1
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Tell I Puig A, Soldati-Favre D. Roles of the tubulin-based cytoskeleton in the Toxoplasma gondii apical complex. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:401-415. [PMID: 38531711 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.02.010] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Microtubules (MTs) play a vital role as key components of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. The phylum Apicomplexa comprises eukaryotic unicellular parasitic organisms defined by the presence of an apical complex which consists of specialized secretory organelles and tubulin-based cytoskeletal elements. One apicomplexan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, is an omnipresent opportunistic pathogen with significant medical and veterinary implications. To ensure successful infection and widespread dissemination, T. gondii heavily relies on the tubulin structures present in the apical complex. Recent advances in high-resolution imaging, coupled with reverse genetics, have offered deeper insights into the composition, functionality, and dynamics of these tubulin-based structures. The apicomplexan tubulins differ from those of their mammalian hosts, endowing them with unique attributes and susceptibility to specific classes of inhibitory compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Tell I Puig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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2
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Tell I Puig A, Guérin A, Martinez M, Maco B, Tosetti N, Delgado-Betancourt E, Lunghi M, Striepen B, Chang YW, Soldati-Favre D. Sustained rhoptry docking and discharge requires Toxoplasma gondii intraconoidal microtubule-associated proteins. Nat Commun 2024; 15:379. [PMID: 38191574 PMCID: PMC10774369 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44631-y] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
In Apicomplexa, rhoptry discharge is essential for invasion and involves an apical vesicle (AV) docking one or two rhoptries to a macromolecular secretory apparatus. Toxoplasma gondii is armed with 10-12 rhoptries and 5-6 microtubule-associated vesicles (MVs) presumably for iterative rhoptry discharge. Here, we have addressed the localization and functional significance of two intraconoidal microtubule (ICMT)-associated proteins instrumental for invasion. Mechanistically, depletion of ICMAP2 leads to a dissociation of the ICMTs, their detachment from the conoid and dispersion of MVs and rhoptries. ICMAP3 exists in two isoforms that contribute to the control of the ICMTs length and the docking of the two rhoptries at the AV, respectively. This study illuminates the central role ICMTs play in scaffolding the discharge of multiple rhoptries. This process is instrumental for virulence in the mouse model of infection and in addition promotes sterile protection against T. gondii via the release of key effectors inducing immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Albert Tell I Puig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolò Tosetti
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Estefanía Delgado-Betancourt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute of Structural Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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3
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Lisauskaitė M, Nixon GL, Woodley CM, Berry NG, Coninckx A, Qie LC, Leung SC, Taramelli D, Basilico N, Parapini S, Ward SA, Vadas O, Soldati-Favre D, Hong WD, O'Neill PM. Design, synthesis and modelling of photoreactive chemical probes for investigating target engagement of plasmepsin IX and X in Plasmodium falciparum. RSC Chem Biol 2024; 5:19-29. [PMID: 38179191 PMCID: PMC10763550 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00109a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Plasmodium parasite resistance to current front-line antimalarial treatments poses a serious threat to global malaria control and highlights the necessity for the development of therapeutics with novel targets and mechanisms of action. Plasmepsins IX and X (PMIX/PMX) have been recognised as highly promising targets in Plasmodium due to their contribution to parasite's pathogenicity. Recent research has demonstrated that dual PMIX/PMX inhibition results in the impairment of multiple parasite's life cycle stages, which is an important feature in drug resistance prevention. Herein we report novel hydroxyethylamine photoaffinity labelling (PAL) probes, designed for PMIX/PMX target engagement and proteomics experiments in Plasmodium parasites. The prepared probes have both a photoreactive group (diazirine or benzophenone) for covalent attachment to target proteins, and a terminal alkyne handle allowing their use in bioorthogonal ligation. One of the synthesised benzophenone probes was shown to be highly promising as demonstrated by its outstanding antimalarial potency (IC50 = 15 nM versus D10 P. falciparum) and its inhibitory effect against PfPMX in an enzymatic assay. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies show that the inclusion of the benzophenone and alkyne handle does not alter the binding mode compared to the parent compound. The photoaffinity probe can be used in future chemical proteomics studies to allow hydroxyethylamine drug scaffold target identification and validation in Plasmodium. We expect our findings to act as a tool for future investigations on PMIX/PMX inhibition in antimalarial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gemma L Nixon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | | | - Neil G Berry
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Andy Coninckx
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - L Charlie Qie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Suet C Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Donatella Taramelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DISFEB), Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Silvia Parapini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool L3 5QA UK
| | - Oscar Vadas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet CH-1211 Genève 4 Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet CH-1211 Genève 4 Switzerland
| | - W David Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
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Louvel V, Haase R, Mercey O, Laporte MH, Eloy T, Baudrier É, Fortun D, Soldati-Favre D, Hamel V, Guichard P. iU-ExM: nanoscopy of organelles and tissues with iterative ultrastructure expansion microscopy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7893. [PMID: 38036510 PMCID: PMC10689735 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43582-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion microscopy (ExM) is a highly effective technique for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy that enables imaging of biological samples beyond the diffraction limit with conventional fluorescence microscopes. Despite the development of several enhanced protocols, ExM has not yet demonstrated the ability to achieve the precision of nanoscopy techniques such as Single Molecule Localization Microscopy (SMLM). Here, to address this limitation, we have developed an iterative ultrastructure expansion microscopy (iU-ExM) approach that achieves SMLM-level resolution. With iU-ExM, it is now possible to visualize the molecular architecture of gold-standard samples, such as the eight-fold symmetry of nuclear pores or the molecular organization of the conoid in Apicomplexa. With its wide-ranging applications, from isolated organelles to cells and tissue, iU-ExM opens new super-resolution avenues for scientists studying biological structures and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Louvel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Romuald Haase
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Mercey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marine H Laporte
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thibaut Eloy
- ICube - UMR7357, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Étienne Baudrier
- ICube - UMR7357, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Denis Fortun
- ICube - UMR7357, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Hamel
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Paul Guichard
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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5
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Pietsch E, Ramaprasad A, Bielfeld S, Wohlfarter Y, Maco B, Niedermüller K, Wilcke L, Kloehn J, Keller MA, Soldati-Favre D, Blackman MJ, Gilberger TW, Burda PC. A patatin-like phospholipase is important for mitochondrial function in malaria parasites. mBio 2023; 14:e0171823. [PMID: 37882543 PMCID: PMC10746288 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01718-23] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites rely on a functional electron transport chain (ETC) within their mitochondrion for proliferation, and compounds targeting mitochondrial functions are validated antimalarials. Here, we localize Plasmodium falciparum patatin-like phospholipase 2 (PfPNPLA2, PF3D7_1358000) to the mitochondrion and reveal that disruption of the PfPNPLA2 gene impairs asexual replication. PfPNPLA2-null parasites are hypersensitive to proguanil and inhibitors of the mitochondrial ETC, including atovaquone. In addition, PfPNPLA2-deficient parasites show reduced mitochondrial respiration and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating that disruption of PfPNPLA2 leads to a defect in the parasite ETC. Lipidomic analysis of the mitochondrial phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) reveals that loss of PfPNPLA2 is associated with a moderate shift toward shorter-chained and more saturated CL species, implying a contribution of PfPNPLA2 to CL remodeling. PfPNPLA2-deficient parasites display profound defects in gametocytogenesis, underlining the importance of a functional mitochondrial ETC during both the asexual and sexual development of the parasite. IMPORTANCE For their proliferation within red blood cells, malaria parasites depend on a functional electron transport chain (ETC) within their mitochondrion, which is the target of several antimalarial drugs. Here, we have used gene disruption to identify a patatin-like phospholipase, PfPNPLA2, as important for parasite replication and mitochondrial function in Plasmodium falciparum. Parasites lacking PfPNPLA2 show defects in their ETC and become hypersensitive to mitochondrion-targeting drugs. Furthermore, PfPNPLA2-deficient parasites show differences in the composition of their cardiolipins, a unique class of phospholipids with key roles in mitochondrial functions. Finally, we demonstrate that parasites devoid of PfPNPLA2 have a defect in gametocyte maturation, underlining the importance of a functional ETC for parasite transmission to the mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pietsch
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sabrina Bielfeld
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yvonne Wohlfarter
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Korbinian Niedermüller
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louisa Wilcke
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Markus A. Keller
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michael J. Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paul-Christian Burda
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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6
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Martinez M, Mageswaran SK, Guérin A, Chen WD, Thompson CP, Chavin S, Soldati-Favre D, Striepen B, Chang YW. Origin and arrangement of actin filaments for gliding motility in apicomplexan parasites revealed by cryo-electron tomography. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4800. [PMID: 37558667 PMCID: PMC10412601 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40520-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa comprises important eukaryotic parasites that invade host tissues and cells using a unique mechanism of gliding motility. Gliding is powered by actomyosin motors that translocate host-attached surface adhesins along the parasite cell body. Actin filaments (F-actin) generated by Formin1 play a central role in this critical parasitic activity. However, their subcellular origin, path and ultrastructural arrangement are poorly understood. Here we used cryo-electron tomography to image motile Cryptosporidium parvum sporozoites and reveal the cellular architecture of F-actin at nanometer-scale resolution. We demonstrate that F-actin nucleates at the apically positioned preconoidal rings and is channeled into the pellicular space between the parasite plasma membrane and the inner membrane complex in a conoid extrusion-dependent manner. Within the pellicular space, filaments on the inner membrane complex surface appear to guide the apico-basal flux of F-actin. F-actin concordantly accumulates at the basal end of the parasite. Finally, analyzing a Formin1-depleted Toxoplasma gondii mutant pinpoints the upper preconoidal ring as the conserved nucleation hub for F-actin in Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma. Together, we provide an ultrastructural model for the life cycle of F-actin for apicomplexan gliding motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shrawan Kumar Mageswaran
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute of Structural Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William David Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cameron Parker Thompson
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sabine Chavin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute of Structural Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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7
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Dubois DJ, Chehade S, Marq JB, Venugopal K, Maco B, Puig ATI, Soldati-Favre D, Marion S. Toxoplasma gondii HOOK-FTS-HIP Complex is Critical for Secretory Organelle Discharge during Motility, Invasion, and Egress. mBio 2023:e0045823. [PMID: 37093045 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00458-23] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the Apicomplexa phylum possess specialized secretory organelles that discharge, apically and in a timely regulated manner, key factors implicated in parasite motility, host cell invasion, egress and subversion of host cellular functions. The mechanisms regulating trafficking and apical docking of these secretory organelles are only partially elucidated. Here, we characterized two conserved endosomal trafficking regulators known to promote vesicle transport and/or fusion, HOOK and Fused Toes (FTS), in the context of organelle discharge in Toxoplasma gondii. TgHOOK and TgFTS form a complex with a coccidian-specific partner, named HOOK interacting partner (HIP). TgHOOK displays an apically enriched vesicular pattern and concentrates at the parasite apical tip where it colocalizes with TgFTS and TgHIP. Functional investigations revealed that TgHOOK is dispensable but fitness conferring. The protein regulates the apical positioning and secretion of micronemes and contributes to egress, motility, host cell attachment, and invasion. Conditional depletion of TgFTS or TgHIP impacted on the same processes but led to more severe phenotypes. This study provides evidence of endosomal trafficking regulators involved in the apical exocytosis of micronemes and possibly as a consequence or directly on the discharge of the rhoptries. IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii affects between 30 and 80% of the human population, poses a life-threatening risk to immunocompromised individuals, and is a cause of abortion and birth defects following congenital transmission. T. gondii belongs to the phylum of Apicomplexa characterized by a set of unique apical secretory organelles called the micronemes and rhoptries. Upon host cell recognition, this obligatory intracellular parasite secretes specific effectors contained in micronemes and rhoptries to promote parasite invasion of host cells and subsequent persistence. Here, we identified novel T. gondii endosomal trafficking regulators and demonstrated that they regulate microneme organelle apical positioning and exocytosis, thereby strongly contributing to host cell invasion and parasite virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Dubois
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sylia Chehade
- University Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Kannan Venugopal
- University Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Albert Tell I Puig
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Marion
- University Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, Lille, France
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8
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Kumar A, Vadas O, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Zhang X, Chao K, Darvill N, Rasmussen HØ, Xu Y, Lin GMH, Stylianou FA, Pedersen JS, Rouse SL, Morgan ML, Soldati-Favre D, Matthews S. Structural and regulatory insights into the glideosome-associated connector from Toxoplasma gondii. eLife 2023; 12:e86049. [PMID: 37014051 PMCID: PMC10125020 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum of Apicomplexa groups intracellular parasites that employ substrate-dependent gliding motility to invade host cells, egress from the infected cells, and cross biological barriers. The glideosome-associated connector (GAC) is a conserved protein essential to this process. GAC facilitates the association of actin filaments with surface transmembrane adhesins and the efficient transmission of the force generated by myosin translocation of actin to the cell surface substrate. Here, we present the crystal structure of Toxoplasma gondii GAC and reveal a unique, supercoiled armadillo repeat region that adopts a closed ring conformation. Characterisation of the solution properties together with membrane and F-actin binding interfaces suggests that GAC adopts several conformations from closed to open and extended. A multi-conformational model for assembly and regulation of GAC within the glideosome is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Oscar Vadas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Xu Zhang
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Kin Chao
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Darvill
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Helena Ø Rasmussen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Yingqi Xu
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Gloria Meng-Hsuan Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | | | - Jan Skov Pedersen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Sarah L Rouse
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Marc L Morgan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Stephen Matthews
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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9
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Dogga SK, Lunghi M, Maco B, Li J, Claudi B, Marq JB, Chicherova N, Kockmann T, Bumann D, Hehl AB, Soldati-Favre D, Hammoudi PM. Importance of aspartyl protease 5 in the establishment of the intracellular niche during acute and chronic infection of Toxoplasma gondii. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:601-622. [PMID: 36210525 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14987] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Virulence and persistence of the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii involve the secretion of effector proteins belonging to the family of dense granule proteins (GRAs) that act notably as modulators of the host defense mechanisms and participate in cyst wall formation. The subset of GRAs residing in the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) or exported into the host cell, undergo proteolytic cleavage in the Golgi upon the action of the aspartyl protease 5 (ASP5). In tachyzoites, ASP5 substrates play central roles in the morphology of the PV and the export of effectors across the translocon complex MYR1/2/3. Here, we used N-terminal amine isotopic labeling of substrates to identify novel ASP5 cleavage products by comparing the N-terminome of wild-type and Δasp5 lines in tachyzoites and bradyzoites. Validated substrates reside within the PV or PVM in an ASP5-dependent manner. Remarkably, Δasp5 bradyzoites are impaired in the formation of the cyst wall in vitro and exhibit a considerably reduced cyst burden in chronically infected animals. More specifically two-photon serial tomography of infected mouse brains revealed a comparatively reduced number and size of the cysts throughout the establishment of persistence in the absence of ASP5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar Dogga
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jiagui Li
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Claudi
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Chicherova
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Kockmann
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, ETH Zurich/University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Bumann
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adrian B Hehl
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Mehdi Hammoudi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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10
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Haase R, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Soldati-Favre D. Nanoscale imaging of the conoid and functional dissection of its dynamics in Apicomplexa. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 70:102226. [PMID: 36332501 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102226] [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: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Members of the Apicomplexa phylum are unified by an apical complex tailored for motility and host cell invasion. It includes regulated secretory organelles and a conoid attached to the apical polar ring (APR) from which subpellicular microtubules emerge. In coccidia, the conoid is composed of a cone of spiraling tubulin fibers, two preconoidal rings, and two intraconoidal microtubules. The conoid extrudes through the APR in motile parasites. Recent advances in proteomics, cryo-electron tomography, super-resolution, and expansion microscopy provide a more comprehensive view of the spatial and temporal resolution of proteins belonging to the conoid subcomponents. In combination with the phenotyping of targeted mutants, the biogenesis, turnover, dynamics, and function of the conoid begin to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romuald Haase
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
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11
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Lowe MA, Cardenas A, Valentin JP, Zhu Z, Abendroth J, Castro JL, Class R, Delaunois A, Fleurance R, Gerets H, Gryshkova V, King L, Lorimer DD, MacCoss M, Rowley JH, Rosseels ML, Royer L, Taylor RD, Wong M, Zaccheo O, Chavan VP, Ghule GA, Tapkir BK, Burrows JN, Duffey M, Rottmann M, Wittlin S, Angulo-Barturen I, Jiménez-Díaz MB, Striepen J, Fairhurst KJ, Yeo T, Fidock DA, Cowman AF, Favuzza P, Crespo-Fernandez B, Gamo FJ, Goldberg DE, Soldati-Favre D, Laleu B, de Haro T. Discovery and Characterization of Potent, Efficacious, Orally Available Antimalarial Plasmepsin X Inhibitors and Preclinical Safety Assessment of UCB7362. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14121-14143. [PMID: 36216349 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Plasmepsin X (PMX) is an essential aspartyl protease controlling malaria parasite egress and invasion of erythrocytes, development of functional liver merozoites (prophylactic activity), and blocking transmission to mosquitoes, making it a potential multistage drug target. We report the optimization of an aspartyl protease binding scaffold and the discovery of potent, orally active PMX inhibitors with in vivo antimalarial efficacy. Incorporation of safety evaluation early in the characterization of PMX inhibitors precluded compounds with a long human half-life (t1/2) to be developed. Optimization focused on improving the off-target safety profile led to the identification of UCB7362 that had an improved in vitro and in vivo safety profile but a shorter predicted human t1/2. UCB7362 is estimated to achieve 9 log 10 unit reduction in asexual blood-stage parasites with once-daily dosing of 50 mg for 7 days. This work demonstrates the potential to deliver PMX inhibitors with in vivo efficacy to treat malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhaoning Zhu
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Abendroth
- UCB, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | | | - Reiner Class
- UCB, Chem. du Foriest 1, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | | | - Helga Gerets
- UCB, Chem. du Foriest 1, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | - Lloyd King
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | - Donald D Lorimer
- UCB, 7869 NE Day Road West, Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110, United States
| | - Malcolm MacCoss
- Bohicket Pharma Consulting LLC, 2556 Seabrook Island Road, Seabrook Island, South Carolina 29455, United States
| | | | | | - Leandro Royer
- UCB, Chem. du Foriest 1, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | - Melanie Wong
- UCB, 216 Bath Road, Slough SL1 3WE, United Kingdom
| | | | - Vishal P Chavan
- Sai Life Sciences Limited, Plot DS-7, IKP Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Gokul A Ghule
- Sai Life Sciences Limited, Plot DS-7, IKP Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Bapusaheb K Tapkir
- Sai Life Sciences Limited, Plot DS-7, IKP Knowledge Park, Genome Valley, Turkapally, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Jeremy N Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maëlle Duffey
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Rottmann
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.,University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland.,University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Iñigo Angulo-Barturen
- The Art of Discovery, SL Biscay Science and Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, BIC Bizkaia Building, no. 612, Derio 48160, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - María Belén Jiménez-Díaz
- The Art of Discovery, SL Biscay Science and Technology Park, Astondo Bidea, BIC Bizkaia Building, no. 612, Derio 48160, Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Josefine Striepen
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Kate J Fairhurst
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Tomas Yeo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States.,Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Alan F Cowman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Paola Favuzza
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | | | | | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8051, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
| | - Benoît Laleu
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, ICC, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
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12
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Brusini L, Haase R, Tosetti N, Maco B, Brochet M, Vadas O, Soldati-Favre D. Conoid extrusion regulates glideosome assembly to control motility and invasion in Apicomplexa. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1777-1790. [DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01212-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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13
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Brusini L, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Tromer EC, Soldati-Favre D, Brochet M. Composition and organization of kinetochores show plasticity in apicomplexan chromosome segregation. J Cell Biol 2022; 221:213421. [PMID: 36006241 PMCID: PMC9418836 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202111084] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinetochores are multiprotein assemblies directing mitotic spindle attachment and chromosome segregation. In apicomplexan parasites, most known kinetochore components and associated regulators are apparently missing, suggesting a minimal structure with limited control over chromosome segregation. In this study, we use interactomics combined with deep homology searches to identify 13 previously unknown components of kinetochores in Apicomplexa. Apicomplexan kinetochores are highly divergent in sequence and composition from animal and fungal models. The nanoscale organization includes at least four discrete compartments, each displaying different biochemical interactions, subkinetochore localizations and evolutionary rates across the phylum. We reveal alignment of kinetochores at the metaphase plate in both Plasmodium berghei and Toxoplasma gondii, suggestive of a conserved "hold signal" that prevents precocious entry into anaphase. Finally, we show unexpected plasticity in kinetochore composition and segregation between apicomplexan lifecycle stages, suggestive of diverse requirements to maintain fidelity of chromosome segregation across parasite modes of division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Brusini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Correspondence to Lorenzo Brusini:
| | - Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eelco C. Tromer
- Cell Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland,Mathieu Brochet:
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14
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Nyonda MA, Kloehn J, Sosnowski P, Krishnan A, Lentini G, Maco B, Marq JB, Hannich JT, Hopfgartner G, Soldati-Favre D. Ceramide biosynthesis is critical for establishment of the intracellular niche of Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111224. [PMID: 35977499 PMCID: PMC9396527 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111224] [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: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii possesses sphingolipid synthesis capabilities and is equipped to salvage lipids from its host. The contribution of these two routes of lipid acquisition during parasite development is unclear. As part of a complete ceramide synthesis pathway, T. gondii expresses two serine palmitoyltransferases (TgSPT1 and TgSPT2) and a dihydroceramide desaturase. After deletion of these genes, we determine their role in parasite development in vitro and in vivo during acute and chronic infection. Detailed phenotyping through lipidomic approaches reveal a perturbed sphingolipidome in these mutants, characterized by a drastic reduction in ceramides and ceramide phosphoethanolamines but not sphingomyelins. Critically, parasites lacking TgSPT1 display decreased fitness, marked by reduced growth rates and a selective defect in rhoptry discharge in the form of secretory vesicles, causing an invasion defect. Disruption of de novo ceramide synthesis modestly affects acute infection in vivo but severely reduces cyst burden in the brain of chronically infected mice. De novo sphingolipid synthesis is active at the ER of Toxoplasma gondii T. gondii scavenges sphingomyelins but synthesizes ceramide phosphoethanolamines TgSPT1 is required for establishment of the intracellular niche during invasion Defects in T. gondii sphingolipid synthesis affect chronic infection in vivo
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Akinyi Nyonda
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Piotr Sosnowski
- Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Geneva, 24 Quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gaëlle Lentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - J Thomas Hannich
- Department of Biochemistry, NCCR Chemical Biology, University of Geneva, Quai Ernest-Ansermet 30, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gerard Hopfgartner
- Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Geneva, 24 Quai Ernest Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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15
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Nyonda MA, Boyer JB, Belmudes L, Krishnan A, Pino P, Couté Y, Brochet M, Meinnel T, Soldati-Favre D, Giglione C. N-Acetylation of secreted proteins is widespread in Apicomplexa and independent of acetyl-CoA ER-transporter AT1. J Cell Sci 2022; 135:275539. [PMID: 35621049 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259811] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetyl-CoA participates in post-translational modification of proteins, central carbon and lipid metabolism in several cell compartments. In mammals, the acetyl-CoA transporter 1 (AT1) facilitates the flux of cytosolic acetyl-CoA into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), enabling the acetylation of proteins of the secretory pathway, in concert with dedicated acetyltransferases including NAT8. However, the implication of the ER acetyl-CoA pool in acetylation of ER-transiting proteins in Apicomplexa is unknown. We identify homologues of AT1 and NAT8 in Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium berghei. Proteome-wide analyses revealed widespread N-terminal acetylation marks of secreted proteins in both parasites. Such acetylation profile of N-terminally processed proteins was never observed so far in any other organisms. AT1 deletion resulted in a considerable reduction of parasite fitness. In P. berghei, AT1 is important for growth of asexual blood stages and production of female gametocytes and male gametocytogenesis impaling its requirement for transmission. In the absence of AT1, the lysine and N-terminal acetylation sites remained globally unaltered, suggesting an uncoupling between the role of AT1 in development and active acetylation occurring along the secretory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Akinyi Nyonda
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Boyer
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Intergrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lucid Belmudes
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, CEA, UMR BioSanté U1292, CNRS, CEA, FR2048, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paco Pino
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,ExcellGene SA, CH1870 Monthey, Switzerland
| | - Yohann Couté
- Université Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, CEA, UMR BioSanté U1292, CNRS, CEA, FR2048, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thierry Meinnel
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Intergrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carmela Giglione
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Intergrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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16
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Bisio H, Krishnan A, Marq JB, Soldati-Favre D. Toxoplasma gondii phosphatidylserine flippase complex ATP2B-CDC50.4 critically participates in microneme exocytosis. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010438. [PMID: 35325010 PMCID: PMC8982854 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated microneme secretion governs motility, host cell invasion and egress in the obligate intracellular apicomplexans. Intracellular calcium oscillations and phospholipid dynamics critically regulate microneme exocytosis. Despite its importance for the lytic cycle of these parasites, molecular mechanistic details about exocytosis are still missing. Some members of the P4-ATPases act as flippases, changing the phospholipid distribution by translocation from the outer to the inner leaflet of the membrane. Here, the localization and function of the repertoire of P4-ATPases was investigated across the lytic cycle of Toxoplasma gondii. Of relevance, ATP2B and the non-catalytic subunit cell division control protein 50.4 (CDC50.4) form a stable heterocomplex at the parasite plasma membrane, essential for microneme exocytosis. This complex is responsible for flipping phosphatidylserine, which presumably acts as a lipid mediator for organelle fusion with the plasma membrane. Overall, this study points toward the importance of phosphatidylserine asymmetric distribution at the plasma membrane for microneme exocytosis. Biological membranes display diverse functions, including membrane fusion, which are conferred by a defined composition and organization of proteins and lipids. Apicomplexan parasites possess specialized secretory organelles (micronemes), implicated in motility, invasion and egress from host cells. Microneme exocytosis is already known to depend on phosphatidic acid for its fusion with the plasma membrane. Here we identify a type P4-ATPase and its CDC50 chaperone (ATP2B-CDC50.4) that act as a flippase and contribute to the enrichment of phosphatidylserine (PS) in the inner leaflet of the parasite plasma membrane. The disruption of PS asymmetric distribution at the plasma membrane impacts microneme exocytosis. Overall, our results shed light on the importance of membrane homeostasis and lipid composition in controlling microneme secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bisio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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17
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Lunghi M, Kloehn J, Krishnan A, Varesio E, Vadas O, Soldati-Favre D. Pantothenate biosynthesis is critical for chronic infection by the neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Nat Commun 2022; 13:345. [PMID: 35039477 PMCID: PMC8764084 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27996-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coenzyme A (CoA) is an essential molecule acting in metabolism, post-translational modification, and regulation of gene expression. While all organisms synthesize CoA, many, including humans, are unable to produce its precursor, pantothenate. Intriguingly, like most plants, fungi and bacteria, parasites of the coccidian subgroup of Apicomplexa, including the human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii, possess all the enzymes required for de novo synthesis of pantothenate. Here, the importance of CoA and pantothenate biosynthesis for the acute and chronic stages of T. gondii infection is dissected through genetic, biochemical and metabolomic approaches, revealing that CoA synthesis is essential for T. gondii tachyzoites, due to the parasite's inability to salvage CoA or intermediates of the pathway. In contrast, pantothenate synthesis is only partially active in T. gondii tachyzoites, making the parasite reliant on its uptake. However, pantothenate synthesis is crucial for the establishment of chronic infection, offering a promising target for intervention against the persistent stage of T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Emmanuel Varesio
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland (ISPSO), University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
- Mass Spectrometry Core Facility (MZ 2.0), University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Oscar Vadas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
- Protein and peptide purification platform, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland.
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18
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Abstract
The Apicomplexa phylum comprises thousands of distinct intracellular parasite species, including coccidians, haemosporidians, piroplasms, and cryptosporidia. These parasites are characterized by complex and divergent life cycles occupying a variety of host niches. Consequently, they exhibit distinct adaptations to the differences in nutritional availabilities, either relying on biosynthetic pathways or by salvaging metabolites from their host. Pantothenate (Pan, vitamin B5) is the precursor for the synthesis of an essential cofactor, coenzyme A (CoA), but among the apicomplexans, only the coccidian subgroup has the ability to synthesize Pan. While the pathway to synthesize CoA from Pan is largely conserved across all branches of life, there are differences in the redundancy of enzymes and possible alternative pathways to generate CoA from Pan. Impeding the scavenge of Pan and synthesis of Pan and CoA have been long recognized as potential targets for antimicrobial drug development, but in order to fully exploit these critical pathways, it is important to understand such differences. Recently, a potent class of pantothenamides (PanAms), Pan analogs, which target CoA-utilizing enzymes, has entered antimalarial preclinical development. The potential of PanAms to target multiple downstream pathways make them a promising compound class as broad antiparasitic drugs against other apicomplexans. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in understanding the Pan and CoA biosynthesis pathways, and the suitability of these pathways as drug targets in Apicomplexa, with a particular focus on the cyst-forming coccidian, Toxoplasma gondii, and the haemosporidian, Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. de Vries
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Taco W. A. Kooij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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19
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Lodoen MB, Smith NC, Soldati-Favre D, Ferguson DJP, van Dooren GG. Nanos gigantium humeris insidentes: old papers informing new research into Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:1193-1212. [PMID: 34736901 PMCID: PMC10538201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.10.004] [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: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Since Nicolle, Manceaux and Splendore first described Toxoplasma gondii as a parasite of rodents and rabbits in the early 20th century, a diverse and vigorous research community has been built around studying this fascinating intracellular parasite. In addition to its importance as a pathogen of humans, livestock and wildlife, modern researchers are attracted to T. gondii as a facile experimental system to study many aspects of evolutionary biology, cellular biology, host-microbe interactions, and host immunity. For new researchers entering the field, the extensive literature describing the biology of the parasite, and the interactions with its host, can be daunting. In this review, we examine four foundational studies that describe various aspects of T. gondii biology, presenting a 'journal club'-style analysis of each. We have chosen a paper that established the beguiling life cycle of the parasite (Hutchison et al., 1971), a paper that described key features of its cellular biology that the parasite shares with related organisms (Gustafson et al., 1954), a paper that characterised the origin of the unique compartment in which the parasite resides within host cells (Jones and Hirsch, 1972), and a paper that established a key mechanism in the host immune response to parasite infection (Pfefferkorn, 1984). These interesting and far-reaching studies set the stage for subsequent research into numerous facets of parasite biology. As well as providing new researchers with an entry point into the literature surrounding the parasite, revisiting these studies can remind us of the roots of our discipline, how far we have come, and the new directions in which we might head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa B Lodoen
- Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Nicholas C Smith
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia; Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Science, Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Giel G van Dooren
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
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20
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Tosetti N, Krishnan A, Haase R, Maco B, Suarez C, Ren B, Soldati-Favre D. Revisiting the Role of Toxoplasma gondii ERK7 in the Maintenance and Stability of the Apical Complex. mBio 2021; 12:e0205721. [PMID: 34607461 PMCID: PMC8546650 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02057-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii extracellular signal-regulated kinase 7 (ERK7) is known to contribute to the integrity of the apical complex and to participate in the final step of conoid biogenesis. In the absence of ERK7, mature parasites lose their conoid complex and are unable to glide, invade, or egress from host cells. In contrast to a previous report, we show here that the depletion of ERK7 phenocopies the depletion of the apical cap protein AC9 or AC10. The absence of ERK7 leads to the loss of the apical polar ring (APR), the disorganization of the basket of subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs), and a severe impairment in microneme secretion. Ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM), coupled to N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (NHS-ester) staining on intracellular parasites, offers an unprecedented level of resolution and highlights the disorganization of the rhoptries as well as the dilated plasma membrane at the apical pole in the absence of ERK7. Comparative proteomics analysis of wild-type and ERK7-depleted parasites confirmed the disappearance of known apical complex proteins, including markers of the apical polar ring and a new apical cap named AC11. Concomitantly, the absence of ERK7 led to an accumulation of microneme proteins, resulting from the defect in the exocytosis of the organelles. AC9-depleted parasites were included as controls and exhibited an increase in inner membrane complex proteins, with two new proteins assigned to this compartment, namely, IMC33 and IMC34. IMPORTANCE The conoid is an enigmatic, dynamic organelle positioned at the apical tip of the coccidian subgroup of the Apicomplexa, close to the apical polar ring (APR) from which the subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs) emerge and through which the secretory organelles (micronemes and rhoptries) reach the plasma membrane for exocytosis. In Toxoplasma gondii, the conoid protrudes concomitantly with microneme secretion, during egress, motility, and invasion. The conditional depletion of the apical cap structural protein AC9 or AC10 leads to a disorganization of SPMTs as well as the loss of the APR and conoid, resulting in a microneme secretion defect and a block in motility, invasion, and egress. We show here that the depletion of the kinase ERK7 phenocopies AC9 and AC10 mutants. The combination of ultrastructure expansion microscopy and NHS-ester staining revealed that ERK7-depleted parasites exhibit a dilated apical plasma membrane and an altered positioning of the rhoptries, while electron microscopy images unambiguously highlight the loss of the APR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolò Tosetti
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Romuald Haase
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Suarez
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bingjian Ren
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Bertiaux E, Balestra AC, Bournonville L, Louvel V, Maco B, Soldati-Favre D, Brochet M, Guichard P, Hamel V. Correction: Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001401. [PMID: 34520452 PMCID: PMC8439458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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22
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Kloehn J, Lacour CE, Soldati-Favre D. The metabolic pathways and transporters of the plastid organelle in Apicomplexa. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 63:250-258. [PMID: 34455306 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The apicoplast is the relict of a plastid organelle found in several disease-causing apicomplexan parasites such as Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. In these organisms, the organelle has lost its photosynthetic capability but harbours several fitness-conferring or essential metabolic pathways. Although maintaining the apicoplast and fuelling the metabolic pathways within requires the challenging constant import and export of numerous metabolites across its four membranes, only few apicoplast transporters have been identified to date, most of which are orphan transporters. Here we review the roles of metabolic pathways within the apicoplast and what is currently known about the few identified apicoplast metabolite transporters. We discuss what metabolites must get in and out of the apicoplast, the many transporters that are yet to be discovered, and what role these might play in parasite metabolism and as putative drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Clément Em Lacour
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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Kloehn J, Lunghi M, Varesio E, Dubois D, Soldati-Favre D. Untargeted Metabolomics Uncovers the Essential Lysine Transporter in Toxoplasma gondii. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11080476. [PMID: 34436417 PMCID: PMC8399914 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11080476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for devastating diseases, including malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. Current treatments are limited by emerging resistance to, as well as the high cost and toxicity of existing drugs. As obligate intracellular parasites, apicomplexans rely on the uptake of many essential metabolites from their host. Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is auxotrophic for several metabolites, including sugars (e.g., myo-inositol), amino acids (e.g., tyrosine), lipidic compounds and lipid precursors (cholesterol, choline), vitamins, cofactors (thiamine) and others. To date, only few apicomplexan metabolite transporters have been characterized and assigned a substrate. Here, we set out to investigate whether untargeted metabolomics can be used to identify the substrate of an uncharacterized transporter. Based on existing genome- and proteome-wide datasets, we have identified an essential plasma membrane transporter of the major facilitator superfamily in T. gondii-previously termed TgApiAT6-1. Using an inducible system based on RNA degradation, TgApiAT6-1 was depleted, and the mutant parasite's metabolome was compared to that of non-depleted parasites. The most significantly reduced metabolite in parasites depleted in TgApiAT6-1 was identified as the amino acid lysine, for which T. gondii is predicted to be auxotrophic. Using stable isotope-labeled amino acids, we confirmed that TgApiAT6-1 is required for efficient lysine uptake. Our findings highlight untargeted metabolomics as a powerful tool to identify the substrate of orphan transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.L.); (D.D.)
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (D.S.-F.); Tel.: +41-22-379-57-16 (J.K.); +41-22-379-56-72 (D.S.-F.)
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Emmanuel Varesio
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mass Spectrometry Core Facility (MZ 2.0), University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - David Dubois
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.L.); (D.D.)
- Correspondence: (J.K.); (D.S.-F.); Tel.: +41-22-379-57-16 (J.K.); +41-22-379-56-72 (D.S.-F.)
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Lentini G, Ben Chaabene R, Vadas O, Ramakrishnan C, Mukherjee B, Mehta V, Lunghi M, Grossmann J, Maco B, Visentin R, Hehl AB, Korkhov VM, Soldati-Favre D. Structural insights into an atypical secretory pathway kinase crucial for Toxoplasma gondii invasion. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3788. [PMID: 34145271 PMCID: PMC8213820 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24083-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Active host cell invasion by the obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasites relies on the formation of a moving junction, which connects parasite and host cell plasma membranes during entry. Invading Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites secrete their rhoptry content and insert a complex of RON proteins on the cytoplasmic side of the host cell membrane providing an anchor to which the parasite tethers. Here we show that a rhoptry-resident kinase RON13 is a key virulence factor that plays a crucial role in host cell entry. Cryo-EM, kinase assays, phosphoproteomics and cellular analyses reveal that RON13 is a secretory pathway kinase of atypical structure that phosphorylates rhoptry proteins including the components of the RON complex. Ultimately, RON13 kinase activity controls host cell invasion by anchoring the moving junction at the parasite-host cell interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Lentini
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rouaa Ben Chaabene
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Oscar Vadas
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chandra Ramakrishnan
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Budhaditya Mukherjee
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland ,grid.429017.90000 0001 0153 2859Present Address: School of Medical Science and Technology, IIT Kharagpur, India
| | - Ved Mehta
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Grossmann
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Functional Genomic Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland ,grid.419765.80000 0001 2223 3006The Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, SIB, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rémy Visentin
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Adrian B. Hehl
- grid.7400.30000 0004 1937 0650Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Volodymyr M. Korkhov
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland ,grid.5991.40000 0001 1090 7501Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- grid.8591.50000 0001 2322 4988Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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25
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Ben Chaabene R, Lentini G, Soldati-Favre D. Biogenesis and discharge of the rhoptries: Key organelles for entry and hijack of host cells by the Apicomplexa. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:453-465. [PMID: 33368727 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rhoptries are specialized secretory organelles found in the Apicomplexa phylum, playing a central role in the establishment of parasitism. The rhoptry content includes membranous as well as proteinaceous materials that are discharged into the host cell in a regulated fashion during parasite entry. A set of rhoptry neck proteins form a RON complex that critically participates in the moving junction formation during invasion. Some of the rhoptry bulb proteins are associated with the membranous materials and contribute to the formation of the parasitophorous vacuole membrane while others are targeted into the host cell including the nucleus to subvert cellular functions. Here, we review the recent studies on Toxoplasma and Plasmodium parasites that shed light on the key steps leading to rhoptry biogenesis, trafficking, and discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouaa Ben Chaabene
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gaëlle Lentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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26
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Bertiaux E, Balestra AC, Bournonville L, Louvel V, Maco B, Soldati-Favre D, Brochet M, Guichard P, Hamel V. Expansion microscopy provides new insights into the cytoskeleton of malaria parasites including the conservation of a conoid. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001020. [PMID: 33705377 PMCID: PMC7951857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [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: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is caused by unicellular Plasmodium parasites. Plasmodium relies on diverse microtubule cytoskeletal structures for its reproduction, multiplication, and dissemination. Due to the small size of this parasite, its cytoskeleton has been primarily observable by electron microscopy (EM). Here, we demonstrate that the nanoscale cytoskeleton organisation is within reach using ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM). In developing microgametocytes, U-ExM allows monitoring the dynamic assembly of axonemes and concomitant tubulin polyglutamylation in whole cells. In the invasive merozoite and ookinete forms, U-ExM unveils the diversity across Plasmodium stages and species of the subpellicular microtubule arrays that confer cell rigidity. In ookinetes, we additionally identify an apical tubulin ring (ATR) that colocalises with markers of the conoid in related apicomplexan parasites. This tubulin-containing structure was presumed to be lost in Plasmodium despite its crucial role in motility and invasion in other apicomplexans. Here, U-ExM reveals that a divergent and considerably reduced form of the conoid is actually conserved in Plasmodium species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloïse Bertiaux
- University of Geneva, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aurélia C. Balestra
- University of Geneva, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lorène Bournonville
- University of Geneva, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Louvel
- University of Geneva, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- University of Geneva, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- University of Geneva, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- University of Geneva, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paul Guichard
- University of Geneva, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Hamel
- University of Geneva, Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Geneva, Switzerland
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Abstract
Obligate intracellular pathogens have coevolved with their host, leading to clever strategies to access nutrients, to combat the host's immune response, and to establish a safe niche for intracellular replication. The host, on the other hand, has also developed ways to restrict the replication of invaders by limiting access to nutrients required for pathogen survival. In this review, we describe the recent advancements in both computational methods and high-throughput -omics techniques that have been used to study and interrogate metabolic functions in the context of intracellular parasitism. Specifically, we cover the current knowledge on the presence of amino acid biosynthesis and uptake within the Apicomplexa phylum, focusing on human-infecting pathogens: Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum. Given the complex multi-host lifecycle of these pathogens, we hypothesize that amino acids are made, rather than acquired, depending on the host niche. We summarize the stage specificities of enzymes revealed through transcriptomics data, the relevance of amino acids for parasite pathogenesis in vivo, and the role of their transporters. Targeting one or more of these pathways may lead to a deeper understanding of the specific contributions of biosynthesis versus acquisition of amino acids and to design better intervention strategies against the apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
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28
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Soldati-Favre D. Coupling Auxin-Inducible Degron System with Ultrastructure Expansion Microscopy to Accelerate the Discovery of Gene Function in Toxoplasma gondii. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2369:121-137. [PMID: 34313987 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1681-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) is an emerging technique allowing the localization of proteins and cellular structures, at a level of resolution only distinguishable previously via immunoelectron microscopy. U-ExM, as its name indicates, is based on the physical expansion of the sample in the three dimensions without altering its internal features. The proteins of interest are later immunostained for their detection. To accelerate the discovery of gene function in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, U-ExM can be coupled to the auxin-inducible degron system (mAiD system). This pipeline led to the subcellular localization of the gene product at unprecedented resolution and simultaneously assessed the consequences of conditional gene disruption. In this chapter, we explain the specific U-ExM protocol used for T. gondii tachyzoite samples and provide non-trivial advice and tips to successfully perform the experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Nyonda MA, Hammoudi PM, Ye S, Maire J, Marq JB, Yamamoto M, Soldati-Favre D. Toxoplasma gondii GRA60 is an effector protein that modulates host cell autonomous immunity and contributes to virulence. Cell Microbiol 2020; 23:e13278. [PMID: 33040458 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii infects virtually any nucleated cell and resides inside a non-phagocytic vacuole surrounded by a parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM). Pivotal to the restriction of T. gondii dissemination upon infection in murine cells is the recruitment of immunity regulated GTPases (IRGs) and guanylate binding proteins (GBPs) to the PVM that leads to pathogen elimination. The virulent T. gondii type I RH strain secretes a handful of effectors including the dense granule protein GRA7, the serine-threonine kinases ROP17 and ROP18, and a pseudo-kinase ROP5, that synergistically inhibit the recruitment of IRGs to the PVM. Here, we characterise GRA60, a novel dense granule effector, which localises to the vacuolar space and PVM and contributes to virulence of RH in mice, suggesting a role in the subversion of host cell defence mechanisms. Members of the host cell IRG defence system Irgb10 and Irga6 are recruited to the PVM of RH parasites lacking GRA60 as observed previously for the avirulent RHΔrop5 mutant, with RH preventing such recruitment. Deletion of GRA60 in RHΔrop5 leads to a recruitment of IRGs comparable to the single knockouts. GRA60 therefore represents a novel parasite effector conferring resistance to IRGs in type I parasites, and found associated to ROP18, a member of the virulence complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Akinyi Nyonda
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Mehdi Hammoudi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Shu Ye
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Maire
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Marq
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Masahiro Yamamoto
- Department of Immunoparasitology, Division of Infectious Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Tosetti N, Koreny L, Waller RF, Soldati-Favre D. Evolution, Composition, Assembly, and Function of the Conoid in Apicomplexa. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:688-704. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Abstract
The Apicomplexa phylum includes a large group of obligate intracellular protozoan parasites responsible for important diseases in humans and animals. Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread parasite with considerable versatility, and it is capable of infecting virtually any warm-blooded animal, including humans. This outstanding success can be attributed at least in part to an efficient and continuous sensing of the environment, with a ready-to-adapt strategy. This review updates the current understanding of the signals governing the lytic cycle of T. gondii, with particular focus on egress from infected cells, a key step for balancing survival, multiplication, and spreading in the host. We cover the recent advances in the conceptual framework of regulation of microneme exocytosis that ensures egress, motility, and invasion. Particular emphasis is given to the trigger molecules and signaling cascades regulating exit from host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Bisio
- Département de Microbiologie et Médecine Moléculaire, Centre Médical Universitaire, Université de Genève, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Département de Microbiologie et Médecine Moléculaire, Centre Médical Universitaire, Université de Genève, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland;
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Kloehn J, Harding CR, Soldati-Favre D. Supply and demand-heme synthesis, salvage and utilization by Apicomplexa. FEBS J 2020; 288:382-404. [PMID: 32530125 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The Apicomplexa phylum groups important human and animal pathogens that cause severe diseases, encompassing malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. In common with most organisms, apicomplexans rely on heme as cofactor for several enzymes, including cytochromes of the electron transport chain. This heme derives from de novo synthesis and/or the development of uptake mechanisms to scavenge heme from their host. Recent studies have revealed that heme synthesis is essential for Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites, as well as for the mosquito and liver stages of Plasmodium spp. In contrast, the erythrocytic stages of the malaria parasites rely on scavenging heme from the host red blood cell. The unusual heme synthesis pathway in Apicomplexa spans three cellular compartments and comprises enzymes of distinct ancestral origin, providing promising drug targets. Remarkably given the requirement for heme, T. gondii can tolerate the loss of several heme synthesis enzymes at a high fitness cost, while the ferrochelatase is essential for survival. These findings indicate that T. gondii is capable of salvaging heme precursors from its host. Furthermore, heme is implicated in the activation of the key antimalarial drug artemisinin. Recent findings established that a reduction in heme availability corresponds to decreased sensitivity to artemisinin in T. gondii and Plasmodium falciparum, providing insights into the possible development of combination therapies to tackle apicomplexan parasites. This review describes the microeconomics of heme in Apicomplexa, from supply, either from de novo synthesis or scavenging, to demand by metabolic pathways, including the electron transport chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Clare R Harding
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, University of Glasgow, UK
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Kloehn J, Oppenheim RD, Siddiqui G, De Bock PJ, Kumar Dogga S, Coute Y, Hakimi MA, Creek DJ, Soldati-Favre D. Multi-omics analysis delineates the distinct functions of sub-cellular acetyl-CoA pools in Toxoplasma gondii. BMC Biol 2020; 18:67. [PMID: 32546260 PMCID: PMC7296777 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00791-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acetyl-CoA is a key molecule in all organisms, implicated in several metabolic pathways as well as in transcriptional regulation and post-translational modification. The human pathogen Toxoplasma gondii possesses at least four enzymes which generate acetyl-CoA in the nucleo-cytosol (acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS); ATP citrate lyase (ACL)), mitochondrion (branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase-complex (BCKDH)) and apicoplast (pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDH)). Given the diverse functions of acetyl-CoA, we know very little about the role of sub-cellular acetyl-CoA pools in parasite physiology. RESULTS To assess the importance and functions of sub-cellular acetyl-CoA-pools, we measured the acetylome, transcriptome, proteome and metabolome of parasites lacking ACL/ACS or BCKDH. We demonstrate that ACL/ACS constitute a synthetic lethal pair. Loss of both enzymes causes a halt in fatty acid elongation, hypo-acetylation of nucleo-cytosolic and secretory proteins and broad changes in gene expression. In contrast, loss of BCKDH results in an altered TCA cycle, hypo-acetylation of mitochondrial proteins and few specific changes in gene expression. We provide evidence that changes in the acetylome, transcriptome and proteome of cells lacking BCKDH enable the metabolic adaptations and thus the survival of these parasites. CONCLUSIONS Using multi-omics and molecular tools, we obtain a global and integrative picture of the role of distinct acetyl-CoA pools in T. gondii physiology. Cytosolic acetyl-CoA is essential and is required for the synthesis of parasite-specific fatty acids. In contrast, loss of mitochondrial acetyl-CoA can be compensated for through metabolic adaptations implemented at the transcriptional, translational and post-translational level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca D Oppenheim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ghizal Siddiqui
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville campus, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Pieter-Jan De Bock
- University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, IRIG, BGE, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Sunil Kumar Dogga
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Yohann Coute
- University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INSERM, IRIG, BGE, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Mohamed-Ali Hakimi
- Epigenetic and Parasites Team, UMR5163/LAPM, Domaine de la Merci, Jean Roget Institute, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - Darren J Creek
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville campus, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Stanway RR, Bushell E, Chiappino-Pepe A, Roques M, Sanderson T, Franke-Fayard B, Caldelari R, Golomingi M, Nyonda M, Pandey V, Schwach F, Chevalley S, Ramesar J, Metcalf T, Herd C, Burda PC, Rayner JC, Soldati-Favre D, Janse CJ, Hatzimanikatis V, Billker O, Heussler VT. Genome-Scale Identification of Essential Metabolic Processes for Targeting the Plasmodium Liver Stage. Cell 2020; 179:1112-1128.e26. [PMID: 31730853 PMCID: PMC6904910 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [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: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium gene functions in mosquito and liver stages remain poorly characterized due to limitations in the throughput of phenotyping at these stages. To fill this gap, we followed more than 1,300 barcoded P. berghei mutants through the life cycle. We discover 461 genes required for efficient parasite transmission to mosquitoes through the liver stage and back into the bloodstream of mice. We analyze the screen in the context of genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic data by building a thermodynamic model of P. berghei liver-stage metabolism, which shows a major reprogramming of parasite metabolism to achieve rapid growth in the liver. We identify seven metabolic subsystems that become essential at the liver stages compared with asexual blood stages: type II fatty acid synthesis and elongation (FAE), tricarboxylic acid, amino sugar, heme, lipoate, and shikimate metabolism. Selected predictions from the model are individually validated in single mutants to provide future targets for drug development. 1,342 barcoded P. berghei knockout (KO) mutants analyzed for stage-specific phenotypes Life-stage-specific metabolic models reveal reprogramming of cellular function High agreement between blood/liver stage metabolic models and genetic screening data Essential metabolic pathways for parasite development and mechanistic origin revealed
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R Stanway
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Ellen Bushell
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Anush Chiappino-Pepe
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Magali Roques
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Theo Sanderson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Reto Caldelari
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | | | - Mary Nyonda
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Vikash Pandey
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Frank Schwach
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Séverine Chevalley
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Jai Ramesar
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Metcalf
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Colin Herd
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Paul-Christian Burda
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg 20359, Germany
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2, 0XY, UK
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Chris J Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Parasitology, Center of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Vassily Hatzimanikatis
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Billker
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK; Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS), Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden.
| | - Volker T Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland.
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Tosetti N, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Bertiaux E, Maco B, Bournonville L, Hamel V, Guichard P, Soldati-Favre D. Essential function of the alveolin network in the subpellicular microtubules and conoid assembly in Toxoplasma gondii. eLife 2020; 9:56635. [PMID: 32379047 PMCID: PMC7228768 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [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: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The coccidian subgroup of Apicomplexa possesses an apical complex harboring a conoid, made of unique tubulin polymer fibers. This enigmatic organelle extrudes in extracellular invasive parasites and is associated to the apical polar ring (APR). The APR serves as microtubule-organizing center for the 22 subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs) that are linked to a patchwork of flattened vesicles, via an intricate network composed of alveolins. Here, we capitalize on ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) to localize the Toxoplasma gondii Apical Cap protein 9 (AC9) and its partner AC10, identified by BioID, to the alveolin network and intercalated between the SPMTs. Parasites conditionally depleted in AC9 or AC10 replicate normally but are defective in microneme secretion and fail to invade and egress from infected cells. Electron microscopy revealed that the mature parasite mutants are conoidless, while U-ExM highlighted the disorganization of the SPMTs which likely results in the catastrophic loss of APR and conoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Tosetti
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Dos Santos Pacheco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eloïse Bertiaux
- Department of Cell Biology, Sciences III, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lorène Bournonville
- Department of Cell Biology, Sciences III, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Hamel
- Department of Cell Biology, Sciences III, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paul Guichard
- Department of Cell Biology, Sciences III, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Abstract
Recently, two Plasmodium aspartyl proteases were identified as druggable targets impacting parasite survival. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Favuzza et al. describe the optimization of a compound series acting on both targets, heralding the prospect of a new class of antimalarials for clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1201, Switzerland
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Krishnan A, Kloehn J, Lunghi M, Soldati-Favre D. Correction: Vitamin and cofactor acquisition in apicomplexans: Synthesis versus salvage. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:4064. [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.aac120.013172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Krishnan A, Kloehn J, Lunghi M, Chiappino-Pepe A, Waldman BS, Nicolas D, Varesio E, Hehl A, Lourido S, Hatzimanikatis V, Soldati-Favre D. Functional and Computational Genomics Reveal Unprecedented Flexibility in Stage-Specific Toxoplasma Metabolism. Cell Host Microbe 2020; 27:290-306.e11. [PMID: 31991093 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
To survive and proliferate in diverse host environments with varying nutrient availability, the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii reprograms its metabolism. We have generated and curated a genome-scale metabolic model (iTgo) for the fast-replicating tachyzoite stage, harmonized with experimentally observed phenotypes. To validate the importance of four metabolic pathways predicted by the model, we have performed in-depth in vitro and in vivo phenotyping of mutant parasites including targeted metabolomics and CRISPR-Cas9 fitness screening of all known metabolic genes. This led to unexpected insights into the remarkable flexibility of the parasite, addressing the dependency on biosynthesis or salvage of fatty acids (FAs), purine nucleotides (AMP and GMP), a vitamin (pyridoxal-5P), and a cofactor (heme) in both the acute and latent stages of infection. Taken together, our experimentally validated metabolic network leads to a deeper understanding of the parasite's biology, opening avenues for the development of therapeutic intervention against apicomplexans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Anush Chiappino-Pepe
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | | | - Damien Nicolas
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Emmanuel Varesio
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Geneva-Lausanne (EPGL), Geneva 1211, Switzerland; Mass Spectrometry Core Facility (MZ 2.0), University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Hehl
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Zürich, Zürich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Vassily Hatzimanikatis
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology & Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland.
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39
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Albuquerque-Wendt A, Jacot D, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Seegers C, Zarnovican P, Buettner FFR, Bakker H, Soldati-Favre D, Routier FH. C-Mannosylation of Toxoplasma gondii proteins promotes attachment to host cells and parasite virulence. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:1066-1076. [PMID: 31862733 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 08/11/2019] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
C-Mannosylation is a common modification of thrombospondin type 1 repeats present in metazoans and recently identified also in apicomplexan parasites. This glycosylation is mediated by enzymes of the DPY19 family that transfer α-mannoses to tryptophan residues in the sequence WX 2WX 2C, which is part of the structurally essential tryptophan ladder. Here, deletion of the dpy19 gene in the parasite Toxoplasma gondii abolished C-mannosyltransferase activity and reduced levels of the micronemal protein MIC2. The loss of C-mannosyltransferase activity was associated with weakened parasite adhesion to host cells and with reduced parasite motility, host cell invasion, and parasite egress. Interestingly, the C-mannosyltransferase-deficient Δdpy19 parasites were strongly attenuated in virulence and induced protective immunity in mice. This parasite attenuation could not simply be explained by the decreased MIC2 level and strongly suggests that absence of C-mannosyltransferase activity leads to an insufficient level of additional proteins. In summary, our results indicate that T. gondii C-mannosyltransferase DPY19 is not essential for parasite survival, but is important for adhesion, motility, and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Damien Jacot
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Carla Seegers
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry OE4340, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Patricia Zarnovican
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry OE4340, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Falk F R Buettner
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry OE4340, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Hans Bakker
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry OE4340, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Françoise H Routier
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry OE4340, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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Abstract
The Apicomplexa phylum comprises diverse parasitic organisms that have evolved from a free-living ancestor. These obligate intracellular parasites exhibit versatile metabolic capabilities reflecting their capacity to survive and grow in different hosts and varying niches. Determined by nutrient availability, they either use their biosynthesis machineries or largely depend on their host for metabolite acquisition. Because vitamins cannot be synthesized by the mammalian host, the enzymes required for their synthesis in apicomplexan parasites represent a large repertoire of potential therapeutic targets. Here, we review recent advances in metabolic reconstruction and functional studies coupled to metabolomics that unravel the interplay between biosynthesis and salvage of vitamins and cofactors in apicomplexans. A particular emphasis is placed on Toxoplasma gondii, during both its acute and latent stages of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
| | - Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, 1 Rue Michel-Servet, 1211 Geneva 4 Switzerland
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41
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Boillat M, Hammoudi PM, Dogga SK, Pagès S, Goubran M, Rodriguez I, Soldati-Favre D. Neuroinflammation-Associated Aspecific Manipulation of Mouse Predator Fear by Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Rep 2020; 30:320-334.e6. [PMID: 31940479 PMCID: PMC6963786 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [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: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In rodents, the decrease of felid aversion induced by Toxoplasma gondii, a phenomenon termed fatal attraction, is interpreted as an adaptive manipulation by the neurotropic protozoan parasite. With the aim of understanding how the parasite induces such specific behavioral modifications, we performed a multiparametric analysis of T. gondii-induced changes on host behavior, physiology, and brain transcriptome as well as parasite cyst load and distribution. Using a set of complementary behavioral tests, we provide strong evidence that T. gondii lowers general anxiety in infected mice, increases explorative behaviors, and surprisingly alters predator aversion without selectivity toward felids. Furthermore, we show a positive correlation between the severity of the behavioral alterations and the cyst load, which indirectly reflects the level of inflammation during brain colonization. Taken together, these findings refute the myth of a selective loss of cat fear in T. gondii-infected mice and point toward widespread immune-related alterations of behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madlaina Boillat
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Mehdi Hammoudi
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine-University of Geneva CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Sunil Kumar Dogga
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine-University of Geneva CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Pagès
- Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuroengineering, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maged Goubran
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ivan Rodriguez
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine-University of Geneva CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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Abstract
The phylum of Apicomplexa groups obligate intracellular parasites that exhibit unique classes of unconventional myosin motors. These parasites also encode a limited repertoire of actins, actin-like proteins, actin-binding proteins and nucleators of filamentous actin (F-actin) that display atypical properties. In the last decade, significant progress has been made to visualize F-actin and to unravel the functional contribution of actomyosin systems in the biology of Toxoplasma and Plasmodium, the most genetically-tractable members of the phylum. In addition to assigning specific roles to each myosin, recent biochemical and structural studies have begun to uncover mechanistic insights into myosin function at the atomic level. In several instances, the myosin light chains associated with the myosin heavy chains have been identified, helping to understand the composition of the motor complexes and their mode of regulation. Moreover, the considerable advance in proteomic methodologies and especially in assignment of posttranslational modifications is offering a new dimension to our understanding of the regulation of actin dynamics and myosin function. Remarkably, the actomyosin system contributes to three major processes in Toxoplasma gondii: (i) organelle trafficking, positioning and inheritance, (ii) basal pole constriction and intravacuolar cell-cell communication and (iii) motility, invasion, and egress from infected cells. In this chapter, we summarize how the actomyosin system harnesses these key events to ensure successful completion of the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Frénal
- Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, University of Bordeaux and CNRS, Bordeaux Cedex, France. .,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Aarti Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Albuquerque-Wendt A, Jacot D, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Seegers C, Zarnovican P, Buettner FF, Bakker H, Soldati-Favre D, Routier FH. C-Mannosylation of Toxoplasma gondii proteins promotes attachment to host cells and parasite virulence. J Biol Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9258(17)49916-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa groups numerous pathogenic protozoan parasites including Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, Cryptosporidium which can cause severe gastrointestinal infections, as well as Babesia, Eimeria, and Theileria that account for considerable economic burdens to poultry and cattle industry. Toxoplasma gondii is the most ubiquitous and opportunistic member of this phylum able to infect all warm-blooded animals and responsible for severe disease in immunocompromised individuals and unborn fetuses.Due to its ease of cultivation and genetic tractability T. gondii has served as recipient for the transfer and adaptation of multiple genetic tools developed to control gene expression. In these parasites, a collection of tight conditional systems exists to control gene expression at the levels of transcription, RNA degradation or protein stability. The recent implementation of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology considerably reduces time and effort to generate transgenic parasites and at the same time increases to an ultimate level of precision the editing of the parasite genome. Here, we provide a step-by-step protocol for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated generation of tetracycline repressor-based inducible knockdown in T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Jacot
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Caldelari R, Dogga S, Schmid MW, Franke-Fayard B, Janse CJ, Soldati-Favre D, Heussler V. Transcriptome analysis of Plasmodium berghei during exo-erythrocytic development. Malar J 2019; 18:330. [PMID: 31551073 PMCID: PMC6760107 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2968-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [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: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The complex life cycle of malaria parasites requires well-orchestrated stage specific gene expression. In the vertebrate host the parasites grow and multiply by schizogony in two different environments: within erythrocytes and within hepatocytes. Whereas erythrocytic parasites are well-studied in this respect, relatively little is known about the exo-erythrocytic stages. Methods In an attempt to fill this gap, genome wide RNA-seq analyses of various exo-erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium berghei including sporozoites, samples from a time-course of liver stage development and detached cells were performed. These latter contain infectious merozoites and represent the final step in exo-erythrocytic development. Results The analysis represents the complete transcriptome of the entire life cycle of P. berghei parasites with temporal detailed analysis of the liver stage allowing comparison of gene expression across the progression of the life cycle. These RNA-seq data from different developmental stages were used to cluster genes with similar expression profiles, in order to infer their functions. A comparison with published data from other parasite stages confirmed stage-specific gene expression and revealed numerous genes that are expressed differentially in blood and exo-erythrocytic stages. One of the most exo-erythrocytic stage-specific genes was PBANKA_1003900, which has previously been annotated as a “gametocyte specific protein”. The promoter of this gene drove high GFP expression in exo-erythrocytic stages, confirming its expression profile seen by RNA-seq. Conclusions The comparative analysis of the genome wide mRNA expression profiles of erythrocytic and different exo-erythrocytic stages could be used to improve the understanding of gene regulation in Plasmodium parasites and can be used to model exo-erythrocytic stage metabolic networks toward the identification of differences in metabolic processes during schizogony in erythrocytes and hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reto Caldelari
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Sunil Dogga
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Chris J Janse
- Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Volker Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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Lentini G, Dubois DJ, Maco B, Soldati-Favre D, Frénal K. The roles of Centrin 2 and Dynein Light Chain 8a in apical secretory organelles discharge of Toxoplasma gondii. Traffic 2019; 20:583-600. [PMID: 31206964 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12673] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
To efficiently enter host cells, apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii rely on an apical complex composed of tubulin-based structures as well as two sets of secretory organelles named micronemes and rhoptries. The trafficking and docking of these organelles to the apical pole of the parasite is crucial for the discharge of their contents. Here, we describe two proteins typically associated with microtubules, Centrin 2 (CEN2) and Dynein Light Chain 8a (DLC8a), that are required for efficient host cell invasion. CEN2 localizes to four different compartments, and remarkably, conditional depletion of the protein occurs in stepwise manner, sequentially depleting the protein pools from each location. This phenomenon allowed us to discern the essential function of the apical pool of CEN2 for microneme secretion, motility, invasion and egress. DLC8a localizes to the conoid, and its depletion also perturbs microneme exocytosis in addition to the apical docking of the rhoptry organelles, causing a severe defect in host cell invasion. Phenotypic characterization of CEN2 and DLC8a indicates that while both proteins participate in microneme secretion, they likely act at different steps along the cascade of events leading to organelle exocytosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaëlle Lentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David J Dubois
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karine Frénal
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Microbiologie Fondamentale et Pathogénicité, University of Bordeaux, CNRS UMR 5234, Bordeaux Cedex, France
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Bullen HE, Bisio H, Soldati-Favre D. The triumvirate of signaling molecules controlling Toxoplasma microneme exocytosis: Cyclic GMP, calcium, and phosphatidic acid. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007670. [PMID: 31121005 PMCID: PMC6532924 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
To elicit effective invasion and egress from infected cells, obligate intracellular parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa rely on the timely and spatially controlled exocytosis of specialized secretory organelles termed the micronemes. The effector molecules and signaling events underpinning this process are intricate; however, recent advances within the field of Toxoplasma gondii research have facilitated a broader understanding as well as a more integrated view of this complex cascade of events and have unraveled the importance of phosphatidic acid (PA) as a lipid mediator at multiple steps in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley E. Bullen
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: (HEB); (DS-F)
| | - Hugo Bisio
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (HEB); (DS-F)
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Dubois DJ, Soldati-Favre D. Biogenesis and secretion of micronemes in Toxoplasma gondii. Cell Microbiol 2019; 21:e13018. [PMID: 30791192 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
One of the hallmarks of the parasitic phylum of Apicomplexa is the presence of highly specialised, apical secretory organelles, called the micronemes and rhoptries that play critical roles in ensuring survival and dissemination. Upon exocytosis, the micronemes release adhesin complexes, perforins, and proteases that are crucially implicated in egress from infected cells, gliding motility, migration across biological barriers, and host cell invasion. Recent studies on Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium species have shed more light on the signalling events and the machinery that trigger microneme secretion. Intracellular cyclic nucleotides, calcium level, and phosphatidic acid act as key mediators of microneme exocytosis, and several downstream effectors have been identified. Here, we review the key steps of microneme biogenesis and exocytosis, summarising the still fractal knowledge at the molecular level regarding the fusion event with the parasite plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Dubois
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva CMU, Geneva, Switzerland
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Tosetti N, Dos Santos Pacheco N, Soldati-Favre D, Jacot D. Three F-actin assembly centers regulate organelle inheritance, cell-cell communication and motility in Toxoplasma gondii. eLife 2019; 8:e42669. [PMID: 30753127 PMCID: PMC6372287 DOI: 10.7554/elife.42669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii possesses a limited set of actin-regulatory proteins and relies on only three formins (FRMs) to nucleate and polymerize actin. We combined filamentous actin (F-actin) chromobodies with gene disruption to assign specific populations of actin filaments to individual formins. FRM2 localizes to the apical juxtanuclear region and participates in apicoplast inheritance. Restricted to the residual body, FRM3 maintains the intravacuolar cell-cell communication. Conoidal FRM1 initiates a flux of F-actin crucial for motility, invasion and egress. This flux depends on myosins A and H and is controlled by phosphorylation via PKG (protein kinase G) and CDPK1 (calcium-dependent protein kinase 1) and by methylation via AKMT (apical lysine methyltransferase). This flux is independent of microneme secretion and persists in the absence of the glideosome-associated connector (GAC). This study offers a coherent model of the key players controlling actin polymerization, stressing the importance of well-timed post-translational modifications to power parasite motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Tosetti
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMUUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | | | | | - Damien Jacot
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMUUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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