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Jutzeler KS, Le Clec'h W, Chevalier FD, Anderson TJC. Contribution of parasite and host genotype to immunopathology of schistosome infections. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:203. [PMID: 38711063 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06286-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of pathogen genotype in determining disease severity and immunopathology has been studied intensively in microbial pathogens including bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses but is poorly understood in parasitic helminths. The medically important blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni is an excellent model system to study the impact of helminth genetic variation on immunopathology. Our laboratory has demonstrated that laboratory schistosome populations differ in sporocyst growth and cercarial production in the intermediate snail host and worm establishment and fecundity in the vertebrate host. Here, we (i) investigate the hypothesis that schistosome genotype plays a significant role in immunopathology and related parasite life history traits in the vertebrate mouse host and (ii) quantify the relative impact of parasite and host genetics on infection outcomes. METHODS We infected BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice with four different laboratory schistosome populations from Africa and the Americas. We quantified disease progression in the vertebrate host by measuring body weight and complete blood count (CBC) with differential over a 12-week infection period. On sacrifice, we assessed parasitological (egg and worm counts, fecundity), immunopathological (organ measurements and histopathology) and immunological (CBC with differential and cytokine profiles) characteristics to determine the impact of parasite and host genetics. RESULTS We found significant variation between parasite populations in worm numbers, fecundity, liver and intestine egg counts, liver and spleen weight, and fibrotic area but not in granuloma size. Variation in organ weight was explained by egg burden and intrinsic parasite factors independent of egg burden. We found significant variation between infected mouse lines in cytokine levels (IFN-γ, TNF-α), eosinophils, lymphocytes and monocyte counts. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that both parasite and host genotype impact the outcome of infection. While host genotype explains most of the variation in immunological traits, parasite genotype explains most of the variation in parasitological traits, and both host and parasite genotypes impact immunopathology outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin S Jutzeler
- Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA.
- UT Health, Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
| | - Winka Le Clec'h
- Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Frédéric D Chevalier
- Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Disease Intervention and Prevention Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA.
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Chevalier FD, Le Clec’h W, Berriman M, Anderson TJ. A single locus determines praziquantel response in Schistosoma mansoni. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0143223. [PMID: 38289079 PMCID: PMC10916369 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01432-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
We previously performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify the genetic basis of praziquantel (PZQ) response in schistosomes, identifying two quantitative trait loci situated on chromosomes 2 and 3. We reanalyzed this GWAS using the latest (version 10) genome assembly showing that a single locus on chromosome 3, rather than two independent loci, determines drug response. These results reveal that PZQ response is monogenic and demonstrates the importance of high-quality genomic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Winka Le Clec’h
- Host-Pathogen Interactions Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Matthew Berriman
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Timothy J.C. Anderson
- Disease Intervention and Prevention Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Jutzeler KS, LeClec'h W, Chevalier FD, Anderson TJC. Contribution of parasite and host genotype to immunopathology of schistosome infections. Res Sq 2024:rs.3.rs-3858151. [PMID: 38313261 PMCID: PMC10836121 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3858151/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Background The role of pathogen genotype in determining disease severity and immunopathology has been studied intensively in microbial pathogens including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses, but is poorly understood in parasitic helminths. The medically important blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni is an excellent model system to study the impact of helminth genetic variation on immunopathology. Our laboratory has demonstrated that laboratory schistosome populations differ in sporocyst growth and cercarial production in the intermediate snail host and worm establishment and fecundity in the vertebrate host. Here, we (i) investigate the hypothesis that schistosome genotype plays a significant role in immunopathology and related parasite life history traits in the vertebrate mouse host and (ii) quantify the relative impact of parasite and host genetics on infection outcomes. Methods We infected BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice with four different laboratory schistosome populations from Africa and the Americas. We quantified disease progression in the vertebrate host by measuring body weight and complete blood count (CBC) with differential over an infection period of 12 weeks. On sacrifice, we assessed parasitological (egg and worm counts, fecundity), immunopathological (organ measurements and histopathology), and immunological (CBC with differential and cytokine profiles) characteristics to determine the impact of parasite and host genetics. Results We found significant variation between parasite populations in worm numbers, fecundity, liver and intestine egg counts, liver and spleen weight, and fibrotic area, but not in granuloma size. Variation in organ weight was explained by egg burden and by intrinsic parasite factors independent of egg burden. We found significant variation between infected mouse lines in cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α), eosinophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts. Conclusions This study showed that both parasite and host genotype impact the outcome of infection. While host genotype explains most of the variation in immunological traits, parasite genotype explains most of the variation in parasitological traits, and both host and parasite genotype impact immunopathology outcomes.
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Chevalier FD, Clec’h WL, Berriman M, Anderson TJ. A single locus determines praziquantel response in Schistosoma mansoni. bioRxiv 2023:2023.11.01.565202. [PMID: 37961217 PMCID: PMC10635054 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.01.565202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
We previously performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify the genetic basis of praziquantel (PZQ) response in schistosomes, identifying two quantitative trait loci (QTL) situated on chromosome 2 and chromosome 3. We reanalyzed this GWAS using the latest (v10) genome assembly showing that a single locus on chromosome 3, rather than two independent loci, determines drug response. These results reveal that praziquantel response is monogenic and demonstrates the importance of high-quality genomic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Host-Pathogen Interactions program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute; San Antonio, TX 78227, USA
| | - Winka Le Clec’h
- Host-Pathogen Interactions program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute; San Antonio, TX 78227, USA
| | - Matthew Berriman
- School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow; Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Timothy J.C. Anderson
- Disease Intervention and Prevention program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute; San Antonio, TX 78227, USA
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Le Clec’h W, Chevalier FD, Jutzeler K, Anderson TJC. No evidence for schistosome parasite fitness trade-offs in the intermediate and definitive host. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:132. [PMID: 37069704 PMCID: PMC10111729 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05730-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni uses an aquatic snail intermediate and a vertebrate definitive host to complete its life cycle. We previously showed that a key transmission trait-the number of cercariae larvae shed from infected Biomphalaria spp. snails-varies significantly within and between different parasite populations and is genetically controlled by five loci. We investigated the hypothesis that the success of parasite genotypes showing high propagative fitness in the intermediate snail host may be offset by lower reproductive fitness in the definitive vertebrate host. METHODS We investigated this trade-off hypothesis by selecting parasite progeny producing high or low number of larvae in the snail and then comparing fitness parameters and virulence in the rodent host. We infected inbred BALB/c mice using two Schistosoma mansoni parasite lines [high shedder (HS) and low shedder (LS) lines] isolated from F2 progeny generated by genetic crosses between SmLE (HS parent) and SmBRE (LS parent) parasites. We used the F3 progeny to infect two populations of inbred Biomphalaria glabrata snails. We then compared life history traits and virulence of these two selected parasite lines in the rodent host to understand pleiotropic effects of genes determining cercarial shedding in parasites infecting the definitive host. RESULTS HS parasites shed high numbers of cercariae, which had a detrimental impact on snail physiology (measured by laccase-like activity and hemoglobin rate), regardless of the snail genetic background. In contrast, selected LS parasites shed fewer cercariae and had a lower impact on snail physiology. Similarly, HS worms have a higher reproductive fitness and produced more viable F3 miracidia larvae than LS parasites. This increase in transmission is correlated with an increase in virulence toward the rodent host, characterized by stronger hepato-splenomegaly and hepatic fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS These experiments revealed that schistosome parasite propagative and reproductive fitness was positively correlated in intermediate and definitive host (positive pleiotropy). Therefore, we rejected our trade-off hypothesis. We also showed that our selected schistosome lines exhibited low and high shedding phenotype regardless of the intermediate snail host genetic background. .
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Affiliation(s)
- Winka Le Clec’h
- Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245 USA
| | - Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245 USA
| | - Kathrin Jutzeler
- Host Parasite Interaction Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245 USA
- UT Health, Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, San Antonio, TX 78229 USA
| | - Timothy J. C. Anderson
- Disease Intervention and Prevention Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245 USA
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Guzman MA, Rugel A, Alwan SN, Tarpley R, Taylor AB, Chevalier FD, Wendt GR, Collins JJ, Anderson TJC, McHardy SF, LoVerde PT. Schistosome Sulfotransferases: Mode of Action, Expression and Localization. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1416. [PMID: 35890311 PMCID: PMC9323829 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxamniquine (OXA) is a prodrug activated by a sulfotransferase (SULT) that was only active against Schistosoma mansoni. We have reengineered OXA to be effective against S. haematobium and S. japonicum. Three derivatives stand out, CIDD-0066790, CIDD-0072229, and CIDD-0149830 as they kill all three major human schistosome species. However, questions remain. Is the OXA mode of action conserved in derivatives? RNA-interference experiments demonstrate that knockdown of the SmSULT, ShSULT, and SjSULT results in resistance to CIDD-0066790. Confirming that the OXA-derivative mode of action is conserved. Next is the level of expression of the schistosome SULTs in each species, as well as changes in SULT expression throughout development in S. mansoni. Using multiple tools, our data show that SmSULT has higher expression compared to ShSULT and SjSULT. Third, is the localization of SULT in the adult, multicellular eucaryotic schistosome species. We utilized fluorescence in situ hybridization and uptake of radiolabeled OXA to determine that multiple cell types throughout the adult schistosome worm express SULT. Thus, we hypothesize the ability of many cells to express the sulfotransferase accounts for the ability of the OXA derivatives to kill adult worms. Our studies demonstrate that the OXA derivatives are able to kill all three human schistosome species and thus will be a useful complement to PZQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan A. Guzman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (M.A.G.); (A.R.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (S.N.A.); (A.B.T.)
| | - Anastasia Rugel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (M.A.G.); (A.R.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (S.N.A.); (A.B.T.)
| | - Sevan N. Alwan
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (S.N.A.); (A.B.T.)
| | - Reid Tarpley
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA; (R.T.); (S.F.M.)
| | - Alexander B. Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (S.N.A.); (A.B.T.)
| | - Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Host Pathogen Interactions Program, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA;
| | - George R. Wendt
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; (G.R.W.); (J.J.C.III)
| | - James J. Collins
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; (G.R.W.); (J.J.C.III)
| | - Timothy J. C. Anderson
- Disease Intervention & Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA;
| | - Stanton F. McHardy
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA; (R.T.); (S.F.M.)
| | - Philip T. LoVerde
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA; (S.N.A.); (A.B.T.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Platt RN, Le Clec'h W, Chevalier FD, McDew‐White M, LoVerde PT, Ramiro de Assis R, Oliveira G, Kinung'hi S, Djirmay AG, Steinauer ML, Gouvras A, Rabone M, Allan F, Webster BL, Webster JP, Emery AM, Rollinson D, Anderson TJC. Genomic analysis of a parasite invasion: Colonization of the Americas by the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2242-2263. [PMID: 35152493 PMCID: PMC9305930 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Schistosoma mansoni, a snail-borne, blood fluke that infects humans, was introduced into the Americas from Africa during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. As this parasite shows strong specificity to the snail intermediate host, we expected that adaptation to South American Biomphalaria spp. snails would result in population bottlenecks and strong signatures of selection. We scored 475,081 single nucleotide variants in 143 S. mansoni from the Americas (Brazil, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico) and Africa (Cameroon, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda), and used these data to ask: (i) Was there a population bottleneck during colonization? (ii) Can we identify signatures of selection associated with colonization? (iii) What were the source populations for colonizing parasites? We found a 2.4- to 2.9-fold reduction in diversity and much slower decay in linkage disequilibrium (LD) in parasites from East to West Africa. However, we observed similar nuclear diversity and LD in West Africa and Brazil, suggesting no strong bottlenecks and limited barriers to colonization. We identified five genome regions showing selection in the Americas, compared with three in West Africa and none in East Africa, which we speculate may reflect adaptation during colonization. Finally, we infer that unsampled populations from central African regions between Benin and Angola, with contributions from Niger, are probably the major source(s) for Brazilian S. mansoni. The absence of a bottleneck suggests that this is a rare case of a serendipitous invasion, where S. mansoni parasites were pre-adapted to the Americas and able to establish with relative ease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy N. Platt
- Texas Biomedical Research InstituteSan AntonioTexasUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Guilherme Oliveira
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou—Fiocruz/MGBelo HorizonteBrazil
- Instituto Tecnológico ValeBelémBrazil
| | | | - Amadou Garba Djirmay
- Réseau International Schistosomiases Environnemental Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL)NiameyNiger
| | | | | | | | - Fiona Allan
- Department of Pathobiology and Population SciencesRoyal Veterinary College, Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic DiseasesUniversity of LondonHertfordshireUK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College LondonSchool of Public HealthLondonUK
| | - Bonnie L. Webster
- Natural History MuseumLondonUK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College LondonSchool of Public HealthLondonUK
| | - Joanne P. Webster
- Department of Pathobiology and Population SciencesRoyal Veterinary College, Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic DiseasesUniversity of LondonHertfordshireUK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College LondonSchool of Public HealthLondonUK
| | - Aidan M. Emery
- Natural History MuseumLondonUK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College LondonSchool of Public HealthLondonUK
| | - David Rollinson
- Natural History MuseumLondonUK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Imperial College LondonSchool of Public HealthLondonUK
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Le Clec’h W, Nordmeyer S, Anderson TJ, Chevalier FD. Snails, microbiomes, and schistosomes: a three-way interaction? Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:353-355. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Le Clec'h W, Chevalier FD, Mattos ACA, Strickland A, Diaz R, McDew-White M, Rohr CM, Kinung'hi S, Allan F, Webster BL, Webster JP, Emery AM, Rollinson D, Djirmay AG, Al Mashikhi KM, Al Yafae S, Idris MA, Moné H, Mouahid G, LoVerde P, Marchant JS, Anderson TJC. Genetic analysis of praziquantel response in schistosome parasites implicates a transient receptor potential channel. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabj9114. [PMID: 34936381 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj9114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Winka Le Clec'h
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA
| | | | - Ana Carolina A Mattos
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | | | - Robbie Diaz
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA
| | | | - Claudia M Rohr
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Safari Kinung'hi
- National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Fiona Allan
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial College, London, UK.,Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Bonnie L Webster
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial College, London, UK.,Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Joanne P Webster
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial College, London, UK.,Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases (CEEED), Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Aidan M Emery
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial College, London, UK.,Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - David Rollinson
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial College, London, UK.,Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Amadou Garba Djirmay
- Réseau International Schistosomiases Environnemental Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL), Niamey, Niger.,World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Khalid M Al Mashikhi
- Directorate General of Health Services, Dhofar Governorate, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Salem Al Yafae
- Directorate General of Health Services, Dhofar Governorate, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
| | | | - Hélène Moné
- Host-Pathogen-Environment Interactions Laboratory, University of Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Gabriel Mouahid
- Host-Pathogen-Environment Interactions Laboratory, University of Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Philip LoVerde
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Jonathan S Marchant
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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Le Clec’h W, Chevalier FD, McDew-White M, Menon V, Arya GA, Anderson TJ. Genetic architecture of transmission stage production and virulence in schistosome parasites. Virulence 2021; 12:1508-1526. [PMID: 34167443 PMCID: PMC8237990 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1932183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Both theory and experimental data from pathogens suggest that the production of transmission stages should be strongly associated with virulence, but the genetic bases of parasite transmission/virulence traits are poorly understood. The blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni shows extensive variation in numbers of cercariae larvae shed and in their virulence to infected snail hosts, consistent with expected trade-offs between parasite transmission and virulence. We crossed schistosomes from two populations that differ 8-fold in cercarial shedding and in their virulence to Biomphalaria glabrata snail hosts, and determined four-week cercarial shedding profiles in F0 parents, F1 parents and 376 F2 progeny from two independent crosses in inbred snails. Sequencing and linkage analysis revealed that cercarial production is polygenic and controlled by five QTLs (i.e. Quantitative Trait Loci). These QTLs act additively, explaining 28.56% of the phenotypic variation. These results demonstrate that the genetic architecture of key traits relevant to schistosome ecology can be dissected using classical linkage mapping approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winka Le Clec’h
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | | | | | - Vinay Menon
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Grace-Ann Arya
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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LoVerde PT, Alwan SN, Taylor AB, Rhodes J, Chevalier FD, Anderson TJ, McHardy SF. Rational approach to drug discovery for human schistosomiasis. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2021; 16:140-147. [PMID: 34111649 PMCID: PMC8193065 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Human schistosomiasis is a debilitating, life-threatening disease affecting more than 229 million people in as many as 78 countries. There is only one drug of choice effective against all three major species of Schistosoma, praziquantel (PZQ). However, as with many monotherapies, evidence for resistance is emerging in the field and can be selected for in the laboratory. Previously used therapies include oxamniquine (OXA), but shortcomings such as drug resistance and affordability resulted in discontinuation. Employing a genetic, biochemical and molecular approach, a sulfotransferase (SULT-OR) was identified as responsible for OXA drug resistance. By crystallizing SmSULT- OR with OXA, the mode of action of OXA was determined. This information allowed a rational approach to novel drug design. Our team approach with schistosome biologists, medicinal chemists, structural biologists and geneticists has enabled us to develop and test novel drug derivatives of OXA to treat this disease. Using an iterative process for drug development, we have successfully identified derivatives that are effective against all three species of the parasite. One derivative CIDD-0149830 kills 100% of all three human schistosome species within 5 days. The goal is to generate a second therapeutic with a different mode of action that can be used in conjunction with praziquantel to overcome the ever-growing threat of resistance and improve efficacy. The ability and need to design, screen, and develop future, affordable therapeutics to treat human schistosomiasis is critical for successful control program outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip T LoVerde
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - Sevan N Alwan
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Alexander B Taylor
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jayce Rhodes
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Frédéric D Chevalier
- Program in Host-Pathogen Interactions, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Timothy Jc Anderson
- Program in Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Stanton F McHardy
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Chevalier FD, Diaz R, McDew-White M, Anderson TJC, Le Clec'h W. The hemolymph of Biomphalaria snail vectors of schistosomiasis supports a diverse microbiome. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:5450-5466. [PMID: 33169917 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The microbiome - the microorganism community that is found on or within an organism's body - is increasingly recognized to shape many aspects of its host biology and is a key determinant of health and disease. Microbiomes modulate the capacity of insect disease vectors (mosquitoes, tsetse flies, sandflies) to transmit parasites and disease. We investigate the diversity and abundance of microorganisms within the hemolymph (i.e. blood) of Biomphalaria snails, the intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni, using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the bacterial 16S V4 rDNA. We sampled hemolymph from five snails from six different laboratory populations of B. glabrata and one population of B. alexandrina. We observed 279.84 ± 0.79 amplicon sequence variants per snail. There were significant differences in microbiome composition at the level of individual snails, snail populations and species. Snail microbiomes were dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes while water microbiomes from snail tank were dominated by Actinobacteria. We investigated the absolute bacterial load using qPCR: hemolymph samples contained 2784 ± 339 bacteria/μl. We speculate that the microbiome may represent a critical, but unexplored intermediary in the snail-schistosome interaction as hemolymph is in very close contact with the parasite at each step of its development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robbie Diaz
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, PO Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78258, USA
| | - Marina McDew-White
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, PO Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78258, USA
| | | | - Winka Le Clec'h
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, PO Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78258, USA
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Guzman MA, Rugel AR, Tarpley RS, Alwan SN, Chevalier FD, Kovalskyy DP, Cao X, Holloway SP, Anderson TJC, Taylor AB, McHardy SF, LoVerde PT. An iterative process produces oxamniquine derivatives that kill the major species of schistosomes infecting humans. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008517. [PMID: 32810153 PMCID: PMC7454593 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently there is only one method of treatment for human schistosomiasis, the drug praziquantel. Strong selective pressure has caused a serious concern for a rise in resistance to praziquantel leading to the necessity for additional pharmaceuticals, with a distinctly different mechanism of action, to be used in combination therapy with praziquantel. Previous treatment of Schistosoma mansoni included the use of oxamniquine (OXA), a prodrug that is enzymatically activated in S. mansoni but is ineffective against S. haematobium and S. japonicum. The oxamniquine activating enzyme was identified as a S. mansoni sulfotransferase (SmSULT-OR). Structural data have allowed for directed drug development in reengineering oxamniquine to be effective against S. haematobium and S. japonicum. Guided by data from X-ray crystallographic studies and Schistosoma worm killing assays on oxamniquine, our structure-based drug design approach produced a robust SAR program that tested over 300 derivatives and identified several new lead compounds with effective worm killing in vitro. Previous studies resulted in the discovery of compound CIDD-0066790, which demonstrated broad-species activity in killing of schistosome species. As these compounds are racemic mixtures, we tested and demonstrate that the R enantiomer CIDD-007229 kills S. mansoni, S. haematobium and S. japonicum better than the parent drug (CIDD-0066790). The search for derivatives that kill better than CIDD-0066790 has resulted in a derivative (CIDD- 149830) that kills 100% of S. mansoni, S. haematobium and S. japonicum adult worms within 7 days. We hypothesize that the difference in activation and thus killing by the derivatives is due to the ability of the derivative to fit in the binding pocket of each sulfotransferase (SmSULT-OR, ShSULT-OR, SjSULT-OR) and to be efficiently sulfated. The purpose of this research is to develop a second drug to be used in conjunction with praziquantel to treat the major human species of Schistosoma. Collectively, our findings show that CIDD-00149830 and CIDD-0072229 are promising novel drugs for the treatment of human schistosomiasis and strongly support further development and in vivo testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan A. Guzman
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Anastasia R. Rugel
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Reid S. Tarpley
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sevan N. Alwan
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Program in Host-Pathogen Interactions, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dmytro P. Kovalskyy
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xiaohang Cao
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stephen P. Holloway
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Timothy J. C. Anderson
- Program in Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexander B. Taylor
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory, Institutional Research Cores, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stanton F. McHardy
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SFM); (PTL)
| | - Philip T. LoVerde
- Departments of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SFM); (PTL)
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14
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Rugel AR, Guzman MA, Taylor AB, Chevalier FD, Tarpley RS, McHardy SF, Cao X, Holloway SP, Anderson TJC, Hart PJ, LoVerde PT. Why does oxamniquine kill Schistosoma mansoni and not S. haematobium and S. japonicum? Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2020; 13:8-15. [PMID: 32315953 PMCID: PMC7167500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Human schistosomiasis is a disease which globally affects over 229 million people. Three major species affecting humans are Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium and S. japonicum. Previous treatment of S. mansoni includes the use of oxamniquine (OXA), a prodrug that is enzymatically activated in S. mansoni but is ineffective against S. haematobium and S. japonicum. The OXA activating enzyme was identified and crystallized, as being a S. mansoni sulfotransferase (SmSULT). S. haematobium and S. japonicum possess homologs of SmSULT (ShSULT and SjSULT) begging the question; why does oxamniquine fail to kill S. haematobium and S. japonicum adult worms? Investigation of the molecular structures of the sulfotransferases indicates that structural differences, specifically in OXA contact residues, do not abrogate OXA binding in the active sites as previously hypothesized. Data presented argue that the ability of SULTs to sulfate and thus activate OXA and its derivatives is linked to the ability of OXA to fit in the binding pocket to allow the transfer of a sulfur group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia R Rugel
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Meghan A Guzman
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Alexander B Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory, Institutional Research Cores, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Frédéric D Chevalier
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - Reid S Tarpley
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - Stanton F McHardy
- Center for Innovative Drug Discovery, Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - Xiaohang Cao
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Stephen P Holloway
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA
| | - P John Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory, Institutional Research Cores, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Philip T LoVerde
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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15
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Chevalier FD, Le Clec’h W, McDew-White M, Menon V, Guzman MA, Holloway SP, Cao X, Taylor AB, Kinung'hi S, Gouvras AN, Webster BL, Webster JP, Emery AM, Rollinson D, Garba Djirmay A, Al Mashikhi KM, Al Yafae S, Idris MA, Moné H, Mouahid G, Hart PJ, LoVerde PT, Anderson TJC. Oxamniquine resistance alleles are widespread in Old World Schistosoma mansoni and predate drug deployment. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007881. [PMID: 31652296 PMCID: PMC6834289 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Do mutations required for adaptation occur de novo, or are they segregating within populations as standing genetic variation? This question is key to understanding adaptive change in nature, and has important practical consequences for the evolution of drug resistance. We provide evidence that alleles conferring resistance to oxamniquine (OXA), an antischistosomal drug, are widespread in natural parasite populations under minimal drug pressure and predate OXA deployment. OXA has been used since the 1970s to treat Schistosoma mansoni infections in the New World where S. mansoni established during the slave trade. Recessive loss-of-function mutations within a parasite sulfotransferase (SmSULT-OR) underlie resistance, and several verified resistance mutations, including a deletion (p.E142del), have been identified in the New World. Here we investigate sequence variation in SmSULT-OR in S. mansoni from the Old World, where OXA has seen minimal usage. We sequenced exomes of 204 S. mansoni parasites from West Africa, East Africa and the Middle East, and scored variants in SmSULT-OR and flanking regions. We identified 39 non-synonymous SNPs, 4 deletions, 1 duplication and 1 premature stop codon in the SmSULT-OR coding sequence, including one confirmed resistance deletion (p.E142del). We expressed recombinant proteins and used an in vitro OXA activation assay to functionally validate the OXA-resistance phenotype for four predicted OXA-resistance mutations. Three aspects of the data are of particular interest: (i) segregating OXA-resistance alleles are widespread in Old World populations (4.29–14.91% frequency), despite minimal OXA usage, (ii) two OXA-resistance mutations (p.W120R, p.N171IfsX28) are particularly common (>5%) in East African and Middle-Eastern populations, (iii) the p.E142del allele has identical flanking SNPs in both West Africa and Puerto Rico, suggesting that parasites bearing this allele colonized the New World during the slave trade and therefore predate OXA deployment. We conclude that standing variation for OXA resistance is widespread in S. mansoni. It has been argued that drug resistance is unlikely to spread rapidly in helminth parasites infecting humans. This is based, at least in part, on the premise that resistance mutations are rare or absent within populations prior to treatment, and take a long time to reach appreciable frequencies because helminth parasite generation time is long. This argument is critically dependent on the starting frequency of resistance alleles–if high levels of “standing variation” for resistance are present prior to deployment of treatment, resistance may spread rapidly. We examined frequencies of oxamniquine resistance alleles present in Schistosoma mansoni from Africa and the Middle East where oxamniquine has seen minimal use. We found that oxamniquine resistance alleles are widespread in the Old World, ranging from 4.29% in the Middle East to 14.91% in East African parasite populations. Furthermore, we show that resistance alleles from West African and the Caribbean schistosomes share a common origin, suggesting that these alleles travelled to the New World with S. mansoni during the transatlantic slave trade. Together, these results demonstrate extensive standing variation for oxamniquine resistance. Our results have important implications for both drug treatment policies and drug development efforts, and demonstrate the power of molecular surveillance approaches for guiding helminth control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (FDC); (TJCA)
| | - Winka Le Clec’h
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Marina McDew-White
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Vinay Menon
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Meghan A. Guzman
- Departments of Pathology and University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Stephen P. Holloway
- Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Xiaohang Cao
- Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alexander B. Taylor
- Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Safari Kinung'hi
- National Institute for Medical Research, Mwanza, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Anouk N. Gouvras
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial Collge, London, United Kingdom
- Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie L. Webster
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial Collge, London, United Kingdom
- Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne P. Webster
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial Collge, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases (CEEED), Royal Veterinary College, University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Aidan M. Emery
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial Collge, London, United Kingdom
- Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Rollinson
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNDTR), Imperial Collge, London, United Kingdom
- Wolfson Wellcome Biomedical Laboratories, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amadou Garba Djirmay
- Réseau International Schistosomiases Environnemental Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL), Niamey, Niger
- World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Khalid M. Al Mashikhi
- Directorate General of Health Services, Dhofar Governorate, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
| | - Salem Al Yafae
- Directorate General of Health Services, Dhofar Governorate, Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
| | | | - Hélène Moné
- Host-Pathogen-Environment Interactions laboratory, University of Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Gabriel Mouahid
- Host-Pathogen-Environment Interactions laboratory, University of Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - P. John Hart
- Biochemistry & Structural Biology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Philip T. LoVerde
- Departments of Pathology and University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Timothy J. C. Anderson
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (FDC); (TJCA)
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16
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Le Clecʼh W, Diaz R, Chevalier FD, McDew-White M, Anderson TJC. Striking differences in virulence, transmission and sporocyst growth dynamics between two schistosome populations. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:485. [PMID: 31619284 PMCID: PMC6796389 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3741-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parasite traits associated with transmission success, such as the number of infective stages released from the host, are expected to be optimized by natural selection. However, in the trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni, a key transmission trait, i.e. the number of cercariae larvae shed from infected Biomphalaria spp. snails, varies significantly within and between different parasite populations and selection experiments demonstrate that this variation has a strong genetic basis. In this study, we compared the transmission strategies of two laboratory schistosome population and their consequences for their snail host. Methods We infected inbred Biomphalaria glabrata snails using two S. mansoni parasite populations (SmBRE and SmLE), both isolated from Brazil and maintained in the laboratory for decades. We compared life history traits of these two parasite populations by quantifying sporocyst growth within infected snails (assayed using qPCR), output of cercaria larvae and impact on snail host physiological response (i.e. hemoglobin rate, laccase-like activity) and survival. Results We identified striking differences in virulence and transmission between the two studied parasite populations. SmBRE (low shedder (LS) parasite population) sheds very low numbers of cercariae and causes minimal impact on the snail physiological response (i.e. laccase-like activity, hemoglobin rate and snail survival). In contrast, SmLE (high shedder (HS) parasite population) sheds 8-fold more cercariae (mean ± SE cercariae per shedding: 284 ± 19 vs 2352 ± 113), causes high snail mortality and has strong impact on snail physiology. We found that HS sporocysts grow more rapidly inside the snail host, comprising up to 60% of cells within infected snails, compared to LS sporocysts, which comprised up to 31%. Cercarial production is strongly correlated to the number of S. mansoni sporocyst cells present within the snail host tissue, although the proportion of sporocyst cells alone does not explain the low cercarial shedding of SmBRE. Conclusions We demonstrated the existence of alternative transmission strategies in the S. mansoni parasite consistent with trade-offs between parasite transmission and host survival: a “boom-bust” strategy characterized by high virulence, high transmission and short duration infections and a “slow and steady” strategy with low virulence, low transmission but long duration of snail host infections.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Winka Le Clecʼh
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, Texas, 78245, USA.
| | - Robbie Diaz
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, Texas, 78245, USA
| | - Frédéric D Chevalier
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, Texas, 78245, USA
| | - Marina McDew-White
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, Texas, 78245, USA
| | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, Texas, 78245, USA
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17
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Platt RN, McDew-White M, Le Clec’h W, Chevalier FD, Allan F, Emery AM, Garba A, Hamidou AA, Ame SM, Webster JP, Rollinson D, Webster BL, Anderson TJC. Ancient Hybridization and Adaptive Introgression of an Invadolysin Gene in Schistosome Parasites. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 36:2127-2142. [PMID: 31251352 PMCID: PMC6759076 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introgression among parasite species has the potential to transfer traits of biomedical importance across species boundaries. The parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma haematobium causes urogenital schistosomiasis in humans across sub-Saharan Africa. Hybridization with other schistosome species is assumed to occur commonly, because genetic crosses between S. haematobium and livestock schistosomes, including S. bovis, can be staged in the laboratory, and sequencing of mtDNA and rDNA amplified from microscopic miracidia larvae frequently reveals markers from different species. However, the frequency, direction, age, and genomic consequences of hybridization are unknown. We hatched miracidia from eggs and sequenced the exomes from 96 individual S. haematobium miracidia from infected patients from Niger and the Zanzibar archipelago. These data revealed no evidence for contemporary hybridization between S. bovis and S. haematobium in our samples. However, all Nigerien S. haematobium genomes sampled show hybrid ancestry, with 3.3-8.2% of their nuclear genomes derived from S. bovis, providing evidence of an ancient introgression event that occurred at least 108-613 generations ago. Some S. bovis-derived alleles have spread to high frequency or reached fixation and show strong signatures of directional selection; the strongest signal spans a single gene in the invadolysin gene family (Chr. 4). Our results suggest that S. bovis/S. haematobium hybridization occurs rarely but demonstrate profound consequences of ancient introgression from a livestock parasite into the genome of S. haematobium, the most prevalent schistosome species infecting humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy N Platt
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
| | - Marina McDew-White
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
| | - Winka Le Clec’h
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
| | - Frédéric D Chevalier
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
| | - Fiona Allan
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Imperial College London, St Mary’s Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aidan M Emery
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Imperial College London, St Mary’s Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amadou Garba
- Réseau International Schistosomoses, Environnement, Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL-Niger), Niamey, Niger
| | - Amina A Hamidou
- Réseau International Schistosomoses, Environnement, Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL-Niger), Niamey, Niger
| | - Shaali M Ame
- Public Health Laboratory - Ivo de Carneri, Pemba, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Joanne P Webster
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Imperial College London, St Mary’s Campus, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Rollinson
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Imperial College London, St Mary’s Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bonnie L Webster
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Imperial College London, St Mary’s Campus, London, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX
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18
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Rugel A, Tarpley RS, Lopez A, Menard T, Guzman MA, Taylor AB, Cao X, Kovalskyy D, Chevalier FD, Anderson TJC, Hart PJ, LoVerde PT, McHardy SF. Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Novel Small Molecules as Broad Range Antischistosomal Agents. ACS Med Chem Lett 2018; 9:967-973. [PMID: 30344901 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a major human parasitic disease afflicting more than 250 million people, historically treated with chemotherapies praziquantel or oxamniquine. Since oxamniquine is species-specific, killing Schistosoma mansoni but not other schistosome species (S. haematobium or S. japonicum) and evidence for drug resistant strains is growing, research efforts have focused on identifying novel approaches. Guided by data from X-ray crystallographic studies and Schistosoma worm killing assays on oxamniquine, our structure-based drug design approach produced a robust structure-activity relationship (SAR) program that identified several new lead compounds with effective worm killing. These studies culminated in the discovery of compound 12a, which demonstrated broad-species activity in killing S. mansoni (75%), S. haematobium (40%), and S. japonicum (83%).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reid S. Tarpley
- Center for Innovative
Drug Discovery, University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Chemistry, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Ambrosio Lopez
- Center for Innovative
Drug Discovery, University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Chemistry, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Travis Menard
- Center for Innovative
Drug Discovery, University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Chemistry, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | | | - Alexander B. Taylor
- X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory,Institutional Research Cores, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
| | | | | | - Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Texas BioMedical Research Institute, 7620 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas 78227-5301, United States
| | - Timothy J. C. Anderson
- Texas BioMedical Research Institute, 7620 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas 78227-5301, United States
| | - P. John Hart
- X-ray Crystallography Core Laboratory,Institutional Research Cores, UT Health San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, Texas 78229, United States
| | | | - Stanton F. McHardy
- Center for Innovative
Drug Discovery, University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Chemistry, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
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Anderson TJC, LoVerde PT, Le Clec'h W, Chevalier FD. Genetic Crosses and Linkage Mapping in Schistosome Parasites. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:982-996. [PMID: 30150002 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Linkage mapping - utilizing experimental genetic crosses to examine cosegregation of phenotypic traits with genetic markers - is now 100 years old. Schistosome parasites are exquisitely well suited to linkage mapping approaches because genetic crosses can be conducted in the laboratory, thousands of progeny are produced, and elegant experimental work over the last 75 years has revealed heritable genetic variation in multiple biomedically important traits such as drug resistance, host specificity, and virulence. Application of this approach is timely because the improved genome assembly for Schistosoma mansoni and developing molecular toolkit for schistosomes increase our ability to link phenotype with genotype. We describe current progress and potential future directions of linkage mapping in schistosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Winka Le Clec'h
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78227, USA
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Guillen‐Ahlers H, Erbe CB, Chevalier FD, Montoya MJ, Zimmerman KD, Langefeld CD, Olivier M, Runge CL. TMTC2 variant associated with sensorineural hearing loss and auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder in a family dyad. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2018; 6:653-659. [PMID: 29671961 PMCID: PMC6081214 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a common form of hearing loss that can be inherited or triggered by environmental insults; auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) is a SNHL subtype with unique diagnostic criteria. The genetic factors associated with these impairments are vast and diverse, but causal genetic factors are rarely characterized. METHODS A family dyad, both cochlear implant recipients, presented with a hearing history of bilateral, progressive SNHL, and ANSD. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to identify coding sequence variants shared by both family members, and screened against genes relevant to hearing loss and variants known to be associated with SNHL and ANSD. RESULTS Both family members are successful cochlear implant users, demonstrating effective auditory nerve stimulation with their devices. Genetic analyses revealed a mutation (rs35725509) in the TMTC2 gene, which has been reported previously as a likely genetic cause of SNHL in another family of Northern European descent. CONCLUSION This study represents the first confirmation of the rs35725509 variant in an independent family as a likely cause for the complex hearing loss phenotype (SNHL and ANSD) observed in this family dyad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector Guillen‐Ahlers
- Department of GeneticsTexas Biomedical Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
- Present address:
Department of Internal MedicineSection of Molecular MedicineWake Forest University School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNCUSA
| | - Christy B. Erbe
- Department of Otolaryngology and Communication SciencesMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWIUSA
| | | | - Maria J. Montoya
- Department of GeneticsTexas Biomedical Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
| | - Kip D. Zimmerman
- Department of Biostatistical SciencesWake Forest University School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNCUSA
| | - Carl D. Langefeld
- Department of Biostatistical SciencesWake Forest University School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNCUSA
| | - Michael Olivier
- Department of GeneticsTexas Biomedical Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
- Present address:
Department of Internal MedicineSection of Molecular MedicineWake Forest University School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNCUSA
| | - Christina L. Runge
- Department of Otolaryngology and Communication SciencesMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWIUSA
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Chevalier FD, Le Clec'h W, Eng N, Rugel AR, Assis RRD, Oliveira G, Holloway SP, Cao X, Hart PJ, LoVerde PT, Anderson TJC. Independent origins of loss-of-function mutations conferring oxamniquine resistance in a Brazilian schistosome population. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:417-24. [PMID: 27073078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Molecular surveillance provides a powerful approach to monitoring the resistance status of parasite populations in the field and for understanding resistance evolution. Oxamniquine was used to treat Brazilian schistosomiasis patients (mid-1970s to mid-2000s) and several cases of parasite infections resistant to treatment were recorded. The gene underlying resistance (SmSULT-OR) encodes a sulfotransferase required for intracellular drug activation. Resistance has a recessive basis and occurs when both SmSULT-OR alleles encode for defective proteins. Here we examine SmSULT-OR sequence variation in a natural schistosome population in Brazil ∼40years after the first use of this drug. We sequenced SmSULT-OR from 189 individual miracidia (1-11 per patient) recovered from 49 patients, and tested proteins expressed from putative resistance alleles for their ability to activate oxamniquine. We found nine mutations (four non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms, three non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms and two indels). Both mutations (p.E142del and p.C35R) identified previously were recovered in this field population. We also found two additional mutations (a splice site variant and 1bp coding insertion) predicted to encode non-functional truncated proteins. Two additional substitutions (p.G206V, p.N215Y) tested had no impact on oxamniquine activation. Three results are of particular interest: (i) we recovered the p.E142del mutation from the field: this same deletion is responsible for resistance in an oxamniquine selected laboratory parasite population; (ii) frequencies of resistance alleles are extremely low (0.27-0.8%), perhaps due to fitness costs associated with carriage of these alleles; (iii) that four independent resistant alleles were found is consistent with the idea that multiple mutations can generate loss-of-function alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric D Chevalier
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Genetics, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245-0549, USA.
| | - Winka Le Clec'h
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Genetics, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245-0549, USA
| | - Nina Eng
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Genetics, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245-0549, USA
| | - Anastasia R Rugel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
| | - Rafael Ramiro de Assis
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Oliveira
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30190-002, Brazil; Vale Institute of Technology, Rua Boaventura da Silva, 955, Belém, Pará 66055-090, Brazil
| | - Stephen P Holloway
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
| | - Xiaohang Cao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
| | - P John Hart
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA; Department of Veterans Affairs, South Texas Veterans Health Care System, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Philip T LoVerde
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
| | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Genetics, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX 78245-0549, USA.
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Le Clec'h W, Anderson TJC, Chevalier FD. Characterization of hemolymph phenoloxidase activity in two Biomphalaria snail species and impact of Schistosoma mansoni infection. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:32. [PMID: 26797101 PMCID: PMC4722754 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1319-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biomphalaria snails are the intermediate host of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni, which infect more than 67 million people in tropical areas. Phenoloxidase enzymes (POs), including tyrosinases, catecholases, and laccases, are known to play a role in the immune defenses of arthropods, but the PO activity present in Biomphalaria spp. hemolymph has not been characterized. This study was designed to characterize substrate specificity and reaction optima of PO activity in Biomphalaria spp. hemolymph as a starting point to understand the role of this important invertebrate enzyme activity in snail biology and snail-schistosome interactions. METHODS We used spectrophotometric assays with 3 specific substrates (L-tyrosine for tyrosinase, L-DOPA for catecholase, and PPD for laccase) and diethylthiocarbarmate (DETC) as specific PO inhibitor to characterize PO activity in the hemolymph of uninfected snails from two Biomphalaria species, and to determine the impact of the parasite Schistosoma mansoni on the PO activity of its B. glabrata vector. RESULTS We identified laccase activity in hemolymph from uninfected B. glabrata and B. alexandrina. For both species, the activity was optimal at 45 °C and pH 8.5, and located in the plasma. The K m and V max of PO enzymes are 1.45 mM and 0.024 OD.min(-1) for B. glabrata, and 1.19 mM and 0.025 OD.min(-1) for B. alexandrina. When the snail vector is parasitized by S. mansoni, we observed a sharp reduction in laccase activity seven weeks after snail infection. CONCLUSIONS We employed a highly specific spectrophotometric assay using PPD substrate which allows accurate measurement of laccase activity in Biomphalaria spp. hemolymph. We also demonstrated a strong impact of the parasite S. mansoni on laccase activity in the snail host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winka Le Clec'h
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA.
| | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA.
| | - Frédéric D Chevalier
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, TX, 78245, USA.
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Chevalier FD, Le Clec'h W, Alves de Mattos AC, LoVerde PT, Anderson TJC. Real-time PCR for sexing Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2016; 205:35-8. [PMID: 27021570 PMCID: PMC4841722 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2016.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 03/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The gender of cercarial larvae can only be determined using molecular methods. End point PCR methods that amplify repetitive markers on the W chromosome of the female (ZW) parasites have been developed, but sometimes results are ambiguous or incorrect. To more effectively distinguish sexes, and to determine why end point PCR can be incorrect, we quantified the W6 repeat sequence and a specific Z chromosome gene using real-time PCR. The ratio between copy number of W6 and a Z chromosome marker unambiguously identifies gender: females have higher ratios (421-4371) than males (0-21). However, some males have low numbers of W6 elements in their genome, and qPCR demonstrated significantly higher W6/Z marker ratios for male genotypes giving ambiguous end point PCR results compared with males giving clear end point results. The quantitative PCR sexing method developed will be particularly useful where reliable sexing of cercariae is critical, for example when staging genetic crosses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric D Chevalier
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78245, USA.
| | - Winka Le Clec'h
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78245, USA.
| | - Ana Carolina Alves de Mattos
- Departments of Biochemistry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA.
| | - Philip T LoVerde
- Departments of Biochemistry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA.
| | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78245, USA.
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Braquart-Varnier C, Raimond M, Mappa G, Chevalier FD, Le Clec'h W, Sicard M. The Hematopoietic Organ: A Cornerstone for Wolbachia Propagation Between and Within Hosts. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1424. [PMID: 26733969 PMCID: PMC4683201 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is an intracellular α-proteobacterium which is transmitted vertically from mother to offspring but also frequently switches horizontally from one host to another. Our hypothesis is based on the role of immune cells and the organs that produce them, the hematopoietic organs (HOs), as primordial niches for the propagation of Wolbachia via hemocytes both (i) within hosts: to initiate and maintain the systemic infection and (ii) between hosts: to promote both vertical and horizontal transmission of Wolbachia. Therefore, we review some fundamental ideas underlying this hypothesis and go further with new empirical data that lead to a first close-up analysis of the potential role of HOs in Wolbachia propagation. The monitoring of the first steps of Wolbachia infection in horizontally infected host organs by transmission electron microscopy and qPCR suggests that (i) HOs are colonized early and extensively as soon as they are in contact with Wolbachia which find in these cells a favorable niche to multiply and (ii) infected HOs which expel hemocytes all lifelong can generate and maintain a systemic infection that could contribute to increase both vertical and horizontal propagation of these symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Braquart-Varnier
- CNRS UMR 7267, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers Poitiers, France
| | - Maryline Raimond
- CNRS UMR 7267, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers Poitiers, France
| | - Gaëtan Mappa
- CNRS UMR 7267, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions, Université de Poitiers Poitiers, France
| | | | - Winka Le Clec'h
- Genetics Department, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio TX, USA
| | - Mathieu Sicard
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (UMR CNRS-IRD-UM 5554), Université de Montpellier Montpellier, France
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Braquart-Varnier C, Altinli M, Pigeault R, Chevalier FD, Grève P, Bouchon D, Sicard M. The Mutualistic Side of Wolbachia-Isopod Interactions: Wolbachia Mediated Protection Against Pathogenic Intracellular Bacteria. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1388. [PMID: 26733946 PMCID: PMC4679875 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Wolbachia is a vertically transmitted endosymbiont whose radiative success is mainly related to various host reproductive manipulations that led to consider this symbiont as a conflictual reproductive parasite. However, lately, some Wolbachia have been shown to act as beneficial symbionts by protecting hosts against a broad range of parasites. Still, this protection has been mostly demonstrated in artificial Wolbachia-host associations between partners that did not co-evolved together. Here, we tested in two terrestrial isopod species Armadillidium vulgare and Porcellio dilatatus whether resident Wolbachia (native or non-native) could confer protection during infections with Listeria ivanovii and Salmonella typhimurium and also during a transinfection with a Wolbachia strain that kills the recipient host (i.e., wVulC in P. dilatatus). Survival analyses showed that (i) A. vulgare lines hosting their native Wolbachia (wVulC) always exhibited higher survival than asymbiotic ones when infected with pathogenic bacteria (ii) P. dilatatus lines hosting their native wDil Wolbachia strain survived the S. typhimurium infection better, while lines hosting non-native wCon Wolbachia strain survived the L. ivanovii and also the transinfection with wVulC from A. vulgare better. By studying L. ivanovii and S. typhimurium loads in the hemolymph of the different host-Wolbachia systems, we showed that (i) the difference in survival between lines after L. ivanovii infections were not linked to the difference between their pathogenic bacterial loads, and (ii) the difference in survival after S. typhimurium infections corresponds to lower loads of pathogenic bacteria. Overall, our results demonstrate a beneficial effect of Wolbachia on survival of terrestrial isopods when infected with pathogenic intracellular bacteria. This protective effect may rely on different mechanisms depending on the resident symbiont and the invasive bacteria interacting together within the hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Braquart-Varnier
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions - Equipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose - UMR CNRS 7267, Université de Poitiers Poitiers, France
| | - Mine Altinli
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD (UMR 5554) Montpellier, France
| | - Romain Pigeault
- IRD 224-Université de Montpellier, Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle, Équipe Interaction Parasitaires et Adaptation Montpellier, France
| | | | - Pierre Grève
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions - Equipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose - UMR CNRS 7267, Université de Poitiers Poitiers, France
| | - Didier Bouchon
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions - Equipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose - UMR CNRS 7267, Université de Poitiers Poitiers, France
| | - Mathieu Sicard
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution, CNRS-Université de Montpellier-IRD (UMR 5554) Montpellier, France
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Chevalier FD, Valentim CLL, LoVerde PT, Anderson TJC. Efficient linkage mapping using exome capture and extreme QTL in schistosome parasites. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:617. [PMID: 25048426 PMCID: PMC4117968 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Identification of parasite genes that underlie traits such as drug resistance and host specificity is challenging using classical linkage mapping approaches. Extreme QTL (X-QTL) methods, originally developed by rodent malaria and yeast researchers, promise to increase the power and simplify logistics of linkage mapping in experimental crosses of schistosomes (or other helminth parasites), because many 1000s of progeny can be analysed, phenotyping is not required, and progeny pools rather than individuals are genotyped. We explored the utility of this method for mapping a drug resistance gene in the human parasitic fluke Schistosoma mansoni. Results We staged a genetic cross between oxamniquine sensitive and resistant parasites, then between two F1 progeny, to generate multiple F2 progeny. One group of F2s infecting hamsters was treated with oxamniquine, while a second group was left untreated. We used exome capture to reduce the size of the genome (from 363 Mb to 15 Mb) and exomes from pooled F2 progeny (treated males, untreated males, treated females, untreated females) and the two parent parasites were sequenced to high read depth (mean = 95-366×) and allele frequencies at 14,489 variants compared. We observed dramatic enrichment of alleles from the resistant parent in a small region of chromosome 6 in drug-treated male and female pools (combined analysis: = 11.07, p = 8.74 × 10-29). This region contains Smp_089320 a gene encoding a sulfotransferase recently implicated in oxamniquine resistance using classical linkage mapping methods. Conclusions These results (a) demonstrate the utility of exome capture for generating reduced representation libraries in Schistosoma mansoni, and (b) provide proof-of-principle that X-QTL methods can be successfully applied to an important human helminth. The combination of these methods will simplify linkage analysis of biomedically or biologically important traits in this parasite. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-617) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Timothy J C Anderson
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, P,O, Box 760549, 78245 San Antonio, Texas, USA.
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Valentim CLL, Cioli D, Chevalier FD, Cao X, Taylor AB, Holloway SP, Pica-Mattoccia L, Guidi A, Basso A, Tsai IJ, Berriman M, Carvalho-Queiroz C, Almeida M, Aguilar H, Frantz DE, Hart PJ, LoVerde PT, Anderson TJC. Genetic and molecular basis of drug resistance and species-specific drug action in schistosome parasites. Science 2013; 342:1385-9. [PMID: 24263136 PMCID: PMC4136436 DOI: 10.1126/science.1243106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Oxamniquine resistance evolved in the human blood fluke (Schistosoma mansoni) in Brazil in the 1970s. We crossed parental parasites differing ~500-fold in drug response, determined drug sensitivity and marker segregation in clonally derived second-generation progeny, and identified a single quantitative trait locus (logarithm of odds = 31) on chromosome 6. A sulfotransferase was identified as the causative gene by using RNA interference knockdown and biochemical complementation assays, and we subsequently demonstrated independent origins of loss-of-function mutations in field-derived and laboratory-selected resistant parasites. These results demonstrate the utility of linkage mapping in a human helminth parasite, while crystallographic analyses of protein-drug interactions illuminate the mode of drug action and provide a framework for rational design of oxamniquine derivatives that kill both S. mansoni and S. haematobium, the two species responsible for >99% of schistosomiasis cases worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia L L Valentim
- Departments of Biochemistry and Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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Le Clec’h W, Chevalier FD, Genty L, Bertaux J, Bouchon D, Sicard M. Cannibalism and predation as paths for horizontal passage of Wolbachia between terrestrial isopods. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60232. [PMID: 23593179 PMCID: PMC3622663 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The alpha-proteobacteria Wolbachia are the most widespread endosymbionts in arthropods and nematodes. Mainly maternally inherited, these so-called sex parasites have selected several strategies that increase their vertical dispersion in host populations. However, the lack of congruence between the Wolbachia and their host phylogenies suggests frequent horizontal transfers. One way that could be used for horizontal Wolbachia transfers between individuals is predation. The aim of this study was to test whether horizontal passage of Wolbachia is possible when an uninfected terrestrial isopod eats an infected one. After having eaten Armadillidium vulgare harbouring Wolbachia, the predator-recipients (the two woodlice A. vulgare and Porcellio dilatatus dilatatus) that were initially Wolbachia-free were tested positive for the presence of Wolbachia both by quantitative PCR and Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH). Even if the titers were low compared to vertically infected individuals, this constitutes the first demonstration of Wolbachia occurrence in various organs of an initially uninfected host after eating an infected one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winka Le Clec’h
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions, équipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose, UMR 7267 CNRS, Bâtiment B8, Poitiers, France
| | - Frédéric D. Chevalier
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions, équipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose, UMR 7267 CNRS, Bâtiment B8, Poitiers, France
| | - Lise Genty
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions, équipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose, UMR 7267 CNRS, Bâtiment B8, Poitiers, France
| | - Joanne Bertaux
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions, équipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose, UMR 7267 CNRS, Bâtiment B8, Poitiers, France
| | - Didier Bouchon
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions, équipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose, UMR 7267 CNRS, Bâtiment B8, Poitiers, France
| | - Mathieu Sicard
- Laboratoire Écologie et Biologie des Interactions, équipe Écologie, Évolution, Symbiose, UMR 7267 CNRS, Bâtiment B8, Poitiers, France
- * E-mail:
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