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17
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Qian P, Wang X, Guan C, Fang X, Cai M, Zhong CQ, Cui Y, Li Y, Yao L, Cui H, Jiang K, Yuan J. Apical anchorage and stabilization of subpellicular microtubules by apical polar ring ensures Plasmodium ookinete infection in mosquito. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7465. [PMID: 36463257 PMCID: PMC9719560 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35270-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphogenesis of many protozoans depends on a polarized establishment of cortical cytoskeleton containing the subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs), which are apically nucleated and anchored by the apical polar ring (APR). In malaria parasite Plasmodium, APR emerges in the host-invading stages, including the ookinete for mosquito infection. So far, the fine structure and molecular components of APR as well as the underlying mechanism of APR-mediated apical positioning of SPMTs are largely unknown. Here, we resolve an unprecedented APR structure composed of a top ring plus approximate 60 radiating spines. We report an APR-localizing and SPMT-binding protein APR2. APR2 disruption impairs ookinete morphogenesis and gliding motility, leading to Plasmodium transmission failure in mosquitoes. The APR2-deficient ookinetes display defective apical anchorage of APR and SPMT due to the impaired integrity of APR. Using protein proximity labeling, we obtain a Plasmodium ookinete APR proteome and validate ten undescribed APR proteins. Among them, APRp2 and APRp4 directly interact with APR2 and also mediate the apical anchorage of SPMTs. This study sheds light on the molecular basis of APR in the organization of Plasmodium ookinete SPMTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengge Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Xu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Cuirong Guan
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Mengya Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Chuan-Qi Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Yong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Yanbin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Luming Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Huiting Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.
| | - Kai Jiang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Jing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.
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18
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In vitro production of infectious Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. Nature 2022; 612:534-539. [PMID: 36477528 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05466-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An effective vaccine is needed for the prevention and elimination of malaria. The only immunogens that have been shown to have a protective efficacy of more than 90% against human malaria are Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) sporozoites (PfSPZ) manufactured in mosquitoes (mPfSPZ)1-7. The ability to produce PfSPZ in vitro (iPfSPZ) without mosquitoes would substantially enhance the production of PfSPZ vaccines and mosquito-stage malaria research, but this ability is lacking. Here we report the production of hundreds of millions of iPfSPZ. iPfSPZ invaded human hepatocytes in culture and developed to mature liver-stage schizonts expressing P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP1) in numbers comparable to mPfSPZ. When injected into FRGhuHep mice containing humanized livers, iPfSPZ invaded the human hepatocytes and developed to PfMSP1-expressing late liver stage parasites at 45% the quantity of cryopreserved mPfSPZ. Human blood from FRGhuHep mice infected with iPfSPZ produced asexual and sexual erythrocytic-stage parasites in culture, and gametocytes developed to PfSPZ when fed to mosquitoes, completing the P. falciparum life cycle from infectious gametocyte to infectious gametocyte without mosquitoes or primates.
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19
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Subcutaneous Immunization with Unaltered Axenic Malaria Parasite Liver Stages Induces Sterile Protection against Infectious Sporozoite Challenge. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10111884. [DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Host cell-free, axenic development of liver stages (LS) of the malaria parasite has been demonstrated. Here we explored axenic liver stages as a novel live whole parasite malaria vaccine platform, which is unaltered and not prone to human-error, compared to the immunization with live-attenuated sporozoites that must be done intravenously. We show that in contrast to live sporozoites, axenic LS are not infectious to the immunized host. Subcutaneous immunizations of mice with Plasmodium yoelii axenic LS, developed from wild-type (WT) sporozoites or WT sporozoites expressing enhanced-GFP, conferred sterile protection against P. yoelii infectious sporozoite challenge. Thus, axenic liver stages of P. falciparum and P. vivax might constitute an attractive alternative to live sporozoite immunization.
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20
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Griffith MB, Pearce CS, Heaslip AT. Dense granule biogenesis, secretion, and function in Toxoplasma gondii. J Eukaryot Microbiol 2022; 69:e12904. [PMID: 35302693 PMCID: PMC9482668 DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite and the causative agent of Toxoplasmosis. A key to understanding and treating the disease lies with determining how the parasite can survive and replicate within cells of its host. Proteins released from specialized secretory vesicles, named the dense granules (DGs), have diverse functions that are critical for adapting the intracellular environment, and are thus key to survival and pathogenicity. In this review, we describe the current understanding and outstanding questions regarding dense granule biogenesis, trafficking, and regulation of secretion. In addition, we provide an overview of dense granule protein ("GRA") function upon secretion, with a focus on proteins that have recently been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael B Griffith
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Camille S Pearce
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Aoife T Heaslip
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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21
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Cortopassi WA, Gunderson E, Annunciato Y, Silva A, dos Santos Ferreira A, Garcia Teles CB, Pimentel AS, Ramamoorthi R, Gazarini ML, Meneghetti MR, Guido R, Pereira DB, Jacobson MP, Krettli AU, Caroline C Aguiar A. Fighting Plasmodium chloroquine resistance with acetylenic chloroquine analogues. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2022; 20:121-128. [PMID: 36375339 PMCID: PMC9771834 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2022.10.003] [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: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is among the tropical diseases that cause the most deaths in Africa. Around 500,000 malaria deaths are reported yearly among African children under the age of five. Chloroquine (CQ) is a low-cost antimalarial used worldwide for the treatment of Plasmodium vivax malaria. Due to resistance mechanisms, CQ is no longer effective against most malaria cases caused by P. falciparum. The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin combination therapies for P. falciparum malaria, but resistance is emerging in Southeast Asia and some parts of Africa. Therefore, new medicines for treating malaria are urgently needed. Previously, our group identified the 4-aminoquinoline DAQ, a CQ analog containing an acetylenic bond in its side chain, which overcomes CQ resistance in K1 P. falciparum strains. In this work, the antiplasmodial profile, drug-like properties, and pharmacokinetics of DAQ were further investigated. DAQ showed no cross-resistance against standard CQ-resistant strains (e.g., Dd2, IPC 4912, RF12) nor against P. falciparum and P. vivax isolates from patients in the Brazilian Amazon. Using drug pressure assays, DAQ showed a low propensity to generate resistance. DAQ showed considerable solubility but low metabolic stability. The main metabolite was identified as a mono N-deethylated derivative (DAQM), which also showed significant inhibitory activity against CQ-resistant P. falciparum strains. Our findings indicated that the presence of a triple bond in CQ-analogues may represent a low-cost opportunity to overcome known mechanisms of resistance in the malaria parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilian A. Cortopassi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Emma Gunderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Yasmin Annunciato
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Antony.E.S. Silva
- Group of Catalysis and Chemical Reactivity Group, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | | | | | - Andre S. Pimentel
- Department of Chemistry, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Marcos L Gazarini
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Mario R. Meneghetti
- Group of Catalysis and Chemical Reactivity Group, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, AL, Brazil
| | - Rafael.V.C. Guido
- São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. João Dagnone, 1100 - Santa Angelina, São Carlos, SP, 13563-120, Brazil
| | - Dhelio B. Pereira
- Research Center in Tropical Medicine of Rondônia, Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
| | - Matthew P. Jacobson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Antoniana U. Krettli
- Malaria Laboratory, René Rachou Research Center, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil,Corresponding author.
| | - Anna Caroline C Aguiar
- Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil,São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Av. João Dagnone, 1100 - Santa Angelina, São Carlos, SP, 13563-120, Brazil,Corresponding author.Department of Biosciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil.
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22
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Wang Y, Ramos M, Jefferson M, Zhang W, Beraza N, Carding S, Powell PP, Stewart JP, Mayer U, Wileman T. Control of infection by LC3-associated phagocytosis, CASM, and detection of raised vacuolar pH by the V-ATPase-ATG16L1 axis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn3298. [PMID: 36288298 PMCID: PMC9604538 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The delivery of pathogens to lysosomes for degradation provides an important defense against infection. Degradation is enhanced when LC3 is conjugated to endosomes and phagosomes containing pathogens to facilitate fusion with lysosomes. In phagocytic cells, TLR signaling and Rubicon activate LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) where stabilization of the NADPH oxidase leads to sustained ROS production and raised vacuolar pH. Raised pH triggers the assembly of the vacuolar ATPase on the vacuole membrane where it binds ATG16L1 to recruit the core LC3 conjugation complex (ATG16L1:ATG5-12). This V-ATPase-ATG16L1 axis is also activated in nonphagocytic cells to conjugate LC3 to endosomes containing extracellular microbes. Pathogens provide additional signals for recruitment of LC3 when they raise vacuolar pH with pore-forming toxins and proteins, phospholipases, or specialized secretion systems. Many microbes secrete virulence factors to inhibit ROS production and/or the V-ATPase-ATG16L1 axis to slow LC3 recruitment and avoid degradation in lysosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxue Wang
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | - Maria Ramos
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Weijiao Zhang
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | | | | | - Penny P. Powell
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - James P. Stewart
- Department of Infection Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ulrike Mayer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Thomas Wileman
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich, UK
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Mitochondrial Spermidine Synthase is Essential for Blood-stage growth of the Malaria Parasite. Microbiol Res 2022; 265:127181. [PMID: 36162149 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Positively-charged polyamines are essential molecules for the replication of eukaryotic cells and are particularly important for the rapid proliferation of parasitic protozoa and cancer cells. Unlike in Trypanosoma brucei, the inhibition of the synthesis of intermediate polyamine Putrescine caused only partial defect in malaria parasite blood-stage growth. In contrast, reducing the intracellular concentrations of Spermidine and Spermine by polyamine analogs caused significant defects in blood-stage growth in Plasmodium yoelii and P. falciparum. However, little is known about the synthesizing enzyme of Spermidine and Spermine in the malaria parasite. Herein, malaria parasite conserved Spermidine Synthase (SpdS) gene was targeted for deletion/complementation analyses by knockout/knock-in constructs in P. yoelii. SpdS was found to be essential for blood-stage growth. Live fluorescence imaging in blood-stages and sporozoites confirmed a specific mitochondrial localization, which is not known for any polyamine-synthesizing enzyme so far. This study identifies SpdS as an excellent drug targeting candidate against the malaria parasite, which is localized to the parasite mitochondrion.
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Guttery DS, Zeeshan M, Ferguson DJP, Holder AA, Tewari R. Division and Transmission: Malaria Parasite Development in the Mosquito. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:113-134. [PMID: 35609946 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041320-010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The malaria parasite life cycle alternates between two hosts: a vertebrate and the female Anopheles mosquito vector. Cell division, proliferation, and invasion are essential for parasite development, transmission, and survival. Most research has focused on Plasmodium development in the vertebrate, which causes disease; however, knowledge of malaria parasite development in the mosquito (the sexual and transmission stages) is now rapidly accumulating, gathered largely through investigation of the rodent malaria model, with Plasmodium berghei. In this review, we discuss the seminal genome-wide screens that have uncovered key regulators of cell proliferation, invasion, and transmission during Plasmodium sexual development. Our focus is on the roles of transcription factors, reversible protein phosphorylation, and molecular motors. We also emphasize the still-unanswered important questions around key pathways in cell division during the vector transmission stages and how they may be targeted in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Guttery
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; ,
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom;
| | - Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; ,
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom;
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom;
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom; ,
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Virendra SA, Sahu C, Kumar A, Chawla PA. Natural Antioxidants as Additional Weapons in the Fight against Malarial Parasite. Curr Top Med Chem 2022; 22:2045-2067. [PMID: 35524663 DOI: 10.2174/1568026622666220504172655] [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: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND All currently available antimalarial drugs are developed from natural product lineages that may be traced back to herbal medicines, including quinine, lapachol, and artemisinin. Natural products that primarily target free radicals or reactive oxygen species, play an important role in treating malaria. OBJECTIVES This review analyses the role of antioxidative therapy in treating malaria by scavenging or countering free radicals and reviews the importance of natural plant extracts as antioxidants in oxidative therapy of malaria treatment. METHODS The search for natural antioxidants was conducted using the following databases: ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Bentham Science with the keywords malaria, reactive oxygen species, natural antioxidants, and antiplasmodial. CONCLUSION This study reviewed various literature sources related to natural products employed in antimalarial therapy directly or indirectly by countering/scavenging reactive oxygen species published between 2016 till date. The literature survey made it possible to summarize the natural products used in treating malaria, emphasizing botanical extracts as a single component and in association with other botanical extracts. Natural antioxidants like polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids, have a broad range of biological effects against malaria. This review is pivoted around natural antioxidants obtained from food and medicinal plants and explores their application in restraining reactive oxygen species (ROS). We anticipate this article will provide information for future research on the role of antioxidant therapy in malaria infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharma Arvind Virendra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab, India
| | - Chandrakant Sahu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab, India
| | - Ankur Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab, India
| | - Pooja Abrol Chawla
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga-142001, Punjab, India
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Pohl K, Cockburn IA. Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown. Front Immunol 2022; 13:914598. [PMID: 36059493 PMCID: PMC9437427 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.914598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is the cause of 600.000 deaths annually. However, these deaths represent only a tiny fraction of total malaria cases. Repeated natural infections with the causative agent, Plasmodium sp. parasites, induce protection from severe disease but not sterile immunity. Thus, immunity to Plasmodium is incomplete. Conversely, immunization with attenuated sporozoite stage parasites can induce sterile immunity albeit after multiple vaccinations. These different outcomes are likely to be influenced strongly by the innate immune response to different stages of the parasite lifecycle. Even small numbers of sporozoites can induce a robust proinflammatory type I interferon response, which is believed to be driven by the sensing of parasite RNA. Moreover, induction of innate like gamma-delta cells contributes to the development of adaptive immune responses. Conversely, while blood stage parasites can induce a strong proinflammatory response, regulatory mechanisms are also triggered. In agreement with this, intact parasites are relatively weakly sensed by innate immune cells, but isolated parasite molecules, notably DNA and RNA can induce strong responses. Thus, the innate response to Plasmodium parasite likely represents a trade-off between strong pro-inflammatory responses that may potentiate immunity and regulatory processes that protect the host from cytokine storms that can induce life threatening illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Pohl
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Division of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ian A. Cockburn
- Division of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- *Correspondence: Ian A. Cockburn,
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Babatunde KA, Adenuga OF. Neutrophils in malaria: A double-edged sword role. Front Immunol 2022; 13:922377. [PMID: 35967409 PMCID: PMC9367684 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.922377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human peripheral blood. They form the first line of defense against invading foreign pathogens and might play a crucial role in malaria. According to World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is a globally significant disease caused by protozoan parasites from the Plasmodium genus, and it’s responsible for 627,000 deaths in 2020. Neutrophils participate in the defense response against the malaria parasite via phagocytosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Neutrophils might also be involved in the pathogenesis of malaria by the release of toxic granules and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Intriguingly, malaria parasites inhibit the anti-microbial function of neutrophils, thus making malaria patients more susceptible to secondary opportunistic Salmonella infections. In this review, we will provide a summary of the role of neutrophils during malaria infection, some contradicting mouse model neutrophil data and neutrophil-related mechanisms involved in malaria patients’ susceptibility to bacterial infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kehinde Adebayo Babatunde
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
- *Correspondence: Kehinde Adebayo Babatunde,
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Akcakır O, Celebi LK, Kamil M, Aly ASI. Automated wide-field malaria parasite infection detection using Fourier ptychography on stain-free thin-smears. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 13:3904-3921. [PMID: 35991917 PMCID: PMC9352279 DOI: 10.1364/boe.448099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diagnosis of malaria in endemic areas is hampered by the lack of a rapid, stain-free and sensitive method to directly identify parasites in peripheral blood. Herein, we report the use of Fourier ptychography to generate wide-field high-resolution quantitative phase images of erythrocytes infected with malaria parasites, from a whole blood sample. We are able to image thousands of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in a single field of view and make a determination of infection status of the quantitative phase image of each segmented cell based on machine learning (random forest) and deep learning (VGG16) models. Our random forest model makes use of morphology and texture based features of the quantitative phase images. In order to label the quantitative images of the cells as either infected or uninfected before training the models, we make use of a Plasmodium berghei strain expressing GFP (green fluorescent protein) in all life cycle stages. By overlaying the fluorescence image with the quantitative phase image we could identify the infected subpopulation of erythrocytes for labelling purposes. Our machine learning model (random forest) achieved 91% specificity and 72% sensitivity while our deep learning model (VGG16) achieved 98% specificity and 57% sensitivity. These results highlight the potential for quantitative phase imaging coupled with artificial intelligence to develop an easy to use platform for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osman Akcakır
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB), Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Lutfi Kadir Celebi
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB), Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820 Istanbul, Turkey
- Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Electronics and Communication Engineering Department, Biomedical Engineering Program, 34467 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mohd Kamil
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB), Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ahmed S. I. Aly
- Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology (BILSAB), Bezmialem Vakif University, 34820 Istanbul, Turkey
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PfARID Regulates P. falciparum Malaria Parasite Male Gametogenesis and Female Fertility and Is Critical for Parasite Transmission to the Mosquito Vector. mBio 2022; 13:e0057822. [PMID: 35638735 PMCID: PMC9239086 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00578-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual reproduction of Plasmodium falciparum parasites is critical to the spread of malaria in the human population. The factors that regulate gene expression underlying formation of fertilization-competent gametes, however, remain unknown. Here, we report that P. falciparum expresses a protein with an AT-rich interaction domain (ARID) which, in other organisms, is part of chromatin remodeling complexes. P. falciparum ARID (PfARID) localized to the parasite nucleus and is critical for the formation of male gametes and fertility of female gametes. PfARID gene deletion (Pfarid–) gametocytes showed downregulation of gene expression important for gametogenesis, antigenic variation, and cell signaling and for parasite development in the mosquito. Our study identifies PfARID as a critical nuclear protein involved in regulating the gene expression landscape of mature gametocytes. This establishes fertility and also prepares the parasite for postfertilization events that are essential for infection of the mosquito vector.
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Standard Selection Treatments with Sulfadiazine Limit Plasmodium yoelii Host-to-Vector Transmission. mSphere 2022; 7:e0010622. [PMID: 35586987 PMCID: PMC9241536 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00106-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Some antimalarial drugs that have lost clinical usefulness have been repurposed for experimental applications. One example is sulfadiazine, an analog of p-aminobenzoic acid (pABA), which inhibits the parasite's folate synthesis pathway to block DNA synthesis. Sulfadiazine treatment of mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii and P. berghei is routinely used to enrich for gametocytes by killing asexual blood-stage parasites, but it is not well known if there are downstream effects on transmission. To determine if there was a significant effect of sulfadiazine exposure upon transmission, we transmitted Plasmodium yoelii (17XNL strain) parasites to Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes and evaluated the prevalence and intensity of infection under different sulfadiazine treatment conditions. We observed that there was a reduction in both the number of mosquitoes that became infected and in the intensity of infection if parasites were exposed to sulfadiazine in the mouse host or mosquito vector. Sulfadiazine treatment could be marginally overcome if mosquitoes were provided fresh pABA. In contrast, we determined that gametocytes exposed to sulfadiazine could develop into morphologically mature ookinetes in vitro, thus sulfadiazine exposure in the host may be reversible if the drug is washed out and the parasites are supplemented with pABA in the culture media. Overall, this indicates that sulfadiazine dampens host-to-vector transmission and that this inhibition can only be partially overcome by exposure to fresh pABA in vivo and in vitro. Because gametocytes are of great interest for developing transmission-blocking interventions, we recommend the use of less disruptive approaches for gametocyte enrichment. IMPORTANCE In this work, we have uncovered a substantial problem with how many studies of the sexual stages of rodent malaria parasites are conducted. Briefly, the isolation of sexual blood-stage Plasmodium parasites, or gametocytes, is essential to study pretransmission and transmission-stage biology of malaria. A routine method for the isolation of this specific stage in rodent-infectious malaria models is drug treatment with sulfadiazine, an antifolate that selectively kills actively replicating asexual blood-stage parasites but not gametocytes. Thus, researchers use this as a convenient way to produce highly enriched gametocyte samples. However, in this work, we describe how this standard drug selection with sulfadiazine not only kills asexual blood-stage parasites but also substantially impacts host-to-vector transmission.
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Nkemngo FN, Mugenzi LMJ, Tchouakui M, Nguiffo-Nguete D, Wondji MJ, Mbakam B, Tchoupo M, Ndo C, Wanji S, Wondji CS. Xeno-monitoring of molecular drivers of artemisinin and partner drug resistance in P. falciparum populations in malaria vectors across Cameroon. Gene 2022; 821:146339. [PMID: 35183684 PMCID: PMC8942117 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
High Plasmodium infection rate in the major Anopheles vectors across Cameroon. Emerging signal of the R575I polymorphism in the k13 propeller domain backbone. Dominance of the N86F184mdr1 variants in natural P. falciparum populations. Low k13 and mdr1 genetic diversity in P. falciparum-infected mosquitoes.
Background Monitoring of drug resistance in Plasmodium populations is crucial for malaria control. This has primarily been performed in humans and rarely in mosquitoes where parasites genetic recombination occurs. Here, we characterized the Plasmodium spp populations in wild Anopheles vectors by analyzing the genetic diversity of the P. falciparum kelch13 and mdr1 gene fragments implicated in artemisinin and partner drug resistance across Cameroon in three major malaria vectors. Methods Anopheles mosquitoes were collected across nine localities in Cameroon and dissected into the head/thorax (H/T) and abdomen (Abd) after species identification. A TaqMan assay was performed to detect Plasmodium infection. Fragments of the Kelch 13 and mdr1 genes were amplified in P. falciparum positive samples and directly sequenced to assess their drug resistance polymorphisms and genetic diversity profile. Results The study revealed a high Plasmodium infection rate in the major Anopheles vectors across Cameroon. Notably, An. funestus vector recorded the highest sporozoite (8.0%) and oocyst (14.4%) infection rates. A high P. falciparum sporozoite rate (80.08%) alongside epidemiological signatures of significant P. malariae (15.9%) circulation were recorded in these vectors. Low genetic diversity with six (A578S, R575I, G450R, L663L, G453D, N458D) and eight (H53H, V62L, V77E, N86Y, G102G, L132I, H143H, Y184F) point mutations were observed in the k13 and mdr1 backbones respectively. Remarkably, the R575I (4.4%) k13 and Y184F (64.2%) mdr1 mutations were the predominant variants in the P. falciparum populations. Conclusion The emerging signal of the R575I polymorphism in the Pfk13 propeller backbone entails the regular surveillance of molecular markers to inform evidence-based policy decisions. Moreover, the high frequency of the 86N184F allele highlights concerns on the plausible decline in efficacy of artemisinin-combination therapies (ACTs); further implying that parasite genotyping from mosquitoes can provide a more relevant scale for quantifying resistance epidemiology in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis N Nkemngo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon.
| | - Leon M J Mugenzi
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Magellan Tchouakui
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Daniel Nguiffo-Nguete
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Murielle J Wondji
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom.
| | - Bertrand Mbakam
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Micareme Tchoupo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Cyrille Ndo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon; Research Foundation in Tropical Diseases and Environment, Buea, Cameroon.
| | - Charles S Wondji
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom.
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Rider PJF, Kamil M, Yilmaz I, Atmaca HN, Kalkan-Yazici M, Ziya Doymaz M, Kousoulas KG, Aly ASI. An Attenuated HSV-1-Derived Malaria Vaccine Expressing Liver-Stage Exported Proteins Induces Sterilizing Protection against Infectious Sporozoite Challenge. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10020300. [PMID: 35214758 PMCID: PMC8875294 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10020300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we present the construction of an attenuated herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1)-vectored vaccine, expressing three liver-stage (LS) malaria parasite exported proteins (EXP1, UIS3 and TMP21) as fusion proteins with the VP26 viral capsid protein. Intramuscular and subcutaneous immunizations of mice with a pooled vaccine, composed of the three attenuated virus strains expressing each LS antigen, induced sterile protection against the intravenous challenge of Plasmodium yoelii 17X-NL salivary gland sporozoites. Our data suggest that this malaria vaccine may be effective in preventing malaria parasite infection using practical routes of immunization in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J. F. Rider
- Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; (P.J.F.R.); (K.G.K.)
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Mohd Kamil
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul 34820, Turkey; (M.K.); (I.Y.); (H.N.A.)
| | - Ilknur Yilmaz
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul 34820, Turkey; (M.K.); (I.Y.); (H.N.A.)
| | - Habibe N. Atmaca
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul 34820, Turkey; (M.K.); (I.Y.); (H.N.A.)
| | - Merve Kalkan-Yazici
- Microbiology Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul 34820, Turkey; (M.K.-Y.); (M.Z.D.)
| | - Mehmet Ziya Doymaz
- Microbiology Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul 34820, Turkey; (M.K.-Y.); (M.Z.D.)
| | - Konstantin G. Kousoulas
- Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; (P.J.F.R.); (K.G.K.)
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Ahmed S. I. Aly
- Aly Lab, Beykoz Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul 34820, Turkey; (M.K.); (I.Y.); (H.N.A.)
- Correspondence:
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Sloan MA, Aghabi D, Harding CR. Orchestrating a heist: uptake and storage of metals by apicomplexan parasites. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2021; 167. [PMID: 34898419 PMCID: PMC7612242 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Sloan
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Dana Aghabi
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute for Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK
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Khrapunov S, Waterman A, Persaud R, Chang EP. Structure, Function, and Thermodynamics of Lactate Dehydrogenases from Humans and the Malaria Parasite P. falciparum. Biochemistry 2021; 60:3582-3595. [PMID: 34747601 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Temperature adaptation is ubiquitous among all living organisms, yet the molecular basis for this process remains poorly understood. It can be assumed that for parasite-host systems, the same enzymes found in both organisms respond to the same selection factor (human body temperature) with similar structural changes. Herein, we report the existence of a reversible temperature-dependent structural transition for the glycolytic enzyme lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (pfLDH) and human heart (hhLDH) occurring in the temperature range of human fever. This transition is observed for LDHs from psychrophiles, mesophiles, and moderate thermophiles in their operating temperature range. Thermodynamic analysis reveals unique thermodynamic signatures of the LDH-substrate complexes defining a specific temperature range to which human LDH is adapted and parasite LDH is not, despite their common mesophilic nature. The results of spectroscopic analysis combined with the available crystallographic data reveal the existence of an active center within pfLDH that imparts psychrophilic structural properties to the enzyme. This center consists of two pockets, one formed by the five amino acids (5AA insert) within the substrate specificity loop and the other by the active site, that mutually regulate one another in response to temperature and induce structural and functional changes in the Michaelis complex. Our findings pave the way toward a new strategy for malaria treatments and drug design using therapeutic agents that inactivate malarial LDH selectively at a specific temperature range of the cyclic malaria paroxysm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Khrapunov
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
| | - Akiba Waterman
- Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, 1 Pace Plaza, New York, New York 10038, United States
| | - Rudra Persaud
- Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, 1 Pace Plaza, New York, New York 10038, United States
| | - Eric P Chang
- Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, 1 Pace Plaza, New York, New York 10038, United States
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Plasmodium falciparum Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 4 is Critical for Male Gametogenesis and Transmission to the Mosquito Vector. mBio 2021; 12:e0257521. [PMID: 34724830 PMCID: PMC8561384 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02575-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gametocytes of the malaria parasite Plasmodium are taken up by the mosquito vector with an infectious blood meal, representing a critical stage for parasite transmission. Calcium-independent protein kinases (CDPKs) play key roles in calcium-mediated signaling across the complex life cycle of the parasite. We sought to understand their role in human parasite transmission from the host to the mosquito vector and thus investigated the role of the human-infective parasite Plasmodium falciparum CDPK4 in the parasite life cycle. P. falciparumcdpk4− parasites created by targeted gene deletion showed no effect in blood stage development or gametocyte development. However, cdpk4− parasites showed a severe defect in male gametogenesis and the emergence of flagellated male gametes. To understand the molecular underpinnings of this defect, we performed mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomic analyses of wild-type and Plasmodium falciparumcdpk4− late gametocyte stages to identify key CDPK4-mediated phosphorylation events that may be important for the regulation of male gametogenesis. We further employed in vitro assays to identify these putative substrates of Plasmodium falciparum CDPK4. This indicated that CDPK4 regulates male gametogenesis by directly or indirectly controlling key essential events, such as DNA replication, mRNA translation, and cell motility. Taken together, our work demonstrates that PfCDPK4 is a central kinase that regulates exflagellation and thereby is critical for parasite transmission to the mosquito vector.
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Nejati J, Vatandoost H, Baygi MZ, Hanafi-Bojd AA. Predicting the Potential Distribution of Major Malaria Vectors Based on Climate Changes in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Southeastern Iran. J Arthropod Borne Dis 2021; 15:300-313. [PMID: 36578997 PMCID: PMC9759442 DOI: 10.18502/jad.v15i3.9817] [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: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Given the significance of climate change and its substantial effects on mosquitoes' habitats, this study was aimed to model the spatial distribution of the main malaria vectors in the south east of Iran. Methods Several scientific databases between 1980 and 2019 were reviewed to find mosquito species and their spatial information in this area. The archived folders in the center for diseases control and prevention were used to exploit essential data on malaria cases and foci. Three representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) were chosen to stand for three possible climate scenarios. Finally the potential species distribution of Anopheles stephensi and An. culicifacies s.l. in the 2030s and 2050s horizons were estimated by the Maximum Entropy Model. Results So far, a total of 39 mosquito species belonging to the family Culicidae have been reported from the study area. In 2019, the total malaria cases have increased by 91% compared to 2015, as well as a sharp rise than 2018 (249%). In that year, 91% of cases were imported from other countries, which caused 40% increase in the new potential foci than in 2018. The Jackknife test demonstrated the annual mean temperature and precipitation of the coldest quarter with the greatest impact on the environmental suitability of the mentioned two species. Conclusion The effect of climate change on the appearance and recurrence of mosquito-borne diseases has been demonstrated in various studies. Collecting further data and conducting investigation on this issue will improve control management, especially for the malaria vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalil Nejati
- Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Vatandoost
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Department of Environmental Chemical Pollutants and Pesticides, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Zanganeh Baygi
- Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ali Hanafi-Bojd
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Zoonoses Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author: Dr. Ahmad Ali Hanafi-Bojd, E-mail:
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Whitlock AOB, Juliano JJ, Mideo N. Immune selection suppresses the emergence of drug resistance in malaria parasites but facilitates its spread. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008577. [PMID: 34280179 PMCID: PMC8321109 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Although drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum typically evolves in regions of low transmission, resistance spreads readily following introduction to regions with a heavier disease burden. This suggests that the origin and the spread of resistance are governed by different processes, and that high transmission intensity specifically impedes the origin. Factors associated with high transmission, such as highly immune hosts and competition within genetically diverse infections, are associated with suppression of resistant lineages within hosts. However, interactions between these factors have rarely been investigated and the specific relationship between adaptive immunity and selection for resistance has not been explored. Here, we developed a multiscale, agent-based model of Plasmodium parasites, hosts, and vectors to examine how host and parasite dynamics shape the evolution of resistance in populations with different transmission intensities. We found that selection for antigenic novelty (“immune selection”) suppressed the evolution of resistance in high transmission settings. We show that high levels of population immunity increased the strength of immune selection relative to selection for resistance. As a result, immune selection delayed the evolution of resistance in high transmission populations by allowing novel, sensitive lineages to remain in circulation at the expense of the spread of a resistant lineage. In contrast, in low transmission settings, we observed that resistant strains were able to sweep to high population prevalence without interference. Additionally, we found that the relationship between immune selection and resistance changed when resistance was widespread. Once resistance was common enough to be found on many antigenic backgrounds, immune selection stably maintained resistant parasites in the population by allowing them to proliferate, even in untreated hosts, when resistance was linked to a novel epitope. Our results suggest that immune selection plays a role in the global pattern of resistance evolution. Drug resistance in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, presents an ongoing public health challenge, but aspects of its evolution are poorly understood. Although antimalarial resistance is common worldwide, it can typically be traced to just a handful of evolutionary origins. Counterintuitively, although Sub Saharan Africa bears 90% of the global malaria burden, resistance typically originates in regions where transmission intensity is low. In high transmission regions, infections are genetically diverse, and hosts have significant standing adaptive immunity, both of which are known to suppress the frequency of resistance within infections. However, interactions between immune-driven selection, transmission intensity, and resistance have not been investigated. Using a multiscale, agent-based model, we found that high transmission intensity slowed the evolution of resistance via its effect on host population immunity. High host immunity strengthened selection for antigenic novelty, interfering with selection for resistance and allowing sensitive lineages to suppress resistant lineages in untreated hosts. However, once resistance was common in the circulating parasite population, immune selection maintained it in the population at a high prevalence. Our findings provide a novel explanation for observations about the origin of resistance and suggest that adaptive immunity is a critical component of selection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan J. Juliano
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Nicole Mideo
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Rani J, Chauhan C, Das De T, Kumari S, Sharma P, Tevatiya S, Patel K, Mishra AK, Pandey KC, Singh N, Dixit R. Hemocyte RNA-Seq analysis of Indian malarial vectors Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles culicifacies: From similarities to differences. Gene 2021; 798:145810. [PMID: 34224830 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles culicifacies are dominant malarial vectors in urban and rural India, respectively. Both species carry significant biological differences in their behavioral adaptation and immunity, but the genetic basis of these variations are still poorly understood. Here, we uncovered the genetic differences of immune blood cells, that influence several immune-physiological responses. We generated, analyzed and compared the hemocyte RNA-Seq database of both mosquitoes. A total of 5,837,223,769 assembled bases collapsed into 7,595 and 3,791 transcripts, originating from hemocytes of laboratory-reared 3-4 days old naïve (sugar-fed) mosquitoes, Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles culicifacies respectively. Comparative GO annotation analysis revealed that both mosquito hemocytes encode similar proteins. Furthermore, while An. stephensi hemocytes showed a higher percentage of immune transcripts encoding APHAG (Autophagy), IMD (Immune deficiency pathway), PRDX (Peroxiredoxin), SCR (Scavenger receptor), IAP (Inhibitor of apoptosis), GALE (galactoside binding lectins), BGBPs (1,3 beta D glucan binding proteins), CASPs (caspases) and SRRP (Small RNA regulatory pathway), An. culicifacies hemocytes yielded a relatively higher percentage of transcripts encoding CLIP (Clip domain serine protease), FREP (Fibrinogen related proteins), PPO (Prophenol oxidase), SRPN (Serpines), ML (Myeloid differentiation 2-related lipid recognition protein), Toll path and TEP (Thioester protein), family proteins. However, a detailed comparative Interproscan analysis showed An. stephensi mosquito hemocytes encode proteins with increased repeat numbers as compared to An. culicifacies. Notably, we observed an abundance of transcripts showing significant variability of encoded proteins with repeats such as LRR (Leucine rich repeat), WD40 (W-D dipeptide), Ankyrin, Annexin, Tetratricopeptide and Mitochondrial substrate carrier repeat-containing family proteins, which may have a direct influence on species-specific immune-physiological responses. Summarily, our deep sequencing analysis unraveled that An. stephensi evolved with an expansion of repeat sequences in hemocyte proteins as compared to An. culicifacies, possibly providing an advantage for better adaptation to diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Rani
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India; Department of Bio and Nanotechnology, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Charu Chauhan
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Tanwee Das De
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Seena Kumari
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Punita Sharma
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Sanjay Tevatiya
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Karan Patel
- DNA Xperts Private Limited, Sector 63, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 20130, India
| | - Ashwani K Mishra
- DNA Xperts Private Limited, Sector 63, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 20130, India
| | - Kailash C Pandey
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India
| | - Namita Singh
- Department of Bio and Nanotechnology, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Rajnikant Dixit
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction Studies, ICMR-National Institute of Malaria, Research, Dwarka, New Delhi 110077, India.
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Sekar V, Rivero A, Pigeault R, Gandon S, Drews A, Ahren D, Hellgren O. Gene regulation of the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum, during the different stages within the mosquito vector. Genomics 2021; 113:2327-2337. [PMID: 34023365 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum is one of the most widespread species of avian malaria. As in the case of its human counterparts, bird Plasmodium undergoes a complex life cycle infecting two hosts: the arthropod vector and the vertebrate host. In this study, we examined transcriptomes of P. relictum (SGS1) during crucial timepoints within its vector, Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus. Differential gene-expression analyses identified genes linked to the parasites life-stages at: i) a few minutes after the blood meal is ingested, ii) during peak oocyst production phase, iii) during peak sporozoite phase and iv) during the late-stages of the infection. A large amount of genes coding for functions linked to host-immune invasion and multifunctional genes was active throughout the infection cycle. One gene associated with a conserved Plasmodium membrane protein with unknown function was upregulated throughout the parasite development in the vector, suggesting an important role in the successful completion of the sporogonic cycle. Gene expression analysis further identified genes, with unknown functions to be significantly differentially expressed during the infection in the vector as well as upregulation of reticulocyte-binding proteins, which raises the possibility of the multifunctionality of these RBPs. We establish the existence of highly stage-specific pathways being overexpressed during the infection. This first study of gene-expression of a non-human Plasmodium species in its vector provides a comprehensive insight into the molecular mechanisms of the common avian malaria parasite P. relictum and provides essential information on the evolutionary diversity in gene regulation of the Plasmodium's vector stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Rivero
- MIVEGEC (CNRS - Université de Montpellier - IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; CREES (Centre de Recherche en Ecologie et Evolution de la Santé), 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Romain Pigeault
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden; Department of Ecology and Evolution, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Gandon
- CEFE (CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry - EPHE - IRD), Montpellier, France
| | - Anna Drews
- MEMEG, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Dag Ahren
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), SciLifeLab, Department of Biology, Lund, Sweden
| | - Olof Hellgren
- MEMEG, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden.
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Additional evidence on the efficacy of different Akirin vaccines assessed on Anopheles arabiensis (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:209. [PMID: 33879250 PMCID: PMC8056099 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04711-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Anopheles arabiensis is an opportunistic malaria vector that rests and feeds outdoors, circumventing current indoor vector control methods. Furthermore, this vector will readily feed on both animals and humans. Targeting this vector while feeding on animals can provide an additional intervention for the current vector control activities. Previous results have displayed the efficacy of using Subolesin/Akirin ortholog vaccines for the control of multiple ectoparasite infestations. This made Akirin a potential antigen for vaccine development against An. arabiensis. Methods The efficacy of three antigens, namely recombinant Akirin from An. arabiensis, recombinant Akirin from Aedes albopictus, and recombinant Q38 (Akirin/Subolesin chimera) were evaluated as novel interventions for An. arabiensis vector control. Immunisation trials were conducted based on the concept that mosquitoes feeding on vaccinated balb/c mice would ingest antibodies specific to the target antigen. The antibodies would interact with the target antigen in the arthropod vector, subsequently disrupting its function. Results All three antigens successfully reduced An. arabiensis survival and reproductive capacities, with a vaccine efficacy of 68–73%. Conclusions These results were the first to show that hosts vaccinated with recombinant Akirin vaccines could develop a protective response against this outdoor malaria transmission vector, thus providing a step towards the development of a novel intervention for An. arabiensis vector control. Graphic Abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04711-8.
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Guntur RD, Kingsley J, Islam FMA. Epidemiology of Malaria in East Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia: Protocol for a Cross-sectional Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 10:e23545. [PMID: 33835037 PMCID: PMC8075045 DOI: 10.2196/23545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria is a global pandemic that results in approximately 228 million cases globally; 3.5% of these cases are in Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia. Following the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative, Indonesia is in the process of achieving malaria-free zone status by 2030. However, the eastern part of Indonesia, including the East Nusa Tenggara Province (ENTP), still has a disproportionately high rate of malaria. Objective The aims of this cross-sectional study are to determine the awareness and knowledge, attitude, and practice toward various aspects of malaria among rural adults and their associated factors, including sociodemographic factors and ethnicities; assess the gap between coverage of, access to, and use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) among the households; estimate the prevalence of and factors associated with malaria in rural adults; and develop a risk prediction model for malaria. Methods A multistage cluster sampling procedure with a systematic random sampling procedure at cluster level 4 was applied to recruit 1503 adults aged 18 years or older from the ENTP. Each participant participated in a face-to-face interview to assess their awareness and knowledge, attitude, and practice toward aspects of malaria, practices of sleeping under LLINs, and history of malaria. Information on sociodemographic, environmental, and lifestyle factors was also documented. The proportion of knowledge, attitude, and practice toward aspects of malaria and their variations across different sociodemographic and ethnic groups will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Coverage and access to LLINs will be evaluated based on the WHO recommendations. Malaria risk factors will be analyzed using logistic regression. Multilevel logistic regression will be applied to estimate the risk score for malaria. Results Of the total participants, 99.46% (1495/1503) of rural adults from 49 villages in the ENTP participated in a face-to-face interview from October to December 2019. The study results are expected to be published in peer-reviewed journals. Conclusions The best malaria risk prediction model will be developed in this study. In this protocol, we developed a methodology to provide new evidence to guide health policy in supporting the ENTP government’s expectation to achieve the malaria-free rating by 2030. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/23545
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Affiliation(s)
- Robertus Dole Guntur
- Department of Health Science and Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Nusa Cendana University, Kupang NTT, Indonesia
| | - Jonathan Kingsley
- Department of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia.,Centre of Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Fakir M Amirul Islam
- Department of Health Science and Biostatistics, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
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Ripp J, Kehrer J, Smyrnakou X, Tisch N, Tavares J, Amino R, Ruiz de Almodovar C, Frischknecht F. Malaria parasites differentially sense environmental elasticity during transmission. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 13:e13933. [PMID: 33666362 PMCID: PMC8033522 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202113933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of malaria-causing parasites to and by the mosquito relies on active parasite migration and constitutes bottlenecks in the Plasmodium life cycle. Parasite adaption to the biochemically and physically different environments must hence be a key evolutionary driver for transmission efficiency. To probe how subtle but physiologically relevant changes in environmental elasticity impact parasite migration, we introduce 2D and 3D polyacrylamide gels to study ookinetes, the parasite forms emigrating from the mosquito blood meal and sporozoites, the forms transmitted to the vertebrate host. We show that ookinetes adapt their migratory path but not their speed to environmental elasticity and are motile for over 24 h on soft substrates. In contrast, sporozoites evolved more short-lived rapid gliding motility for rapidly crossing the skin. Strikingly, sporozoites are highly sensitive to substrate elasticity possibly to avoid adhesion to soft endothelial cells on their long way to the liver. Hence, the two migratory stages of Plasmodium evolved different strategies to overcome the physical challenges posed by the respective environments and barriers they encounter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Ripp
- Integrative ParasitologyCenter for Infectious DiseasesHeidelberg University Medical SchoolHeidelbergGermany
| | - Jessica Kehrer
- Integrative ParasitologyCenter for Infectious DiseasesHeidelberg University Medical SchoolHeidelbergGermany
| | - Xanthoula Smyrnakou
- Integrative ParasitologyCenter for Infectious DiseasesHeidelberg University Medical SchoolHeidelbergGermany
- Gene Therapy for Hearing Impairment and DeafnessDepartment of OtolaryngologyHead & Neck SurgeryUniversity of Tübingen Medical CenterTübingenGermany
| | - Nathalie Tisch
- Biochemistry CenterHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- European Center for Angioscience (ECAS)Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Joana Tavares
- IBMC‐Institute for Molecular and Cell Biologyi3S ‐ Institute for Research and Innovation in HealthUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
- Malaria Infection and Immunity UnitDepartment of Parasites and Insect VectorsInstitut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Malaria Infection and Immunity UnitDepartment of Parasites and Insect VectorsInstitut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Carmen Ruiz de Almodovar
- Biochemistry CenterHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
- European Center for Angioscience (ECAS)Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative ParasitologyCenter for Infectious DiseasesHeidelberg University Medical SchoolHeidelbergGermany
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Kirtane AR, Verma M, Karandikar P, Furin J, Langer R, Traverso G. Nanotechnology approaches for global infectious diseases. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 16:369-384. [PMID: 33753915 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-021-00866-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases are a major driver of morbidity and mortality globally. Treatment of malaria, tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus infection are particularly challenging, as indicated by the ongoing transmission and high mortality associated with these diseases. The formulation of new and existing drugs in nano-sized carriers promises to overcome several challenges associated with the treatment of these diseases, including low on-target bioavailability, sub-therapeutic drug accumulation in microbial sanctuaries and reservoirs, and low patient adherence due to drug-related toxicities and extended therapeutic regimens. Further, nanocarriers can be used for formulating vaccines, which represent a major weapon in our fight against infectious diseases. Here we review the current burden of infectious diseases with a focus on major drivers of morbidity and mortality. We then highlight how nanotechnology could aid in improving existing treatment modalities. We summarize our progress so far and outline potential future directions to maximize the impact of nanotechnology on the global population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameya R Kirtane
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Malvika Verma
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Tata Center for Technology and Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Paramesh Karandikar
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer Furin
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Tata Center for Technology and Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Giovanni Traverso
- Division of Gastroenterology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Tata Center for Technology and Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Więch A, Tarczewska A, Ożyhar A, Orłowski M. Metal Ions Induce Liquid Condensate Formation by the F Domain of Aedes aegypti Ecdysteroid Receptor. New Perspectives of Nuclear Receptor Studies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030571. [PMID: 33807814 PMCID: PMC7999165 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The superfamily of nuclear receptors (NRs), composed of ligand-activated transcription factors, is responsible for gene expression as a reaction to physiological and environmental changes. Transcriptional machinery may require phase separation to fulfil its role. Although NRs have a similar canonical structure, their C-terminal domains (F domains) are considered the least conserved and known regions. This article focuses on the peculiar molecular properties of the intrinsically disordered F domain of the ecdysteroid receptor from the Aedes aegypti mosquito (AaFEcR), the vector of the world's most devastating human diseases such as dengue and Zika. The His-Pro-rich segment of AaFEcR was recently shown to form the unique poly-proline helix II (PPII) in the presence of Cu2+. Here, using widefield microscopy of fluorescently labeled AaFEcR, Zn2+- and Cu2+-induced liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) was observed for the first time for the members of NRs. The perspectives of this finding on future research on the F domain are discussed, especially in relation to other NR members.
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Ruberto AA, Bourke C, Merienne N, Obadia T, Amino R, Mueller I. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals developmental heterogeneity among Plasmodium berghei sporozoites. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4127. [PMID: 33619283 PMCID: PMC7900125 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82914-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the malaria-causing parasite's life cycle, Plasmodium sporozoites must travel from the midgut of a mosquito to the salivary glands before they can infect a mammalian host. However, only a fraction of sporozoites complete the journey. Since salivary gland invasion is required for transmission of sporozoites, insights at the molecular level can contribute to strategies for malaria prevention. Recent advances in single-cell RNA sequencing provide an opportunity to assess sporozoite heterogeneity at a resolution unattainable by bulk RNA sequencing methods. In this study, we use a droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing workflow to analyze the transcriptomes of over 8000 Plasmodium berghei sporozoites derived from the midguts and salivary glands of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes. The detection of known marker genes confirms the successful capture and sequencing of samples composed of a mixed population of sporozoites. Using data integration, clustering, and trajectory analyses, we reveal differences in gene expression profiles of individual sporozoites, and identify both annotated and unannotated markers associated with sporozoite development. Our work highlights the utility of a high-throughput workflow for the transcriptomic profiling of Plasmodium sporozoites, and provides new insights into gene usage during the parasite's development in the mosquito.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony A Ruberto
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
| | - Caitlin Bourke
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Nicolas Merienne
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Obadia
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Hub de Bioinformatique et Biostatistique - Département Biologie Computationnelle, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
- Division of Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Jacobo-Albavera L, Domínguez-Pérez M, Medina-Leyte DJ, González-Garrido A, Villarreal-Molina T. The Role of the ATP-Binding Cassette A1 (ABCA1) in Human Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041593. [PMID: 33562440 PMCID: PMC7915494 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol homeostasis is essential in normal physiology of all cells. One of several proteins involved in cholesterol homeostasis is the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a transmembrane protein widely expressed in many tissues. One of its main functions is the efflux of intracellular free cholesterol and phospholipids across the plasma membrane to combine with apolipoproteins, mainly apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I), forming nascent high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) particles, the first step of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). In addition, ABCA1 regulates cholesterol and phospholipid content in the plasma membrane affecting lipid rafts, microparticle (MP) formation and cell signaling. Thus, it is not surprising that impaired ABCA1 function and altered cholesterol homeostasis may affect many different organs and is involved in the pathophysiology of a broad array of diseases. This review describes evidence obtained from animal models, human studies and genetic variation explaining how ABCA1 is involved in dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease (CHD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), thrombosis, neurological disorders, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, viral infections and in cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor Jacobo-Albavera
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City CP14610, Mexico; (L.J.-A.); (M.D.-P.); (D.J.M.-L.); (A.G.-G.)
| | - Mayra Domínguez-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City CP14610, Mexico; (L.J.-A.); (M.D.-P.); (D.J.M.-L.); (A.G.-G.)
| | - Diana Jhoseline Medina-Leyte
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City CP14610, Mexico; (L.J.-A.); (M.D.-P.); (D.J.M.-L.); (A.G.-G.)
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Coyoacán, Mexico City CP04510, Mexico
| | - Antonia González-Garrido
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City CP14610, Mexico; (L.J.-A.); (M.D.-P.); (D.J.M.-L.); (A.G.-G.)
| | - Teresa Villarreal-Molina
- Laboratorio de Genómica de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Dirección de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City CP14610, Mexico; (L.J.-A.); (M.D.-P.); (D.J.M.-L.); (A.G.-G.)
- Correspondence:
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47
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Ghartey-Kwansah G, Yin Q, Li Z, Gumpper K, Sun Y, Yang R, Wang D, Jones O, Zhou X, Wang L, Bryant J, Ma J, Boampong JN, Xu X. Calcium-dependent Protein Kinases in Malaria Parasite Development and Infection. Cell Transplant 2021; 29:963689719884888. [PMID: 32180432 PMCID: PMC7444236 DOI: 10.1177/0963689719884888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites have challenged researchers for nearly a century. A major challenge to developing efficient treatments and vaccines is the parasite's ability to change its cellular and molecular makeup to develop intracellular and extracellular niches in its hosts. Ca2+ signaling is an important messenger for the egress of the malaria parasite from the infected erythrocyte, gametogenesis, ookinete motility in the mosquito, and sporozoite invasion of mammalian hepatocytes. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) have crucial functions in calcium signaling at various stages of the parasite's life cycle; this therefore makes them attractive drug targets against malaria. Here, we summarize the functions of the various CDPK isoforms in relation to the malaria life cycle by emphasizing the molecular mechanism of developmental progression within host tissues. We also discuss the current development of anti-malarial drugs, such as how specific bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs) for parasite CDPKs have been shown to reduce infection in Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Plasmodium falciparum. Our suggested combinations of BKIs, artemisinin derivatives with peroxide bridge, and inhibitors on the Ca(2+)-ATPase PfATP6 as a potential target should be inspected further as a treatment against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Ghartey-Kwansah
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.,Authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Qinan Yin
- Clinical Center of National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Zhongguang Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.,Authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Kristyn Gumpper
- Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.,Authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Yuting Sun
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China
| | - Rong Yang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China
| | - Dan Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China
| | - Odell Jones
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Animal Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Liyang Wang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China.,Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Bryant
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jianjie Ma
- Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Johnson Nyarko Boampong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Xuehong Xu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Development of Endangered Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, Shaanxi Normal University College of Life Sciences, Xi'an, China
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48
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Lozano JM, Rodríguez Parra Z, Hernández-Martínez S, Yasnot-Acosta MF, Rojas AP, Marín-Waldo LS, Rincón JE. The Search of a Malaria Vaccine: The Time for Modified Immuno-Potentiating Probes. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020115. [PMID: 33540947 PMCID: PMC7913233 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a deadly disease that takes the lives of more than 420,000 people a year and is responsible for more than 229 million clinical cases globally. In 2019, 95% of malaria morbidity occurred in African countries. The development of a highly protective vaccine is an urgent task that remains to be solved. Many vaccine candidates have been developed, from the use of the entire attenuated and irradiated pre-erythrocytic parasite forms (or recombinantly expressed antigens thereof) to synthetic candidates formulated in a variety of adjuvants and delivery systems, however these have unfortunately proven a limited efficacy. At present, some vaccine candidates are finishing safety and protective efficacy trials, such as the PfSPZ and the RTS,S/AS01 which are being introduced in Africa. We propose a strategy for introducing non-natural elements into target antigens representing key epitopes of Plasmodium spp. Accordingly, chemical strategies and knowledge of host immunity to Plasmodium spp. have served as the basis. Evidence is obtained after being tested in experimental rodent models for malaria infection and recognized for human sera from malaria-endemic regions. This encourages us to propose such an immune-potentiating strategy to be further considered in the search for new vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Lozano
- Grupo de Investigación Mimetismo Molecular de los Agentes Infecciosos, Departamento de Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede Bogotá, 111321 Bogota, Colombia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +57-3102-504-657
| | - Zully Rodríguez Parra
- Grupo de Investigación Mimetismo Molecular de los Agentes Infecciosos, Departamento de Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia—Sede Bogotá, 111321 Bogota, Colombia;
| | - Salvador Hernández-Martínez
- Dirección de Infección e Inmunidad, Centro de Investigaciones Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, 62508 Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico;
| | - Maria Fernanda Yasnot-Acosta
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas y Biomédicas de Córdoba, Universidad de Córdoba, 230002 Monteria, Colombia;
| | - Angela Patricia Rojas
- Grupo de Investigación Biología Celular y Autoinmuniad, Departamento de Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Bogotá, 111321 Bogota, Colombia;
| | | | - Juan Edilberto Rincón
- Departamento de Ingeniería y Mecatrónica, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Bogotá, 111321 Bogota, Colombia;
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49
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Dousti M, Manzano-Román R, Rashidi S, Barzegar G, Ahmadpour NB, Mohammadi A, Hatam G. A proteomic glimpse into the effect of antimalarial drugs on Plasmodium falciparum proteome towards highlighting possible therapeutic targets. Pathog Dis 2021; 79:ftaa071. [PMID: 33202000 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftaa071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is no effective vaccine against malaria; therefore, chemotherapy is to date the only choice to fight against this infectious disease. However, there is growing evidences of drug-resistance mechanisms in malaria treatments. Therefore, the identification of new drug targets is an urgent need for the clinical management of the disease. Proteomic approaches offer the chance of determining the effects of antimalarial drugs on the proteome of Plasmodium parasites. Accordingly, we reviewed the effects of antimalarial drugs on the Plasmodium falciparum proteome pointing out the relevance of several proteins as possible drug targets in malaria treatment. In addition, some of the P. falciparum stage-specific altered proteins and parasite-host interactions might play important roles in pathogenicity, survival, invasion and metabolic pathways and thus serve as potential sources of drug targets. In this review, we have identified several proteins, including thioredoxin reductase, helicases, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, endoplasmic reticulum-resident calcium-binding protein, choline/ethanolamine phosphotransferase, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, apical membrane antigen 1, glutamate dehydrogenase, hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase, heat shock protein 70x, knob-associated histidine-rich protein and erythrocyte membrane protein 1, as promising antimalarial drugs targets. Overall, proteomic approaches are able to partially facilitate finding possible drug targets. However, the integration of other 'omics' and specific pharmaceutical techniques with proteomics may increase the therapeutic properties of the critical proteins identified in the P. falciparum proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Dousti
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Raúl Manzano-Román
- Proteomics Unit, Cancer Research Centre (IBMCC/CSIC/USAL/IBSAL), 37007, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Sajad Rashidi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Barzegar
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Disease Control, Komijan Treatment and Health Network, Arak University of Medical Science, Iran
| | - Gholamreza Hatam
- Basic Sciences in Infectious Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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50
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Kojin BB, Martin-Martin I, Araújo HRC, Bonilla B, Molina-Cruz A, Calvo E, Capurro ML, Adelman ZN. Aedes aegypti SGS1 is critical for Plasmodium gallinaceum infection of both the mosquito midgut and salivary glands. Malar J 2021; 20:11. [PMID: 33407511 PMCID: PMC7787129 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03537-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The invasion of the mosquito salivary glands by Plasmodium sporozoites is a critical step that defines the success of malaria transmission and a detailed understanding of the molecules responsible for salivary gland invasion could be leveraged towards control of vector-borne pathogens. Antibodies directed against the mosquito salivary gland protein SGS1 have been shown to reduce Plasmodium gallinaceum sporozoite invasion of Aedes aegypti salivary glands, but the specific role of this protein in sporozoite invasion and in other stages of the Plasmodium life cycle remains unknown. METHODS RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas9 were used to evaluate the role of A. aegypti SGS1 in the P. gallinaceum life cycle. RESULTS Knockdown and knockout of SGS1 disrupted sporozoite invasion of the salivary gland. Interestingly, mosquitoes lacking SGS1 also displayed fewer oocysts. Proteomic analyses confirmed the abolishment of SGS1 in the salivary gland of SGS1 knockout mosquitoes and revealed that the C-terminus of the protein is absent in the salivary gland of control mosquitoes. In silico analyses indicated that SGS1 contains two potential internal cleavage sites and thus might generate three proteins. CONCLUSION SGS1 facilitates, but is not essential for, invasion of A. aegypti salivary glands by P. gallinaceum and has a dual role as a facilitator of parasite development in the mosquito midgut. SGS1 could, therefore, be part of a strategy to decrease malaria transmission by the mosquito vector, for example in a transgenic mosquito that blocks its interaction with the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca B Kojin
- Department of Entomology and Agrilife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Ines Martin-Martin
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Helena R C Araújo
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Laboratório de Mosquitos Geneticamente Modificados, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Brian Bonilla
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Alvaro Molina-Cruz
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Eric Calvo
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Margareth L Capurro
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Laboratório de Mosquitos Geneticamente Modificados, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Zach N Adelman
- Department of Entomology and Agrilife Research, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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