101
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Lee HJ, Georgiadou A, Otto TD, Levin M, Coin LJ, Conway DJ, Cunnington AJ. Transcriptomic Studies of Malaria: a Paradigm for Investigation of Systemic Host-Pathogen Interactions. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2018; 82:e00071-17. [PMID: 29695497 PMCID: PMC5968457 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00071-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomics, the analysis of genome-wide RNA expression, is a common approach to investigate host and pathogen processes in infectious diseases. Technical and bioinformatic advances have permitted increasingly thorough analyses of the association of RNA expression with fundamental biology, immunity, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis. Transcriptomic approaches can now be used to realize a previously unattainable goal, the simultaneous study of RNA expression in host and pathogen, in order to better understand their interactions. This exciting prospect is not without challenges, especially as focus moves from interactions in vitro under tightly controlled conditions to tissue- and systems-level interactions in animal models and natural and experimental infections in humans. Here we review the contribution of transcriptomic studies to the understanding of malaria, a parasitic disease which has exerted a major influence on human evolution and continues to cause a huge global burden of disease. We consider malaria a paradigm for the transcriptomic assessment of systemic host-pathogen interactions in humans, because much of the direct host-pathogen interaction occurs within the blood, a readily sampled compartment of the body. We illustrate lessons learned from transcriptomic studies of malaria and how these lessons may guide studies of host-pathogen interactions in other infectious diseases. We propose that the potential of transcriptomic studies to improve the understanding of malaria as a disease remains partly untapped because of limitations in study design rather than as a consequence of technological constraints. Further advances will require the integration of transcriptomic data with analytical approaches from other scientific disciplines, including epidemiology and mathematical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Jae Lee
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Thomas D Otto
- Centre of Immunobiology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Levin
- Section of Paediatrics, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lachlan J Coin
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David J Conway
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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102
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McDonald L, Cayla M, Ivens A, Mony BM, MacGregor P, Silvester E, McWilliam K, Matthews KR. Non-linear hierarchy of the quorum sensing signalling pathway in bloodstream form African trypanosomes. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1007145. [PMID: 29940034 PMCID: PMC6034907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei, the agents of African trypanosomiasis, undergo density-dependent differentiation in the mammalian bloodstream to prepare for transmission by tsetse flies. This involves the generation of cell-cycle arrested, quiescent, stumpy forms from proliferative slender forms. The signalling pathway responsible for the quorum sensing response has been catalogued using a genome-wide selective screen, providing a compendium of signalling protein kinases phosphatases, RNA binding proteins and hypothetical proteins. However, the ordering of these components is unknown. To piece together these components to provide a description of how stumpy formation arises we have used an extragenic suppression approach. This exploited a combinatorial gene knockout and overexpression strategy to assess whether the loss of developmental competence in null mutants of pathway components could be compensated by ectopic expression of other components. We have created null mutants for three genes in the stumpy induction factor signalling pathway (RBP7, YAK, MEKK1) and evaluated complementation by expression of RBP7, NEK17, PP1-6, or inducible gene silencing of the proposed differentiation inhibitor TbTOR4. This indicated that the signalling pathway is non-linear. Phosphoproteomic analysis focused on one pathway component, a putative MEKK, identified molecules with altered expression and phosphorylation profiles in MEKK1 null mutants, including another component in the pathway, NEK17. Our data provide a first molecular dissection of multiple components in a signal transduction cascade in trypanosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay McDonald
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Cayla
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Alasdair Ivens
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Binny M. Mony
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Paula MacGregor
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Silvester
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsty McWilliam
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Keith R. Matthews
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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103
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The Impact of Recruitment on the Dynamics of an Immune-Suppressed Within-Human–Host Model of the Plasmodium falciparum Parasite. Bull Math Biol 2018; 81:4564-4619. [DOI: 10.1007/s11538-018-0436-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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104
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Abstract
Following unsuccessful eradication attempts there was a resurgence of malaria towards the end of the 20th century. Renewed control efforts using a range of improved tools, such as long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets and artemisinin-based combination therapies, have more than halved the global burden of disease, but it remains high with 445 000 deaths and more than 200 million cases in 2016. Pitfalls in individual patient management are delayed diagnosis and overzealous fluid resuscitation in severe malaria. Even in the absence of drug resistance, parasite recurrence can occur, owing to high parasite densities, low host immunity, or suboptimal drug concentrations. Malaria elimination is firmly back as a mainstream policy but resistance to the artemisinin derivatives, their partner drugs, and insecticides present major challenges. Vaccine development continues on several fronts but none of the candidates developed to date have been shown to provide long-lasting benefits at a population level. Increased resources and unprecedented levels of regional cooperation and societal commitment will be needed if further substantial inroads into the malaria burden are to be made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Ashley
- Myanmar-Oxford Clinical Research Unit, Yangon, Myanmar; Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Aung Pyae Phyo
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand; Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Charles J Woodrow
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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105
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Abstract
Standfirst . In recent years there has been a growing appreciation of the role metabolism plays in controlling nearly all aspects of cellular function. Three recent articles explore how host metabolic cues influence different aspects of Plasmodium biology during infection, including parasite growth and sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim C Williamson
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Rodney L Levine
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Louis H Miller
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD, USA
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106
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Tannous S, Ghanem E. A bite to fight: front-line innate immune defenses against malaria parasites. Pathog Glob Health 2018; 112:1-12. [PMID: 29376476 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2018.1429847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria infection caused by Plasmodium parasites remains a major health burden worldwide especially in the tropics and subtropics. Plasmodium exhibits a complex life cycle whereby it undergoes a series of developmental stages in the Anopheles mosquito vector and the vertebrate human host. Malaria severity is mainly attributed to the genetic complexity of the parasite which is reflected in the sophisticated mechanisms of invasion and evasion that allow it to overcome the immune responses of both its invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. In this review, we aim to provide an updated, clear and concise summary of the literature focusing on the interactions of the vertebrate innate immune system with Plasmodium parasites, namely sporozoites, merozoites, and trophozoites. The roles of innate immune factors, both humoral and cellular, in anti-Plasmodium defense are described with particular emphasis on the contribution of key innate players including neutrophils, macrophages, and natural killer cells to the clearance of liver and blood stage parasites. A comprehensive understanding of the innate immune responses to malaria parasites remains an important goal that would dramatically help improve the design of original treatment strategies and vaccines, both of which are urgently needed to relieve the burden of malaria especially in endemic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Tannous
- a Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Sciences , Notre Dame University , Louaize , Lebanon
| | - Esther Ghanem
- a Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Department of Sciences , Notre Dame University , Louaize , Lebanon
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107
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Abdel-Haleem AM, Hefzi H, Mineta K, Gao X, Gojobori T, Palsson BO, Lewis NE, Jamshidi N. Functional interrogation of Plasmodium genus metabolism identifies species- and stage-specific differences in nutrient essentiality and drug targeting. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1005895. [PMID: 29300748 PMCID: PMC5771636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Several antimalarial drugs exist, but differences between life cycle stages among malaria species pose challenges for developing more effective therapies. To understand the diversity among stages and species, we reconstructed genome-scale metabolic models (GeMMs) of metabolism for five life cycle stages and five species of Plasmodium spanning the blood, transmission, and mosquito stages. The stage-specific models of Plasmodium falciparum uncovered stage-dependent changes in central carbon metabolism and predicted potential targets that could affect several life cycle stages. The species-specific models further highlight differences between experimental animal models and the human-infecting species. Comparisons between human- and rodent-infecting species revealed differences in thiamine (vitamin B1), choline, and pantothenate (vitamin B5) metabolism. Thus, we show that genome-scale analysis of multiple stages and species of Plasmodium can prioritize potential drug targets that could be both anti-malarials and transmission blocking agents, in addition to guiding translation from non-human experimental disease models. Malaria kills nearly one-half million people a year and over 1 billion people are at risk of becoming infected by the parasite. Plasmodial infections are difficult to treat for a myriad of reasons, but the ability of the organism to remain latent in hosts and the complex life cycles greatly contributed to the difficulty in treat malaria. Genome-scale metabolic models (GeMMs) enable hierarchical integration of disparate data types into a framework amenable to computational simulations enabling deeper mechanistic insights from high-throughput data measurements. In this study, GeMMs of multiple Plasmodium species are used to study metabolic similarities and differences across the Plasmodium genus. In silico gene-knock out simulations across species and stages uncovered functional metabolic differences between human- and rodent-infecting species as well as across the parasite’s life-cycle stages. These findings may help identify drug regimens that are more effective in targeting human-infecting species across multiple stages of the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyaa M. Abdel-Haleem
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hooman Hefzi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Katsuhiko Mineta
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xin Gao
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Takashi Gojobori
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bernhard O. Palsson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Nathan E. Lewis
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Neema Jamshidi
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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108
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Abstract
In the mosquito-human life cycle, the six species of malaria parasites infecting humans (Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovale wallickeri, Plasmodium ovale curtisi, Plasmodium malariae, and Plasmodium knowlesi) undergo 10 or more morphological states, replicate from single to 10,000+ cells, and vary in total population from one to many more than 106 organisms. In the human host, only a small number of these morphological stages lead to clinical disease and the vast majority of all malaria-infected patients in the world produce few (if any) symptoms in the human. Human clinical disease (e.g., fever, anemia, coma) is the result of the parasite preprogrammed biology in concert with the human pathophysiological response. Caveats and corollaries that add variation to this host-parasite interaction include parasite genetic diversity of key proteins, coinfections, comorbidities, delays in treatment, human polymorphisms, and environmental determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny A Milner
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, American Society for Clinical Pathology, Center for Global Health, Chicago, Illinois 60603
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109
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Najer A, Palivan CG, Beck HP, Meier W. Challenges in Malaria Management and a Glimpse at Some Nanotechnological Approaches. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1052:103-112. [PMID: 29785484 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-7572-8_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a devastating infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes, affecting millions of people and killing about half a million children each year. Despite tremendous progress in the control and elimination of malaria within the past years, there are still considerable challenges to be solved. To name a few, drug-resistant parasites, insecticide-resistant mosquitoes and the difficulty to formulate a potent malaria vaccine need to be addressed with new strategies to achieve the final goal of malaria eradication. Nanotechnology-researching and designing innovative structures at the nanoscale-is a promising contemporary technology that is being applied to a vast number of biomedical problems. In the case of malaria, nanotechnology provides tools to design strategies to target drug molecules to specific stages of the parasite, treat drug-resistant parasites, resolve severe malaria, increase vaccine efficacies and combinations thereof. This chapter introduces malaria, discusses current challenges of malaria control and relates these challenges to some potential solutions provided by the nanotechnology field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Najer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Hans-Peter Beck
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang Meier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
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110
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Cesur MF, Abdik E, Güven-Gülhan Ü, Durmuş S, Çakır T. Computational Systems Biology of Metabolism in Infection. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2018; 109:235-282. [PMID: 30535602 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-74932-7_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A systems approach to elucidate the effect of infection on cell metabolism provides several opportunities from a better understanding of molecular mechanisms to the identification of potential biomarkers and drug targets. This is obvious from the fact that we have witnessed the accelerated use of computational systems biology in the last five years to study metabolic changes in pathogen and/or host cells in response to infection. In this chapter, we aim to present a comprehensive review of the recent research by focusing on genome-scale metabolic network models of pathogen-host systems and genome-wide metabolomics and fluxomics analysis of infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Müberra Fatma Cesur
- Computational Systems Biology Group, Department of Bioengineering, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Ecehan Abdik
- Computational Systems Biology Group, Department of Bioengineering, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Ünzile Güven-Gülhan
- Computational Systems Biology Group, Department of Bioengineering, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Saliha Durmuş
- Computational Systems Biology Group, Department of Bioengineering, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Tunahan Çakır
- Computational Systems Biology Group, Department of Bioengineering, Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey.
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111
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Systematic CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Modifications of Plasmodium yoelii ApiAP2 Genes Reveal Functional Insights into Parasite Development. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.01986-17. [PMID: 29233900 PMCID: PMC5727417 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01986-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle with multiple developmental stages in mosquito and vertebrate hosts, and different developmental stages express unique sets of genes. Unexpectedly, many transcription factors (TFs) commonly found in eukaryotic organisms are absent in malaria parasites; instead, a family of genes encoding proteins similar to the plant Apetala2 (ApiAP2) transcription factors is expanded in the parasites. Several malaria ApiAP2 genes have been shown to play a critical role in parasite development; however, the functions of the majority of the ApiAP2 genes remain to be elucidated. In particular, no study on the Plasmodium yoelii ApiAP2 (PyApiAP2) gene family has been reported so far. This study systematically investigated the functional roles of PyApiAP2 genes in parasite development. Twenty-four of the 26 PyApiAP2 genes were selected for disruption, and 12 were successfully knocked out using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat–CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) method. The effects of gene knockout (KO) on parasite development in mouse and mosquito stages were evaluated. Ten of 12 successfully disrupted genes, including two genes that have not been functionally characterized in any Plasmodium species previously, were shown to be critical for P. yoelii development of sexual and mosquito stages. Additionally, seven of the genes were labeled for protein expression analysis, revealing important information supporting their functions. This study represents the first systematic functional characterization of the P. yoelii ApiAP2 gene family and discovers important insights on the roles of the ApiAP2 genes in parasite development. Malaria is a parasitic disease that infects hundreds of millions of people, leading to an estimated 0.35 million deaths in 2015. A better understanding of the mechanism of gene expression regulation during parasite development may provide important clues for disease control and prevention. In this study, systematic gene disruption experiments were performed to study the functional roles of members of the Plasmodium yoelii ApiAP2 (PyApiAP2) gene family in parasite development. Genes that are critical for the development of male and female gametocytes, oocysts, and sporozoites were characterized. The protein expression profiles for seven of the PyApiAP2 gene products were also analyzed, revealing important information on their functions. This study provides expression and functional information for many PyApiAP2 genes, which can be explored for disease management.
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112
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Martins RM, Macpherson CR, Claes A, Scheidig-Benatar C, Sakamoto H, Yam XY, Preiser P, Goel S, Wahlgren M, Sismeiro O, Coppée JY, Scherf A. An ApiAP2 member regulates expression of clonally variant genes of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14042. [PMID: 29070841 PMCID: PMC5656681 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12578-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Variegated surface antigen expression is key to chronic infection and pathogenesis of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This protozoan parasite expresses distinct surface molecules that are encoded by clonally variant gene families such as var, rif and stevor. The molecular mechanisms governing activation of individual members remain ill-defined. To investigate the molecular events of the initial transcriptional activation process we focused on a member of the apicomplexan ApiAP2 transcription factor family predicted to bind to the 5′ upstream regions of the var gene family, AP2-exp (PF3D7_1466400). Viable AP2-exp mutant parasites rely on expressing no less than a short truncated protein including the N-terminal AP2 DNA-binding domain. RNA-seq analysis in mutant parasites revealed transcriptional changes in a subset of exported proteins encoded by clonally variant gene families. Upregulation of RIFINs and STEVORs was validated at the protein levels. In addition, morphological alterations were observed on the surface of the host cells infected by the mutants. This work points to a complex regulatory network of clonally variant gene families in which transcription of a subset of members is regulated by the same transcription factor. In addition, we highlight the importance of the non-DNA binding AP2 domain in functional gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael M Martins
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France. .,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France. .,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France. .,CNRS 5290/IRD 224/University of Montpellier ("MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France.
| | - Cameron R Macpherson
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Aurélie Claes
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Christine Scheidig-Benatar
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Hiroshi Sakamoto
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Xue Yan Yam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Peter Preiser
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Suchi Goel
- MTC, Nobels väg 16, KI Solna Campus Karolinska Institutet, Box 280, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.,Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati Rami Reddy Nagar, 517507, Mangalam, Tirupati Andhra Pradhesh, India
| | - Mats Wahlgren
- MTC, Nobels väg 16, KI Solna Campus Karolinska Institutet, Box 280, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Odile Sismeiro
- Plateforme 2, Transcriptome et Epigenome, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Plateforme 2, Transcriptome et Epigenome, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Artur Scherf
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France. .,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France. .,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France.
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113
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Translational Control in the Latency of Apicomplexan Parasites. Trends Parasitol 2017; 33:947-960. [PMID: 28942109 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp. use latent stages to persist in the host, facilitate transmission, and thwart treatment of infected patients. Therefore, it is important to understand the processes driving parasite differentiation to and from quiescent stages. Here, we discuss how a family of protein kinases that phosphorylate the eukaryotic initiation factor-2 (eIF2) function in translational control and drive differentiation. This translational control culminates in reprogramming of the transcriptome to facilitate parasite transition towards latency. We also discuss how eIF2 phosphorylation contributes to the maintenance of latency and provides a crucial role in the timing of reactivation of latent parasites towards proliferative stages.
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114
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Vanaerschot M, Lucantoni L, Li T, Combrinck JM, Ruecker A, Kumar TRS, Rubiano K, Ferreira PE, Siciliano G, Gulati S, Henrich PP, Ng CL, Murithi JM, Corey VC, Duffy S, Lieberman OJ, Veiga MI, Sinden RE, Alano P, Delves MJ, Lee Sim K, Winzeler EA, Egan TJ, Hoffman SL, Avery VM, Fidock DA. Hexahydroquinolines are antimalarial candidates with potent blood-stage and transmission-blocking activity. Nat Microbiol 2017. [PMID: 28808258 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-017-0007–4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Antimalarial compounds with dual therapeutic and transmission-blocking activity are desired as high-value partners for combination therapies. Here, we report the identification and characterization of hexahydroquinolines (HHQs) that show low nanomolar potency against both pathogenic and transmissible intra-erythrocytic forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This activity translates into potent transmission-blocking potential, as shown by in vitro male gamete formation assays and reduced oocyst infection and prevalence in Anopheles mosquitoes. In vivo studies illustrated the ability of lead HHQs to suppress Plasmodium berghei blood-stage parasite proliferation. Resistance selection studies, confirmed by CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing, identified the digestive vacuole membrane-spanning transporter PfMDR1 (P. falciparum multidrug resistance gene-1) as a determinant of parasite resistance to HHQs. Haemoglobin and haem fractionation assays suggest a mode of action that results in reduced haemozoin levels and might involve inhibition of host haemoglobin uptake into intra-erythrocytic parasites. Furthermore, parasites resistant to HHQs displayed increased susceptibility to several first-line antimalarial drugs, including lumefantrine, confirming that HHQs have a different mode of action to other antimalarials drugs for which PfMDR1 is known to confer resistance. This work evokes therapeutic strategies that combine opposing selective pressures on this parasite transporter as an approach to countering the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant P. falciparum malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manu Vanaerschot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Leonardo Lucantoni
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tao Li
- Sanaria Inc., Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Jill M Combrinck
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Andrea Ruecker
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - T R Santha Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kelly Rubiano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Pedro E Ferreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Gulati
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Philipp P Henrich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Caroline L Ng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - James M Murithi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Victoria C Corey
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ori J Lieberman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - M Isabel Veiga
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Robert E Sinden
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael J Delves
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Timothy J Egan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | | | - Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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115
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Das S, Lemgruber L, Tay CL, Baum J, Meissner M. Multiple essential functions of Plasmodium falciparum actin-1 during malaria blood-stage development. BMC Biol 2017; 15:70. [PMID: 28810863 PMCID: PMC5557482 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0406-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The phylum Apicomplexa includes intracellular parasites causing immense global disease burden, the deadliest of them being the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which invades and replicates within erythrocytes. The cytoskeletal protein actin is well conserved within apicomplexans but divergent from mammalian actins, and was primarily reported to function during host cell invasion. However, novel invasion mechanisms have been described for several apicomplexans, and specific functions of the acto-myosin system are being reinvestigated. Of the two actin genes in P. falciparum, actin-1 (pfact1) is ubiquitously expressed in all life-cycle stages and is thought to be required for erythrocyte invasion, although its functions during parasite development are unknown, and definitive in vivo characterisation during invasion is lacking. Results Here we have used a conditional Cre-lox system to investigate the functions of PfACT1 during P. falciparum blood-stage development and host cell invasion. We demonstrate that PfACT1 is crucially required for segregation of the plastid-like organelle, the apicoplast, and for efficient daughter cell separation during the final stages of cytokinesis. Surprisingly, we observe that egress from the host cell is not an actin-dependent process. Finally, we show that parasites lacking PfACT1 are capable of microneme secretion, attachment and formation of a junction with the erythrocyte, but are incapable of host cell invasion. Conclusions This study provides important mechanistic insights into the definitive essential functions of PfACT1 in P. falciparum, which are not only of biological interest, but owing to functional divergence from mammalian actins, could also form the basis for the development of novel therapeutics against apicomplexans. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-017-0406-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujaan Das
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.
| | - Leandro Lemgruber
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK
| | - Chwen L Tay
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Markus Meissner
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK. .,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
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116
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Vanaerschot M, Lucantoni L, Li T, Combrinck JM, Ruecker A, Kumar TRS, Rubiano K, Ferreira PE, Siciliano G, Gulati S, Henrich PP, Ng CL, Murithi JM, Corey VC, Duffy S, Lieberman OJ, Veiga MI, Sinden RE, Alano P, Delves MJ, Lee Sim K, Winzeler EA, Egan TJ, Hoffman SL, Avery VM, Fidock DA. Hexahydroquinolines are antimalarial candidates with potent blood-stage and transmission-blocking activity. Nat Microbiol 2017; 2:1403-1414. [PMID: 28808258 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-017-0007-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Antimalarial compounds with dual therapeutic and transmission-blocking activity are desired as high-value partners for combination therapies. Here, we report the identification and characterization of hexahydroquinolines (HHQs) that show low nanomolar potency against both pathogenic and transmissible intra-erythrocytic forms of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This activity translates into potent transmission-blocking potential, as shown by in vitro male gamete formation assays and reduced oocyst infection and prevalence in Anopheles mosquitoes. In vivo studies illustrated the ability of lead HHQs to suppress Plasmodium berghei blood-stage parasite proliferation. Resistance selection studies, confirmed by CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing, identified the digestive vacuole membrane-spanning transporter PfMDR1 (P. falciparum multidrug resistance gene-1) as a determinant of parasite resistance to HHQs. Haemoglobin and haem fractionation assays suggest a mode of action that results in reduced haemozoin levels and might involve inhibition of host haemoglobin uptake into intra-erythrocytic parasites. Furthermore, parasites resistant to HHQs displayed increased susceptibility to several first-line antimalarial drugs, including lumefantrine, confirming that HHQs have a different mode of action to other antimalarials drugs for which PfMDR1 is known to confer resistance. This work evokes therapeutic strategies that combine opposing selective pressures on this parasite transporter as an approach to countering the emergence and transmission of multidrug-resistant P. falciparum malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manu Vanaerschot
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Leonardo Lucantoni
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tao Li
- Sanaria Inc., Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Jill M Combrinck
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Andrea Ruecker
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.,Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - T R Santha Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Kelly Rubiano
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Pedro E Ferreira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Giulia Siciliano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Gulati
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Philipp P Henrich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Caroline L Ng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - James M Murithi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Victoria C Corey
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ori J Lieberman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - M Isabel Veiga
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Robert E Sinden
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie ed Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Michael J Delves
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Timothy J Egan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | | | - Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, Queensland, Australia
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA. .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Abstract
Malaria is caused in humans by five species of single-celled eukaryotic Plasmodium parasites (mainly Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax) that are transmitted by the bite of Anopheles spp. mosquitoes. Malaria remains one of the most serious infectious diseases; it threatens nearly half of the world's population and led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in 2015, predominantly among children in Africa. Malaria is managed through a combination of vector control approaches (such as insecticide spraying and the use of insecticide-treated bed nets) and drugs for both treatment and prevention. The widespread use of artemisinin-based combination therapies has contributed to substantial declines in the number of malaria-related deaths; however, the emergence of drug resistance threatens to reverse this progress. Advances in our understanding of the underlying molecular basis of pathogenesis have fuelled the development of new diagnostics, drugs and insecticides. Several new combination therapies are in clinical development that have efficacy against drug-resistant parasites and the potential to be used in single-dose regimens to improve compliance. This ambitious programme to eliminate malaria also includes new approaches that could yield malaria vaccines or novel vector control strategies. However, despite these achievements, a well-coordinated global effort on multiple fronts is needed if malaria elimination is to be achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Phillips
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75390-9038, USA
| | | | | | | | - Wesley C Van Voorhis
- University of Washington, Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases, Seattle, Washington, USA
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118
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Lu X, Batugedara G, Lee M, Prudhomme J, Bunnik EM, Le Roch K. Nascent RNA sequencing reveals mechanisms of gene regulation in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:7825-7840. [PMID: 28531310 PMCID: PMC5737683 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression in Plasmodium falciparum is tightly regulated to ensure successful propagation of the parasite throughout its complex life cycle. The earliest transcriptomics studies in P. falciparum suggested a cascade of transcriptional activity over the course of the 48-hour intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC); however, the just-in-time transcriptional model has recently been challenged by findings that show the importance of post-transcriptional regulation. To further explore the role of transcriptional regulation, we performed the first genome-wide nascent RNA profiling in P. falciparum. Our findings indicate that the majority of genes are transcribed simultaneously during the trophozoite stage of the IDC and that only a small subset of genes is subject to differential transcriptional timing. RNA polymerase II is engaged with promoter regions prior to this transcriptional burst, suggesting that Pol II pausing plays a dominant role in gene regulation. In addition, we found that the overall transcriptional program during gametocyte differentiation is surprisingly similar to the IDC, with the exception of relatively small subsets of genes. Results from this study suggest that further characterization of the molecular players that regulate stage-specific gene expression and Pol II pausing will contribute to our continuous search for novel antimalarial drug targets.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Genes, Protozoan
- Humans
- Malaria, Falciparum/blood
- Malaria, Falciparum/parasitology
- Plasmodium falciparum/genetics
- Plasmodium falciparum/growth & development
- Plasmodium falciparum/pathogenicity
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- RNA Polymerase II/metabolism
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- RNA, Protozoan/genetics
- RNA, Protozoan/metabolism
- Sequence Analysis, RNA
- Transcription, Genetic
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqing Maggie Lu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Gayani Batugedara
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Michael Lee
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jacques Prudhomme
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Evelien M. Bunnik
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Karine G. Le Roch
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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119
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Ngwa CJ, Kiesow MJ, Papst O, Orchard LM, Filarsky M, Rosinski AN, Voss TS, Llinás M, Pradel G. Transcriptional Profiling Defines Histone Acetylation as a Regulator of Gene Expression during Human-to-Mosquito Transmission of the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:320. [PMID: 28791254 PMCID: PMC5522858 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum from the human to the mosquito is mediated by the intraerythrocytic gametocytes, which, once taken up during a blood meal, become activated to initiate sexual reproduction. Because gametocytes are the only parasite stages able to establish an infection in the mosquito, they are crucial for spreading the tropical disease. During gametocyte maturation, different repertoires of genes are switched on and off in a well-coordinated sequence, pointing to regulatory mechanisms of gene expression. While epigenetic gene control has been studied during erythrocytic schizogony of P. falciparum, little is known about this process during human-to-mosquito transmission of the parasite. To unveil the potential role of histone acetylation during gene expression in gametocytes, we carried out a microarray-based transcriptome analysis on gametocytes treated with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA). TSA-treatment impaired gametocyte maturation and lead to histone hyper-acetylation in these stages. Comparative transcriptomics identified 294 transcripts, which were more than 2-fold up-regulated during gametocytogenesis following TSA-treatment. In activated gametocytes, which were less sensitive to TSA, the transcript levels of 48 genes were increased. TSA-treatment further led to repression of ~145 genes in immature and mature gametocytes and 7 genes in activated gametocytes. Up-regulated genes are mainly associated with functions in invasion, cytoadherence, and protein export, while down-regulated genes could particularly be assigned to transcription and translation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated a link between gene activation and histone acetylation for selected genes. Among the genes up-regulated in TSA-treated mature gametocytes was a gene encoding the ring finger (RING)-domain protein PfRNF1, a putative E3 ligase of the ubiquitin-mediated signaling pathway. Immunochemistry demonstrated PfRNF1 expression mainly in the sexual stages of P. falciparum with peak expression in stage II gametocytes, where the protein localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm. Pfrnf1 promoter and coding regions associated with acetylated histones, and TSA-treatment resulted in increased PfRNF1 levels. Our combined data point to an essential role of histone acetylation for gene regulation in gametocytes, which can be exploited for malaria transmission-blocking interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che J Ngwa
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Meike J Kiesow
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Olga Papst
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Lindsey M Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, United States
| | - Michael Filarsky
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteBasel, Switzerland
| | - Alina N Rosinski
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
| | - Till S Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteBasel, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Huck Center for Malaria Research, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA, United States
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, RWTH Aachen UniversityAachen, Germany
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120
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Bechtsi D, Waters A. Genomics and epigenetics of sexual commitment in Plasmodium. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:425-434. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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121
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Bioluminescence Method for In Vitro Screening of Plasmodium Transmission-Blocking Compounds. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017; 61:AAC.02699-16. [PMID: 28348156 PMCID: PMC5444155 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02699-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The sporogonic stage of the life cycle of Plasmodium spp., the causative agents of malaria, occurs inside the parasite's mosquito vector, where a process of fertilization, meiosis, and mitotic divisions culminates in the generation of large numbers of mammalian-infective sporozoites. Efforts to cultivate Plasmodium mosquito stages in vitro have proved challenging and yielded only moderate success. Here, we describe a methodology that simplifies the in vitro screening of much-needed transmission-blocking (TB) compounds employing a bioluminescence-based method to monitor the in vitro development of sporogonic stages of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. Our proof-of-principle assessment of the in vitro TB activity of several commonly used antimalarial compounds identified cycloheximide, thiostrepton, and atovaquone as the most active compounds against the parasite's sporogonic stages. The TB activity of these compounds was further confirmed by in vivo studies that validated our newly developed in vitro approach to TB compound screening.
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122
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Acharya P, Garg M, Kumar P, Munjal A, Raja KD. Host-Parasite Interactions in Human Malaria: Clinical Implications of Basic Research. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:889. [PMID: 28572796 PMCID: PMC5435807 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, is one of the oldest parasites documented to infect humans and has proven particularly hard to eradicate. One of the major hurdles in designing an effective subunit vaccine against the malaria parasite is the insufficient understanding of host–parasite interactions within the human host during infections. The success of the parasite lies in its ability to evade the human immune system and recruit host responses as physiological cues to regulate its life cycle, leading to rapid acclimatization of the parasite to its immediate host environment. Hence understanding the environmental niche of the parasite is crucial in developing strategies to combat this deadly infectious disease. It has been increasingly recognized that interactions between parasite proteins and host factors are essential to establishing infection and virulence at every stage of the parasite life cycle. This review reassesses all of these interactions and discusses their clinical importance in designing therapeutic approaches such as design of novel vaccines. The interactions have been followed from the initial stages of introduction of the parasite under the human dermis until asexual and sexual blood stages which are essential for transmission of malaria. We further classify the interactions as “direct” or “indirect” depending upon their demonstrated ability to mediate direct physical interactions of the parasite with host factors or their indirect manipulation of the host immune system since both forms of interactions are known to have a crucial role during infections. We also discuss the many ways in which this understanding has been taken to the field and the success of these strategies in controlling human malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragyan Acharya
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical SciencesNew Delhi, India
| | - Manika Garg
- Department of Biochemistry, Jamia Hamdard UniversityNew Delhi, India
| | - Praveen Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical SciencesNew Delhi, India
| | - Akshay Munjal
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical SciencesNew Delhi, India
| | - K D Raja
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical SciencesNew Delhi, India
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123
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Farid R, Dixon MW, Tilley L, McCarthy JS. Initiation of gametocytogenesis at very low parasite density in Plasmodium falciparum infection. J Infect Dis 2017; 215:1167-1174. [PMID: 28498997 PMCID: PMC5426372 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jix035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent focus on the elimination of malaria has led to an increased interest in the role of sexual stages in its transmission. We introduce Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte exported protein-5 (PfGEXP5) transcript analysis as an important tool for evaluating the earliest (ring) stage sexual gametocytes in the blood of infected individuals. We show that gametocyte rings are detected in the peripheral blood immediately following establishment of asexual infections—without the need for triggers such as high-density asexual parasitemia or drug treatment. Committed gametocytes are refractory to the commonly used drug piperaquine, and mature gametocytes reappear in the bloodstream 10 days after the initial appearance of gametocyte rings. A further wave of commitment is observed following recrudescent asexual parasitemia, and these gametocytes are again refractory to piperaquine treatment. This work has implications for monitoring gametocyte and transmission dynamics and responses to drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Farid
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; and
| | - Matthew W. Dixon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - James S McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute and University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; and
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124
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Demanga CG, Eng JWL, Gardiner DL, Roth A, Butterworth A, Adams JH, Trenholme KR, Dalton JP. The development of sexual stage malaria gametocytes in a Wave Bioreactor. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:216. [PMID: 28464929 PMCID: PMC5414375 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2155-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Blocking malaria gametocyte development in RBCs or their fertilization in the mosquito gut can prevent infection of the mosquito vector and passage of disease to the human host. A ‘transmission blocking’ strategy is a component of future malaria control. However, the lack of robust culture systems for producing large amounts of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes has limited our understanding of sexual-stage malaria biology and made vaccine or chemotherapeutic discoveries more difficult. Methods The Wave BioreactorTM 20/50 EHT culture system was used to develop a convenient and low-maintenance protocol for inducing commitment of P. falciparum parasites to gametocytogenesis. Culture conditions were optimised to obtain mature stage V gametocytes within 2 weeks in a large-scale culture of up to a 1 l. Results We report a simple method for the induction of gametocytogenesis with N-acetylglucosamine (10 mM) within a Wave Bioreactor. By maintaining the culture for 14–16 days as many as 100 million gametocytes (stage V) were produced in a 1 l culture. Gametocytes isolated using magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) columns were frozen in aliquots for storage. These were revitalised by thawing and shown to retain their ability to exflagellate and infect mosquitoes (Anopheles stephansi). Conclusions The production of gametocytes in the Wave Bioreactor under GMP-compliant conditions will not only facilitate cellular, developmental and molecular studies of gametocytes, but also the high-throughput screening for new anti-malarial drugs and, possibly, the development of whole-cell gametocyte or sporozoite-based vaccines. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2155-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corine G Demanga
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3 V9, Canada
| | - Jenny W L Eng
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3 V9, Canada
| | - Donald L Gardiner
- Malaria Biology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Rd, Herston, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, QLD, Australia
| | - Alison Roth
- Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, 33612, FL, USA
| | - Alice Butterworth
- Malaria Biology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Rd, Herston, Brisbane, Australia
| | - John H Adams
- School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, QLD, Australia
| | - Katharine R Trenholme
- Malaria Biology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Rd, Herston, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, 4111, QLD, Australia
| | - John P Dalton
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3 V9, Canada. .,School of Biological Sciences, Medical Biology Centre, Queen's University of Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
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125
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Painter HJ, Carrasquilla M, Llinás M. Capturing in vivo RNA transcriptional dynamics from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Genome Res 2017; 27:1074-1086. [PMID: 28416533 PMCID: PMC5453321 DOI: 10.1101/gr.217356.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
To capture the transcriptional dynamics within proliferating cells, methods to differentiate nascent transcription from preexisting mRNAs are desired. One approach is to label newly synthesized mRNA transcripts in vivo through the incorporation of modified pyrimidines. However, the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is incapable of pyrimidine salvage for mRNA biogenesis. To capture cellular mRNA dynamics during Plasmodium development, we engineered parasites that can salvage pyrimidines through the expression of a single bifunctional yeast fusion gene, cytosine deaminase/uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (FCU). We show that expression of FCU allows for the direct incorporation of thiol-modified pyrimidines into nascent mRNAs. Using developmental stage-specific promoters to express FCU-GFP enables the biosynthetic capture and in-depth analysis of mRNA dynamics from subpopulations of cells undergoing differentiation. We demonstrate the utility of this method by examining the transcriptional dynamics of the sexual gametocyte stage transition, a process that is essential to malaria transmission between hosts. Using the pfs16 gametocyte-specific promoter to express FCU-GFP in 3D7 parasites, we found that sexual stage commitment is governed by transcriptional reprogramming and stabilization of a subset of essential gametocyte transcripts. We also measured mRNA dynamics in F12 gametocyte-deficient parasites and demonstrate that the transcriptional program required for sexual commitment and maturation is initiated but likely aborted due to the absence of the PfAP2-G transcriptional regulator and a lack of gametocyte-specific mRNA stabilization. Biosynthetic labeling of Plasmodium mRNAs is incredibly versatile, can be used to measure transcriptional dynamics at any stage of parasite development, and will allow for future applications to comprehensively measure RNA-protein interactions in the malaria parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Painter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Manuela Carrasquilla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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126
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A disrupted transsulphuration pathway results in accumulation of redox metabolites and induction of gametocytogenesis in malaria. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40213. [PMID: 28091526 PMCID: PMC5238400 DOI: 10.1038/srep40213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Intra-erythrocytic growth of malaria parasite is known to induce redox stress. In addition to haem degradation which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), the parasite is also thought to efflux redox active homocysteine. To understand the basis underlying accumulation of homocysteine, we have examined the transsulphuration (TS) pathway in the parasite, which is known to convert homocysteine to cysteine in higher eukaryotes. Our bioinformatic analysis revealed absence of key enzymes in the biosynthesis of cysteine namely cystathionine-β-synthase and cystathionine-γ-lyase in the parasite. Using mass spectrometry, we confirmed the absence of cystathionine, which is formed by enzymatic conversion of homocysteine thereby confirming truncation of TS pathway. We also quantitated levels of glutathione and homocysteine in infected erythrocytes and its spent medium. Our results showed increase in levels of these metabolites intracellularly and in culture supernatants. Our results provide a mechanistic basis for the long-known occurrence of hyperhomocysteinemia in malaria. Most importantly we find that homocysteine induces the transcription factor implicated in gametocytogenesis namely AP2-G and consequently triggers sexual stage conversion. We confirmed this observation both in vitro using Plasmodium falciparum cultures, and in vivo in the mouse model of malaria. Our study implicates homocysteine as a potential physiological trigger of gametocytogenesis.
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127
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Abdel-Haleem AM, Lewis NE, Jamshidi N, Mineta K, Gao X, Gojobori T. The Emerging Facets of Non-Cancerous Warburg Effect. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2017; 8:279. [PMID: 29109698 PMCID: PMC5660072 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2017.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Warburg effect (WE), or aerobic glycolysis, is commonly recognized as a hallmark of cancer and has been extensively studied for potential anti-cancer therapeutics development. Beyond cancer, the WE plays an important role in many other cell types involved in immunity, angiogenesis, pluripotency, and infection by pathogens (e.g., malaria). Here, we review the WE in non-cancerous context as a "hallmark of rapid proliferation." We observe that the WE operates in rapidly dividing cells in normal and pathological states that are triggered by internal and external cues. Aerobic glycolysis is also the preferred metabolic program in the cases when robust transient responses are needed. We aim to draw attention to the potential of computational modeling approaches in systematic characterization of common metabolic features beyond the WE across physiological and pathological conditions. Identification of metabolic commonalities across various diseases may lead to successful repurposing of drugs and biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyaa M. Abdel-Haleem
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nathan E. Lewis
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Neema Jamshidi
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Radiological Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Katsuhiko Mineta
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Xin Gao
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Takashi Gojobori
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Computational Bioscience Research Centre (CBRC), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- *Correspondence: Takashi Gojobori,
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128
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The s48/45 six-cysteine proteins: mediators of interaction throughout the Plasmodium life cycle. Int J Parasitol 2016; 47:409-423. [PMID: 27899328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
During their life cycle Plasmodium parasites rely upon an arsenal of proteins that establish key interactions with the host and vector, and between the parasite sexual stages, with the purpose of ensuring infection, reproduction and proliferation. Among these is a group of secreted or membrane-anchored proteins known as the six-cysteine (6-cys) family. This is a small but important family with only 14 members thus far identified, each stage-specifically expressed during the parasite life cycle. 6-cys proteins often localise at the parasite surface or interface with the host and vector, and are conserved in different Plasmodium species. The unifying feature of the family is the s48/45 domain, presumably involved in adhesion and structurally related to Ephrins, the ligands of Eph receptors. The most prominent s48/45 members are currently under functional investigation and are being pursued as vaccine candidates. In this review, we examine what is known about the 6-cys family, their structure and function, and discuss future research directions.
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129
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Bhartiya D, Chawla V, Ghosh S, Shankar R, Kumar N. Genome-wide regulatory dynamics of G-quadruplexes in human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Genomics 2016; 108:224-231. [PMID: 27789319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The AT-rich genome of P. falciparum has uniquely localized G-rich stretches that have propensity to form G-quadruplexes. However, their global occurrence and potential biological roles in the parasite are poorly explored. Our genome-wide analysis revealed unique enrichment of quadruplexes in P. falciparum genome which was remarkably different from other Plasmodium species. A distinct predominance of quadruplexes was observed in nuclear and organellar genes that participate in antigenic variation, pathogenesis, DNA/RNA regulation, metabolic and protein quality control processes. Data also suggested association of quadruplexes with SNPs and DNA methylation. Furthermore, analysis of steady state mRNA (RNA-seq) and polysome-associated mRNA (Ribosome profiling) data revealed stage-specific differences in translational efficiency of quadruplex harboring genes. Taken together, our findings hint towards existence of regulatory dynamics associated with quadruplexes that may modulate translational efficiency of quadruplex harboring genes to provide survival advantage to the parasite against host immune response and antimalarial drug pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deeksha Bhartiya
- ICMR-Institute of Cytology and Preventive Oncology, Noida 201301, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vandna Chawla
- CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Sourav Ghosh
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road Campus, Delhi 110020, India
| | - Ravi Shankar
- CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur 176061, Himachal Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Delhi, India
| | - Niti Kumar
- CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Delhi, India.
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130
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Hasona N, Amer O, Raef A. Hematological alterations and parasitological studies among infected patients with Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum in Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(16)61112-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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131
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Plasmodium Helical Interspersed Subtelomeric (PHIST) Proteins, at the Center of Host Cell Remodeling. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2016; 80:905-27. [PMID: 27582258 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00014-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During the asexual cycle, Plasmodium falciparum extensively remodels the human erythrocyte to make it a suitable host cell. A large number of exported proteins facilitate this remodeling process, which causes erythrocytes to become more rigid, cytoadherent, and permeable for nutrients and metabolic products. Among the exported proteins, a family of 89 proteins, called the Plasmodium helical interspersed subtelomeric (PHIST) protein family, has been identified. While also found in other Plasmodium species, the PHIST family is greatly expanded in P. falciparum. Although a decade has passed since their first description, to date, most PHIST proteins remain uncharacterized and are of unknown function and localization within the host cell, and there are few data on their interactions with other host or parasite proteins. However, over the past few years, PHIST proteins have been mentioned in the literature at an increasing rate owing to their presence at various localizations within the infected erythrocyte. Expression of PHIST proteins has been implicated in molecular and cellular processes such as the surface display of PfEMP1, gametocytogenesis, changes in cell rigidity, and also cerebral and pregnancy-associated malaria. Thus, we conclude that PHIST proteins are central to host cell remodeling, but despite their obvious importance in pathology, PHIST proteins seem to be understudied. Here we review current knowledge, shed light on the definition of PHIST proteins, and discuss these proteins with respect to their localization and probable function. We take into consideration interaction studies, microarray analyses, or data from blood samples from naturally infected patients to combine all available information on this protein family.
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132
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Weiner J, Kooij TWA. Phylogenetic profiles of all membrane transport proteins of the malaria parasite highlight new drug targets. MICROBIAL CELL 2016; 3:511-521. [PMID: 28357319 PMCID: PMC5348985 DOI: 10.15698/mic2016.10.534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In order to combat the on-going malaria epidemic, discovery of new drug targets
remains vital. Proteins that are essential to survival and specific to malaria
parasites are key candidates. To survive within host cells, the parasites need
to acquire nutrients and dispose of waste products across multiple membranes.
Additionally, like all eukaryotes, they must redistribute ions and organic
molecules between their various internal membrane bound compartments. Membrane
transport proteins mediate all of these processes and are considered important
mediators of drug resistance as well as drug targets in their own right.
Recently, using advanced experimental genetic approaches and streamlined life
cycle profiling, we generated a large collection of Plasmodium
berghei gene deletion mutants and assigned essential gene
functions, highlighting potential targets for prophylactic, therapeutic, and
transmission-blocking anti-malarial drugs. Here, we present a comprehensive
orthology assignment of all Plasmodium falciparum putative
membrane transport proteins and provide a detailed overview of the associated
essential gene functions obtained through experimental genetics studies in human
and murine model parasites. Furthermore, we discuss the phylogeny of selected
potential drug targets identified in our functional screen. We extensively
discuss the results in the context of the functional assignments obtained using
gene targeting available to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- January Weiner
- Department of Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Taco W A Kooij
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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133
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Jalovecka M, Bonsergent C, Hajdusek O, Kopacek P, Malandrin L. Stimulation and quantification of Babesia divergens gametocytogenesis. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:439. [PMID: 27502772 PMCID: PMC4977898 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1731-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia divergens is the most common blood parasite in Europe causing babesiosis, a tick-borne malaria-like disease. Despite an increasing focus on B. divergens, especially regarding veterinary and human medicine, the sexual development of Babesia is poorly understood. Development of Babesia sexual stages in the host blood (gametocytes) plays a decisive role in parasite acquisition by the tick vector. However, the exact mechanism of gametocytogenesis is still unexplained. METHODS Babesia divergens gametocytes are characterized by expression of bdccp1, bdccp2 and bdccp3 genes. Using previously described sequences of bdccp1, bdccp2 and bdccp3, we have established a quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay for detection and assessment of the efficiency of B. divergens gametocytes production in bovine blood. We analysed fluctuations in expression of bdccp genes during cultivation in vitro, as well as in cultures treated with different drugs and stimuli. RESULTS We demonstrated that all B. divergens clonal lines tested, originally derived from naturally infected cows, exhibited sexual stages. Furthermore, sexual commitment was stimulated during continuous growth of the cultures, by addition of specific stress-inducing drugs or by alternating cultivation conditions. Expression of bdccp genes was greatly reduced or even lost after long-term cultivation, suggesting possible problems in the artificial infections of ticks in feeding assays in vitro. CONCLUSIONS Our research provides insight into sexual development of B. divergens and may facilitate the development of transmission models in vitro, enabling a more detailed understanding of Babesia-tick interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Jalovecka
- INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307, Nantes, France. .,LUNAM University, Nantes-Atlantic College of Veterinary Medicine and Food Sciences and Engineering, UMR BioEpAR, F-44307, Nantes, France. .,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. .,Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Claire Bonsergent
- INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307, Nantes, France.,LUNAM University, Nantes-Atlantic College of Veterinary Medicine and Food Sciences and Engineering, UMR BioEpAR, F-44307, Nantes, France
| | - Ondrej Hajdusek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kopacek
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Laurence Malandrin
- INRA, UMR1300 Biology, Epidemiology and Risk Analysis in Animal Health, CS 40706, F-44307, Nantes, France.,LUNAM University, Nantes-Atlantic College of Veterinary Medicine and Food Sciences and Engineering, UMR BioEpAR, F-44307, Nantes, France
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134
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Karl S, Laman M, Moore BR, Benjamin JM, Salib M, Lorry L, Maripal S, Siba P, Robinson LJ, Mueller I, Davis TME. Risk factors for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax gametocyte carriage in Papua New Guinean children with uncomplicated malaria. Acta Trop 2016; 160:1-8. [PMID: 27056132 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
There are limited data on gametocytaemia risk factors before/after treatment with artemisinin combination therapy in children from areas with transmission of multiple Plasmodium species. We utilised data from a randomised trial comparing artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artemisinin-naphthoquine (AN) in 230 Papua New Guinean children aged 0.5-5 years with uncomplicated malaria in whom determinants of gametocytaemia by light microscopy were assessed at baseline using logistic regression and during follow-up using multilevel mixed effects modelling. Seventy-four (32%) and 18 (8%) children presented with P. falciparum and P. vivax gametocytaemia, respectively. Baseline P. falciparum gametocytaemia was associated with Hackett spleen grade 1 (odds ratio (95% CI) 4.01 (1.60-10.05) vs grade 0; P<0.001) and haemoglobin (0.95 (0.92-0.97) per 1g/L increase; P<0.001), and P. falciparum asexual parasitaemia in slide-positive cases (0.36 (0.19-0.68) for a 10-fold increase; P=0.002). Baseline P. vivax gametocytaemia was associated with Hackett grade 2 (12.66 (1.31-122.56); P=0.028), mixed P. falciparum/vivax infection (0.16 (0.03-1.00); P=0.050), P. vivax asexual parasitaemia (5.68 (0.98-33.04); P=0.053) and haemoglobin (0.94 (0.88-1.00); P=0.056). For post-treatment P. falciparum gametocytaemia, independent predictors were AN vs AL treatment (4.09 (1.43-11.65)), haemoglobin (0.95 (0.93-0.97)), presence/absence of P. falciparum asexual forms (3.40 (1.66-0.68)) and day post-treatment (0.086 (0.82-0.90)) (P<0.001). Post-treatment P. vivax gametocytaemia was predicted by presence of P. vivax asexual forms (596 (12-28,433); P<0.001). Consistent with slow P. falciparum gametocyte maturation, low haemoglobin, low asexual parasite density and higher spleen grading, markers of increased prior infection exposure/immunity, were strong associates of pre-treatment gametocyte positivity. The persistent inverse association between P. falciparum gametocytaemia and haemoglobin during follow-up suggests an important role for bone marrow modulation of gametocytogenesis. In P. vivax infections, baseline and post-treatment gametocyte carriage was positively related to the acute parasite burden, reflecting the close association between the development of asexual and sexual forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Karl
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Moses Laman
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Brioni R Moore
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - John M Benjamin
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Mary Salib
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Lina Lorry
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Samuel Maripal
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Peter Siba
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Leanne J Robinson
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Timothy M E Davis
- School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
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135
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Birkholtz LM, Coetzer TL, Mancama D, Leroy D, Alano P. Discovering New Transmission-Blocking Antimalarial Compounds: Challenges and Opportunities. Trends Parasitol 2016; 32:669-681. [PMID: 27209388 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The ability to target human-mosquito parasite transmission challenges global malaria elimination. However, it is not obvious what a transmission-blocking drug will look like; should it target only parasite transmission stages; be combined with a partner drug killing the pathogenic asexual stages; or kill both the sexual and asexual blood stages, preferably displaying polypharmacology? The development of transmission-blocking antimalarials requires objective analyses of the current strategies. Here, pertinent issues and questions regarding the target candidate profile of a transmission-blocking compound, and its role in malaria elimination strategies, are highlighted and novel perspectives proposed. The essential role of a test cascade that integrates screening and validation strategies to identify next-generation transmission-blocking antimalarials is emphasised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Theresa L Coetzer
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, Wits Research Institute for Malaria, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Dalu Mancama
- Department of Biochemistry, Centre for Sustainable Malaria Control, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; Biosciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Didier Leroy
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Pietro Alano
- Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie e Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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136
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Frischknecht F, Fackler OT. Experimental systems for studying Plasmodium/HIV coinfection. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:2000-13. [PMID: 27009943 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Coinfections with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Plasmodium, the causative agents of AIDS and malaria, respectively, are frequent and their comorbidity especially in sub-Saharan Africa is high. While clinical studies suggest an influence of the two pathogens on the outcome of the respective infections, experimental studies on the molecular and immunological impact of coinfections are rare. This reflects the limited availability of suitable model systems that reproduce key properties of both pathologies. Here, we discuss key aspects of coinfection with a focus on currently established experimental systems, their limitations for coinfection studies and potential strategies for their improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Frischknecht
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Integrative Parasitology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver T Fackler
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Integrative Virology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany
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137
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Microbial inhibitors of cysteine proteases. Med Microbiol Immunol 2016; 205:275-96. [DOI: 10.1007/s00430-016-0454-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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138
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Cobbold SA, Santos JM, Ochoa A, Perlman DH, Llinás M. Proteome-wide analysis reveals widespread lysine acetylation of major protein complexes in the malaria parasite. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19722. [PMID: 26813983 PMCID: PMC4728587 DOI: 10.1038/srep19722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Lysine acetylation is a ubiquitous post-translational modification in many organisms including the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, yet the full extent of acetylation across the parasite proteome remains unresolved. Moreover, the functional significance of acetylation or how specific acetyl-lysine sites are regulated is largely unknown. Here we report a seven-fold expansion of the known parasite ‘acetylome’, characterizing 2,876 acetylation sites on 1,146 proteins. We observe that lysine acetylation targets a diverse range of protein complexes and is particularly enriched within the Apicomplexan AP2 (ApiAP2) DNA-binding protein family. Using quantitative proteomics we determined that artificial perturbation of the acetate/acetyl-CoA balance alters the acetyl-lysine occupancy of several ApiAP2 DNA-binding proteins and related transcriptional proteins. This metabolic signaling could mediate significant downstream transcriptional responses, as we show that acetylation of an ApiAP2 DNA-binding domain ablates its DNA-binding propensity. Lastly, we investigated the acetyl-lysine targets of each class of lysine deacetylase in order to begin to explore how each class of enzyme contributes to regulating the P. falciparum acetylome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon A Cobbold
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Joana M Santos
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, Center for Malaria Research and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, W126 Millennium Science Complex, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alejandro Ochoa
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - David H Perlman
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Chemistry Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Collaborative Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Center, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Chemistry, Center for Malaria Research and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, W126 Millennium Science Complex, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
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