Expression and functional characterization of a Plasmodium falciparum Ca2+-ATPase (PfATP4) belonging to a subclass unique to apicomplexan organisms

Cyclopiazonic acid is complexed to a divalent metal ion when bound to the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase

We have determined the structure of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) in an E2.P(i)-like form stabilized as a complex with MgF(4)(2-), an ATP analog, adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-methylene)triphosphate (AMPPCP), and cyclopiazonic acid (CPA). The structure determined at 2.5A resolution leads to a significantly revised model of CPA binding when compared with earlier reports. It shows that a divalent metal ion is required for CPA binding through coordination of the tetramic acid moiety at a characteristic kink of the M1 helix found in all P-type ATPase structures, which is expected to be part of the cytoplasmic cation access pathway. Our model is consistent with the biochemical data on CPA function and provides new measures in structure-based drug design targeting Ca(2+)-ATPases, e.g. from pathogens. We also present an extended structural basis of ATP modulation pinpointing key residues at or near the ATP binding site. A structural comparison to the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase reveals that the Phe(93) side chain occupies the equivalent binding pocket of the CPA site in SERCA, suggesting an important role of this residue in stabilization of the potassium-occluded E2 state of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase.

Artemisinin induces doxorubicin resistance in human colon cancer cells via calcium-dependent activation of HIF-1alpha and P-glycoprotein overexpression

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Artemisinin is an antimalarial drug exerting pleiotropic effects, such as the inhibition of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B and of the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(++)-ATPase (SERCA) of P. falciparum. As the sesquiterpene lactone thapsigargin, a known inhibitor of mammalian SERCA, enhances the expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) by increasing the intracellular Ca(++) ([Ca(++)](i)) level, we investigated whether artemisinin and its structural homologue parthenolide could inhibit SERCA in human colon carcinoma HT29 cells and induce a resistance to doxorubicin.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

HT29 cells were incubated with artemisinin or parthenolide and assessed for SERCA activity, [Ca(++)](i) levels, Pgp expression, doxorubicin accumulation and toxicity, and translocation of the hypoxia-inducible factor, HIF-1alpha.

KEY RESULTS

Artemisinin and parthenolide, like the specific SERCA inhibitors thapsigargin and cyclopiazonic acid, reduced the activity of SERCA. They also increased intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(++)](i)) and Pgp expression and decreased doxorubicin accumulation and cytotoxicity. The intracellular Ca(++) chelator, 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, and the inhibitor of calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) KN93 prevented these effects. CaMKII is known to promote the phosphorylation and the activation of HIF-1alpha, which may induce Pgp. In HT29 cells, artemisinin and parthenolide induced the phosphorylation of HIF-1alpha, which was inhibited by KN93.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Our results suggest that artemisinin and parthenolide may act as SERCA inhibitors and, like other SERCA inhibitors, induce resistance to doxorubicin in human colon cancer cells, via the CaMKII-dependent activation of HIF-1alpha and the induction of Pgp.

Calcium regulation and signaling in apicomplexan parasites

Apicomplexan parasites rely on calcium-mediated signaling for a variety of vital functions including protein secretion, motility, cell invasion, and differentiation. These functions are controlled by a variety of specialized systems for uptake and release of calcium, which acts as a second messenger, and on the functions of calcium-dependent proteins. Defining these systems in parasites has been complicated by their evolutionary distance from model organisms and practical concerns in working with small, and somewhat fastidious cells. Comparative genomic analyses of Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. reveal several interesting adaptations for calcium-related processes in parasites. Apicomplexans contain several P-type Ca2+ ATPases including an ER-type reuptake mechanism (SERCA), which is the proposed target of artemisinin. All three organisms also contain several genes related to Golgi PMR-like calcium transporters, and a Ca2+/H+ exchanger, while plasma membrane-type (PMCA) Ca2+ ATPases and voltage-dependent calcium channels are exclusively found in T. gondii. Pharmacological evidence supports the presence of IP3 and ryanodine channels for calcium-mediated release. Collectively these systems regulate calcium homeostasis and release calcium to act as a signal. Downstream responses are controlled by a family of EF-hand containing calcium binding proteins including calmodulin, and an array of centrin and caltractin-like genes. Most surprising, apicomplexans contain a diversity of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPK), which are commonly found in plants. Toxoplasma contains more than 20 CDPK or CDPK-like proteases, while Plasmodium and Cryptosporidium have fewer than half this number. Several of these CDPKs have been shown to play vital roles in protein secretion, invasion, and differentiation, indicating that disruption of calcium-regulated pathways may provide a novel means for selective inhibition of parasites.

Heterologous expression of plasmodial proteins for structural studies and functional annotation

Malaria remains the world's most devastating tropical infectious disease with as many as 40% of the world population living in risk areas. The widespread resistance of Plasmodium parasites to the cost-effective chloroquine and antifolates has forced the introduction of more costly drug combinations, such as Coartem^®. In the absence of a vaccine in the foreseeable future, one strategy to address the growing malaria problem is to identify and characterize new and durable antimalarial drug targets, the majority of which are parasite proteins. Biochemical and structure-activity analysis of these proteins is ultimately essential in the characterization of such targets but requires large amounts of functional protein. Even though heterologous protein production has now become a relatively routine endeavour for most proteins of diverse origins, the functional expression of soluble plasmodial proteins is highly problematic and slows the progress of antimalarial drug target discovery. Here the status quo of heterologous production of plasmodial proteins is presented, constraints are highlighted and alternative strategies and hosts for functional expression and annotation of plasmodial proteins are reviewed.

The Fe2+-Mediated Decomposition, PfATP6 Binding, and Antimalarial Activities of Artemisone and Other Artemisinins: The Unlikelihood of C-Centered Radicals as Bioactive Intermediates

The results of Fe(2+)-induced decomposition of the clinically used artemisinins, artemisone, other aminoartemisinins, 10-deoxoartemisinin, and the 4-fluorophenyl derivative have been compared with their antimalarial activities and their ability to inhibit the parasite SERCA PfATP6. The clinical artemisinins and artemisone decompose under aqueous conditions to give mixtures of C radical marker products, carbonyl compounds, and reduction products. The 4-fluorophenyl derivative and aminoartemisinins tend to be inert to aqueous iron(II) sulfate and anhydrous iron(II) acetate. Anhydrous iron(II) bromide enhances formation of the carbonyl compounds and provides a deoxyglycal from DHA and enamines from the aminoartemisinins. Ascorbic acid (AA) accelerates the aqueous Fe(2+)-mediated decompositions, but does not alter product distribution. 4-Oxo-TEMPO intercepts C radicals from a mixture of an antimalaria-active trioxolane, 10-deoxoartemisinin, and anhydrous iron(II) acetate to give trapped products in 73 % yield from the trioxolane, and 3 % from the artemisinin. Artemisone provides a trapped product in 10 % yield. Thus, in line with its structural rigidity, only the trioxolane provides a C radical eminently suited for intermolecular trapping. In contrast, the structural flexibility of the C radicals from the artemisinins allows facile extrusion of Fe(2+) and collapse to benign isomerization products. The propensity towards the formation of radical marker products and intermolecular radical trapping have no relationship with the in vitro antimalarial activities of the artemisinins and trioxolane. Desferrioxamine (DFO) attenuates inhibition of PfATP6 by, and antagonizes antimalarial activity of, the aqueous Fe(2+)-susceptible artemisinins, but has no overt effect on the aqueous Fe(2+)-inert artemisinins. It is concluded that the C radicals cannot be responsible for antimalarial activity and that the Fe(2+)-susceptible artemisinins may be competitively decomposed in aqueous extra- and intracellular compartments by labile Fe(2+), resulting in some attenuation of their antimalarial activities. Interpretations of the roles of DFO and AA in modulating antimalarial activities of the artemisinins, and a comparison with antimalarial properties of simple hydroperoxides and their behavior towards thapsigargin-sensitive SERCA ATPases are presented. The general basis for the exceptional antimalarial activities of artemisinins in relation to the intrinsic activity of the peroxide within the uniquely stressed environment of the malaria parasite is thereby adumbrated.

Interdomain communication in calcium pump as revealed in the crystal structures with transmembrane inhibitors

Ca(2+)-ATPase of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum is an ATP-driven Ca(2+) pump consisting of three cytoplasmic domains and 10 transmembrane helices. In the absence of Ca(2+), the three cytoplasmic domains gather to form a compact headpiece, but the ATPase is unstable without an inhibitor. Here we describe the crystal structures of Ca(2+)-ATPase in the absence of Ca(2+) stabilized with cyclopiazonic acid alone and in combination with other inhibitors. Cyclopiazonic acid is located in the transmembrane region of the protein near the cytoplasmic surface. The binding site partially overlaps with that of 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-dihydroxybenzene but is separate from that of thapsigargin. The overall structure is significantly different from that stabilized with thapsigargin: The cytoplasmic headpiece is more upright, and the transmembrane helices M1-M4 are rearranged. Cyclopiazonic acid primarily alters the position of the M1' helix and thereby M2 and M4 and then M5. Because M5 is integrated into the phosphorylation domain, the whole cytoplasmic headpiece moves. These structural changes show how an event in the transmembrane domain can be transmitted to the cytoplasmic domain despite flexible links between them. They also reveal that Ca(2+)-ATPase has considerable plasticity even when fixed by a transmembrane inhibitor, presumably to accommodate thermal fluctuations.

Mechanism of antimalarial action of the synthetic trioxolane RBX11160 (OZ277)

RBX11160 (OZ277) is a fully synthetic peroxidic antimalarial in clinical development. To study the possible mechanisms of action of RBX11160, we have examined its ability to inhibit PfATP6, a sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase and proposed target for semisynthetic peroxidic artemisinin derivatives. RBX11160 inhibits PfATP6 (apparent half-maximal inhibitory constant=7,700 nM) less potently than artemisinin (79 nM). Inhibition of PfATP6 is abrogated by desferrioxamine, an iron-chelating agent. Consistent with this finding, the killing of Plasmodium falciparum organisms by RBX11160 in vitro is antagonized by desferrioxamine. Artesunate and RBX11160 also act antagonistically against P. falciparum in vitro. A fluorescent derivative of RBX11160 localizes to the parasite cytosol in some parasites and to the food vacuole in other parasites. These data demonstrate that there are both similarities and differences between the antimalarial properties of RBX11160 and those of semisynthetic antimalarials such as artesunate and artemisinin.

Comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses of calcium ATPases and calcium-regulated proteins in the apicomplexa

The phylum Apicomplexa comprises a large group of early branching eukaryotes that includes a number of human and animal parasites. Calcium controls a number of vital processes in apicomplexans including protein secretion, motility, and differentiation. Despite the importance of calcium as a second messenger, very little is known about the systems that control homeostasis or that regulate calcium signaling in parasites. The recent completion of many apicomplexan genomes provides new opportunity to define calcium response pathways in this group of parasites in comparison to model organisms. Whole-genome comparison between the apicomplexans Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and Toxoplasma gondii revealed the presence of several P-Type Ca2+ transporting ATPases including a single endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-type sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase, several Golgi-like Ca2+ ATPases, and a single Ca2+/H+ exchanger. Only T. gondii showed evidence of plasma membrane-type Ca2+ ATPases or voltage-gated calcium channels. Despite pharmacological evidence for IP3 and ryanodine-mediated calcium release, animal-type calcium channels were not readily identified in parasites, indicating they are more similar to plants. Downstream of calcium release, a variety of EF-hand-containing proteins regulate calcium responses. Our analyses detected a single conserved calmodulin (CaM) homologue, 3 distinct centrin (CETN)-caltractin-like proteins, one of which is shared with ciliates, and a variety of deep-branching, CaM-CETN-like proteins. Apicomplexans were also found to contain a wide array of calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs), which are commonly found in plants. Toxoplasma gondii contains more than 20 CDPK or CDPK-related kinases, which likely regulate a variety of responses including secretion, motility, and differentiation. Genomic and phylogenetic comparisons revealed that apicomplexans contain a variety of unusual calcium response pathways that are distinct from those seen in vertebrates. Notably, plant-like pathways for calcium release channels and calcium-dependent kinases are found in apicomplexans. The experimental flexibility of T. gondii should allow direct experimental manipulation of these pathways to validate their biological roles. The central importance of calcium in signaling and development, and the novel characteristics of many of these systems, indicates that parasite calcium pathways may be exploited as new therapeutic targets for intervention.

Inhibition of Na,K-ATPase activity reduces Babesia gibsoni infection of canine erythrocytes with inherited high K, low Na concentrations

Babesia gibsoni multiplies well in canine red blood cells (RBCs) containing high concentrations of potassium (HK), reduced glutathione, and free amino acids as a result of an inherited high Na,K-ATPase activity, i.e., HK RBCs. To determine the role of Na,K-ATPase in the multiplication of B. gibsoni, the effect of ouabain on the proliferation of the parasites in HK RBCs was investigated. To determine the direct effect of ouabain on the parasites, the proliferation of the parasites in normal canine RBCs containing low potassium (LK) and high sodium concentrations, i.e., LK RBCs, which completely lack Na,K-ATPase activity, was observed. Ouabain at 0.1 mM significantly suppressed the multiplication of B. gibsoni in HK RBCs in vitro, whereas it had no effect on the parasites in LK RBCs. The results suggest that the multiplication of B. gibsoni in HK RBCs depends mainly on the presence of Na,K-ATPase in the cells. Therefore, the effects of ouabain on the intracellular cation and free amino acid composition of the HK RBCs were examined. In HK RBCs incubated with ouabain, a marked decrease in the concentration of potassium and an increase in sodium were observed, together with a decrease in the number of parasitized cells. These results suggest that the intracellular cation composition maintained by Na,K-ATPase might be advantageous to the parasites. Moreover, the concentrations of some free amino acids, i.e., asparagine, aspartate, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, and histidine, were markedly decreased in HK RBCs incubated with ouabain. Decreased concentrations of the free amino acids induced by inhibition of Na,K-ATPase seemed to affect the multiplication of B. gibsoni in HK RBCs. Based on these results, it is clear that the high Na,K-ATPase activity in HK RBCs contributes to the proliferation of B. gibsoni by maintaining high potassium and low sodium concentrations, as well as high concentrations of some free amino acids in the cells.

Expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis of the erythrocytic stages of Babesia bovis

Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) provide an efficient way to identify large numbers of genes expressed in a specific stage of the life cycle of an organism. Here we analysed approximately 13,000 ESTs derived from the erythrocytic stage of the apicomplexan parasite Babesia bovis. The ESTs were clustered in order to obtain information on the expression level of a gene and to increase sequence length and reliability. A total of 3522 clusters were obtained and annotated using BLAST algorithms. The clusters were estimated to represent approximately 2600 genes of which in total approximately 2.1 Mbp sequence information was obtained. Expression levels of the genes, as determined by the numbers of ESTs contained within a cluster, were compared to those of their closest homologs in the erythrocytic stage of Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. Pathways that are represented relatively abundant in B. bovis are, amongst others, the purine salvage pathway (displaying characteristics not identified before in apicomplexans), isoprenoid biosynthesis in the apicoplast and many genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. Especially remarkable in the latter group are the F-type ATPases - which are hardly expressed in P. falciparum and T. gondii - and two highly expressed glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenases creating a shuttle possibly controlling the cytoplasmic NADH/NAD+ -ratio. A comparison of known antigenic proteins from Australian and American strains of B. bovis with the Israel strain used here identifies considerable sequence variation in the rhoptry associated protein-1 (RAP-1), merozoite surface proteins of the variable merozoite surface antigen (VMSA) family and spherical body proteins. Analysis of the EST clusters representing the variable erythocyte surface antigen family reveals many variant transcripts of which a few are dominant. Two putative pseudogenes also seem to be transcribed at high levels.

Plasmodium permeomics: membrane transport proteins in the malaria parasite

Membrane transport proteins are integral membrane proteins that mediate the passage across the membrane bilayer of specific molecules and/or ions. Such proteins serve a diverse range of physiological roles, mediating the uptake of nutrients into cells, the removal of metabolic wastes and xenobiotics (including drugs), and the generation and maintenance of transmembrane electrochemical gradients. In this chapter we review the present state of knowledge of the membrane transport mechanisms underlying the cell physiology of the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite and its host cell, considering in particular physiological measurements on the parasite and parasitized erythrocyte, the annotation of transport proteins in the Plasmodium genome, and molecular methods used to analyze transport protein function.

Sodium, potassium-atpases in algae and oomycetes

We have investigated the presence of K(+)-transporting ATPases that belong to the phylogenetic group of animal Na(+),K(+)-ATPases in the Pythium aphanidermatum Stramenopile oomycete, the Porphyra yezoensis red alga, and the Udotea petiolata green alga, by molecular cloning and expression in heterologous systems. PCR amplification and search in EST databases allowed one gene to be identified in each species that could encode ATPases of this type. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences of these ATPases revealed that they cluster with ATPases of animal origin, and that the algal ATPases are closer to animal ATPases than the oomycete ATPase is. The P. yezoensis and P. aphanidermatum ATPases were functionally expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli alkali cation transport mutants. The aforementioned cloning and complementary searches in silicio for H(+)- and Na(+),K(+)-ATPases revealed a great diversity of strategies for plasma membrane energization in eukaryotic cells different from typical animal, plant, and fungal cells.

Quantitative Calcium Measurements in Subcellular Compartments of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes

The acidic food vacuole exerts several important functions during intraerythrocytic development of the human malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Hemoglobin taken up from the host erythrocyte is degraded in the food vacuole, and the heme liberated during this process is crystallized to inert hemozoin. Several anti-malarial drugs target food vacuolar pathways, such as hemoglobin degradation and heme crystallization. Resistance and sensitization to some antimalarials is associated with mutations in food vacuolar membrane proteins. Other studies suggest a role of the food vacuole in ion homeostasis, and release of Ca2+ from the food vacuole may mediate adopted physiological responses. To investigate whether the food vacuole is an intracellular Ca2+ store, which in turn may affect other physiological functions in which this organelle partakes, we have investigated total and exchangeable Ca2+ within the parasite's food vacuole using x-ray microanalysis and quantitative confocal live cell Ca2+ imaging. Apparent free Ca2+ concentrations of approximately 90, approximately 350, and approximately 400 nM were found in the host erythrocyte cytosol, the parasite cytoplasm, and the food vacuole, respectively. In our efforts to determine free intracellular Ca2+ concentrations, we evaluated several Ca2+-sensitive fluorochromes in a live cell confocal setting. We found that the ratiometric Ca2+ indicator Fura-Red provides reliable determinations, whereas measurements using the frequently used Fluo-4 are compromised due to problems arising from phototoxicity, photobleaching, and the strong pH dependence of the dye. Our data suggest that the food vacuole contains only moderate amounts of Ca2+, disfavoring a role as a major intracellular Ca2+ store.

ATPase activity of purified plasma membranes and digestive vacuoles from Plasmodium falciparum

The ATPase activity of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum was investigated using two experimental systems, (i) digestive vacuoles, and (ii) purified plasma membranes isolated from a chloroquine-sensitive and a chloroquine-resistant strain. No correlation between the level of ATPase activity and chloroquine sensitivity could be detected. In both systems, the ATPase activity of the chloroquine-resistant and -sensitive strain was decreased in the presence of the P-glycoprotein inhibitor vanadate. Susceptibility to inhibition by vanadate together with the lack of effect of ouabain implies a P-type ATPase activity in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, the inhibition of Fac8 ATPase activity by oligomycin both in the digestive vacuoles and the plasma membranes would be consistent with higher levels of Pgh1 in Fac8. Our data are consistent with the presence of a V-type H+-ATPase in the parasite food vacuole. Bafilomycin A1 and N-ethylmaleimide decreased the vacuolar ATPase activity in both chloroquine-resistant and -sensitive strains. Interestingly, a 30% decrease was observed between the ATPase activity of plasma membranes isolated from Fac8 and D10 in the presence of bafilomycin A1, suggesting the presence of a V-type ATPase in D10 plasma membrane that is underexpressed or altered in the plasma membrane of the chloroquine-resistant Fac8. The chemosensitisers tested had no effect on the ATPase activity of chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum in both systems suggesting that their activity is not mediated through an ATP-dependent mechanism. No effect was observed on the vacuolar ATPase activity in the presence of the antimalarials tested indicating that an ATP-dependent transport has not been activated.

The 'permeome' of the malaria parasite: an overview of the membrane transport proteins of Plasmodium falciparum

Bioinformatic and expression analyses attribute putative functions to transporters and channels encoded by the Plasmodium falciparum genome. The malaria parasite has substantially more membrane transport proteins than previously thought.

Background

The uptake of nutrients, expulsion of metabolic wastes and maintenance of ion homeostasis by the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite is mediated by membrane transport proteins. Proteins of this type are also implicated in the phenomenon of antimalarial drug resistance. However, the initial annotation of the genome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum identified only a limited number of transporters, and no channels. In this study we have used a combination of bioinformatic approaches to identify and attribute putative functions to transporters and channels encoded by the malaria parasite, as well as comparing expression patterns for a subset of these.

Results

A computer program that searches a genome database on the basis of the hydropathy plots of the corresponding proteins was used to identify more than 100 transport proteins encoded by P. falciparum. These include all the transporters previously annotated as such, as well as a similar number of candidate transport proteins that had escaped detection. Detailed sequence analysis enabled the assignment of putative substrate specificities and/or transport mechanisms to all those putative transport proteins previously without. The newly-identified transport proteins include candidate transporters for a range of organic and inorganic nutrients (including sugars, amino acids, nucleosides and vitamins), and several putative ion channels. The stage-dependent expression of RNAs for 34 candidate transport proteins of particular interest are compared.

Conclusion

The malaria parasite possesses substantially more membrane transport proteins than was originally thought, and the analyses presented here provide a range of novel insights into the physiology of this important human pathogen.

A PMR1-like calcium ATPase ofAspergillus fumigatus: cloning, identification and functional expression inS. cerevisiae

The understanding of the controlling factors of calcium homeostasis in Aspergillus fumigatus is very poor, although this ion is involved in several important events of these particular cells. We have cloned, identified and expressed for functional complementation a PMR1-like Ca(2+)-ATPase gene from A. fumigatus. The Afpmr1 gene encodes a protein of 1061 deduced amino acids, containing all the conserved subdomains found in other P-type ATPases: the phosphatase region, phosphorylation site, FITC labelling site, ATP binding domain; E(386), N871, D875 amino acid residues for calcium ion interaction and Q880, a residue that alters ion selectivity in PMR1. The expressed AfPMR1 in S. cerevisiae K616 strain functionally complemented the deficient growth in EGTA (5-20 mM)- and MnCl2 (4 mM)-containing medium. These results demonstrate the first evidence of a Ca(2+)-ATPase in A. fumigatus and strongly suggest a role for this enzyme in calcium and manganese homeostasis.

The hexose transporter of Plasmodium falciparum is a worthy drug target

Despite substantial efforts at control over several decades, malaria is still a major global health problem as chemotherapy of malaria parasites is limited by established drug resistance and lack of novel treatment options. Intraerythrocytic stages of these parasites are wholly dependent upon host glucose for energy and malarial proteins involved in hexose permeation are therefore attractive new drug targets. For Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of severe malaria, a facilitative hexose transporter (PfHT), encoded by a single-copy gene mediates glucose uptake. We first established heterologous expression in Xenopus laevis to allow functional characterisation of PfHT. This review describes the value of using Xenopus oocytes in heterologous studies of P. falciparum-encoded proteins and summarises the properties of PfHT. Comparisons between Gluts (mammalian facilitative hexose transporters) and PfHT using this expression system have highlighted important mechanistic and structural differences between parasite and host proteins. Certain O-methyl derivatives of glucose proved particularly useful discriminators between mammalian transporters and PfHT. We exploited this selectivity and synthesised a long-chain O-3-hexose derivative (compound 3361) that potently inhibits PfHT expressed in oocytes and also kills P. falciparum when it is cultured in medium containing either glucose or fructose as a carbon source. To extend our observations to the second most important human malarial pathogen, we have cloned and expressed the Plasmodium vivax orthologue of PfHT, and demonstrate inhibition of glucose uptake by compound 3361. These findings validate malarial hexose transporters as a novel target. We now aim to design a new class of antimalarials by the discovery of highly specific inhibitors which could act with a broad spectrum of action on different Plasmodium spp. infections.

Artemisinins target the SERCA of Plasmodium falciparum

Artemisinins are extracted from sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) and are the most potent antimalarials available, rapidly killing all asexual stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Artemisinins are sesquiterpene lactones widely used to treat multidrug-resistant malaria, a disease that annually claims 1 million lives. Despite extensive clinical and laboratory experience their molecular target is not yet identified. Activated artemisinins form adducts with a variety of biological macromolecules, including haem, translationally controlled tumour protein (TCTP) and other higher-molecular-weight proteins. Here we show that artemisinins, but not quinine or chloroquine, inhibit the SERCA orthologue (PfATP6) of Plasmodium falciparum in Xenopus oocytes with similar potency to thapsigargin (another sesquiterpene lactone and highly specific SERCA inhibitor). As predicted, thapsigargin also antagonizes the parasiticidal activity of artemisinin. Desoxyartemisinin lacks an endoperoxide bridge and is ineffective both as an inhibitor of PfATP6 and as an antimalarial. Chelation of iron by desferrioxamine abrogates the antiparasitic activity of artemisinins and correspondingly attenuates inhibition of PfATP6. Imaging of parasites with BODIPY-thapsigargin labels the cytosolic compartment and is competed by artemisinin. Fluorescent artemisinin labels parasites similarly and irreversibly in an Fe2+-dependent manner. These data provide compelling evidence that artemisinins act by inhibiting PfATP6 outside the food vacuole after activation by iron.

The digestive food vacuole of the malaria parasite is a dynamic intracellular Ca2+ store

The acidic food vacuole of Plasmodium falciparum has been the subject of intense scientific investigation in the 40 years since its role in the digestion of host hemoglobin was first suggested. This proposed role has important implications for the complex host-parasite inter-relationship and also for the mode of action of several of the most effective antimalarial drugs. In addition, adaptive changes in the physiology of this organelle are implicated in drug resistance. Here we show that in addition to these functions, the digestive food vacuole of the malaria parasite is a dynamic internal store for free Ca2+, a role hitherto unsuspected. With the aid of live-cell laser scanning confocal imaging, spatiotemporal studies revealed that maintenance of elevated free Ca2+ in the digestive food vacuole (relative to cytosolic levels) is achieved by a thapsigargin (and cyclopiazonic acid)-sensitive Ca2+-pump in cooperation with a H+-dependent Ca2+ transporter. Redistribution of free cytosolic and vacuolar Ca2+ during parasite growth also suggests that vacuolar Ca2+ plays an essential role in parasite morphogenesis. These data imply that the digestive food vacuole of the malaria parasite is functionally akin to the vacuole of plants (tonoplast) and the small electron-dense granules of some parasites (acidocalcisomes) whereby H+-coupled Ca2+ transport is involved in ion transport, Ca2+ homeostasis, and signal transduction. These findings have significant implications for parasite development, antimalarial drug action, and mechanisms of drug resistance.

Characterization of proteins localized to a subcellular compartment associated with an alternate secretory pathway of the malaria parasite

Monoclonal antibodies recognizing proteins localized to a unique subcellular compartment within the malaria parasite are described in this report. These monoclonal antibodies recognize Plasmodium falciparum proteins of 68, 45 and 22 kDa proteins which are also conserved in rodent Plasmodium species. Co-localization studies indicate that these proteins are located in a brefeldin A-induced compartment which was previously proposed to be an early step in the export of proteins from the parasite into the infected erythrocyte. COPII coat proteins, Sar1p and Sec31p, and the endoplasmic reticulum-associated chaperone, BiP, all partially co-localize with the 68 and 22 kDa proteins, thus suggesting that this subcellular compartment has some similarities to the endoplasmic reticulum or that this compartment represents a domain of the endoplasmic reticulum. The 68 and 22 kDa proteins are highly soluble in non-ionic detergent and are likely to be located within the lumen of a membrane-bound compartment. These proteins found within this subcellular compartment are present throughout the blood stage from very early rings to segmenters. The results of this study further substantiate the existence of an alternate secretory pathway in the malaria parasite which plays a role in the export of proteins into the host erythrocyte.

Transport processes in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes: potential as new drug targets

Plasmodium falciparum infection induces alterations in the transport properties of infected erythrocytes that have recently been defined using electrophysiological techniques. Mechanisms responsible for transport of substrates into intraerythrocytic parasites have also been clarified by studies of three substrate-specific (hexose, nucleoside and aquaglyceroporin) parasite plasma membrane transporters. These have been characterised functionally using the Xenopus laevis oocyte heterologous expression system. The same expression system is currently being used to define the function of parasite 'P' type ATPases responsible for intraparasitic [Ca(2+)] homeostasis. We review studies on these transport processes and examine their potential as novel drug targets.

Characterisation of a novel transporter from Cryptosporidium parvum

P-ATPases are transmembrane proteins that hydrolyse ATP to drive cations or other substances across biomembranes. In this study we present the characterisation of a novel P-ATPase from the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum (CpATPase3), an opportunistic pathogen in autoimmune deficiency syndrome patients, for which no treatment is available. The single copy gene encodes 1488 amino acids, predicting a protein of 169.7 kDa. Primary sequence analysis, as well as an extensive phylogenetic reconstruction, indicated CpATPase3 belongs to a novel class of eukaryotic-specific P-ATPases (Type V) with undefined substrate preferences. Transcription and translation of the gene were confirmed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot analysis of sporozoite protein extracts. Immunofluorescent microscopy of C. parvum sporozoites using rabbit antiserum raised against a glutathione-S-transferase-CpATPase3 (GST-ATP3) fusion protein showed that the parasite transporter was located within the apical complex associated with the parasite host-invasion machinery. Overall, these data demonstrate the diversity of C. parvum transporters, and raise the potential of Type V P-ATPases as apicomplexan-specific drug targets.

Store depletion-induced calcium influx in rat cerebellar astrocytes

1. In rat cerebellar astrocytes, intracellular Ca(2+) store depletion by receptor agonists or sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase inhibitors induced a transient increase in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+) and a sustained increase in its presence. 2. After 10 min treatment with thapsigargin, the [Ca(2+)](i) was unaffected by removal of thapsigargin, but fell rapidly to the basal level when extracellular Ca(2+) was removed, suggesting the involvement of capacitative Ca(2+) entry (CCE); this effect was not seen until cells had been exposed to thapsigargin for at least 2 min. 3. Using the whole cell voltage clamp technique, a 60-100 pA inward current was activated by store depletion, the reversal potential ranging from -5 to 0 mV. 4. When extracellular Na(+) was isotonically replaced by Tris, the thapsigargin-induced [Ca(2+)](i) increase was enhanced, while the inward current was reduced, indicating that store-operated Ca(2+) channels were permeable to Na(+); however, they were not permeable to Sr(2+) or Ba(2+). 5. Thapsigargin-induced CCE remained the same in the presence of nifedipine, La(3+) or Cd(2+), while it was inhibited in the presence of SK&F96365. 6. In cerebellar astrocytes, inhibition of protein serine/threonine phosphorylation promoted CCE. 7. In conclusion, in rat cerebellar astrocytes, store depletion activated a CCE via channels which were permeable to Ca(2+) and Na(+) and regulated by phosphorylation.

Calcium regulation in the intraerythrocytic malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

The regulation of intracellular Ca(2+) in the intraerythrocytic form of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, was investigated using parasites 'isolated' from their host cells by saponin-permeabilisation of the erythrocyte membrane. The isolated parasites maintained tight control over their resting cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration which ranged from approximately 100 nM in the absence of extracellular Ca(2+) to approximately 700 nM in the presence of 1 mM extracellular Ca(2+). The parasite has two functionally discrete intracellular Ca(2+) stores. One is an 'endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-like' store, the other an 'acidic store'. The ER-like store was discharged by cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), an inhibitor of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPases (SERCAs) of animal and plant cells, but not by thapsigargin (TG), a more specific inhibitor of SERCAs of animal cells. The acidic store was discharged by nigericin and by NH(4)(+). The amount of Ca(2+) in the ER-like store increased with increasing extracellular Ca(2+) concentration, whereas the amount of Ca(2+) in the acidic store did not. Ca(2+) released from the ER-like store by CPA was cleared from the parasite cytosol by uptake into the acidic store (over a range of extracellular Ca(2+) concentrations), consistent with the acidic store serving as a Ca(2+) reservoir within the intracellular parasite.

Transport proteins of Plasmodium falciparum: defining the limits of metabolism

In this review we give an account of transport processes occurring at the membrane interface that separates the asexual stage of Plasmodium falciparum from its host, the infected erythrocyte, and also describe proteins whose activities may be important at this location. We explain the potential clinical value of such studies in the light of the current spread of parasite resistance to conventional antimalarial strategies. We discuss the uptake of substrates critical to the survival of the intracellular malaria parasite, and also the parasite's homeostatic and disposal mechanisms. The use of the Xenopus laevis expression system in the characterisation of a hexose transporter ("PfHT1") and a Ca(2+) ATPase ("PfATP4") of the parasite plasma membrane are described in detail.

Characterization of P-type ATPase 3 in Plasmodium falciparum

We report the nucleotide sequence, derived amino acid sequence and expression profile of P-type ATPase 3 (PfATPase3) from Plasmodium falciparum. An open reading frame of 7362 nucleotides, interrupted by a single intron of 168 nt, encoded a protein product of 2394 amino acids with a predicted MW of 282791 Da. Hydropathy analysis of PfATPase3 revealed six amino-terminal and six carboxyl-terminal membrane spanning regions (M1-12) flanking a large hydrophilic domain with a smaller hydrophilic loop between M4 and M5. Based on a phylogenetic comparison of conserved domains present in P-type ATPases from other organisms, PfATPase3 resembled a Type-V ATPase for which the transport affinity is unknown. The PfATPase3 topology was interrupted by four regions, termed 'inserts', unique to malarial P-type ATPases, which were high in asparagine residues and charged amino acids (inserts I1-I4). Inserts I1 and I3 also contained repeated amino acid motifs. The number and composition of repeated amino acid motifs in insert I3 were variable in seven P. falciparum strains tested. PfATPase3 was 80.2% similar to the non-insert portions of P. yoelii ATPase3, although their inserts differed in length and composition. PfATPase3 mRNA was most abundant relative to beta-tubulin during the latter half of the erythrocytic cycle and was also present in gametocytes. Using affinity-purified antibody to a 14 amino acid PfATPase3 epitope, a 260 kDa protein was detected by Western analysis. Based on immunofluorescence, the PfATPase3 protein was located intracellularly in gametocytes and, to a lesser extent, in late erythrocytic stages.