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Differences in Charge Distribution in Leishmania tarentolae Leishmanolysin Result in a Reduced Enzymatic Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147660. [PMID: 35887004 PMCID: PMC9321319 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania tarentolae is a non-pathogenic trypanosomatid isolated from lizards widely used for heterologous protein expression and extensively studied to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of leishmaniasis. The repertoire of leishmanolysin genes was reported to be expanded in L. tarentolae genome, but no proteolytic activity was detected. Here, we analyzed L. tarentolae leishmanolysin proteins from the genome to the structural levels and evaluated the enzymatic activity of the wild-type and overexpressing mutants of leishmanolysin. A total of 61 leishmanolysin sequences were retrieved from the L. tarentolae genome. Five of them were selected for phylogenetic analysis, and for three of them, we built 3D models based on the crystallographic structure of L. major ortholog. Molecular dynamics simulations of these models disclosed a less negative electrostatic potential compared to the template. Subsequently, L. major LmjF.10.0460 and L. tarentolae LtaP10.0650 leishmanolysins were cloned in a pLEXSY expression system into L. tarentolae. Proteins from the wild-type and the overexpressing parasites were submitted to enzymatic analysis. Our results revealed that L. tarentolae leishmanolysins harbor a weak enzymatic activity about three times less abundant than L. major leishmanolysin. Our findings strongly suggest that the less negative electrostatic potential of L. tarentolae leishmanolysin can be the reason for the reduced proteolytic activity detected in this parasite.
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de Castro Neto AL, da Silveira JF, Mortara RA. Role of Virulence Factors of Trypanosomatids in the Insect Vector and Putative Genetic Events Involved in Surface Protein Diversity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:807172. [PMID: 35573777 PMCID: PMC9097677 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.807172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosomatids are flagellate protozoans that can infect several invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, including insects and humans. The three most studied species are the human pathogens Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. which are the causative agents of Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Chagas disease and different clinical forms of leishmaniasis, respectively. These parasites possess complex dixenous life cycles, with zoonotic and anthroponotic stages, and are transmitted by hematophagous insects. To colonize this myriad of hosts, they developed mechanisms, mediated by virulence factors, to infect, propagate and survive in different environments. In insects, surface proteins play roles in parasite attachment and survival in the insect gut, whilst in the mammalian host, the parasites have a whole group of proteins and mechanisms that aid them invading the host cells and evading its immune system components. Many studies have been done on the impact of these molecules in the vertebrate host, however it is also essential to notice the importance of these virulence factors in the insect vector during the parasite life cycle. When inside the insect, the parasites, like in humans, also need to survive defense mechanisms components that can inhibit parasite colonization or survival, e.g., midgut peritrophic membrane barrier, digestive enzymes, evasion of excretion alongside the digested blood meal, anatomic structures and physiological mechanisms of the anterior gut. This protection inside the insect is often implemented by the same group of virulence factors that perform roles of immune evasion in the mammalian host with just a few exceptions, in which a specific protein is expressed specifically for the insect vector form of the parasite. This review aims to discuss the roles of the virulence molecules in the insect vectors, showing the differences and similarities of modes of action of the same group of molecules in insect and humans, exclusive insect molecules and discuss possible genetic events that may have generated this protein diversity.
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Oliveira SSC, Elias CGR, Dias FA, Lopes AH, d’Avila-Levy CM, Santos ALS, Branquinha MH. The Enhanced Expression of Cruzipain-Like Molecules in the Phytoflagellate Phytomonas serpens Recovered From the Invertebrate and Plant Hosts. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:819133. [PMID: 35096661 PMCID: PMC8793489 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.819133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytomonas serpens is a protozoan parasite that alternates its life cycle between two hosts: an invertebrate vector and the tomato fruit. This phytoflagellate is able to synthesize proteins displaying similarity to the cysteine peptidase named cruzipain, an important virulence factor from Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. Herein, the growth of P. serpens in complex medium (BHI) supplemented with natural tomato extract (NTE) resulted in the increased expression of cysteine peptidases, as verified by the hydrolysis of the fluorogenic substrate Z-Phe-Arg-AMC and by gelatin-SDS-PAGE. Phytoflagellates showed no changes in morphology, morphometry and viability, but the proliferation was slightly reduced when cultivated in the presence of NTE. The enhanced proteolytic activity was accompanied by a significant increase in the expression of cruzipain-like molecules, as verified by flow cytometry using anti-cruzipain antibodies. In parallel, parasites incubated under chemically defined conditions (PBS supplemented with glucose) and added of different concentration of NTE revealed an augmentation in the production of cruzipain-like molecules in a typically dose-dependent way. Similarly, P. serpens recovered from the infection of mature tomatoes showed an increase in the expression of molecules homologous to cruzipain; however, cells showed a smaller size compared to parasites grown in BHI medium. Furthermore, phytoflagellates incubated with dissected salivary glands from Oncopeltus fasciatus or recovered from the hemolymph of infected insects also showed a strong enhance in the expression of cruzipain-like molecules that is more relevant in the hemolymph. Collectively, our results showed that cysteine peptidases displaying similarities to cruzipain are more expressed during the life cycle of the phytoflagellate P. serpens both in the invertebrate and plant hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone S. C. Oliveira
- Laboratório de Estudos Avançados de Microrganismos Emergentes e Resistentes (LEAMER), Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Camila G. R. Elias
- Laboratório de Estudos Avançados de Microrganismos Emergentes e Resistentes (LEAMER), Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Felipe A. Dias
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Angela H. Lopes
- Laboratório de Bioquímica de Microrganismos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia M. d’Avila-Levy
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - André L. S. Santos
- Laboratório de Estudos Avançados de Microrganismos Emergentes e Resistentes (LEAMER), Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica (PPGBq), Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marta H. Branquinha
- Laboratório de Estudos Avançados de Microrganismos Emergentes e Resistentes (LEAMER), Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Borges AR, Link F, Engstler M, Jones NG. The Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Anchor: A Linchpin for Cell Surface Versatility of Trypanosomatids. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:720536. [PMID: 34790656 PMCID: PMC8591177 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.720536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) to anchor proteins to the cell surface is widespread among eukaryotes. The GPI-anchor is covalently attached to the C-terminus of a protein and mediates the protein’s attachment to the outer leaflet of the lipid bilayer. GPI-anchored proteins have a wide range of functions, including acting as receptors, transporters, and adhesion molecules. In unicellular eukaryotic parasites, abundantly expressed GPI-anchored proteins are major virulence factors, which support infection and survival within distinct host environments. While, for example, the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) is the major component of the cell surface of the bloodstream form of African trypanosomes, procyclin is the most abundant protein of the procyclic form which is found in the invertebrate host, the tsetse fly vector. Trypanosoma cruzi, on the other hand, expresses a variety of GPI-anchored molecules on their cell surface, such as mucins, that interact with their hosts. The latter is also true for Leishmania, which use GPI anchors to display, amongst others, lipophosphoglycans on their surface. Clearly, GPI-anchoring is a common feature in trypanosomatids and the fact that it has been maintained throughout eukaryote evolution indicates its adaptive value. Here, we explore and discuss GPI anchors as universal evolutionary building blocks that support the great variety of surface molecules of trypanosomatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa R Borges
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Link
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Engstler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nicola G Jones
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Ennes-Vidal V, Branquinha MH, dos Santos ALS, d’Avila-Levy CM. The Diverse Calpain Family in Trypanosomatidae: Functional Proteins Devoid of Proteolytic Activity? Cells 2021; 10:cells10020299. [PMID: 33535641 PMCID: PMC7912814 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Calpains are calcium-dependent cysteine peptidases that were originally described in mammals and, thereafter, their homologues were identified in almost all known living organisms. The deregulated activity of these peptidases is associated with several pathologies and, consequently, huge efforts have been made to identify selective inhibitors. Trypanosomatids, responsible for life-threatening human diseases, possess a large and diverse family of calpain sequences in their genomes. Considering that the current therapy to treat trypanosomatid diseases is limited to a handful of drugs that suffer from unacceptable toxicity, tough administration routes, like parenteral, and increasing treatment failures, a repurposed approach with calpain inhibitors could be a shortcut to successful chemotherapy. However, there is a general lack of knowledge about calpain functions in these parasites and, currently, the proteolytic activity of these proteins is still an open question. Here, we highlight the current research and perspectives on trypanosomatid calpains, overview calpain description in these organisms, and explore the potential of targeting the calpain system as a therapeutic strategy. This review gathers the current knowledge about this fascinating family of peptidases as well as insights into the puzzle: are we unable to measure calpain activity in trypanosomatids, or are the functions of these proteins devoid of proteolytic activity in these parasites?
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Affiliation(s)
- Vítor Ennes-Vidal
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-21-2562-1014
| | - Marta Helena Branquinha
- Laboratório de Estudos Avançados de Microrganismos Emergentes e Resistentes, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-901 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (M.H.B.); (A.L.S.d.S.)
| | - André Luis Souza dos Santos
- Laboratório de Estudos Avançados de Microrganismos Emergentes e Resistentes, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-901 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (M.H.B.); (A.L.S.d.S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-909 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia Masini d’Avila-Levy
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), 21040-360 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
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Liu Q, Lei J, Darby AC, Kadowaki T. Trypanosomatid parasite dynamically changes the transcriptome during infection and modifies honey bee physiology. Commun Biol 2020; 3:51. [PMID: 32005933 PMCID: PMC6994608 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0775-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is still not understood how honey bee parasite changes the gene expression to adapt to the host environment and how the host simultaneously responds to the parasite infection by modifying its own gene expression. To address this question, we studied a trypanosomatid, Lotmaria passim, which can be cultured in medium and inhabit the honey bee hindgut. We found that L. passim decreases mRNAs associated with protein translation, glycolysis, detoxification of radical oxygen species, and kinetoplast respiratory chain to adapt to the anaerobic and nutritionally poor honey bee hindgut during the infection. After the long term infection, the host appears to be in poor nutritional status, indicated by the increase and decrease of take-out and vitellogenin mRNAs, respectively. Simultaneous gene expression profiling of L. passim and honey bee during infection by dual RNA-seq provided insight into how both parasite and host modify their gene expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiushi Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou Dushu Lake Higher Education Town, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Jing Lei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou Dushu Lake Higher Education Town, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China
| | - Alistair C Darby
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tatsuhiko Kadowaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou Dushu Lake Higher Education Town, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, China.
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Mandacaru SC, Queiroz RML, Alborghetti MR, de Oliveira LS, de Lima CMR, Bastos IMD, Santana JM, Roepstorff P, Ricart CAO, Charneau S. Exoproteome profiling of Trypanosoma cruzi during amastigogenesis early stages. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225386. [PMID: 31756194 PMCID: PMC6874342 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, affecting around 8 million people worldwide. After host cell invasion, the infective trypomastigote form remains 2–4 hours inside acidic phagolysosomes to differentiate into replicative amastigote form. In vitro acidic-pH-induced axenic amastigogenesis was used here to study this step of the parasite life cycle. After three hours of trypomastigote incubation in amastigogenesis promoting acidic medium (pH 5.0) or control physiological pH (7.4) medium samples were subjected to three rounds of centrifugation followed by ultrafiltration of the supernatants. The resulting exoproteome samples were trypsin digested and analysed by nano flow liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Computational protein identification searches yielded 271 and 483 protein groups in the exoproteome at pH 7.4 and pH 5.0, respectively, with 180 common proteins between both conditions. The total amount and diversity of proteins released by parasites almost doubled upon acidic incubation compared to control. Overall, 76.5% of proteins were predicted to be secreted by classical or non-classical pathways and 35.1% of these proteins have predicted transmembrane domains. Classical secretory pathway analysis showed an increased number of mucins and mucin-associated surface proteins after acidic incubation. However, the number of released trans-sialidases and surface GP63 peptidases was higher at pH 7.4. Trans-sialidases and mucins are anchored to the membrane and exhibit an enzyme-substrate relationship. In general, mucins are glycoproteins with immunomodulatory functions in Chagas disease, present mainly in the epimastigote and trypomastigote surfaces and could be enzymatically cleaved and released in the phagolysosome during amastigogenesis. Moreover, evidence for flagella discard during amastigogenesis are addressed. This study provides the first comparative analysis of the exoproteome during amastigogenesis, and the presented data evidence the dynamism of its profile in response to acidic pH-induced differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel C. Mandacaru
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Rayner M. L. Queiroz
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Marcos R. Alborghetti
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Lucas S. de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Consuelo M. R. de Lima
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Izabela M. D. Bastos
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Jaime M. Santana
- Pathogen-Host Interface Laboratory, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Peter Roepstorff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Carlos André O. Ricart
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Sébastien Charneau
- Laboratory of Protein Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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Filosa JN, Berry CT, Ruthel G, Beverley SM, Warren WC, Tomlinson C, Myler PJ, Dudkin EA, Povelones ML, Povelones M. Dramatic changes in gene expression in different forms of Crithidia fasciculata reveal potential mechanisms for insect-specific adhesion in kinetoplastid parasites. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007570. [PMID: 31356610 PMCID: PMC6687205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Kinetoplastids are a group of parasites that includes several medically-important species. These human-infective species are transmitted by insect vectors in which the parasites undergo specific developmental transformations. For each species, this includes a stage in which parasites adhere to insect tissue via a hemidesmosome-like structure. Although this structure has been described morphologically, it has never been molecularly characterized. We are using Crithidia fasciculata, an insect parasite that produces large numbers of adherent parasites inside its mosquito host, as a model kinetoplastid to investigate both the mechanism of adherence and the signals required for differentiation to an adherent form. An advantage of C. fasciculata is that adherent parasites can be generated both in vitro, allowing a direct comparison to cultured swimming forms, as well as in vivo within the mosquito. Using RNAseq, we identify genes associated with adherence in C. fasciculata. As almost all of these genes have orthologs in other kinetoplastid species, our findings may reveal shared mechanisms of adherence, allowing investigation of a crucial step in parasite development and disease transmission. In addition, dual-RNAseq allowed us to explore the interaction between the parasites and the mosquito. Although the infection is well-tolerated, anti-microbial peptides and other components of the mosquito innate immune system are upregulated. Our findings indicate that C. fasciculata is a powerful model system for probing kinetoplastid-insect interactions. Kinetoplastids are single-celled parasites that cause devastating human diseases worldwide. Although this group includes many species that infect a variety of hosts, they have a great deal of shared biology. One relatively unexplored aspect of the kinetoplastid life cycle is their ability to adhere to insect tissue. For pathogenic species, adherence is critical for transmission by insect vectors. We have used an insect parasite called Crithidia fasciculata as a model kinetoplastid to reveal shared mechanisms of insect adherence. We have compared gene expression profiles of motile, non-adherent C. fasciculata to those of C. fasciculata adhered to non-living substrates and those attached to the hindgut of mosquitoes. Through this analysis, we have identified a large number of candidate proteins that may mediate adhesion in these and related parasites. In addition, our findings suggest that the mosquito immune system is responding to the presence of parasites in the gut. These results establish a new, robust system to explore the interaction between kinetoplastids and their insect hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- John N. Filosa
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Corbett T. Berry
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gordon Ruthel
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Stephen M. Beverley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Wesley C. Warren
- University of Missouri, Bond Life Sciences Center, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Chad Tomlinson
- McDonnell Genome Institute, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Myler
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Informatics and Medical Education, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. Dudkin
- Department of Biology, Penn State Brandywine, Media, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Megan L. Povelones
- Department of Biology, Penn State Brandywine, Media, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MLP); (MP)
| | - Michael Povelones
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MLP); (MP)
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Cámara MDLM, Balouz V, Centeno Cameán C, Cori CR, Kashiwagi GA, Gil SA, Macchiaverna NP, Cardinal MV, Guaimas F, Lobo MM, de Lederkremer RM, Gallo-Rodriguez C, Buscaglia CA. Trypanosoma cruzi surface mucins are involved in the attachment to the Triatoma infestans rectal ampoule. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007418. [PMID: 31107901 PMCID: PMC6544316 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas disease, is a protozoan parasite transmitted to humans by blood-sucking triatomine vectors. However, and despite its utmost biological and epidemiological relevance, T. cruzi development inside the digestive tract of the insect remains a poorly understood process. Methods/Principle findings Here we showed that Gp35/50 kDa mucins, the major surface glycoproteins from T. cruzi insect-dwelling forms, are involved in parasite attachment to the internal cuticle of the triatomine rectal ampoule, a critical step leading to its differentiation into mammal-infective forms. Experimental evidence supporting this conclusion could be summarized as follows: i) native and recombinant Gp35/50 kDa mucins directly interacted with hindgut tissues from Triatoma infestans, as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence assays; ii) transgenic epimastigotes over-expressing Gp35/50 kDa mucins on their surface coat exhibited improved attachment rates (~2–3 fold) to such tissues as compared to appropriate transgenic controls and/or wild-type counterparts; and iii) certain chemically synthesized compounds derived from Gp35/50 kDa mucins were able to specifically interfere with epimastigote attachment to the inner lining of T. infestans rectal ampoules in ex vivo binding assays, most likely by competing with or directly blocking insect receptor(s). A solvent-exposed peptide (smugS peptide) from the Gp35/50 kDa mucins protein scaffolds and a branched, Galf-containing trisaccharide (Galfβ1–4[Galpβ1–6]GlcNAcα) from their O-linked glycans were identified as main adhesion determinants for these molecules. Interestingly, exogenous addition of a synthetic Galfβ1–4[Galpβ1–6]GlcNAcα derivative or of oligosaccharides containing this structure impaired the attachment of Dm28c but not of CL Brener epimastigotes to triatomine hindgut tissues; which correlates with the presence of Galf residues on the Gp35/50 kDa mucins’ O-glycans on the former but not the latter parasite clone. Conclusion/Significance These results provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying T. cruzi-triatomine interplay, and indicate that inter-strain variations in the O-glycosylation of Gp35/50 kDa mucins may lead to differences in parasite differentiation and hence, in parasite transmissibility to the mammalian host. Most importantly, our findings point to Gp35/50 kDa mucins and/or the Galf biosynthetic pathway, which is absent in mammals and insects, as appealing targets for the development of T. cruzi transmission-blocking strategies. Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a life-long and debilitating neglected illness of major significance to Latin America public health, for which no vaccine or adequate drugs are yet available. In this scenario, identification of novel drug targets and/or strategies aimed at controlling parasite transmission are urgently needed. By using ex vivo binding assays together with different biochemical and genetic approaches, we herein show that Gp35/50 kDa mucins, the major T. cruzi epimastigote surface glycoproteins, specifically adhere to the internal cuticle of the rectal ampoule of the triatomine vector, a critical step leading to their differentiation into mammal-infective metacyclic forms. Ex vivo binding assays in the presence of chemically synthesized analogs allowed the identification of a solvent-exposed peptide and a branched, galactofuranose (Galf)-containing trisaccharide (Galfβ1–4[Galpβ1–6]GlcNAcα) as major Gp35/50 kDa mucins adhesion determinants. Overall, these results provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the complex T. cruzi-triatomine interplay. In addition, and since the presence of Galf-based glycotopes on the O-glycans of Gp35/50 kDa mucins is restricted to certain parasite strains/clones, they also indicate that the Galfβ1–4[Galpβ1–6]GlcNAcα motif may contribute to the well-established phenotypic variability among T. cruzi isolates. Most importantly, and taking into account that Galf residues are not found in mammals, we propose Gp35/50 kDa mucins and/or Galf biosynthesis as appealing and novel targets for the development of T. cruzi transmission-blocking strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- María de los Milagros Cámara
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECh), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) and Consejo Nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Virginia Balouz
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECh), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) and Consejo Nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Camila Centeno Cameán
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECh), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) and Consejo Nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carmen R. Cori
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-UBA, Centro de Investigación en Hidratos de Carbono (CIHIDECAR), C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo A. Kashiwagi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-UBA, Centro de Investigación en Hidratos de Carbono (CIHIDECAR), C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago A. Gil
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-UBA, Centro de Investigación en Hidratos de Carbono (CIHIDECAR), C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Paula Macchiaverna
- Laboratorio de Eco-Epidemiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires e Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), UBA-CONICET, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marta Victoria Cardinal
- Laboratorio de Eco-Epidemiología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires e Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), UBA-CONICET, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Guaimas
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECh), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) and Consejo Nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maite Mabel Lobo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECh), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) and Consejo Nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rosa M. de Lederkremer
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-UBA, Centro de Investigación en Hidratos de Carbono (CIHIDECAR), C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carola Gallo-Rodriguez
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Orgánica, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
- CONICET-UBA, Centro de Investigación en Hidratos de Carbono (CIHIDECAR), C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos A. Buscaglia
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (IIB-INTECh), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM) and Consejo Nacional de investigaciones científicas y técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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10
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Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease, a vector-borne disease. The parasite molecules involved in vector interaction have been little investigated. Metallopeptidases and gp63 molecules have been implicated in parasite adhesion of several trypanosomatids to the insect midgut. Although gp63 homologues are highly expanded in the T. cruzi genome, and are implicated in parasite–mammalian host interaction, its role in the insect vector has never been explored. Here, we showed that divalent metal chelators or anti-Tcgp63-I antibodies impaired T. cruzi adhesion to Rhodnius prolixus midgut. Parasites isolated after insect colonization presented a drastic enhancement in the expression of Tcgp63-I. These data highlight, for the first time, that Tcgp63-I and Zn-dependent enzymes contribute to the interaction of T. cruzi with the insect vector.
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11
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Castro Neto AL, Brito ANALM, Rezende AM, Magalhães FB, de Melo Neto OP. In silico characterization of multiple genes encoding the GP63 virulence protein from Leishmania braziliensis: identification of sources of variation and putative roles in immune evasion. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:118. [PMID: 30732584 PMCID: PMC6367770 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5465-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The leishmaniasis are parasitic diseases caused by protozoans of the genus Leishmania, highly divergent eukaryotes, characterized by unique biological features. To survive in both the mammalian hosts and insect vectors, these pathogens make use of a number of mechanisms, many of which are associated with parasite specific proteases. The metalloprotease GP63, the major Leishmania surface antigen, has been found to have multiple functions required for the parasite’s survival. GP63 is encoded by multiple genes and their copy numbers vary considerably between different species and are increased in those from the subgenus Viannia, including L. braziliensis. Results By comparing multiple sequences from Leishmania and related organisms this study sought to characterize paralogs in silico, evaluating their differences and similarities and the implications for the GP63 function. The Leishmania GP63 genes are encoded on chromosomes 10, 28 and 31, with the genes from the latter two chromosomes more related to genes found in insect or plant parasites. Those from chromosome 10 have experienced independent expansions in numbers in Leishmania, especially in L. braziliensis. These could be clustered in three groups associated with different mRNA 3′ untranslated regions as well as distinct C-terminal ends for the encoded proteins, with presumably distinct expression patterns and subcellular localizations. Sequence variations between the chromosome 10 genes were linked to intragenic recombination events, mapped to the external surface of the proteins and predicted to be immunogenic, implying a role against the host immune response. Conclusions Our results suggest a greater role for the sequence variation found among the chromosome 10 GP63 genes, possibly related to the pathogenesis of L. braziliensis and closely related species within the mammalian host. They also indicate different functions associated to genes mapped to different chromosomes. For the chromosome 10 genes, variable subcellular localizations were found to be most likely associated with multiple functions and target substrates for this versatile protease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5465-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur L Castro Neto
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.,Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Adriana N A L M Brito
- Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Antonio M Rezende
- Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Franklin B Magalhães
- Centro Universitário Tabosa de Almeida - ASCES/UNITA, Caruaru, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Osvaldo P de Melo Neto
- Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz-Pernambuco), Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
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12
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In vitro selection of Phytomonas serpens cells resistant to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170: alterations in fitness and expression of the major peptidases and efflux pumps. Parasitology 2017; 145:355-370. [PMID: 29039273 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017001561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The species Phytomonas serpens is known to express some molecules displaying similarity to those described in trypanosomatids pathogenic to humans, such as peptidases from Trypanosoma cruzi (cruzipain) and Leishmania spp. (gp63). In this work, a population of P. serpens resistant to the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 at 70 µ m (MDLR population) was selected by culturing promastigotes in increasing concentrations of the drug. The only relevant ultrastructural difference between wild-type (WT) and MDLR promastigotes was the presence of microvesicles within the flagellar pocket of the latter. MDLR population also showed an increased reactivity to anti-cruzipain antibody as well as a higher papain-like proteolytic activity, while the expression of calpain-like molecules cross-reactive to anti-Dm-calpain (from Drosophila melanogaster) antibody and calcium-dependent cysteine peptidase activity were decreased. Gp63-like molecules also presented a diminished expression in MDLR population, which is probably correlated to the reduction in the parasite adhesion to the salivary glands of the insect vector Oncopeltus fasciatus. A lower accumulation of Rhodamine 123 was detected in MDLR cells when compared with the WT population, a phenotype that was reversed when MDLR cells were treated with cyclosporin A and verapamil. Collectively, our results may help in the understanding of the roles of calpain inhibitors in trypanosomatids.
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13
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Soares RP, Altoé ECF, Ennes-Vidal V, da Costa SM, Rangel EF, de Souza NA, da Silva VC, Volf P, d'Avila-Levy CM. In Vitro Inhibition of Leishmania Attachment to Sandfly Midguts and LL-5 Cells by Divalent Metal Chelators, Anti-gp63 and Phosphoglycans. Protist 2017; 168:326-334. [PMID: 28472733 DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum are the causative agents of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis, respectively. Several aspects of the vector-parasite interaction involving gp63 and phosphoglycans have been individually assayed in different studies. However, their role under the same experimental conditions was not studied yet. Here, the roles of divalent metal chelators, anti-gp63 antibodies and purified type I phosphoglycans (PGs) were evaluated during in vitro parasite attachment to the midgut of the vector. Parasites were treated with divalent metal chelators or anti-gp63 antibodies prior to the interaction with Lutzomyia longipalpis/Lutzomyia intermedia midguts or sand fly LL-5 cells. In vitro binding system was used to examine the role of PG and gp63 in parallel. Treatment with divalent metal chelators reduced Le. infantum adhesion to the Lu. longipalpis midguts. The most effective compound (Phen) inhibited the binding in both vectors. Similar results were observed in the interaction between both Leishmania species and the cell line LL-5. Finally, parallel experiments using anti-gp63-treated parasites and PG-incubated midguts demonstrated that both approaches substantially inhibited attachment in the natural parasite-vector pairs Le. infantum/Lu. longipalpis and Le. braziliensis/Lu. intermedia. Our results suggest that gp63 and/or PG are involved in parasite attachment to the midgut of these important vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Pedro Soares
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | - Ellen Cristina Félix Altoé
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vítor Ennes-Vidal
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Simone M da Costa
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Vigilância Entomológica em Diptera e Hemiptera/LIVEDIH/IOC, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Ferreira Rangel
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Vigilância Entomológica em Diptera e Hemiptera/LIVEDIH/IOC, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nataly Araújo de Souza
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Vigilância Entomológica em Diptera e Hemiptera/LIVEDIH/IOC, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vanderlei Campos da Silva
- Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Vigilância Entomológica em Diptera e Hemiptera/LIVEDIH/IOC, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Claudia Masini d'Avila-Levy
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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14
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Queiroz RML, Ricart CAO, Machado MO, Bastos IMD, de Santana JM, de Sousa MV, Roepstorff P, Charneau S. Insight into the Exoproteome of the Tissue-Derived Trypomastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi. Front Chem 2016; 4:42. [PMID: 27872839 PMCID: PMC5097913 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2016.00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas disease, one of the major neglected infectious diseases. It has the potential to infect any nucleated mammalian cell. The secreted/excreted protein repertoire released by T. cruzi trypomastigotes is crucial in host-pathogen interactions. In this study, mammalian tissue culture-derived trypomastigotes (Y strain) were used to characterize the exoproteome of the infective bloodstream life form. Proteins released into the serum-free culture medium after 3 h of incubation were harvested and digested with trypsin. NanoLC-MS/MS analysis resulted in the identification of 540 proteins, the largest set of released proteins identified to date in Trypanosoma spp. Bioinformatic analysis predicted most identified proteins as secreted, predominantly by non-classical pathways, and involved in host-cell infection. Some proteins possess predicted GPI-anchor signals, these being mostly trans-sialidases, mucin associated surface proteins and surface glycoproteins. Moreover, we enriched phosphopeptides and glycopeptides from tryptic digests. The majority of identified glycoproteins are trans-sialidases and surface glycoproteins involved in host-parasite interaction. Conversely, most identified phosphoproteins have no Gene Ontology classification. The existence of various proteins related to similar functions in the exoproteome likely reflects this parasite's enhanced mechanisms for adhesion, invasion, and internalization of different host-cell types, and escape from immune defenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayner M L Queiroz
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Protein Chemistry, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern DenmarkOdense, Denmark
| | - Carlos A O Ricart
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Protein Chemistry, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia , Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Mara O Machado
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Protein Chemistry, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia , Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Izabela M D Bastos
- Laboratory of Host-Pathogen Interaction, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Jaime M de Santana
- Laboratory of Host-Pathogen Interaction, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Marcelo V de Sousa
- Laboratory of Host-Pathogen Interaction, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia Brasilia, Brazil
| | - Peter Roepstorff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark Odense, Denmark
| | - Sébastien Charneau
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Protein Chemistry, Department of Cell Biology, University of Brasilia , Brasilia, Brazil
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15
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de Oliveira SSC, Garcia-Gomes ADS, d'Avila-Levy CM, dos Santos ALS, Branquinha MH. Expression of calpain-like proteins and effects of calpain inhibitors on the growth rate of Angomonas deanei wild type and aposymbiotic strains. BMC Microbiol 2015; 15:188. [PMID: 26415499 PMCID: PMC4587752 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-015-0519-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Angomonas deanei is a trypanosomatid parasite of insects that has a bacterial endosymbiont, which supplies amino acids and other nutrients to its host. Bacterium loss induced by antibiotic treatment of the protozoan leads to an aposymbiotic strain with increased need for amino acids and results in increased production of extracellular peptidases. In this work, a more detailed examination of A. deanei was conducted to determine the effects of endosymbiont loss on the host calpain-like proteins (CALPs), followed by testing of different calpain inhibitors on parasite proliferation. Results Western blotting showed the presence of different protein bands reactive to antibodies against calpain from Drosophila melanogaster (anti-Dm-calpain), lobster calpain (anti-CDPIIb) and cytoskeleton-associated calpain from Trypanosoma brucei (anti-CAP5.5), suggesting a possible modulation of CALPs influenced by the endosymbiont. In the cell-free culture supernatant of A. deanei wild type and aposymbiotic strains, a protein of 80 kDa cross-reacted with the anti-Dm-calpain antibody; however, no cross-reactivity was found with anti-CAP5.5 and anti-CDPIIb antibodies. A search in A. deanei genome for homologues of D. melanogaster calpain, T. brucei CAP5.5 and lobster CDPIIb calpain revealed the presence of hits with at least one calpain conserved domain and also with theoretical molecular mass consistent with the recognition by each antibody. No significant hit was observed in the endosymbiont genome, indicating that calpain molecules might be absent from the symbiont. Flow cytometry analysis of cells treated with the anti-calpain antibodies showed that a larger amount of reactive epitopes was located intracellularly. The reversible calpain inhibitor MDL28170 displayed a much higher efficacy in diminishing the growth of both strains compared to the non-competitive calpain inhibitor PD150606, while the irreversible calpain inhibitor V only marginally diminished the proliferation. Conclusions Altogether, these results indicate that distinct calpain-like molecules are expressed by A. deanei, with a possible modulation in the expression influenced by the endosymbiont. In addition, treatment with MDL28170 affects the growth rate of both strains, as previously determined in the human pathogenic species Leishmania amazonensis and Trypanosoma cruzi, with whom A. deanei shares immunological and biochemical relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Santiago Carvalho de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Investigação de Peptidases, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Aline dos Santos Garcia-Gomes
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Coleção de Protozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. .,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia - Campus Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Claudia Masini d'Avila-Levy
- Laboratório de Estudos Integrados em Protozoologia, Coleção de Protozoários, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - André Luis Souza dos Santos
- Laboratório de Investigação de Peptidases, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marta Helena Branquinha
- Laboratório de Investigação de Peptidases, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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16
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Ravoet J, Schwarz RS, Descamps T, Yañez O, Tozkar CO, Martin-Hernandez R, Bartolomé C, De Smet L, Higes M, Wenseleers T, Schmid-Hempel R, Neumann P, Kadowaki T, Evans JD, de Graaf DC. Differential diagnosis of the honey bee trypanosomatids Crithidia mellificae and Lotmaria passim. J Invertebr Pathol 2015; 130:21-7. [PMID: 26146231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jip.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 06/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Trypanosomatids infecting honey bees have been poorly studied with molecular methods until recently. After the description of Crithidia mellificae (Langridge and McGhee, 1967) it took about forty years until molecular data for honey bee trypanosomatids became available and were used to identify and describe a new trypanosomatid species from honey bees, Lotmaria passim (Evans and Schwarz, 2014). However, an easy method to distinguish them without sequencing is not yet available. Research on the related bumble bee parasites Crithidia bombi and Crithidia expoeki revealed a fragment length polymorphism in the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), which enabled species discrimination. In search of fragment length polymorphisms for differential diagnostics in honey bee trypanosomatids, we studied honey bee trypanosomatid cell cultures of C. mellificae and L. passim. This research resulted in the identification of fragment length polymorphisms in ITS1 and ITS1-2 markers, which enabled us to develop a diagnostic method to differentiate both honey bee trypanosomatid species without the need for sequencing. However, the amplification success of the ITS1 marker depends probably on the trypanosomatid infection level. Further investigation confirmed that L. passim is the dominant species in Belgium, Japan and Switzerland. We found C. mellificae only rarely in Belgian honey bee samples, but not in honey bee samples from other countries. C. mellificae was also detected in mason bees (Osmia bicornis and Osmia cornuta) besides in honey bees. Further, the characterization and comparison of additional markers from L. passim strain SF (published as C. mellificae strain SF) and a Belgian honey bee sample revealed very low divergence in the 18S rRNA, ITS1-2, 28S rRNA and cytochrome b sequences. Nevertheless, a variable stretch was observed in the gp63 virulence factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorgen Ravoet
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Ryan S Schwarz
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - East, Beltsville, United States
| | - Tine Descamps
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Orlando Yañez
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cansu Ozge Tozkar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Carolina Bartolomé
- Medicina Xenómica, CIMUS, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Xenómica Comparada de Parásitos Humanos, IDIS, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lina De Smet
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mariano Higes
- Bee Pathology Laboratory, Centro Apícola Regional, Marchamalo, Spain
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, K.U. Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Regula Schmid-Hempel
- Institute of Integrative Biology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Neumann
- Institute of Bee Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tatsuhiko Kadowaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jay D Evans
- USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - East, Beltsville, United States
| | - Dirk C de Graaf
- Laboratory of Molecular Entomology and Bee Pathology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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