1
|
Chand M, Vydyam P, Pal AC, Thekkiniath J, Darif D, Li Z, Choi JY, Magni R, Luchini A, Tonnetti L, Horn EJ, Tufts DM, Ben Mamoun C. A Set of Diagnostic Tests for Detection of Active Babesia duncani Infection. medRxiv 2024:2024.03.25.24304816. [PMID: 38585766 PMCID: PMC10996717 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.25.24304816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a rapidly emerging and potentially fatal tick-borne disease caused by intraerythrocytic apicomplexan parasites of the Babesia genus. Among the various species of Babesia that infect humans, B. duncani has been found to cause severe and life-threatening infections. Detection of active B. duncani infection is critical for accurate diagnosis and effective management of the disease. While molecular assays for the detection of B. duncani infection in blood are available, a reliable strategy to detect biomarkers of active infection has not yet been developed. Here, we report the development of the first B. duncani antigen capture assays that rely on the detection of two B. duncani -exported immunodominant antigens, BdV234 and BdV38. The assays were validated using blood samples from cultured parasites in human erythrocytes and B. duncani -infected laboratory mice at different parasitemia levels and following therapy. The assays display high specificity with no cross-reactivity with B. microti , B. divergens , Babesia MO1, or P. falciparum. The assay also demonstrates high sensitivity, detecting as low as 115 infected erythrocytes/µl of blood. Screening of 1,731 blood samples from diverse biorepositories, including previously identified Lyme and/or B. microti positive human samples and new specimens from field mice, showed no evidence of B. duncani infection in these samples. The assays could be useful in diverse diagnostic scenarios, including point-of-care testing for early B. duncani infection detection in patients, field tests for screening reservoir hosts, and high-throughput screening such as blood collected for transfusion. Short summary We developed two ELISA-based assays, BdACA38 and BdACA234, for detecting B. duncani , a potentially fatal tick-borne parasite causing human babesiosis. The assays target two immunodominant antigens, BdV234 and BdV38, demonstrating high specificity (no cross-reactivity with other Babesia species or Plasmodium falciparum ) and sensitivity (detecting as low as 115 infected erythrocytes/µl). The assays were validated using in vitro-cultured parasites and infected mice. Screening diverse blood samples showed no evidence of B. duncani active infection among 1,731 human and field mice blood samples collected from the north-eastern, midwestern, and western US. These assays offer potential in diverse diagnostic scenarios, including early patient detection, reservoir animal screening, and transfusion-transmitted babesiosis prevention.
Collapse
|
2
|
Vydyam P, Choi JY, Gihaz S, Chand M, Gewirtz M, Thekkiniath J, Lonardi S, Gennaro JC, Ben Mamoun C. Babesia BdFE1 esterase is required for the anti-parasitic activity of the ACE inhibitor fosinopril. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105313. [PMID: 37797695 PMCID: PMC10663679 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105313] [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: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective and safe therapies for the treatment of diseases caused by intraerythrocytic parasites are impeded by the rapid emergence of drug resistance and the lack of novel drug targets. One such disease is human babesiosis, which is a rapidly emerging tick-borne illness caused by Babesia parasites. In this study, we identified fosinopril, a phosphonate-containing, FDA-approved angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor commonly used as a prodrug for hypertension and heart failure, as a potent inhibitor of Babesia duncani parasite development within human erythrocytes. Cell biological and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the conversion of fosinopril to its active diacid molecule, fosinoprilat, is essential for its antiparasitic activity. We show that this conversion is mediated by a parasite-encoded esterase, BdFE1, which is highly conserved among apicomplexan parasites. Parasites carrying the L238H mutation in the active site of BdFE1 failed to convert the prodrug to its active moiety and became resistant to the drug. Our data set the stage for the development of this class of drugs for the therapy of vector-borne parasitic diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Vydyam
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Shalev Gihaz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Meenal Chand
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Meital Gewirtz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Stefano Lonardi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Joseph C Gennaro
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Singh P, Lonardi S, Liang Q, Vydyam P, Khabirova E, Fang T, Gihaz S, Thekkiniath J, Munshi M, Abel S, Ciampossin L, Batugedara G, Gupta M, Lu XM, Lenz T, Chakravarty S, Cornillot E, Hu Y, Ma W, Gonzalez LM, Sánchez S, Estrada K, Sánchez-Flores A, Montero E, Harb OS, Le Roch KG, Mamoun CB. Babesia duncani multi-omics identifies virulence factors and drug targets. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:845-859. [PMID: 37055610 PMCID: PMC10159843 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01360-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a malaria-like disease in humans and animals that is caused by Babesia species, which are tick-transmitted apicomplexan pathogens. Babesia duncani causes severe to lethal infection in humans, but despite the risk that this parasite poses as an emerging pathogen, little is known about its biology, metabolic requirements or pathogenesis. Unlike other apicomplexan parasites that infect red blood cells, B. duncani can be continuously cultured in vitro in human erythrocytes and can infect mice resulting in fulminant babesiosis and death. We report comprehensive, detailed molecular, genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses to gain insights into the biology of B. duncani. We completed the assembly, 3D structure and annotation of its nuclear genome, and analysed its transcriptomic and epigenetics profiles during its asexual life cycle stages in human erythrocytes. We used RNA-seq data to produce an atlas of parasite metabolism during its intraerythrocytic life cycle. Characterization of the B. duncani genome, epigenome and transcriptome identified classes of candidate virulence factors, antigens for diagnosis of active infection and several attractive drug targets. Furthermore, metabolic reconstitutions from genome annotation and in vitro efficacy studies identified antifolates, pyrimethamine and WR-99210 as potent inhibitors of B. duncani to establish a pipeline of small molecules that could be developed as effective therapies for the treatment of human babesiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Singh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stefano Lonardi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Qihua Liang
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Pratap Vydyam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Tiffany Fang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shalev Gihaz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Muhammad Munshi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Loic Ciampossin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Gayani Batugedara
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Mohit Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Xueqing Maggie Lu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Todd Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sakshar Chakravarty
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle (IBC), and Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM - INSERM U1194), Institut régional du Cancer Montpellier (ICM) and Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Yangyang Hu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Wenxiu Ma
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Luis Miguel Gonzalez
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Sánchez
- Reference and Research Laboratory on Food and Waterborne Bacterial Infections, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Karel Estrada
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Flores
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Estrella Montero
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Omar S Harb
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chand M, Choi JY, Pal AC, Singh P, Kumari V, Thekkiniath J, Gagnon J, Timalsina S, Gaur G, Williams S, Ledizet M, Mamoun CB. Epitope profiling of monoclonal antibodies to the immunodominant antigen BmGPI12 of the human pathogen Babesia microti. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1039197. [PMID: 36506011 PMCID: PMC9732259 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1039197] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The significant rise in the number of tick-borne diseases represents a major threat to public health worldwide. One such emerging disease is human babesiosis, which is caused by several protozoan parasites of the Babesia genus of which B. microti is responsible for most clinical cases reported to date. Recent studies have shown that during its intraerythrocytic life cycle, B. microti exports several antigens into the mammalian host using a novel vesicular-mediated secretion mechanism. One of these secreted proteins is the immunodominant antigen BmGPI12, which has been demonstrated to be a reliable biomarker of active B. microti infection. The major immunogenic determinants of this antigen remain unknown. Here we provide a comprehensive molecular and serological characterization of a set of eighteen monoclonal antibodies developed against BmGPI12 and a detailed profile of their binding specificity and suitability in the detection of active B. microti infection. Serological profiling and competition assays using synthetic peptides identified five unique epitopes on the surface of BmGPI12 which are recognized by a set of eight monoclonal antibodies. ELISA-based antigen detection assays identified five antibody combinations that specifically detect the secreted form of BmGPI12 in plasma samples from B. microti-infected mice and humans but not from other Babesia species or P. falciparum.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meenal Chand
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Anasuya C. Pal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Vandana Kumari
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | | | - Gauri Gaur
- L2 Diagnostics, LLC, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Scott Williams
- Department of Forestry and Horticulture, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States,*Correspondence: Choukri Ben Mamoun,
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gihaz S, Gareiss P, Choi JY, Renard I, Pal AC, Surovsteva Y, Chiu JE, Thekkiniath J, Plummer M, Hungerford W, Montgomery ML, Hosford A, Adams EM, Lightfoot JD, Fox D, Ojo KK, Staker BL, Fuller K, Ben Mamoun C. High-resolution crystal structure and chemical screening reveal pantothenate kinase as a new target for antifungal development. Structure 2022; 30:1494-1507.e6. [PMID: 36167065 PMCID: PMC10042587 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Fungal infections are the leading cause of mortality by eukaryotic pathogens, with an estimated 150 million severe life-threatening cases and 1.7 million deaths reported annually. The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant fungal isolates highlights the urgent need for new drugs with new mechanisms of action. In fungi, pantothenate phosphorylation, catalyzed by PanK enzyme, is the first step in the utilization of pantothenic acid and coenzyme A biosynthesis. In all fungi sequenced so far, this enzyme is encoded by a single PanK gene. Here, we report the crystal structure of a fungal PanK alone as well as with high-affinity inhibitors from a single chemotype identified through a high-throughput chemical screen. Structural, biochemical, and functional analyses revealed mechanisms governing substrate and ligand binding, dimerization, and catalysis and helped identify new compounds that inhibit the growth of several Candida species. The data validate PanK as a promising target for antifungal drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shalev Gihaz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Peter Gareiss
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Isaline Renard
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Anasuya Chattopadhyay Pal
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yulia Surovsteva
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Joy E Chiu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mark Plummer
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - William Hungerford
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, Yale West Campus, West Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Micaela L Montgomery
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Alanah Hosford
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Emily M Adams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Jorge D Lightfoot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - David Fox
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; UCB Pharma, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, USA
| | - Kayode K Ojo
- Center for Emerging & Re-emerging Infectious Disease, Division of Allergy & Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Bart L Staker
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kevin Fuller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gihaz S, Gareiss P, Choi J, Renard I, Chattopadhyay Pal A, Surovsteva Y, Chiu JE, Thekkiniath J, Plummer M, Hungerford W, Montgomery ML, Hosford A, Adams EM, Lightfoot JD, Fox D, Ojo KK, Staker BL, Fuller K, Ben Mamoun C. Targeting Pantothenate Kinase as an Effective Strategy for Antifungal Drug Development. FASEB J 2022. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2022.36.s1.l7671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shalev Gihaz
- Section of Infectious Diseases‐ Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| | | | - Jae‐Yeon Choi
- Section of Infectious Diseases‐ Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| | - Isaline Renard
- Section of Infectious Diseases‐ Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| | - Anasuya Chattopadhyay Pal
- Section of Infectious Diseases‐ Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| | | | - Joy E. Chiu
- Section of Infectious Diseases‐ Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Section of Infectious Diseases‐ Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| | | | | | - Micaela L. Montgomery
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
| | - Alanah Hosford
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
- Department of OphthalmologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
| | - Emily M. Adams
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
- Department of OphthalmologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
| | - Jorge D. Lightfoot
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
- Department of OphthalmologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
| | - David Fox
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious DiseaseSeattleWA
- Center for Global Infectious Disease ResearchSeattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious DiseaseSeattleWA
| | - Kayode K. Ojo
- Department of MedicineUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWA
| | - Bart L. Staker
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious DiseaseSeattleWA
- Center for Global Infectious Disease ResearchSeattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious DiseaseSeattleWA
| | - Kevin Fuller
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
- Department of OphthalmologyUniversity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center‐ Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyOklahoma CityOK
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases‐ Department of Internal MedicineYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCT
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bastos RG, Thekkiniath J, Ben Mamoun C, Fuller L, Molestina RE, Florin-Christensen M, Schnittger L, Alzan HF, Suarez CE. Babesia microti Immunoreactive Rhoptry-Associated Protein-1 Paralogs Are Ancestral Members of the Piroplasmid-Confined RAP-1 Family. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10111384. [PMID: 34832541 PMCID: PMC8624774 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10111384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia, Cytauxzoon and Theileria are tick-borne apicomplexan parasites of the order Piroplasmida, responsible for diseases in humans and animals. Members of the piroplasmid rhoptry-associated protein-1 (pRAP-1) family have a signature cysteine-rich domain and are important for parasite development. We propose that the closely linked B. microti genes annotated as BMR1_03g00947 and BMR1_03g00960 encode two paralogue pRAP-1-like proteins named BmIPA48 and Bm960. The two genes are tandemly arranged head to tail, highly expressed in blood stage parasites, syntenic to rap-1 genes of other piroplasmids, and share large portions of an almost identical ~225 bp sequence located in their 5' putative regulatory regions. BmIPA48 and Bm960 proteins contain a N-terminal signal peptide, share very low sequence identity (<13%) with pRAP-1 from other species, and harbor one or more transmembrane domains. Diversification of the piroplasmid-confined prap-1 family is characterized by amplification of genes, protein domains, and a high sequence polymorphism. This suggests a functional involvement of pRAP-1 at the parasite-host interface, possibly in parasite adhesion, attachment, and/or evasion of the host immune defenses. Both BmIPA48 and Bm960 are recognized by antibodies in sera from humans infected with B. microti and might be promising candidates for developing novel serodiagnosis and vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reginaldo G. Bastos
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA;
- Correspondence: (R.G.B.); (C.E.S.)
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Fuller Laboratories, 1312 East Valencia Drive, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA; (J.T.); (L.F.)
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
| | - Lee Fuller
- Fuller Laboratories, 1312 East Valencia Drive, Fullerton, CA 92831, USA; (J.T.); (L.F.)
| | - Robert E. Molestina
- Protistology Laboratory, American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA 10801, USA;
| | - Monica Florin-Christensen
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina; (M.F.-C.); (L.S.)
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires C1033AAE, Argentina
| | - Leonhard Schnittger
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina; (M.F.-C.); (L.S.)
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, CICVyA, INTA-Castelar, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires C1033AAE, Argentina
| | - Heba F. Alzan
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA;
- Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
- Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Research Unit, National Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA;
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural—Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
- Correspondence: (R.G.B.); (C.E.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Jamehdor S, Zaboli KA, Naserian S, Thekkiniath J, Omidy HA, Teimoori A, Johari B, Taromchi AH, Sasano Y, Kaboli S. An overview of applications of CRISPR-Cas technologies in biomedical engineering. Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2020; 58:163-173. [PMID: 32978771 DOI: 10.5603/fhc.a2020.0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered Regulatory Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is one of the major genome editing systems and allows changing DNA levels of an organism. Among several CRISPR categories, the CRISPR-Cas9 system has shown a remarkable progression rate over its lifetime. Recently, other tools including CRISPR-Cas12 and CRISPR-Cas13 have been introduced. CRISPR-Cas9 system has played a key role in the industrial cell factory's production and improved our understanding of genome function. Additionally, this system has been used as one of the major genome editing systems for the diagnosis and treatment of several infectious and non-infectious diseases. In this review, we discuss CRISPR biology, its versatility, and its application in biomedical engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Saleh Jamehdor
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Medical Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Kasra Arbabi Zaboli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Sina Naserian
- INSERM UMR-S-MD 1197/Ministry of the Armed Forces, Biomedical Research Institute of the Armed Forces (IRBA), Paul-Brousse Hospital Villejuif, and CTSA Clamart, France.,SivanCell, Sivan Aryo Pharmed, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Honey Alef Omidy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ali Teimoori
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Behrooz Johari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Taromchi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Yu Sasano
- Department of Applied Microbial Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Life Science, Sojo University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Saeed Kaboli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Khodadad N, Fani M, Jamehdor S, Nahidsamiei R, Makvandi M, Kaboli S, Teimoori A, Thekkiniath J. A knockdown of the herpes simplex virus type-1 gene in all-in-one CRISPR vectors. Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2020; 58:174-181. [PMID: 32937678 DOI: 10.5603/fhc.a2020.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a virus that causes serious human disease and establishes a long-term latent infection. The latent form of this virus has shown to be resistant to antiviral drugs. Clustered Regularly Interspace Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR), is an important tool in genome engineering and composed of guide RNA (gRNA) and Cas9 nuclease that makes an RNA-protein complex to digest exclusive target sequences implementation of gRNA. Moreover, CRISPR-Cas9 system effectively suppresses HSV-1 infection by knockout of some viral genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS To survey the efficacy of Cas9 system on HSV-1 genome destruction, we designed several guide RNAs (gRNAs) that all packaged in one vector. Additionally, we performed a one-step restriction using BamHI and Esp3I enzymes. RESULTS CRISPR/Cas9 system targeted against the gD gene of HSV-1 was transfected into HEK-AD cells that showed a significant reduction of HSV-1 infection by plaque assay and real-time PCR. CONCLUSION The pCas-Guide-EF1a-GFP CRISPR vector can create a fast and efficient method for gRNA cloning by restriction enzymes (Esp3I (BsmBI) and BamHI). Therefore, the CRISPR/Cas9 system may be utilized for the screening of genes critical for the HSV-1 infection and developing new strategies for targeted therapy of viral infections caused by HSV-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nastaran Khodadad
- Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Department of Virology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mona Fani
- Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Department of Pathobiology and Laboratory Sciences, School of Medicine, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Saleh Jamehdor
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Rahil Nahidsamiei
- Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Department of Virology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Manoochehr Makvandi
- Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Department of Virology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Saeed Kaboli
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Cancer Gene Therapy Research Center, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Ali Teimoori
- Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
- Department of Virology, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Fuller Laboratories, Fullerton, CA, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chiu JE, Thekkiniath J, Mehta S, Müller C, Bracher F, Ben Mamoun C. The yeast pantothenate kinase Cab1 is a master regulator of sterol metabolism and of susceptibility to ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:14757-14767. [PMID: 31409644 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009791] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In fungi, ergosterol is an essential component of the plasma membrane. Its biosynthesis from acetyl-CoA is the primary target of the most commonly used antifungal drugs. Here, we show that the pantothenate kinase Cab1p, which catalyzes the first step in the metabolism of pantothenic acid for CoA biosynthesis in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), significantly regulates the levels of sterol intermediates and the activities of ergosterol biosynthesis-targeting antifungals. Using genetic and pharmacological analyses, we show that altered pantothenate utilization dramatically alters the susceptibility of yeast cells to ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors. Genome-wide transcription and MS-based analyses revealed that this regulation is mediated by changes both in the expression of ergosterol biosynthesis genes and in the levels of sterol intermediates. Consistent with these findings, drug interaction experiments indicated that inhibition of pantothenic acid utilization synergizes with the activity of the ergosterol molecule-targeting antifungal amphotericin B and antagonizes that of the ergosterol pathway-targeting antifungal drug terbinafine. Our finding that CoA metabolism controls ergosterol biosynthesis and susceptibility to antifungals could set the stage for the development of new strategies to manage fungal infections and to modulate the potency of current drugs against drug-sensitive and -resistant fungal pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joy E Chiu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Sameet Mehta
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Christoph Müller
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Butenandstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Franz Bracher
- Department of Pharmacy-Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Butenandstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Hendricson A, Umlauf S, Choi JY, Thekkiniath J, Surovtseva YV, Fuller KK, Reynolds TB, Voelker DR, Ben Mamoun C. High-throughput screening for phosphatidylserine decarboxylase inhibitors using a distyrylbenzene-bis-aldehyde (DSB-3)-based fluorescence assay. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:12146-12156. [PMID: 31227523 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.007766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 01/27/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphatidylserine decarboxylases (PSDs) catalyze the decarboxylation of phosphatidylserine to generate phosphatidylethanolamine, a critical step in phospholipid metabolism in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Most PSDs are membrane-bound, and classical radioisotope-based assays for determining their activity in vitro are not suitable for high-throughput drug screening. The finding that the PkPSD from Plasmodium knowlesi can be purified in a soluble and active form and the recent development of a fluorescence-based distyrylbenzene-bis-aldehyde (DSB-3) assay to measure PSD activity in vitro have laid the groundwork for screening chemical libraries for PSD inhibitors. Using this assay, here we conducted a high-throughput screen of a structurally diverse 130,858-compound library against PkPSD. Further characterization of the hits identified in this screening yielded five PkPSD inhibitors with IC50 values ranging from 3.1 to 42.3 μm Lead compounds were evaluated against the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans in the absence or presence of exogenous ethanolamine, and YU253467 and YU254403 were identified as inhibiting both native C. albicans PSD mitochondrial activity and C. albicans growth, with an MIC50 of 22.5 and 15 μg/ml without ethanolamine and an MIC50 of 75 and 60 μg/ml with ethanolamine, respectively. Together, these results provide the first proof of principle for the application of DSB-3-based fluorescent readouts in high-throughput screening for PSD inhibitors. The data set the stage for future analyses to identify more selective and potent PSD inhibitors with antimicrobial or antitumor activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Hendricson
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, West Haven, Connecticut 06516
| | - Sheila Umlauf
- Yale Center for Molecular Discovery, West Haven, Connecticut 06516
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Basic Science Section, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado 80206
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | | | - Kevin K Fuller
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
| | - Todd B Reynolds
- Department of Microbiology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
| | - Dennis R Voelker
- Basic Science Section, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado 80206
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Thekkiniath J, Kilian N, Lawres L, Gewirtz MA, Graham MM, Liu X, Ledizet M, Ben Mamoun C. Evidence for vesicle-mediated antigen export by the human pathogen Babesia microti. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:2/3/e201900382. [PMID: 31196872 PMCID: PMC6572159 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Babesia microti undergoes unique morphogenesis during its development within human and mouse red blood cells and uses a novel vesicle-based system for export of antigens into the host cell and environment. The apicomplexan parasite Babesia microti is the primary agent of human babesiosis, a malaria-like illness and potentially fatal tick-borne disease. Unlike its close relatives, the agents of human malaria, B. microti develops within human and mouse red blood cells in the absence of a parasitophorous vacuole, and its secreted antigens lack trafficking motifs found in malarial secreted antigens. Here, we show that after invasion of erythrocytes, B. microti undergoes a major morphogenic change during which it produces an interlacement of vesicles (IOV); the IOV system extends from the plasma membrane of the parasite into the cytoplasm of the host erythrocyte. We developed antibodies against two immunodominant antigens of the parasite and used them in cell fractionation studies and fluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy analyses to monitor the mode of secretion of B. microti antigens. These analyses demonstrate that the IOV system serves as a major export mechanism for important antigens of B. microti and represents a novel mechanism for delivery of parasite effectors into the host by this apicomplexan parasite.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicole Kilian
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lauren Lawres
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Meital A Gewirtz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Morven M Graham
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xinran Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michel Ledizet
- L2 Diagnostics, Limited Liability Corporation, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Ben Mamoun C, Thekkiniath J, Kilian N, Lawres L, Gewirtz M, Abraham A, Graham M, Liu X, Ledizet M. Parasite‐Derived Vesicular‐Mediated Protein Export by the Human Pathogen
Babesia microti. FASEB J 2019. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.649.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
|
14
|
Swei A, O'Connor KE, Couper LI, Thekkiniath J, Conrad PA, Padgett KA, Burns J, Yoshimizu MH, Gonzales B, Munk B, Shirkey N, Konde L, Ben Mamoun C, Lane RS, Kjemtrup A. Evidence for transmission of the zoonotic apicomplexan parasite Babesia duncani by the tick Dermacentor albipictus. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:95-103. [PMID: 30367862 PMCID: PMC10016146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [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: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a potentially fatal tick-borne zoonotic disease caused by a species complex of blood parasites that can infect a variety of vertebrates, particularly dogs, cattle, and humans. In the United States, human babesiosis is caused by two distinct parasites, Babesia microti and Babesia duncani. The enzootic cycle of B. microti, endemic in the northeastern and upper midwestern regions, has been well characterised. In the western United States, however, the natural reservoir host and tick vector have not been identified for B. duncani, greatly impeding efforts to understand and manage this zoonotic disease. Two and a half decades after B. duncani was first described in a human patient in Washington State, USA, we provide evidence that the enzootic tick vector is the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, and the reservoir host is likely the mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus. The broad, overlapping ranges of these two species covers a large portion of far-western North America, and is consistent with confirmed cases of B. duncani in the far-western United States.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA.
| | - Kerry E O'Connor
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Lisa I Couper
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Patricia A Conrad
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kerry A Padgett
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Sacramento, CA 95899, USA
| | - Joseph Burns
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Sacramento, CA 95899, USA
| | - Melissa H Yoshimizu
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Sacramento, CA 95899, USA
| | - Ben Gonzales
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, Rancho Cordova, CA 94570, USA
| | - Brandon Munk
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, Rancho Cordova, CA 94570, USA
| | - Nicholas Shirkey
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, Rancho Cordova, CA 94570, USA
| | - Lora Konde
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, Rancho Cordova, CA 94570, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Robert S Lane
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anne Kjemtrup
- California Department of Public Health, Vector-Borne Disease Section, Sacramento, CA 95899, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Virji AZ, Thekkiniath J, Ma W, Lawres L, Knight J, Swei A, Roch KL, Mamoun CB. Insights into the evolution and drug susceptibility of Babesia duncani from the sequence of its mitochondrial and apicoplast genomes. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:105-113. [PMID: 30176236 PMCID: PMC6395566 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Babesia microti and Babesia duncani are the main causative agents of human babesiosis in the United States. While significant knowledge about B. microti has been gained over the past few years, nothing is known about B. duncani biology, pathogenesis, mode of transmission or sensitivity to currently recommended therapies. Studies in immunocompetent wild type mice and hamsters have shown that unlike B. microti, infection with B. duncani results in severe pathology and ultimately death. The parasite factors involved in B. duncani virulence remain unknown. Here we report the first known completed sequence and annotation of the apicoplast and mitochondrial genomes of B. duncani. We found that the apicoplast genome of this parasite consists of a 34 kb monocistronic circular molecule encoding functions that are important for apicoplast gene transcription as well as translation and maturation of the organelle's proteins. The mitochondrial genome of B. duncani consists of a 5.9 kb monocistronic linear molecule with two inverted repeats of 48 bp at both ends. Using the conserved cytochrome b (Cytb) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (coxI) proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome, phylogenetic analysis revealed that B. duncani defines a new lineage among apicomplexan parasites distinct from B. microti, Babesia bovis, Theileria spp. and Plasmodium spp. Annotation of the apicoplast and mitochondrial genomes of B. duncani identified targets for development of effective therapies. Our studies set the stage for evaluation of the efficacy of these drugs alone or in combination against B. duncani in culture as well as in animal models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Azan Z Virji
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Wenxiu Ma
- Department of Statistics, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Lauren Lawres
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - James Knight
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Andrea Swei
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Karine Le Roch
- Department of Cell Biology & Neuroscience, 900 University Avenue, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Peterson ND, Cheesman HK, Liu P, Anderson SM, Foster KJ, Chhaya R, Perrat P, Thekkiniath J, Yang Q, Haynes CM, Pukkila-Worley R. The nuclear hormone receptor NHR-86 controls anti-pathogen responses in C. elegans. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007935. [PMID: 30668573 PMCID: PMC6358101 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [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: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) are ligand-gated transcription factors that control adaptive host responses following recognition of specific endogenous or exogenous ligands. Although NHRs have expanded dramatically in C. elegans compared to other metazoans, the biological function of only a few of these genes has been characterized in detail. Here, we demonstrate that an NHR can activate an anti-pathogen transcriptional program. Using genetic epistasis experiments, transcriptome profiling analyses and chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing, we show that, in the presence of an immunostimulatory small molecule, NHR-86 binds to the promoters of immune effectors to activate their transcription. NHR-86 is not required for resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at baseline, but activation of NHR-86 by this compound drives a transcriptional program that provides protection against this pathogen. Interestingly, NHR-86 targets immune effectors whose basal regulation requires the canonical p38 MAPK PMK-1 immune pathway. However, NHR-86 functions independently of PMK-1 and modulates the transcription of these infection response genes directly. These findings characterize a new transcriptional regulator in C. elegans that can induce a protective host response towards a bacterial pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D. Peterson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Hilary K. Cheesman
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Pengpeng Liu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Sarah M. Anderson
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Kyle J. Foster
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Richa Chhaya
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Paola Perrat
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Qiyuan Yang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Cole M. Haynes
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Read Pukkila-Worley
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abraham A, Brasov I, Thekkiniath J, Kilian N, Lawres L, Gao R, DeBus K, He L, Yu X, Zhu G, Graham MM, Liu X, Molestina R, Ben Mamoun C. Establishment of a continuous in vitro culture of Babesia duncani in human erythrocytes reveals unusually high tolerance to recommended therapies. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:19974-19981. [PMID: 30463941 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ac118.005771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia Clinical cases caused by Babesia duncani have been associated with high parasite burden, severe pathology, and death. In both mice and hamsters, the parasite causes uncontrolled fulminant infections, which ultimately lead to death. Resolving these infections requires knowledge of B. duncani biology, virulence, and susceptibility to anti-infectives, but little is known and further research is hindered by a lack of relevant model systems. Here, we report the first continuous in vitro culture of B. duncani in human red blood cells. We show that during its asexual cycle within human erythrocytes, B. duncani develops and divides to form four daughter parasites with parasitemia doubling every ∼22 h. Using this in vitro culture assay, we found that B. duncani has low susceptibility to the four drugs recommended for treatment of human babesiosis, atovaquone, azithromycin, clindamycin, and quinine, with IC50 values ranging between 500 nm and 20 μm These data suggest that current practices are of limited effect in treating the disease. We anticipate this new disease model will set the stage for a better understanding of the biology of this parasite and will help guide better therapeutic strategies to treat B. duncani-associated babesiosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanah Abraham
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Ioana Brasov
- BEI Resources, American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Virginia 20110-2209
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Nicole Kilian
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Lauren Lawres
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Ruiyi Gao
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Kai DeBus
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Lan He
- the State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China, and
| | - Xue Yu
- the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77845
| | - Guan Zhu
- the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77845
| | - Morven M Graham
- the Department of Cell Biology and CCMI Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Xinran Liu
- the Department of Cell Biology and CCMI Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
| | - Robert Molestina
- BEI Resources, American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Virginia 20110-2209
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Thekkiniath J, Mootien S, Lawres L, Perrin BA, Gewirtz M, Krause PJ, Williams S, Doggett JS, Ledizet M, Ben Mamoun C. BmGPAC, an Antigen Capture Assay for Detection of Active Babesia microti Infection. J Clin Microbiol 2018; 56:e00067-18. [PMID: 30093394 PMCID: PMC6156295 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00067-18] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging zoonotic infectious disease caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites of the genus Babesia Most cases of human babesiosis are caused by Babesia microti and often manifest in individuals over the age of 50 years or in patients with a compromised immune system. Patients who develop symptomatic B. microti infections usually experience months of asymptomatic infection after the acute infection has resolved. About one-fifth of B. microti-infected adults never develop symptoms. These asymptomatically infected individuals sometimes donate blood and thus can transmit B. microti through blood transfusion. Current assays for detection of active B. microti infections can be used to screen donor blood prior to transfusion, but they rely primarily on microscopy or PCR methods, which have sensitivity and technical limitations. Here we report the development of an antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (BmGPAC) based on a major secreted immunodominant antigen of B. microti (BmGPI12/BmSA1), and we provide evidence that this assay is superior for detection of active B. microti infections, compared to available microscopy methods and serological assays. The assay has been evaluated using supernatants of B. microti-infected erythrocytes cultured in vitro, sera from B. microti-infected laboratory mice, and sera from wild mice and human patients. Our data suggest that the BmGPAC assay is a reliable assay for detection of active B. microti infections and is superior to real-time PCR and antibody assays for diagnosis of acute B. microti infections, screening of the blood supply, and epidemiological surveys of humans and animal reservoir hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sara Mootien
- L2 Diagnostics, LLC, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lauren Lawres
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Benjamin A Perrin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Meital Gewirtz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Scott Williams
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | | | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chiu JE, Thekkiniath J, Choi JY, Perrin BA, Lawres L, Plummer M, Virji AZ, Abraham A, Toh JY, Zandt MV, Aly ASI, Voelker DR, Mamoun CB. The antimalarial activity of the pantothenamide α-PanAm is via inhibition of pantothenate phosphorylation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14234. [PMID: 29079738 PMCID: PMC5660193 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-14074-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of the major acyl carrier Coenzyme A from pantothenic acid (PA) is critical for survival of Plasmodium falciparum within human erythrocytes. Accordingly, a PA analog α-PanAm showed potent activity against blood stage parasites in vitro; however, its efficacy in vivo and its mode of action remain unknown. We developed a new synthesis route for α-PanAm and showed that the compound is highly effective against blood stages of drug-sensitive and -resistant P. falciparum strains, inhibits development of P. berghei in hepatocytes, and at doses up to 100 mg/kg also inhibits blood stage development of P. chabaudi in mice. We used yeast and its pantothenate kinase Cab1 as models to characterize mode of action of α-PanAm and found that α-PanAm inhibits yeast growth in a PA-dependent manner, and its potency increases dramatically in a yeast mutant with defective pantothenate kinase activity. Biochemical analyses using 14C-PA as a substrate demonstrated that α-PanAm is a competitive inhibitor of Cab1. Interestingly, biochemical and mass spectrometry analyses also showed that the compound is phosphorylated by Cab1. Together, these data suggest that α-PanAm exerts its antimicrobial activity by direct competition with the natural substrate PA for phosphorylation by the pantothenate kinase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joy E Chiu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Basic Science Section, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson St, Denver, Colorado, 80206, USA
| | - Benjamin A Perrin
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lauren Lawres
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Mark Plummer
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Azan Z Virji
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Amanah Abraham
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Justin Y Toh
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Ahmed S I Aly
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Dennis R Voelker
- Basic Science Section, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson St, Denver, Colorado, 80206, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Thekkiniath J, Ravirala R, San Francisco M. Multidrug Efflux Pumps in the Genus Erwinia: Physiology and Regulation of Efflux Pump Gene Expression. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science 2016; 142:131-49. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
21
|
Thekkiniath J, Zabet-Moghaddam M, Kottapalli KR, Pasham MR, San Francisco S, San Francisco M. Quantitative Proteomics of an Amphibian Pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, following Exposure to Thyroid Hormone. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123637. [PMID: 26046527 PMCID: PMC4457425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 09/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a chytrid fungus, has increasingly been implicated as a major factor in the worldwide decline of amphibian populations. The fungus causes chytridiomycosis in susceptible species leading to massive die-offs of adult amphibians. Although Bd infects the keratinized mouthparts of tadpoles and negatively affects foraging behavior, these infections are non-lethal. An important morphogen controlling amphibian metamorphosis is thyroid hormone (T3). Tadpoles may be infected with Bd and the fungus may be exposed to T3 during metamorphosis. We hypothesize that exposure of Bd to T3 may induce the expression of factors associated with host colonization and pathogenicity. We utilized a proteomics approach to better understand the dynamics of the Bd-T3 interaction. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we generated a data set of a large number of cytoplasmic and membrane proteins following exposure of Bd to T3. From these data, we identified a total of 263 proteins whose expression was significantly changed following T3 exposure. We provide evidence for expression of an array of proteins that may play key roles in both genomic and non-genomic actions of T3 in Bd. Additionally, our proteomics study shows an increase in several proteins including proteases and a class of uncommon crinkler and crinkler-like effector proteins suggesting their importance in Bd pathogenicity as well as those involved in metabolism and energy transfer, protein fate, transport and stress responses. This approach provides insights into the mechanistic basis of the Bd-amphibian interaction following T3 exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States of America
| | - Masoud Zabet-Moghaddam
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79402–3132, United States of America
| | - Kameswara Rao Kottapalli
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79402–3132, United States of America
| | - Mithun R. Pasham
- Department of Cell Biology and Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America, and Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, United States of America
| | - Susan San Francisco
- Center for Biotechnology and Genomics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79402–3132, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409–3131, United States of America
| | - Michael San Francisco
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409–3131, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Barabote RD, Thekkiniath J, Strauss RE, Vediyappan G, Fralick JA, San Francisco MJ. Xenobiotic efflux in bacteria and fungi: a genomics update. Adv Enzymol Relat Areas Mol Biol 2011; 77:237-306. [PMID: 21692371 DOI: 10.1002/9780470920541.ch6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ravi D Barabote
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Thekkiniath J, Paul S, Dureja P, Dhar DW. Physiological studies on endorhizospheric establishment of Azotobacter chroococcum in wheat. J Basic Microbiol 2010; 50:266-73. [PMID: 20473953 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.200900218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Ten strains of Azotobacter chroococcum were studied for their ability to invade the endorhizosphere of wheat. Strain W-5 exhibited ability to invade endorhizosphere as shown in the microscopic observations. This strain was compared with the strain OA-3 which did not invade the endorhizosphere zone. Strain W-5 showed higher production of cellulase and pectinase than OA-3. Both the strains induced defense enzymes in the host plant. However, induction of peroxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase activities (PAL) was higher in OA-3 than W-5. Quantitative differences in flavonoid like compounds obtained from root extracts and root exudates of plants inoculated with these strains were observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|