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Monsieurs P, Cloots K, Uranw S, Banjara MR, Ghimire P, Burza S, Hasker E, Dujardin JC, Domagalska MA. Source Tracing of Leishmania donovani in Emerging Foci of Visceral Leishmaniasis, Western Nepal. Emerg Infect Dis 2024; 30:611-613. [PMID: 38407178 PMCID: PMC10902524 DOI: 10.3201/eid3003.231160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
We sequenced Leishmania donovani genomes in blood samples collected in emerging foci of visceral leishmaniasis in western Nepal. We detected lineages very different from the preelimination main parasite population, including a new lineage and a rare one previously reported in eastern Nepal. Our findings underscore the need for genomic surveillance.
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Jara M, Arevalo J, Llanos-Cuentas A, den Broeck FV, Domagalska MA, Dujardin JC. Unveiling drug-tolerant and persister-like cells in Leishmania braziliensis lines derived from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1253033. [PMID: 37790908 PMCID: PMC10543814 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1253033] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Resistance against anti-Leishmania drugs (DR) has been studied for years, giving important insights into long-term adaptations of these parasites to drugs, through genetic modifications. However, microorganisms can also survive lethal drug exposure by entering into temporary quiescence, a phenomenon called drug tolerance (DT), which is rather unexplored in Leishmania. Methods We studied a panel of nine Leishmania braziliensis strains highly susceptible to potassium antimonyl tartrate (PAT), exposed promastigotes to lethal PAT pressure, and compared several cellular and molecular parameters distinguishing DT from DR. Results and discussion We demonstrated in vitro that a variable proportion of cells remained viable, showing all the criteria of DT and not of DR: i) signatures of quiescence, under drug pressure: reduced proliferation and significant decrease of rDNA transcription; ii) reversibility of the phenotype: return to low IC50 after removal of drug pressure; and iii) absence of significant genetic differences between exposed and unexposed lineages of each strain and absence of reported markers of DR. We found different levels of quiescence and DT among the different L. braziliensis strains. We provide here a new in-vitro model of drug-induced quiescence and DT in Leishmania. Research should be extended in vivo, but the current model could be further exploited to support R&D, for instance, to guide the screening of compounds to overcome the quiescence resilience of the parasite, thereby improving the therapy of leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Jara
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jorge Arevalo
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Frederik Van den Broeck
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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Domagalska MA, Barrett MP, Dujardin JC. Drug resistance in Leishmania: does it really matter? Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:251-259. [PMID: 36803859 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.01.012] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Treatment failure (TF) jeopardizes the management of parasitic diseases, including leishmaniasis. From the parasite's point of view, drug resistance (DR) is generally considered as central to TF. However, the link between TF and DR, as measured by in vitro drug susceptibility assays, is unclear, some studies revealing an association between treatment outcome and drug susceptibility, others not. Here we address three fundamental questions aiming to shed light on these ambiguities. First, are the right assays being used to measure DR? Second, are the parasites studied, which are generally those that adapt to in vitro culture, actually appropriate? Finally, are other parasite factors - such as the development of quiescent forms that are recalcitrant to drugs - responsible for TF without DR?
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael P Barrett
- School of Infection & Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Hadermann A, Heeren S, Maes I, Dujardin JC, Domagalska MA, Van den Broeck F. Genome diversity of Leishmania aethiopica. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1147998. [PMID: 37153154 PMCID: PMC10157169 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1147998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania aethiopica is a zoonotic Old World parasite transmitted by Phlebotomine sand flies and causing cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ethiopia and Kenya. Despite a range of clinical manifestations and a high prevalence of treatment failure, L. aethiopica is one of the most neglected species of the Leishmania genus in terms of scientific attention. Here, we explored the genome diversity of L. aethiopica by analyzing the genomes of twenty isolates from Ethiopia. Phylogenomic analyses identified two strains as interspecific hybrids involving L. aethiopica as one parent and L. donovani and L. tropica respectively as the other parent. High levels of genome-wide heterozygosity suggest that these two hybrids are equivalent to F1 progeny that propagated mitotically since the initial hybridization event. Analyses of allelic read depths further revealed that the L. aethiopica - L. tropica hybrid was diploid and the L. aethiopica - L. donovani hybrid was triploid, as has been described for other interspecific Leishmania hybrids. When focusing on L. aethiopica, we show that this species is genetically highly diverse and consists of both asexually evolving strains and groups of recombining parasites. A remarkable observation is that some L. aethiopica strains showed an extensive loss of heterozygosity across large regions of the nuclear genome, which likely arose from gene conversion/mitotic recombination. Hence, our prospection of L. aethiopica genomics revealed new insights into the genomic consequences of both meiotic and mitotic recombination in Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Hadermann
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Senne Heeren
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ilse Maes
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Malgorzata Anna Domagalska
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Frederik Van den Broeck, ; Malgorzata Anna Domagalska,
| | - Frederik Van den Broeck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Frederik Van den Broeck, ; Malgorzata Anna Domagalska,
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Jara M, Barrett M, Maes I, Regnault C, Imamura H, Domagalska MA, Dujardin JC. Transcriptional Shift and Metabolic Adaptations during Leishmania Quiescence Using Stationary Phase and Drug Pressure as Models. Microorganisms 2022; 10:97. [PMID: 35056546 PMCID: PMC8781126 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010097] [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: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms can adopt a quiescent physiological condition which acts as a survival strategy under unfavorable conditions. Quiescent cells are characterized by slow or non-proliferation and a deep downregulation of processes related to biosynthesis. Although quiescence has been described mostly in bacteria, this survival skill is widespread, including in eukaryotic microorganisms. In Leishmania, a digenetic parasitic protozoan that causes a major infectious disease, quiescence has been demonstrated, but the molecular and metabolic features enabling its maintenance are unknown. Here, we quantified the transcriptome and metabolome of Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes where quiescence was induced in vitro either, through drug pressure or by stationary phase. Quiescent cells have a global and coordinated reduction in overall transcription, with levels dropping to as low as 0.4% of those in proliferating cells. However, a subset of transcripts did not follow this trend and were relatively upregulated in quiescent populations, including those encoding membrane components, such as amastins and GP63, or processes like autophagy. The metabolome followed a similar trend of overall downregulation albeit to a lesser magnitude than the transcriptome. It is noteworthy that among the commonly upregulated metabolites were those involved in carbon sources as an alternative to glucose. This first integrated two omics layers afford novel insight into cell regulation and show commonly modulated features across stimuli and stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Jara
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.M.); (M.A.D.)
| | - Michael Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; (M.B.); (C.R.)
- Glasgow Polyomics, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Ilse Maes
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.M.); (M.A.D.)
| | - Clement Regnault
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK; (M.B.); (C.R.)
- Glasgow Polyomics, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Hideo Imamura
- Centre for Medical Genetics, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Malgorzata Anna Domagalska
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.M.); (M.A.D.)
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; (I.M.); (M.A.D.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
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Domagalska MA, Dujardin JC. Next-Generation Molecular Surveillance of TriTryp Diseases. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:356-367. [PMID: 32191850 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.01.008] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Elimination programs targeting TriTryp diseases (Leishmaniasis, Chagas' disease, human African trypanosomiasis) significantly reduced the number of cases. Continued surveillance is crucial to sustain this progress, but parasite molecular surveillance by genotyping is currently lacking. We explain here which epidemiological questions of public health and clinical relevance could be answered by means of molecular surveillance. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for molecular surveillance will be an important added value, where we advocate that preference should be given to direct sequencing of the parasite's genome in host tissues instead of analysis of cultivated isolates. The main challenges here, and recent technological advances, are discussed. We conclude with a series of recommendations for implementing whole-genome sequencing for molecular surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Anna Domagalska
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Molecular Parasitology Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, B-2000 Antwerp, Belgium
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Seblova V, Dujardin JC, Rijal S, Domagalska MA, Volf P. ISC1, a new Leishmania donovani population emerging in the Indian sub-continent: Vector competence of Phlebotomus argentipes. Infect Genet Evol 2019; 76:104073. [PMID: 31629887 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2019.104073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the most severe form of the disease, is caused by Leishmania donovani in the Indian sub-continent (ISC). Whole genome sequencing studies revealed that two parasite populations exist in the ISC: a main population named the Core Group (CG) found mostly in the lowlands, and a new, genetically different subpopulation called ISC1. Parasites belonging to the CG were shown to be responsible for the recent epidemics, while the ISC1 variant was originally identified in hilly districts of Nepal and was later on increasingly found in the lowlands. Importantly, the ISC1 and CG isolates differ in their drug susceptibility and virulence signatures, suggesting that ISC1 constitutes an emerging and functionally different variant of L. donovani. In present study we aimed to address the potential of ISC1 transmission by the natural vector of L. donovani in the lowlands, Phlebotomus argentipes. By experimental infection of sand flies with parasites of the different genotypes, we demonstrate that ISC1 and CG strains are developing similarly in P. argentipes, suggesting that P. argentipes is a fully competent vector for ISC1 parasites. Integration of previous and current findings shows thus that ISC1 is a new and different variant of L. donovani, fully adapted to spread in the ISC through the main vector. This information is directly useful for managers of the elimination program. Furthermore, integration of our successive studies (genotyping, phenotyping and vector competence) demonstrates the relevance of molecular surveillance and should be of interest for scientists working on vector borne diseases and control managers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Seblova
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Suman Rijal
- BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
| | | | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Dumetz F, Imamura H, Sanders M, Seblova V, Myskova J, Pescher P, Vanaerschot M, Meehan CJ, Cuypers B, De Muylder G, Späth GF, Bussotti G, Vermeesch JR, Berriman M, Cotton JA, Volf P, Dujardin JC, Domagalska MA. Modulation of Aneuploidy in Leishmania donovani during Adaptation to Different In Vitro and In Vivo Environments and Its Impact on Gene Expression. mBio 2017; 8:e00599-17. [PMID: 28536289 PMCID: PMC5442457 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00599-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [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: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy is usually deleterious in multicellular organisms but appears to be tolerated and potentially beneficial in unicellular organisms, including pathogens. Leishmania, a major protozoan parasite, is emerging as a new model for aneuploidy, since in vitro-cultivated strains are highly aneuploid, with interstrain diversity and intrastrain mosaicism. The alternation of two life stages in different environments (extracellular promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes) offers a unique opportunity to study the impact of environment on aneuploidy and gene expression. We sequenced the whole genomes and transcriptomes of Leishmania donovani strains throughout their adaptation to in vivo conditions mimicking natural vertebrate and invertebrate host environments. The nucleotide sequences were almost unchanged within a strain, in contrast to highly variable aneuploidy. Although high in promastigotes in vitro, aneuploidy dropped significantly in hamster amastigotes, in a progressive and strain-specific manner, accompanied by the emergence of new polysomies. After a passage through a sand fly, smaller yet consistent karyotype changes were detected. Changes in chromosome copy numbers were correlated with the corresponding transcript levels, but additional aneuploidy-independent regulation of gene expression was observed. This affected stage-specific gene expression, downregulation of the entire chromosome 31, and upregulation of gene arrays on chromosomes 5 and 8. Aneuploidy changes in Leishmania are probably adaptive and exploited to modulate the dosage and expression of specific genes; they are well tolerated, but additional mechanisms may exist to regulate the transcript levels of other genes located on aneuploid chromosomes. Our model should allow studies of the impact of aneuploidy on molecular adaptations and cellular fitness.IMPORTANCE Aneuploidy is usually detrimental in multicellular organisms, but in several microorganisms, it can be tolerated and even beneficial. Leishmania-a protozoan parasite that kills more than 30,000 people each year-is emerging as a new model for aneuploidy studies, as unexpectedly high levels of aneuploidy are found in clinical isolates. Leishmania lacks classical regulation of transcription at initiation through promoters, so aneuploidy could represent a major adaptive strategy of this parasite to modulate gene dosage in response to stressful environments. For the first time, we document the dynamics of aneuploidy throughout the life cycle of the parasite, in vitro and in vivo We show its adaptive impact on transcription and its interaction with regulation. Besides offering a new model for aneuploidy studies, we show that further genomic studies should be done directly in clinical samples without parasite isolation and that adequate methods should be developed for this.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Dumetz
- Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - H Imamura
- Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - M Sanders
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - V Seblova
- Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J Myskova
- Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - P Pescher
- Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - M Vanaerschot
- Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - C J Meehan
- Mycobacteriology Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - B Cuypers
- Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Advanced Database Research and Modelling (ADReM), Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - G De Muylder
- Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - G F Späth
- Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - G Bussotti
- Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - J R Vermeesch
- Molecular Cytogenetics and Genome Research, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - M Berriman
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - J A Cotton
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - P Volf
- Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - J C Dujardin
- Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - M A Domagalska
- Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
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