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Ferreira CM, Stiebler R, Saraiva FM, Lechuga GC, Walter-Nuno AB, Bourguignon SC, Gonzalez MS, Azambuja P, Gandara ACP, Menna-Barreto RFS, Paiva-Silva GO, Paes MC, Oliveira MF. Heme crystallization in a Chagas disease vector acts as a redox-protective mechanism to allow insect reproduction and parasite infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006661. [PMID: 30036366 PMCID: PMC6084092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Heme crystallization as hemozoin represents the dominant mechanism of heme disposal in blood feeding triatomine insect vectors of the Chagas disease. The absence of drugs or vaccine for the Chagas disease causative agent, the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, makes the control of vector population the best available strategy to limit disease spread. Although heme and redox homeostasis regulation is critical for both triatomine insects and T. cruzi, the physiological relevance of hemozoin for these organisms remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that selective blockage of heme crystallization in vivo by the antimalarial drug quinidine, caused systemic heme overload and redox imbalance in distinct insect tissues, assessed by spectrophotometry and fluorescence microscopy. Quinidine treatment activated compensatory defensive heme-scavenging mechanisms to cope with excessive heme, as revealed by biochemical hemolymph analyses, and fat body gene expression. Importantly, egg production, oviposition, and total T. cruzi parasite counts in R. prolixus were significantly reduced by quinidine treatment. These effects were reverted by oral supplementation with the major insect antioxidant urate. Altogether, these data underscore the importance of heme crystallization as the main redox regulator for triatomine vectors, indicating the dual role of hemozoin as a protective mechanism to allow insect fertility, and T. cruzi life-cycle. Thus, targeting heme crystallization in insect vectors represents an innovative way for Chagas disease control, by reducing simultaneously triatomine reproduction and T. cruzi transmission. Chagas disease is a fatal illness caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites, which are transmitted by blood sucking triatomine insect vectors. Although blood is a natural food source for these insects, its digestion releases toxic products, which poses a dietary challenge for both triatomine insects and trypanosomes. To overcome this, triatomines eliminate these toxic blood products by a unique process of heme crystallization into hemozoin that take place in their digestive tract. Here we describe that this detoxification process represents the major mechanism for redox balance control, and is necessary to allow triatomine insect reproduction, and Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Disruption of heme crystallization in triatomine insects thus represents a new venue for Chagas disease control, by targeting at the same time insect reproduction and parasite transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Ferreira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Renata Stiebler
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Francis M. Saraiva
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Guilherme C. Lechuga
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Beatriz Walter-Nuno
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Saulo C. Bourguignon
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcelo S. Gonzalez
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Azambuja
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Caroline P. Gandara
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Gabriela O. Paiva-Silva
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcia C. Paes
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcus F. Oliveira
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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