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Menezes CA, Montresor LC, Jangola STG, de Mattos AC, Domingues ALC, Júnior AM, Silva CCM, Barbosa CS, de Mendonça CLF, Massara CL, Fonseca CT, de Oliveira EJ, Gomes ECDS, da Silva EF, Bezerra FSDM, Silva-Jr FP, de Siqueira IC, Silva JRME, Heller L, Farias LP, Beck LCNH, Santos MCS, Lima MG, Mourão MDM, Enk MJ, Fernandez MA, Katz N, Carvalho ODS, Parreiras PM, Neves RH, Gava SG, de Oliveira SA, Thiengo SC, Favre TC, Graeff-Teixeira C, Pieri OS, Caldeira RL, da Silva-Pereira RA, Rocha RS, Oliveira RR. FioSchisto's expert perspective on implementing WHO guidelines for schistosomiasis control and transmission elimination in Brazil. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1268998. [PMID: 38143743 PMCID: PMC10739458 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1268998] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes schistosomiasis as one of the Neglected Tropical Diseases targeted for global elimination in the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals. In Brazil, schistosomiasis mansoni is considered a public health problem, particularly prevalent among vulnerable populations living in areas with poor environmental and sanitary conditions. In 2022, the WHO published a Guideline encompassing recommendations to assist national programs in endemic countries in achieving morbidity control, eliminating schistosomiasis as a public health problem, and advancing towards interrupting transmission. The perspectives presented here, collectively prepared by members of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation's (Fiocruz) Schistosomiasis Translational Program (FioSchisto), along with invited experts, examine the feasibility of the WHO recommendations for the Brazilian settings, providing appropriate recommendations for public health policies applicable to the epidemiological reality of Brazil, and suggests future research to address relevant issues. In Brazil, the provision of safe water and sanitation should be the key action to achieve schistosomiasis elimination goals. The agencies involved in measures implementation should act together with the Primary Care teams for planning, executing, monitoring, and evaluating actions in priority municipalities based on their epidemiological indicators. Host snails control should prioritize judicious ecological interventions at breeding sites. The Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) strategy should be associated with water and sanitation and other control actions, actively involving school community. To identify infected carriers, FioSchisto recommends a two-stage approach of immunological and molecular tests to verify transmission interruption during the intervention and beyond. Praziquantel administration should be done under medical supervision at the Primary Care level. MDA should be considered in exceptional settings, as a measure of initial attack strategy in locations presenting high endemicity, always integrated with water and sanitation, IEC, and snail control. To assist decision-making, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of strategic actions, there is a need for an Information System. FioSchisto considers this systematization essential to make investments in strategic research to support the improvement of schistosomiasis control actions. Efforts toward schistosomiasis elimination in Brazil will succeed with a paradigm shift from the vertical prescriptive framework to a community-centered approach involving intersectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ana Lúcia Coutinho Domingues
- Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Leo Heller
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Mariana Gomes Lima
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Naftale Katz
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Renata Heisler Neves
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estatual do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Carlos Graeff-Teixeira
- Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Roberto Sena Rocha
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Franco-Luiz APM, Fernandes NMGS, Silva TBDS, Bernardes WPDOS, Westin MR, Santos TG, Fernandes GDR, Simões TC, Silva EFE, Gava SG, Alves BM, de Carvalho Melo M, da Silva-Pereira RA, Alves PA, Fonseca CT. Longitudinal study of humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 of health professionals in Brazil: the impact of booster dose and reinfection on antibody dynamics. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1220600. [PMID: 37520570 PMCID: PMC10376701 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1220600] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has had a major impact on health systems. Vaccines have been shown to be effective in improving the clinical outcome of COVID-19, but they are not able to fully prevent infection and reinfection, especially that caused by new variants. Methods Here, we tracked for 450 days the humoral immune response and reinfection in 52 healthcare workers from Brazil. Infection and reinfection were confirmed by RT-qPCR, while IgM and IgG antibody levels were monitored by rapid test. Results Of the 52 participants, 19 (36%) got reinfected during the follow-up period, all presenting mild symptoms. For all participants, IgM levels dropped sharply, with over 47% of them becoming seronegative by the 60th day. For IgG, 90% of the participants became seropositive within the first 30 days of follow-up. IgG antibodies also dropped after this period reaching the lowest level on day 270 (68.5 ± 72.3, p<0.0001). Booster dose and reinfection increased the levels of both antibodies, with the interaction between them resulting in an increase in IgG levels of 130.3 arbitrary units. Conclusions Overall, our data indicate that acquired humoral immunity declines over time and suggests that IgM and IgG antibody levels are not associated with the prevention of reinfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Paula Moreira Franco-Luiz
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Imunologia de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Nubia Monteiro Gonçalves Soares Fernandes
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Imunologia de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thais Bárbara de Souza Silva
- Grupo de Imunologia de Doenças Virais, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Mateus Rodrigues Westin
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thais Garcia Santos
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Imunologia de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Gabriel da Rocha Fernandes
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Informática de Biossistemas, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Taynãna César Simões
- Núcleo de Estudos em Saúde Pública e Envelhecimento, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Fernandes E. Silva
- Serviço de capacitação em métodos quantitativos -SAMeQ, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Breno Magalhães Alves
- Centro de Vigilância em Saúde e Segurança do Paciente, Hospital Metropolitano Doutor Célio de Castro, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mariana de Carvalho Melo
- Serviço Especializado em Segurança e Medicina do Trabalho, Hospital Metropolitano Doutor Célio de Castro, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rosiane A. da Silva-Pereira
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Imunologia de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro Augusto Alves
- Grupo de Imunologia de Doenças Virais, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Cristina Toscano Fonseca
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Biologia e Imunologia de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Coelho FS, Gava SG, Andrade LF, Geraldo JA, Tavares NC, Lunkes FMN, Neves RH, Machado-Silva JR, Pierce RJ, Oliveira G, Mourão MM. Corrigendum: Schistosoma mansoni coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (SmCARM1) effect on parasite reproduction. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1190341. [PMID: 37065155 PMCID: PMC10091393 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1190341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1079855.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Sales Coelho
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luiza Freire Andrade
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Assis Geraldo
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Naiara Clemente Tavares
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Felipe Miguel Nery Lunkes
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Renata Heisler Neves
- Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Machado-Silva
- Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Raymond J. Pierce
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019—UMR 9017—CIIL—Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Guilherme Oliveira
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Marina Moraes Mourão
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Marina Moraes Mourão
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de Araújo AD, Carvalho ODS, Gava SG, Caldeira RL. DNA barcoding as a valuable tool for delimiting mollusk species of the genus Biomphalaria Preston, 1910 (Gastropoda: Planorbidae). Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1167787. [PMID: 37168391 PMCID: PMC10165093 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1167787] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The genus Biomphalaria in Brazil includes 11 species and one subspecies, three of which are intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni. Due to the recent evolution of this group, some species are difficult to identify based on morphological characters, making the use of genetic markers necessary for species identification. This study aimed to evaluate the use of partial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase I (coi) gene for the identification of Biomphalaria species using phylogenetic reconstruction and species delimitation algorithms. The study tested the use of DNA barcoding technique for species delimitation within the genus. Methods DNA barcoding was performed by sequencing a partial region of the coi gene from specimens, and the sequences were analyzed using phylogenetic reconstruction and algorithms to delimit Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs). Results The study found that the use of the coi gene in the reconstruction of the phylogeny of the genus might be an alternative for understanding the evolution and dispersion of species. However, this marker alone is not enough to solve complex taxonomic problems within the genus. A total of 223 sequences were analyzed, 102 of which could be separated using the barcode gap, enabling the correct identification of seven taxa. Discussion The study demonstrated that accurate mollusk identification is necessary for effective schistosomiasis control. The DNA barcoding methodology was found to be promising for accurate mollusk identification, which is crucial for concentrating schistosomiasis control efforts in places where it is needed.
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Coelho FS, Gava SG, Andrade LF, Geraldo JA, Tavares NC, Lunkes FMN, Neves RH, Machado-Silva JR, Pierce RJ, Oliveira G, Mourão MM. Schistosoma mansoni coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (SmCARM1) effect on parasite reproduction. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1079855. [PMID: 36910171 PMCID: PMC9998485 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1079855] [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: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The human blood fluke parasite Schistosoma mansoni relies on diverse mechanisms to adapt to its diverse environments and hosts. Epigenetic mechanisms play a central role in gene expression regulation, culminating in such adaptations. Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) promote posttranslational modifications, modulating the function of histones and non-histone targets. The coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1/PRMT4) is one of the S. mansoni proteins with the PRMT core domain. Methods We carried out in silico analyses to verify the expression of SmPRMTs in public datasets from different infection stages, single-sex versus mixed-worms, and cell types. The SmCARM1 function was evaluated by RNA interference. Gene expression levels were assessed, and phenotypic alterations were analyzed in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo. Results The scRNAseq data showed that SmPRMTs expression is not enriched in any cell cluster in adult worms or schistosomula, except for Smcarm1 expression which is enriched in clusters of ambiguous cells and Smprmt1 in NDF+ neurons and stem/germinal cells from schistosomula. Smprmt1 is also enriched in S1 and late female germ cells from adult worms. After dsRNA exposure in vitro, we observed a Smcarm1 knockdown in schistosomula and adult worms, 83 and 69%, respectively. Smcarm1-knockdown resulted in reduced oviposition and no significant changes in the schistosomula or adult worm phenotypes. In vivo analysis after murine infection with Smcarm1 knocked-down schistosomula, showed no significant change in the number of worms recovered from mice, however, a significant reduction in the number of eggs recovered was detected. The ex vivo worms presented a significant decrease in the ovary area with a lower degree of cell differentiation, vitelline glands cell disorganization, and a decrease in the testicular lobe area. The worm tegument presented a lower number of tubercles, and the ventral sucker of the parasites presented a damaged tegument and points of detachment from the parasite body. Discussion This work brings the first functional characterization of SmCARM1 shedding light on its roles in S. mansoni biology and its potential as a drug target. Additional studies are necessary to investigate whether the reported effects of Smcarm1 knockdown are a consequence of the SmCARM1-mediated methylation of histone tails involved in DNA packaging or other non-histone proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Sales Coelho
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luiza Freire Andrade
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Assis Geraldo
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Naiara Clemente Tavares
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Felipe Miguel Nery Lunkes
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Renata Heisler Neves
- Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Roberto Machado-Silva
- Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Raymond J Pierce
- Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Guilherme Oliveira
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Instituto Tecnológico Vale, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Marina Moraes Mourão
- Grupo de Pesquisa em Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Batista ICA, Gava SG, Tavares NC, Calzavara-Silva CE, Mourão MM. Hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferases SmHGPRTases functional roles in Schistosoma mansoni. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1064218. [PMID: 36578572 PMCID: PMC9791060 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1064218] [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: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Extracellular/environmental stimuli trigger cellular responses to allow Schistosoma sp. parasites adaptation and decide development and survival fate. In this context, signal transduction involving eukaryotic protein kinases (ePKs) has an essential role in regulatory mechanisms. Functional studies had shown the importance of MAPK pathway for Schistosoma mansoni development. In addition, early studies demonstrated that Smp38 MAPK regulates the expression of a large set of genes, among them the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase 1 (SmHGPRTase 1, Smp_103560), a key enzyme in the purine salvage pathway that is part of a family comprising five different proteins. Methods First, the regulation of this gene family by the MAPKs pathways was experimentally verified using Smp38-predicted specific inhibitors. In silico analysis showed significant differences in the predicted structure and the domain sequence among the schistosomal HGPRTase family and their orthologs in humans. In order to interrogate the HGPRTases (Smp_103560, Smp_148820, Smp_168500, Smp_312580 and Smp_332640, henceforth SmHGPRTase -1, -2, -3, -4, -5) functional roles, schistosomula, sporocysts, and adult worms were knocked-down using specific dsRNAs. Results Our results suggest that SmHGPRTases activity has an essential role in sporocysts and schistosomula development since significant differences in viability, size, and/ or shape were observed after the in vitro knockdown. Also, the knockdown of SmHGPRTases in schistosomula influenced the ovary development and egg maturation in female adult worms during mammalian infection. We also observed alterations in the movement of female adult worms knocked-down in vitro. Most of these results were shown when all gene family members were knocked-down simultaneously, suggesting a redundant function among them. Discussion Thus, this study helps to elucidate the functional roles of the SmHGPRTase gene family in the S. mansoni life cycle and provides knowledge for future studies required for schistosomiasis treatment and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabella Cristina Andrade Batista
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil,Grupo de Imunologia Celular e Molecular, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Naiara Clemente Tavares
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Marina Moraes Mourão
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil,*Correspondence: Marina Moraes Mourão,
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Moreira BP, Batista ICA, Tavares NC, Armstrong T, Gava SG, Torres GP, Mourão MM, Falcone FH. Docking-Based Virtual Screening Enables Prioritizing Protein Kinase Inhibitors With In Vitro Phenotypic Activity Against Schistosoma mansoni. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:913301. [PMID: 35865824 PMCID: PMC9294739 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.913301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic neglected disease with praziquantel (PZQ) utilized as the main drug for treatment, despite its low effectiveness against early stages of the worm. To aid in the search for new drugs to tackle schistosomiasis, computer-aided drug design has been proved a helpful tool to enhance the search and initial identification of schistosomicidal compounds, allowing fast and cost-efficient progress in drug discovery. The combination of high-throughput in silico data followed by in vitro phenotypic screening assays allows the assessment of a vast library of compounds with the potential to inhibit a single or even several biological targets in a more time- and cost-saving manner. Here, we describe the molecular docking for in silico screening of predicted homology models of five protein kinases (JNK, p38, ERK1, ERK2, and FES) of Schistosoma mansoni against approximately 85,000 molecules from the Managed Chemical Compounds Collection (MCCC) of the University of Nottingham (UK). We selected 169 molecules predicted to bind to SmERK1, SmERK2, SmFES, SmJNK, and/or Smp38 for in vitro screening assays using schistosomula and adult worms. In total, 89 (52.6%) molecules were considered active in at least one of the assays. This approach shows a much higher efficiency when compared to using only traditional high-throughput in vitro screening assays, where initial positive hits are retrieved from testing thousands of molecules. Additionally, when we focused on compound promiscuity over selectivity, we were able to efficiently detect active compounds that are predicted to target all kinases at the same time. This approach reinforces the concept of polypharmacology aiming for “one drug-multiple targets”. Moreover, at least 17 active compounds presented satisfactory drug-like properties score when compared to PZQ, which allows for optimization before further in vivo screening assays. In conclusion, our data support the use of computer-aided drug design methodologies in conjunction with high-throughput screening approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardo Pereira Moreira
- Institut für Parasitologie, Biomedizinisches Forschungszentrum Seltersberg (BFS), Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Naiara Clemente Tavares
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Tom Armstrong
- School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Gabriella Parreiras Torres
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Marina Moraes Mourão
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Franco H. Falcone, ; Marina Moraes Mourão,
| | - Franco H. Falcone
- Institut für Parasitologie, Biomedizinisches Forschungszentrum Seltersberg (BFS), Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Franco H. Falcone, ; Marina Moraes Mourão,
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Tavares NC, Gava SG, Torres GP, de Paiva CÊS, Moreira BP, Lunkes FMN, Montresor LC, Caldeira RL, Mourão MM. Schistosoma mansoni FES Tyrosine Kinase Involvement in the Mammalian Schistosomiasis Outcome and Miracidia Infection Capability in Biomphalaria glabrata. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:963. [PMID: 32595609 PMCID: PMC7300192 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by helminthes from the Schistosoma genus. This NTD can cause systemic symptoms induced by the deposition of parasite eggs in the host liver, promoting severe complications. Functional studies to increase knowledge about parasite biology are required for the identification of new drug targets, because the treatment is solely based on praziquantel administration, a drug in which the mechanism of action is still unknown. Protein kinases are important for cellular adaptation and maintenance of many organisms homeostasis and, thus, are considered good drug targets for many pathologies. Accordingly, those proteins are also important for Schistosoma mansoni, as the parasite relies on specific environmental signals to develop into its different stages. However, the specific roles of protein kinases in S. mansoni biology are not well understood. This work aims at investigating the tyrosine-protein kinase FES (Feline Sarcoma) functions in the maintenance of S. mansoni life cycle, especially in the establishment of mammalian and invertebrate hosts' infection. In this regard, the verification of Smfes expression among S. mansoni stages showed that Smfes is more expressed in infective free-living stages: miracidia and cercariae. Schistosomula exposed to SmFES-dsRNA in vitro presented a reduction in movement and size and increased mortality. Mice infected with Smfes-knocked-down schistosomula exhibited a striking reduction in the area of liver granuloma and an increased rate of immature eggs in the intestine. Female adult worms recovered from mice presented a reduced size and changes in the ovary and vitellarium; and males exhibited damage in the gynecophoral canal. Subsequently, miracidia hatched from eggs exposed to SmFES-dsRNA presented changes in its capability to infect and to sense the snail mucus. In addition, the SmFES RNAi effect was stable from miracidia to cercariae. The establishment of infection with those cercariae reproduced the same alterations observed for the knocked-down schistosomula infection. Our findings show that SmFES tyrosine kinase (1) is important in schistosomula development and survival; (2) has a role in adult worms pairing and, consequently, female maturation; (3) might be essential for egg antigen expression, thus responsible for inducing granuloma formation and immunomodulation; and (4) is essential for miracidia infection capability. In addition, this is the first time that a gene is kept knocked down during three different S. mansoni life stages and that a tyrosine kinase is implicated in the parasite reproduction and infection establishment in the mammalian host. Accordingly, SmFES should be explored as an alternative to support schistosomiasis treatment and morbidity control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiara Clemente Tavares
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Gabriella Parreiras Torres
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Clara Ênia Soares de Paiva
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Bernardo Pereira Moreira
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Felipe Miguel Nery Lunkes
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Langia Colli Montresor
- Moluscário Lobato Paraense, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Roberta Lima Caldeira
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Marina Moraes Mourão
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Gava SG, Tavares NC, Falcone FH, Oliveira G, Mourão MM. Profiling Transcriptional Regulation and Functional Roles of Schistosoma mansoni c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase. Front Genet 2019; 10:1036. [PMID: 31681440 PMCID: PMC6813216 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01036] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play a regulatory role and influence various biological activities, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Our group has demonstrated through functional studies that Schistosoma mansoni c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SmJNK) MAPK is involved in the parasite's development, reproduction, and survival. SmJNK can, therefore, be considered a potential target for the development of new drugs. Considering the importance of SmJNK in S. mansoni maturation, we aimed at understanding of SmJNK regulated signaling pathways in the parasite, correlating expression data with S. mansoni development. To better understand the role of SmJNK in S. mansoni intravertebrate host life stages, RNA interference knockdown was performed in adult worms and in schistosomula larval stage. SmJNK knocked-down in adult worms showed a decrease in oviposition and no significant alteration in their movement. RNASeq libraries of SmJNK knockdown schistosomula were sequenced. A total of 495 differentially expressed genes were observed in the SmJNK knockdown parasites, of which 373 were down-regulated and 122 up-regulated. Among the down-regulated genes, we found transcripts related to protein folding, purine nucleotide metabolism, the structural composition of ribosomes and cytoskeleton. Genes coding for proteins that bind to nucleic acids and proteins involved in the phagosome and spliceosome pathways were enriched. Additionally, we found that SmJNK and Smp38 MAPK signaling pathways converge regulating the expression of a large set of genes. C. elegans orthologous genes were enriched for genes related to sterility and oocyte maturation, corroborating the observed phenotype alteration. This work allowed an in-depth analysis of the SmJNK signaling pathway, elucidating gene targets of regulation and functional roles of this critical kinase for parasite maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Grossi Gava
- Laboratório de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Naiara Clemente Tavares
- Laboratório de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Franco Harald Falcone
- Allergy and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Division of Molecular Therapeutics and Formulation, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Marina Moraes Mourão
- Laboratório de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Avelar LDGA, Gava SG, Neves RH, Silva MCS, Araújo N, Tavares NC, Khal AE, Mattos ACA, Machado-Silva JR, Oliveira G, Mourão MDM. Smp38 MAP Kinase Regulation in Schistosoma mansoni: Roles in Survival, Oviposition, and Protection Against Oxidative Stress. Front Immunol 2019; 10:21. [PMID: 30733716 PMCID: PMC6353789 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic protein kinases (ePKs) are good medical targets for drug development in different biological systems. ePKs participate in many cellular processes, including the p38 MAPK regulation of homeostasis upon oxidative stress. We propose to assess the role of Smp38 MAPK signaling pathway in Schistosoma mansoni development and protection against oxidative stress, parasite survival, and also to elucidate which target genes have their expression regulated by Smp38 MAPK. After a significant reduction of up to 84% in the transcription level by Smp38 MAPK gene knockdown, no visible phenotypic changes were reported in schistosomula in culture. The development of adult worms was tested in vivo in mice infected with the Smp38 knocked-down schistosomula. It was observed that Smp38 MAPK has an essential role in the transformation and survival of the parasites as a low number of adult worms was recovered. Smp38 knockdown also resulted in decreased egg production, damaged adult worm tegument, and underdeveloped ovaries in females. Furthermore, only ~13% of the eggs produced developed into mature eggs. Our results suggest that inhibition of the Smp38 MAPK activity interfere in parasites protection against reactive oxygen species. Smp38 knockdown in adult worms resulted in 80% reduction in transcription levels on the 10th day, with consequent reduction of 94.4% in oviposition in vitro. In order to search for Smp38 MAPK pathway regulated genes, we used an RNASeq approach and identified 1,154 DEGs in Smp38 knockdown schistosomula. A substantial proportion of DEGs encode proteins with unknown function. The results indicate that Smp38 regulates essential signaling pathways for the establishment of parasite homeostasis, including genes related to antioxidant defense, structural composition of ribosomes, spliceosomes, cytoskeleton, as well as, purine and pyrimidine metabolism pathways. Our data show that the Smp38 MAPK signaling pathway is a critical route for parasite development and may present attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment and control of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia das Graças Amaral Avelar
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais-UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais-UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.,Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Renata Heisler Neves
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Neusa Araújo
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Assmaa El Khal
- Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Boroni M, Sammeth M, Gava SG, Jorge NAN, Macedo AM, Machado CR, Mourão MM, Franco GR. Landscape of the spliced leader trans-splicing mechanism in Schistosoma mansoni. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3877. [PMID: 29497070 PMCID: PMC5832876 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22093-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Spliced leader dependent trans-splicing (SLTS) has been described as an important RNA regulatory process that occurs in different organisms, including the trematode Schistosoma mansoni. We identified more than seven thousand putative SLTS sites in the parasite, comprising genes with a wide spectrum of functional classes, which underlines the SLTS as a ubiquitous mechanism in the parasite. Also, SLTS gene expression levels span several orders of magnitude, showing that SLTS frequency is not determined by the expression level of the target gene, but by the presence of particular gene features facilitating or hindering the trans-splicing mechanism. Our in-depth investigation of SLTS events demonstrates widespread alternative trans-splicing (ATS) acceptor sites occurring in different regions along the entire gene body, highlighting another important role of SLTS generating alternative RNA isoforms in the parasite, besides the polycistron resolution. Particularly for introns where SLTS directly competes for the same acceptor substrate with cis-splicing, we identified for the first time additional and important features that might determine the type of splicing. Our study substantially extends the current knowledge of RNA processing by SLTS in S. mansoni, and provide basis for future studies on the trans-splicing mechanism in other eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Boroni
- Laboratório de Genética Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional, Coordenação de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, 20231-050, Brazil
| | - Michael Sammeth
- Bioinformatics in Transcriptomics and Functional Genomics (BITFUN), Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-901, Brazil
- Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, Petrópolis, 25651-075, Brazil
| | - Sandra Grossi Gava
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, 30190-009, Brazil
| | - Natasha Andressa Nogueira Jorge
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Biologia Computacional, Coordenação de Pesquisa, Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva, Rio de Janeiro, 20231-050, Brazil
| | - Andréa Mara Macedo
- Laboratório de Genética Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Carlos Renato Machado
- Laboratório de Genética Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Marina Moraes Mourão
- Grupo de Helmintologia e Malacologia Médica, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, 30190-009, Brazil.
| | - Glória Regina Franco
- Laboratório de Genética Bioquímica, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil.
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Gava SG, Tavares NC, Salim ACDM, Araújo FMGD, Oliveira G, Mourão MM. Schistosoma mansoni: Off-target analyses using nonspecific double-stranded RNAs as control for RNAi experiments in schistosomula. Exp Parasitol 2017; 177:98-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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