1
|
Aranda-Chan V, Cárdenas-Guerra RE, Otero-Pedraza A, Pacindo-Cabrales EE, Flores-Pucheta CI, Montes-Flores O, Arroyo R, Ortega-López J. Insights into Peptidyl-Prolyl cis- trans Isomerases from Clinically Important Protozoans: From Structure to Potential Biotechnological Applications. Pathogens 2024; 13:644. [PMID: 39204244 PMCID: PMC11357558 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13080644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIases) are present in a wide variety of microorganisms, including protozoan parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, Trichomonas vaginalis, Leishmania major, Leishmania donovani, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, and Cryptosporidium hominis, all of which cause important neglected diseases. PPIases are classified as cyclophilins, FKBPs, or parvulins and play crucial roles in catalyzing the cis-trans isomerization of the peptide bond preceding a proline residue. This activity assists in correct protein folding. However, experimentally, the biological structure-function characterization of PPIases from these protozoan parasites has been poorly addressed. The recombinant production of these enzymes is highly relevant for this ongoing research. Thus, this review explores the structural diversity, functions, recombinant production, activity, and inhibition of protozoan PPIases. We also highlight their potential as biotechnological tools for the in vitro refolding of other recombinant proteins from these parasites. These applications are invaluable for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verónica Aranda-Chan
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (V.A.-C.); (R.E.C.-G.); (A.O.-P.); (E.E.P.-C.); (C.I.F.-P.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Rosa Elena Cárdenas-Guerra
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (V.A.-C.); (R.E.C.-G.); (A.O.-P.); (E.E.P.-C.); (C.I.F.-P.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Alejandro Otero-Pedraza
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (V.A.-C.); (R.E.C.-G.); (A.O.-P.); (E.E.P.-C.); (C.I.F.-P.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Esdras Enoc Pacindo-Cabrales
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (V.A.-C.); (R.E.C.-G.); (A.O.-P.); (E.E.P.-C.); (C.I.F.-P.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Claudia Ivonne Flores-Pucheta
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (V.A.-C.); (R.E.C.-G.); (A.O.-P.); (E.E.P.-C.); (C.I.F.-P.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Octavio Montes-Flores
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (V.A.-C.); (R.E.C.-G.); (A.O.-P.); (E.E.P.-C.); (C.I.F.-P.); (O.M.-F.)
| | - Rossana Arroyo
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico;
| | - Jaime Ortega-López
- Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioingeniería, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV-IPN), Av. IPN # 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico; (V.A.-C.); (R.E.C.-G.); (A.O.-P.); (E.E.P.-C.); (C.I.F.-P.); (O.M.-F.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sharp PM, Plenderleith LJ, Culleton RL, Hahn BH. Origin of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:562-572. [PMID: 38806300 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
The geographic origin of Plasmodium vivax, a leading cause of human malaria, has been the subject of much speculation. Here we review the evolutionary history of P. vivax and P. vivax-like parasites in humans and non-human primates on three continents, providing overwhelming evidence for an African origin. This conclusion is consistent with recent reports showing that Duffy-negative humans in Africa are, in fact, susceptible to P. vivax, with parasites invading Duffy-antigen-expressing erythroid precursors. Thus, the African origin of P. vivax not only explains the distribution of the Duffy-negative genotype but also provides new insight into the history and status of P. vivax malaria in Africa and efforts geared toward its eradication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Sharp
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK; Centre for Immunity, Infection, and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
| | | | - Richard L Culleton
- Division of Parasitology, Proteo-Science Centre, Ehime University, 454 Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan
| | - Beatrice H Hahn
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rougeron V, Daron J, Fontaine MC, Prugnolle F. Evolutionary history of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium simium in the Americas. Malar J 2022; 21:141. [PMID: 35505431 PMCID: PMC9066938 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04132-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human-infecting species in the Americas. However, the origins of this parasite in this continent are still debated. Similarly, it is now accepted that the existence of Plasmodium simium is explained by a P. vivax transfer from humans to monkey in America. However, many uncertainties still exist concerning the origin of the transfer and whether several transfers occurred. In this review, the most recent studies that addressed these questions using genetic and genomic approaches are presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Rougeron
- International Research Laboratory, REHABS, CNRS-NMU-UCBL, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa.
| | - Josquin Daron
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900, rue Jean-François Breton, 34900, Montpellier, France
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Laboratory MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 900, rue Jean-François Breton, 34900, Montpellier, France.,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- International Research Laboratory, REHABS, CNRS-NMU-UCBL, George Campus, Nelson Mandela University, George, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Daron J, Boissière A, Boundenga L, Ngoubangoye B, Houze S, Arnathau C, Sidobre C, Trape JF, Durand P, Renaud F, Fontaine MC, Prugnolle F, Rougeron V. Population genomic evidence of Plasmodium vivax Southeast Asian origin. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/18/eabc3713. [PMID: 33910900 PMCID: PMC8081369 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc3713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the most common and widespread human malaria parasite. It was recently proposed that P. vivax originates from sub-Saharan Africa based on the circulation of its closest genetic relatives (P. vivax-like) among African great apes. However, the limited number of genetic markers and samples investigated questions the robustness of this hypothesis. Here, we extensively characterized the genomic variations of 447 human P. vivax strains and 19 ape P. vivax-like strains collected worldwide. Phylogenetic relationships between human and ape Plasmodium strains revealed that P. vivax is a sister clade of P. vivax-like, not included within the radiation of P. vivax-like By investigating various aspects of P. vivax genetic variation, we identified several notable geographical patterns in summary statistics in function of the increasing geographic distance from Southeast Asia, suggesting that P. vivax may have derived from a single area in Asia through serial founder effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josquin Daron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.
| | - Anne Boissière
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, France
| | - Larson Boundenga
- Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | | | - Sandrine Houze
- Service de Parasitologie-mycologie CNR du Paludisme, AP-HP Hôpital Bichat, 46 rue H. Huchard, 75877 Paris Cedex 18, France
| | - Celine Arnathau
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, France
| | - Christine Sidobre
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-François Trape
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Durand
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, France
| | - François Renaud
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, France
| | - Michael C Fontaine
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, France
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103 CC, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie Rougeron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France.
- Centre of Research in Ecology and Evolution of Diseases (CREES), Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ba H, Auburn S, Jacob CG, Goncalves S, Duffy CW, Stewart LB, Price RN, Deh YB, Diallo MY, Tandia A, Kwiatkowski DP, Conway DJ. Multi-locus genotyping reveals established endemicity of a geographically distinct Plasmodium vivax population in Mauritania, West Africa. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008945. [PMID: 33326439 PMCID: PMC7773413 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium vivax has been recently discovered as a significant cause of malaria in Mauritania, although very rare elsewhere in West Africa. It has not been known if this is a recently introduced or locally remnant parasite population, nor whether the genetic structure reflects epidemic or endemic transmission. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS To investigate the P. vivax population genetic structure in Mauritania and compare with populations previously analysed elsewhere, multi-locus genotyping was undertaken on 100 clinical isolates, using a genome-wide panel of 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), plus seven SNPs in drug resistance genes. The Mauritanian P. vivax population is shown to be genetically diverse and divergent from populations elsewhere, indicated consistently by genetic distance matrix analysis, principal components analyses, and fixation indices. Only one isolate had a genotype clearly indicating recent importation, from a southeast Asian source. There was no linkage disequilibrium in the local parasite population, and only a small number of infections appeared to be closely genetically related, indicating that there is ongoing genetic recombination consistent with endemic transmission. The P. vivax diversity in a remote mining town was similar to that in the capital Nouakchott, with no indication of local substructure or of epidemic population structure. Drug resistance alleles were virtually absent in Mauritania, in contrast with P. vivax in other areas of the world. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The molecular epidemiology indicates that there is long-standing endemic transmission that will be very challenging to eliminate. The virtual absence of drug resistance alleles suggests that most infections have been untreated, and that this endemic infection has been more neglected in comparison to P. vivax elsewhere.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hampate Ba
- Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique, Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | | | - Sonia Goncalves
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Craig W. Duffy
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lindsay B. Stewart
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ric N. Price
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Yacine Boubou Deh
- Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique, Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | | | - Abderahmane Tandia
- Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique, Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | | | - David J. Conway
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pacheco MA, Ceríaco LMP, Matta NE, Vargas-Ramírez M, Bauer AM, Escalante AA. A phylogenetic study of Haemocystidium parasites and other Haemosporida using complete mitochondrial genome sequences. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104576. [PMID: 33002605 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporida are diverse vector-borne parasites associated with terrestrial vertebrates. Driven by the interest in species causing malaria (genus Plasmodium), the diversity of avian and mammalian haemosporidian species has been extensively studied, relying mostly on mitochondrial genes, particularly cytochrome b. However, parasites from reptiles have been neglected in biodiversity surveys. Reptilian haemosporidian parasites include Haemocystidium, a genus that shares morphological features with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Here, the first complete Haemocystidium mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes are studied. In particular, three mtDNA genomes from Haemocystidium spp. sampled in Africa, Oceania, and South America, are described. The Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes showed a high A + T content and a gene organization, including an extreme fragmentation of the rRNAs, found in other Haemosporida. These Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes were incorporated in phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses together with a representative sample of haemosporidian parasites from birds, mammals, and reptiles. The recovered phylogeny supported Haemocystidium as a monophyletic group apart from Plasmodium and other Haemosporida. Both the phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses yielded results consistent with a scenario in which haemosporidian parasites radiated with modern birds. Haemocystidium, like mammalian parasite clades, seems to originate from host switches by avian Haemosporida that allowed for the colonization of new vertebrate hosts. This hypothesis can be tested by investigating additional parasite species from all vertebrate hosts, particularly from reptiles. The mtDNA genomes reported here provide baseline data that can be used to scale up studies in haemosporidian parasites of reptiles using barcode approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA
| | - Luis M P Ceríaco
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Praça de Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Zoologia e Antropología (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mario Vargas-Ramírez
- Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085-1699, USA
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Rougeron V, Elguero E, Arnathau C, Acuña Hidalgo B, Durand P, Houze S, Berry A, Zakeri S, Haque R, Shafiul Alam M, Nosten F, Severini C, Gebru Woldearegai T, Mordmüller B, Kremsner PG, González-Cerón L, Fontecha G, Gamboa D, Musset L, Legrand E, Noya O, Pumpaibool T, Harnyuttanakorn P, Lekweiry KM, Mohamad Albsheer M, Mahdi Abdel Hamid M, Boukary AOMS, Trape JF, Renaud F, Prugnolle F. Human Plasmodium vivax diversity, population structure and evolutionary origin. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008072. [PMID: 32150544 PMCID: PMC7082039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 200 million malaria clinical cases are reported each year due to Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread Plasmodium species in the world. This species has been neglected and understudied for a long time, due to its lower mortality in comparison with Plasmodium falciparum. A renewed interest has emerged in the past decade with the discovery of antimalarial drug resistance and of severe and even fatal human cases. Nonetheless, today there are still significant gaps in our understanding of the population genetics and evolutionary history of P. vivax, particularly because of a lack of genetic data from Africa. To address these gaps, we genotyped 14 microsatellite loci in 834 samples obtained from 28 locations in 20 countries from around the world. We discuss the worldwide population genetic structure and diversity and the evolutionary origin of P. vivax in the world and its introduction into the Americas. This study demonstrates the importance of conducting genome-wide analyses of P. vivax in order to unravel its complex evolutionary history. Among the five Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. vivax is the most prevalent parasite outside Africa. To date, there has been less research on this species than for Plasmodium falciparum, a more lethal species, principally because of the lack of an in vitro culture system and also because P. vivax is considered relatively benign. Nevertheless, P. vivax is responsible for severe and incapacitating clinical symptoms with significant effects on human health. The emergence of new drug resistance and the discovery of severe and even fatal cases due to P. vivax question the benign status of P. vivax malaria. In recent years, there has been increased interest in characterizing the distribution of genetic variation in P. vivax. However, these studies either generated genetic information from a regional geographic scale or combine genetic datasets generated in different molecular platforms, which is known to generate biased results. In this study, we used a single genotyping platform to genotype 14 microsatellite markers in 834 samples of P. vivax obtained from 28 locations in 20 countries from around the world, including several populations from East and West Africa. We discuss the worldwide population genetic structure and the evolutionary origins of P. vivax, as well as its introduction into the Americas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Rougeron
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Eric Elguero
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
| | - Céline Arnathau
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
| | - Beatriz Acuña Hidalgo
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Durand
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
| | - Sandrine Houze
- Service de Parasitologie-mycologie CNR du Paludisme, AP-HP Hôpital Bichat, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Berry
- Centre de Physiopathologie de Toulouse-Purpan (CPTP), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) UMR1043, CNRS UMR5282, Université de Toulouse Paul Sabatier, F-31300 Toulouse, France
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, F-31300 Toulouse, France
| | - Sedigheh Zakeri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rashidul Haque
- Emerging Infections & Parasitology Laboratory, icddr,b, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Shafiul Alam
- Emerging Infections & Parasitology Laboratory, icddr,b, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - François Nosten
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health,Oxford, United Kingdom
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Carlo Severini
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Tamirat Gebru Woldearegai
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Medical and Health Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Benjamin Mordmüller
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Lilia González-Cerón
- Regional Centre of Research in Public Health, National Institute of Public Health, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Fontecha
- Microbiology Research Institute, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | - Dionicia Gamboa
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, AP, Lima, Peru
| | - Lise Musset
- Unit, Institut Pasteur de Guyane, BP6010, French Guiana
| | - Eric Legrand
- Malaria Genetic and Resistance Group, Biology of Host-Parasite Interactions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Oscar Noya
- Centro para Estudios Sobre Malaria, Instituto de Altos Estudios en Salud “Dr. Arnoldo Gabaldón”, Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud and Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Tepanata Pumpaibool
- Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Malaria Research Programme, College of Public Health Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pingchai Harnyuttanakorn
- Malaria Research Programme, College of Public Health Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Khadijetou Mint Lekweiry
- UR-Génomes et milieux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Nouakchott Al-Aasriya, Mauritania
| | - Musab Mohamad Albsheer
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Medical Campus, University of Khartoum, Sudan
| | | | - Ali Ould Mohamed Salem Boukary
- UR-Génomes et milieux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Nouakchott Al-Aasriya, Mauritania
- Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France
| | - Jean-François Trape
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
| | - François Renaud
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- Laboratoire MIVEGEC (Université de Montpellier-CNRS-IRD), CREES, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Abstract
Malaria is a vector-borne disease that involves multiple parasite species in a variety of ecological settings. However, the parasite species causing the disease, the prevalence of subclinical infections, the emergence of drug resistance, the scale-up of interventions, and the ecological factors affecting malaria transmission, among others, are aspects that vary across areas where malaria is endemic. Such complexities have propelled the study of parasite genetic diversity patterns in the context of epidemiologic investigations. Importantly, molecular studies indicate that the time and spatial distribution of malaria cases reflect epidemiologic processes that cannot be fully understood without characterizing the evolutionary forces shaping parasite population genetic patterns. Although broad in scope, this review in the Microbiology Spectrum Curated Collection: Advances in Molecular Epidemiology highlights the need for understanding population genetic concepts when interpreting parasite molecular data. First, we discuss malaria complexity in terms of the parasite species involved. Second, we describe how molecular data are changing our understanding of malaria incidence and infectiousness. Third, we compare different approaches to generate parasite genetic information in the context of epidemiologically relevant questions related to malaria control. Finally, we describe a few Plasmodium genomic studies as evidence of how these approaches will provide new insights into the malaria disease dynamics. *This article is part of a curated collection.
Collapse
|
9
|
Camargo-Ayala PA, Garzón-Ospina D, Moreno-Pérez DA, Ricaurte-Contreras LA, Noya O, Patarroyo MA. On the Evolution and Function of Plasmodium vivax Reticulocyte Binding Surface Antigen ( pvrbsa). Front Genet 2018; 9:372. [PMID: 30250483 PMCID: PMC6139305 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The RBSA protein is encoded by a gene described in Plasmodium species having tropism for reticulocytes. Since this protein is antigenic in natural infections and can bind to target cells, it has been proposed as a potential candidate for an anti-Plasmodium vivax vaccine. However, genetic diversity (a challenge which must be overcome for ensuring fully effective vaccine design) has not been described at this locus. Likewise, the minimum regions mediating specific parasite-host interaction have not been determined. This is why the rbsa gene’s evolutionary history is being here described, as well as the P. vivax rbsa (pvrbsa) genetic diversity and the specific regions mediating parasite adhesion to reticulocytes. Unlike what has previously been reported, rbsa was also present in several parasite species belonging to the monkey-malaria clade; paralogs were also found in Plasmodium parasites invading reticulocytes. The pvrbsa locus had less diversity than other merozoite surface proteins where natural selection and recombination were the main evolutionary forces involved in causing the observed polymorphism. The N-terminal end (PvRBSA-A) was conserved and under functional constraint; consequently, it was expressed as recombinant protein for binding assays. This protein fragment bound to reticulocytes whilst the C-terminus, included in recombinant PvRBSA-B (which was not under functional constraint), did not. Interestingly, two PvRBSA-A-derived peptides were able to inhibit protein binding to reticulocytes. Specific conserved and functionally important peptides within PvRBSA-A could thus be considered when designing a fully-effective vaccine against P. vivax.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola Andrea Camargo-Ayala
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.,Microbiology Postgraduate Programme, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Diego Garzón-Ospina
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.,PhD Programme in Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Darwin Andrés Moreno-Pérez
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.,Livestock Sciences Faculty, Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Oscar Noya
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Manuel A Patarroyo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunology, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.,School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gilabert A, Otto TD, Rutledge GG, Franzon B, Ollomo B, Arnathau C, Durand P, Moukodoum ND, Okouga AP, Ngoubangoye B, Makanga B, Boundenga L, Paupy C, Renaud F, Prugnolle F, Rougeron V. Plasmodium vivax-like genome sequences shed new insights into Plasmodium vivax biology and evolution. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2006035. [PMID: 30142149 PMCID: PMC6130868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2006035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Plasmodium vivax is responsible for the majority of malaria infections outside Africa, little is known about its evolution and pathway to humans. Its closest genetic relative, P. vivax-like, was discovered in African great apes and is hypothesized to have given rise to P. vivax in humans. To unravel the evolutionary history and adaptation of P. vivax to different host environments, we generated using long- and short-read sequence technologies 2 new P. vivax-like reference genomes and 9 additional P. vivax-like genotypes. Analyses show that the genomes of P. vivax and P. vivax-like are highly similar and colinear within the core regions. Phylogenetic analyses clearly show that P. vivax-like parasites form a genetically distinct clade from P. vivax. Concerning the relative divergence dating, we show that the evolution of P. vivax in humans did not occur at the same time as the other agents of human malaria, thus suggesting that the transfer of Plasmodium parasites to humans happened several times independently over the history of the Homo genus. We further identify several key genes that exhibit signatures of positive selection exclusively in the human P. vivax parasites. Two of these genes have been identified to also be under positive selection in the other main human malaria agent, P. falciparum, thus suggesting their key role in the evolution of the ability of these parasites to infect humans or their anthropophilic vectors. Finally, we demonstrate that some gene families important for red blood cell (RBC) invasion (a key step of the life cycle of these parasites) have undergone lineage-specific evolution in the human parasite (e.g., reticulocyte-binding proteins [RBPs]).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aude Gilabert
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Thomas D. Otto
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin G. Rutledge
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Blaise Franzon
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Benjamin Ollomo
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Céline Arnathau
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Durand
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Nancy D. Moukodoum
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Alain-Prince Okouga
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | | | - Boris Makanga
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Larson Boundenga
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Christophe Paupy
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - François Renaud
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Franck Prugnolle
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Virginie Rougeron
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bourgard C, Albrecht L, Kayano ACAV, Sunnerhagen P, Costa FTM. Plasmodium vivax Biology: Insights Provided by Genomics, Transcriptomics and Proteomics. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:34. [PMID: 29473024 PMCID: PMC5809496 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decade, the vast omics field has revolutionized biological research, especially the genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics branches, as technological tools become available to the field researcher and allow difficult question-driven studies to be addressed. Parasitology has greatly benefited from next generation sequencing (NGS) projects, which have resulted in a broadened comprehension of basic parasite molecular biology, ecology and epidemiology. Malariology is one example where application of this technology has greatly contributed to a better understanding of Plasmodium spp. biology and host-parasite interactions. Among the several parasite species that cause human malaria, the neglected Plasmodium vivax presents great research challenges, as in vitro culturing is not yet feasible and functional assays are heavily limited. Therefore, there are gaps in our P. vivax biology knowledge that affect decisions for control policies aiming to eradicate vivax malaria in the near future. In this review, we provide a snapshot of key discoveries already achieved in P. vivax sequencing projects, focusing on developments, hurdles, and limitations currently faced by the research community, as well as perspectives on future vivax malaria research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Bourgard
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Letusa Albrecht
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil.,Laboratory of Regulation of Gene Expression, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Ana C A V Kayano
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Per Sunnerhagen
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Fabio T M Costa
- Laboratory of Tropical Diseases, Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cooper C, Keatley S, Northover A, Gofton AW, Brigg F, Lymbery AJ, Pallant L, Clode PL, Thompson RCA. Next generation sequencing reveals widespread trypanosome diversity and polyparasitism in marsupials from Western Australia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 7:58-67. [PMID: 29988778 PMCID: PMC6031965 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In Western Australia a number of indigenous Trypanosoma spp. infect susceptible native marsupials, such as the woylie (Bettongia penicillata), brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), and chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii). Two genotypes of Trypanosoma copemani (identified as G1 and G2) have been found in the woylie, and G2 has been implicated in the decline of this host species, making its presence of particular interest. Here we used targeted amplicon next generation sequencing (NGS) of the Trypanosoma 18S rDNA loci on 70 Trypanosoma-positive marsupial blood samples, to identify T. copemani genotypes and multiple Trypanosoma infections (polyparasitism) in woylies and cohabiting species in Western Australia. Polyparasitism with Trypanosoma spp. was found in 50% of the wildlife sampled, and within species diversity was high, with 85 zero-radius operational taxonomic units (ZOTUs) identified in nine putative parasite species. Trypanosoma copemani was assigned 17 ZOTUs and was identified in 80% of samples. The most abundant ZOTU isolated (63%) differed slightly from the published genotype of G1, and G2 was the second most abundant ZOTU (14%). Trypanosome diversity was significantly greater in woylies than in brushtail possums, and parasite community composition also differed significantly between these host species. One novel Trypanosoma spp. genotype (Trypanosoma sp. ANU2) was found in 20% of samples. A species of Crithidia was detected in a woylie, and two avian trypanosomes (Trypanosoma avium and Trypanosoma sp. AAT) were identified in woylies for the first time. Extensive trypanosome diversity and polyparasitism in south Western Australia. A significant difference between trypanosomes infecting woylies and brushtail possums. Evidence that the current species-level taxonomy of Australian trypanosomes may need revision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Cooper
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Stirling HWY, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Sarah Keatley
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Amy Northover
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Alex W Gofton
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Frances Brigg
- State Agriculture and Biotechnology Institute, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Alan J Lymbery
- Fish Health Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Louise Pallant
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Peta L Clode
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Stirling HWY, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - R C Andrew Thompson
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Lim C, Dankwa S, Paul AS, Duraisingh MT. Host Cell Tropism and Adaptation of Blood-Stage Malaria Parasites: Challenges for Malaria Elimination. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2017; 7:a025494. [PMID: 28213436 PMCID: PMC5666624 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a025494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax account for most of the mortality and morbidity associated with malaria in humans. Research and control efforts have focused on infections caused by P. falciparum and P. vivax, but have neglected other malaria parasite species that infect humans. Additionally, many related malaria parasite species infect nonhuman primates (NHPs), and have the potential for transmission to humans. For malaria elimination, the varied and specific challenges of all of these Plasmodium species will need to be considered. Recent advances in molecular genetics and genomics have increased our knowledge of the prevalence and existing diversity of the human and NHP Plasmodium species. We are beginning to identify the extent of the reservoirs of each parasite species in humans and NHPs, revealing their origins as well as potential for adaptation in humans. Here, we focus on the red blood cell stage of human infection and the host cell tropism of each human Plasmodium species. Determinants of tropism are unique among malaria parasite species, presenting a complex challenge for malaria elimination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caeul Lim
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Selasi Dankwa
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Aditya S Paul
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Barbosa AD, Gofton AW, Paparini A, Codello A, Greay T, Gillett A, Warren K, Irwin P, Ryan U. Increased genetic diversity and prevalence of co-infection with Trypanosoma spp. in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and their ticks identified using next-generation sequencing (NGS). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181279. [PMID: 28704541 PMCID: PMC5509321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections with Trypanosoma spp. have been associated with poor health and decreased survival of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), particularly in the presence of concurrent pathogens such as Chlamydia and koala retrovirus. The present study describes the application of a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based assay to characterise the prevalence and genetic diversity of trypanosome communities in koalas and two native species of ticks (Ixodes holocyclus and I. tasmani) removed from koala hosts. Among 168 koalas tested, 32.2% (95% CI: 25.2–39.8%) were positive for at least one Trypanosoma sp. Previously described Trypanosoma spp. from koalas were identified, including T. irwini (32.1%, 95% CI: 25.2–39.8%), T. gilletti (25%, 95% CI: 18.7–32.3%), T. copemani (27.4%, 95% CI: 20.8–34.8%) and T. vegrandis (10.1%, 95% CI: 6.0–15.7%). Trypanosoma noyesi was detected for the first time in koalas, although at a low prevalence (0.6% 95% CI: 0–3.3%), and a novel species (Trypanosoma sp. AB-2017) was identified at a prevalence of 4.8% (95% CI: 2.1–9.2%). Mixed infections with up to five species were present in 27.4% (95% CI: 21–35%) of the koalas, which was significantly higher than the prevalence of single infections 4.8% (95% CI: 2–9%). Overall, a considerably higher proportion (79.7%) of the Trypanosoma sequences isolated from koala blood samples were identified as T. irwini, suggesting this is the dominant species. Co-infections involving T. gilletti, T. irwini, T. copemani, T. vegrandis and Trypanosoma sp. AB-2017 were also detected in ticks, with T. gilletti and T. copemani being the dominant species within the invertebrate hosts. Direct Sanger sequencing of Trypanosoma 18S rRNA gene amplicons was also performed and results revealed that this method was only able to identify the genotypes with greater amount of reads (according to NGS) within koala samples, which highlights the advantages of NGS in detecting mixed infections. The present study provides new insights on the natural genetic diversity of Trypanosoma communities infecting koalas and constitutes a benchmark for future clinical and epidemiological studies required to quantify the contribution of trypanosome infections on koala survival rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D. Barbosa
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
- CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexander W. Gofton
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Andrea Paparini
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Annachiara Codello
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Telleasha Greay
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Amber Gillett
- Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Australia
| | - Kristin Warren
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Peter Irwin
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
| | - Una Ryan
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Flores-Alanis A, González-Cerón L, Santillán F, Ximenez C, Sandoval MA, Cerritos R. Temporal genetic changes in Plasmodium vivax apical membrane antigen 1 over 19 years of transmission in southern Mexico. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:217. [PMID: 28464959 PMCID: PMC5414334 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2156-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Mexico advanced to the pre-elimination phase in 2009 due to a significant reduction in malaria cases, and since 2000, Plasmodium vivax is the only species transmitted. During the last two decades, malaria transmission has been mostly local and isolated to a few regions. It is important to gain further insights into the impact of control measures on the parasite population structure. Hence, the aim of the current study was to determine detailed changes in P. vivax genetic diversity and population structure based on analysing the gene that encodes the apical membrane antigen 1 (pvama1). This analysis covered from control to pre-elimination (1993–2011) in a hypo-endemic region in southern Mexico. Results The 213 pvama1I-II sequences presently analysed were grouped into six periods of three years each. They showed low genetic diversity, with 15 haplotypes resolved. Among the DNA sequences, there was a gradual decrease in genetic diversity, the number of mixed genotype infections and the intensity of positive selection, in agreement with the parallel decline in malaria cases. At the same time, linkage disequilibrium (R2) increased. The three-dimensional haplotype network revealed that pvama1I-II haplotypes were separated by 1–11 mutational steps, and between one another by 0–3 unsampled haplotypes. In the temporal network, seven haplotypes were detected in at least two of the six-time layers, and only four distinct haplotypes were evidenced in the pre-elimination phase. Structure analysis indicated that three subpopulations fluctuated over time. Only 8.5% of the samples had mixed ancestry. In the pre-elimination phase, subpopulation P1 was drastically reduced, and the admixture was absent. Conclusions The results suggest that P. vivax in southern Mexico evolved based on local adaptation into three “pseudoclonal” subpopulations that diversified at the regional level and persisted over time, although with varying frequency. Control measures and climate events influenced the number of malaria cases and the genetic structure. The sharp decrease in parasite diversity and other related genetic parameters during the pre-elimination phase suggests that malaria elimination is possible in the near future. These results are useful for epidemiological surveillance. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-017-2156-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Flores-Alanis
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico
| | - Lilia González-Cerón
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Tapachula, Chiapas, 30700, Mexico.
| | - Frida Santillán
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Tapachula, Chiapas, 30700, Mexico
| | - Cecilia Ximenez
- Departamento de Medicina Experimental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, 06729, Mexico
| | - Marco A Sandoval
- Centro Regional de Investigación en Salud Pública, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Tapachula, Chiapas, 30700, Mexico
| | - René Cerritos
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fola AA, Harrison GLA, Hazairin MH, Barnadas C, Hetzel MW, Iga J, Siba PM, Mueller I, Barry AE. Higher Complexity of Infection and Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium vivax Than Plasmodium falciparum Across All Malaria Transmission Zones of Papua New Guinea. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 96:630-641. [PMID: 28070005 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax have varying transmission dynamics that are informed by molecular epidemiology. This study aimed to determine the complexity of infection and genetic diversity of P. vivax and P. falciparum throughout Papua New Guinea (PNG) to evaluate transmission dynamics across the country. In 2008-2009, a nationwide malaria indicator survey collected 8,936 samples from all 16 endemic provinces of PNG. Of these, 892 positive P. vivax samples were genotyped at PvMS16 and PvmspF3, and 758 positive P. falciparum samples were genotyped at Pfmsp2. The data were analyzed for multiplicity of infection (MOI) and genetic diversity. Overall, P. vivax had higher polyclonality (71%) and mean MOI (2.32) than P. falciparum (20%, 1.39). These measures were significantly associated with prevalence for P. falciparum but not for P. vivax. The genetic diversity of P. vivax (PvMS16: expected heterozygosity = 0.95, 0.85-0.98; PvMsp1F3: 0.78, 0.66-0.89) was higher and less variable than that of P. falciparum (Pfmsp2: 0.89, 0.65-0.97). Significant associations of MOI with allelic richness (rho = 0.69, P = 0.009) and expected heterozygosity (rho = 0.87, P < 0.001) were observed for P. falciparum. Conversely, genetic diversity was not correlated with polyclonality nor mean MOI for P. vivax. The results demonstrate higher complexity of infection and genetic diversity of P. vivax across the country. Although P. falciparum shows a strong association of these parameters with prevalence, a lack of association was observed for P. vivax and is consistent with higher potential for outcrossing of this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abebe A Fola
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - G L Abby Harrison
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Mita Hapsari Hazairin
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.,Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Céline Barnadas
- Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.,European Public Health Microbiology (EUPHEM) Training Programme, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden.,Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Manuel W Hetzel
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jonah Iga
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea
| | - Peter M Siba
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka, Papua New Guinea
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| | - Alyssa E Barry
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.,Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Yadav MK, Swati D. In Silico Study of Variable Surface Proteins in Plasmodium Species: Perspectives in Drug Design. Interdiscip Sci 2016; 8:294-302. [PMID: 26253721 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-015-0283-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The variable surface proteins expressed by P. falciparum and P. vivax are transported to the surface of infected erythrocyte and are exposed to the host immune system. The possibility of using variable surface proteins as a common drug target has been analyzed in both the Plasmodium species. Sequence analysis of variable surface proteins showed a low-level conservation within as well as between the species. Amino acid composition analysis revealed higher frequency of hydrophilic amino acids as compared with that of hydrophobic residues. In order to gain more insight into their diverse functional role, the three-dimensional structure was predicted using comparative modeling approach. These models were evaluated and validated by checking stereochemistry of underlying amino acids. Structural alignment of variable surface proteins by superimposing them shows less conservation. Due to differences at sequence as well as structural level, the variable surface proteins are expected to show difference in their degree of invasiveness. These differences were also cross-examined by evolutionary study, and the results obtained were in accordance with the aforesaid study. The existence of structural differences noticed in the present study showed that the variable surface proteins could not be used as a common drug target in both the malarial species. Therefore, species-specific strategy may be followed for drug targeting against variable surface proteins of P. falciparum and P. vivax.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar Yadav
- Department of Biochemistry, Pt. J.N.M. Medical College, Raipur, 492001, India
| | - D Swati
- Departments of Bioinformatics and Physics, MMV, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Normocyte-binding protein required for human erythrocyte invasion by the zoonotic malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7231-6. [PMID: 27303038 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1522469113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The dominant cause of malaria in Malaysia is now Plasmodium knowlesi, a zoonotic parasite of cynomolgus macaque monkeys found throughout South East Asia. Comparative genomic analysis of parasites adapted to in vitro growth in either cynomolgus or human RBCs identified a genomic deletion that includes the gene encoding normocyte-binding protein Xa (NBPXa) in parasites growing in cynomolgus RBCs but not in human RBCs. Experimental deletion of the NBPXa gene in parasites adapted to growth in human RBCs (which retain the ability to grow in cynomolgus RBCs) restricted them to cynomolgus RBCs, demonstrating that this gene is selectively required for parasite multiplication and growth in human RBCs. NBPXa-null parasites could bind to human RBCs, but invasion of these cells was severely impaired. Therefore, NBPXa is identified as a key mediator of P. knowlesi human infection and may be a target for vaccine development against this emerging pathogen.
Collapse
|
19
|
Sutton PL, Luo Z, Divis PCS, Friedrich VK, Conway DJ, Singh B, Barnwell JW, Carlton JM, Sullivan SA. Characterizing the genetic diversity of the monkey malaria parasite Plasmodium cynomolgi. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 40:243-252. [PMID: 26980604 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium cynomolgi is a malaria parasite that typically infects Asian macaque monkeys, and humans on rare occasions. P. cynomolgi serves as a model system for the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax, with which it shares such important biological characteristics as formation of a dormant liver stage and a preference to invade reticulocytes. While genomes of three P. cynomolgi strains have been sequenced, genetic diversity of P. cynomolgi has not been widely investigated. To address this we developed the first panel of P. cynomolgi microsatellite markers to genotype eleven P. cynomolgi laboratory strains and 18 field isolates from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. We found diverse genotypes among most of the laboratory strains, though two nominally different strains were found to be genetically identical. We also investigated sequence polymorphism in two erythrocyte invasion gene families, the reticulocyte binding protein and Duffy binding protein genes, in these strains. We also observed copy number variation in rbp genes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L Sutton
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Zunping Luo
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Paul C S Divis
- Pathogen Molecular Biology Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom; Malaria Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Volney K Friedrich
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 38 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - David J Conway
- Pathogen Molecular Biology Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom; Malaria Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Balbir Singh
- Malaria Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - John W Barnwell
- Laboratory Research and Development Unit, Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jane M Carlton
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, United States
| | - Steven A Sullivan
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Vermeulen ET, Lott MJ, Eldridge MDB, Power ML. Evaluation of next generation sequencing for the analysis of Eimeria communities in wildlife. J Microbiol Methods 2016; 124:1-9. [PMID: 26944624 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2016.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques are well-established for studying bacterial communities but not yet for microbial eukaryotes. Parasite communities remain poorly studied, due in part to the lack of reliable and accessible molecular methods to analyse eukaryotic communities. We aimed to develop and evaluate a methodology to analyse communities of the protozoan parasite Eimeria from populations of the Australian marsupial Petrogale penicillata (brush-tailed rock-wallaby) using NGS. An oocyst purification method for small sample sizes and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for the 18S rRNA locus targeting Eimeria was developed and optimised prior to sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. A data analysis approach was developed by modifying methods from bacterial metagenomics and utilising existing Eimeria sequences in GenBank. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU) assignment at a high similarity threshold (97%) was more accurate at assigning Eimeria contigs into Eimeria OTUs but at a lower threshold (95%) there was greater resolution between OTU consensus sequences. The assessment of two amplification PCR methods prior to Illumina MiSeq, single and nested PCR, determined that single PCR was more sensitive to Eimeria as more Eimeria OTUs were detected in single amplicons. We have developed a simple and cost-effective approach to a data analysis pipeline for community analysis of eukaryotic organisms using Eimeria communities as a model. The pipeline provides a basis for evaluation using other eukaryotic organisms and potential for diverse community analysis studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elke T Vermeulen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Matthew J Lott
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Mark D B Eldridge
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia; Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 6 College Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
| | - Michelle L Power
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Delgado-Ratto C, Gamboa D, Soto-Calle VE, Van den Eede P, Torres E, Sánchez-Martínez L, Contreras-Mancilla J, Rosanas-Urgell A, Rodriguez Ferrucci H, Llanos-Cuentas A, Erhart A, Van geertruyden JP, D’Alessandro U. Population Genetics of Plasmodium vivax in the Peruvian Amazon. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0004376. [PMID: 26766548 PMCID: PMC4713096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Characterizing the parasite dynamics and population structure provides useful information to understand the dynamic of transmission and to better target control interventions. Despite considerable efforts for its control, vivax malaria remains a major health problem in Peru. In this study, we have explored the population genetics of Plasmodium vivax isolates from Iquitos, the main city in the Peruvian Amazon, and 25 neighbouring peri-urban as well as rural villages along the Iquitos-Nauta Road. Methodology/ Results From April to December 2008, 292 P. vivax isolates were collected and successfully genotyped using 14 neutral microsatellites. Analysis of the molecular data revealed a similar proportion of monoclonal and polyclonal infections in urban areas, while in rural areas monoclonal infections were predominant (p = 0.002). Multiplicity of infection was higher in urban (MOI = 1.5–2) compared to rural areas (MOI = 1) (p = 0.003). The level of genetic diversity was similar in all areas (He = 0.66–0.76, p = 0.32) though genetic differentiation between areas was substantial (PHIPT = 0.17, p<0.0001). Principal coordinate analysis showed a marked differentiation between parasites from urban and rural areas. Linkage disequilibrium was detected in all the areas ( IAs = 0.08–0.49, for all p<0.0001). Gene flow among the areas was stablished through Bayesian analysis of migration models. Recent bottleneck events were detected in 4 areas and a recent parasite expansion in one of the isolated areas. In total, 87 unique haplotypes grouped in 2 or 3 genetic clusters described a sub-structured parasite population. Conclusion/Significance Our study shows a sub-structured parasite population with clonal propagation, with most of its components recently affected by bottleneck events. Iquitos city is the main source of parasite spreading for all the peripheral study areas. The routes of transmission and gene flow and the reduction of the parasite population described are important from the public health perspective as well for the formulation of future control policies. We present the population genetics of malaria vivax parasites in a large area of the Peruvian Amazon. Our results showed that the parasite population had a predominant clonal propagation, reproducing themselves with identically or closely related parasites; therefore, the same genetic characteristics are maintained in the offspring. The clonal propagation may favour the higher levels of genetic differentiation among the parasites from isolated areas compared to areas where human migration is common. The patterns of gene flow have been established, finding Iquitos city as a reservoir of parasite genetic variability. Moreover, a recent reduction of the parasite population was observed in areas where recent control activities were performed. This research provides a picture of the nature and dynamics of the parasite population which have a significant impact in the malaria epidemiology; therefore, this knowledge is crucial for the development of efficient control policies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Dionicia Gamboa
- Institute of Tropical Medicine Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Veronica E. Soto-Calle
- Institute of Tropical Medicine Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Peter Van den Eede
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Eliana Torres
- Institute of Tropical Medicine Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Luis Sánchez-Martínez
- Institute of Tropical Medicine Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Juan Contreras-Mancilla
- Institute of Tropical Medicine Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas
- Institute of Tropical Medicine Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Annette Erhart
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Umberto D’Alessandro
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Medical Research Council Unit, Fajara, The Gambia
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
African origin of the malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. Nat Commun 2015; 5:3346. [PMID: 24557500 PMCID: PMC4089193 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the leading cause of human malaria in Asia and Latin America but is absent from most of central Africa due to the near fixation of a mutation that inhibits the expression of its receptor, the Duffy antigen, on human erythrocytes. The emergence of this protective allele is not understood because P. vivax is believed to have originated in Asia. Here we show, using a non-invasive approach, that wild chimpanzees and gorillas throughout central Africa are endemically infected with parasites that are closely related to human P. vivax. Sequence analyses reveal that ape parasites lack host specificity and are much more diverse than human parasites, which form a monophyletic lineage within the ape parasite radiation. These findings indicate that human P. vivax is of African origin and likely selected for the Duffy-negative mutation. All extant human P. vivax parasites are derived from a single ancestor that escaped out of Africa.
Collapse
|
23
|
Escalante AA, Ferreira MU, Vinetz JM, Volkman SK, Cui L, Gamboa D, Krogstad DJ, Barry AE, Carlton JM, van Eijk AM, Pradhan K, Mueller I, Greenhouse B, Andreina Pacheco M, Vallejo AF, Herrera S, Felger I. Malaria Molecular Epidemiology: Lessons from the International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research Network. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 93:79-86. [PMID: 26259945 PMCID: PMC4574277 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular epidemiology leverages genetic information to study the risk factors that affect the frequency and distribution of malaria cases. This article describes molecular epidemiologic investigations currently being carried out by the International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) network in a variety of malaria-endemic settings. First, we discuss various novel approaches to understand malaria incidence and gametocytemia, focusing on Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Second, we describe and compare different parasite genotyping methods commonly used in malaria epidemiology and population genetics. Finally, we discuss potential applications of molecular epidemiological tools and methods toward malaria control and elimination efforts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ananias A. Escalante
- *Address correspondence to Ananias A. Escalante, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, SERC Building, 1925 N. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, E-mail: or Marcelo U. Ferreira, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 1374 - Edifício Biomédicas II, São Paulo, Brazil CEP CEP 05508-900, E-mail: or Ingrid Felger, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland, E-mail:
| | - Marcelo U. Ferreira
- *Address correspondence to Ananias A. Escalante, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, SERC Building, 1925 N. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, E-mail: or Marcelo U. Ferreira, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 1374 - Edifício Biomédicas II, São Paulo, Brazil CEP CEP 05508-900, E-mail: or Ingrid Felger, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland, E-mail:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ingrid Felger
- *Address correspondence to Ananias A. Escalante, Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, SERC Building, 1925 N. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, E-mail: or Marcelo U. Ferreira, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 1374 - Edifício Biomédicas II, São Paulo, Brazil CEP CEP 05508-900, E-mail: or Ingrid Felger, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4002 Basel, Switzerland, E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Baniecki ML, Faust AL, Schaffner SF, Park DJ, Galinsky K, Daniels RF, Hamilton E, Ferreira MU, Karunaweera ND, Serre D, Zimmerman PA, Sá JM, Wellems TE, Musset L, Legrand E, Melnikov A, Neafsey DE, Volkman SK, Wirth DF, Sabeti PC. Development of a single nucleotide polymorphism barcode to genotype Plasmodium vivax infections. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003539. [PMID: 25781890 PMCID: PMC4362761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax, one of the five species of Plasmodium parasites that cause human malaria, is responsible for 25–40% of malaria cases worldwide. Malaria global elimination efforts will benefit from accurate and effective genotyping tools that will provide insight into the population genetics and diversity of this parasite. The recent sequencing of P. vivax isolates from South America, Africa, and Asia presents a new opportunity by uncovering thousands of novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genotyping a selection of these SNPs provides a robust, low-cost method of identifying parasite infections through their unique genetic signature or barcode. Based on our experience in generating a SNP barcode for P. falciparum using High Resolution Melting (HRM), we have developed a similar tool for P. vivax. We selected globally polymorphic SNPs from available P. vivax genome sequence data that were located in putatively selectively neutral sites (i.e., intergenic, intronic, or 4-fold degenerate coding). From these candidate SNPs we defined a barcode consisting of 42 SNPs. We analyzed the performance of the 42-SNP barcode on 87 P. vivax clinical samples from parasite populations in South America (Brazil, French Guiana), Africa (Ethiopia) and Asia (Sri Lanka). We found that the P. vivax barcode is robust, as it requires only a small quantity of DNA (limit of detection 0.3 ng/μl) to yield reproducible genotype calls, and detects polymorphic genotypes with high sensitivity. The markers are informative across all clinical samples evaluated (average minor allele frequency > 0.1). Population genetic and statistical analyses show the barcode captures high degrees of population diversity and differentiates geographically distinct populations. Our 42-SNP barcode provides a robust, informative, and standardized genetic marker set that accurately identifies a genomic signature for P. vivax infections. Plasmodium vivax malaria is a major global public health problem, with nearly 2.5 billion people at risk for infection and approximately 132–391 million clinical infections annually. It has a wide geographical range, with a high disease burden in Asia, Central and South America, the Middle East, Oceania, and East Africa. Advances in sequencing technology and sample processing have made it possible to characterize the genetic diversity of P. vivax populations. This genetic variation provides a means to identify parasites by unique genetic signatures, or “barcodes.” We developed such a genetic barcode for P. vivax, composed of 42 robust and informative variants. Here we report its development and validation based on 87 clinical samples identified by microscopy to contain P. vivax from geographically diverse parasite populations from South America (Brazil, French Guiana), Africa (Ethiopia) and Asia (Sri Lanka). We show that the SNP barcode provides a genotyping tool that can be performed at low cost, providing a means to uniquely identify parasite infections and distinguish geographic origins, and that barcode data may offer new insights into P. vivax population structure and diversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Lynn Baniecki
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Aubrey L. Faust
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Daniel J. Park
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kevin Galinsky
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Rachel F. Daniels
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Hamilton
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Nadira D. Karunaweera
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - David Serre
- Department of Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Peter A. Zimmerman
- Department of International Health, Biology and Genetics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Juliana M. Sá
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, Malaria Genetics Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas E. Wellems
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, Malaria Genetics Section, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lise Musset
- Department of Parasitology, Institute Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Eric Legrand
- Department of Parasitology, Institute Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | | | | | - Sarah K. Volkman
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Dyann F. Wirth
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Pardis C. Sabeti
- Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Luo Z, Sullivan SA, Carlton JM. The biology of Plasmodium vivax explored through genomics. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2015; 1342:53-61. [PMID: 25693446 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite. Of the four Plasmodium species that routinely cause human malaria, Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread species outside Africa, causing ∼18.9 million cases in 2012. P. vivax cannot be cultured continuously in vitro, which severely hampers research in nonendemic and endemic countries alike. Consequently, whole-genome sequencing has become an effective means to interrogate the biology of the P. vivax parasite. Our comparative genomic analysis of five P. vivax reference genomes and several whole-genome sequences of the closely related monkey malaria species P. cynomolgi has revealed an extraordinary level of genetic diversity and enabled characterization of novel multigene families and important single-copy genes. The generation of whole-genome sequences from multiple clinical isolates is also driving forward knowledge concerning the biology and evolution of the species. Understanding the biology of P. vivax is crucial to develop potential antimalarial drugs and vaccines and to achieve the goal of eliminating malaria.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zunping Luo
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, New York
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Cornejo OE, Fisher D, Escalante AA. Genome-wide patterns of genetic polymorphism and signatures of selection in Plasmodium vivax. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 7:106-19. [PMID: 25523904 PMCID: PMC4316620 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human malaria parasite outside of Africa. Yet, studies aimed to identify genes with signatures consistent with natural selection are rare. Here, we present a comparative analysis of the pattern of genetic variation of five sequenced isolates of P. vivax and its divergence with two closely related species, Plasmodium cynomolgi and Plasmodium knowlesi, using a set of orthologous genes. In contrast to Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most lethal form of human malaria, we did not find significant constraints on the evolution of synonymous sites genome wide in P. vivax. The comparative analysis of polymorphism and divergence across loci allowed us to identify 87 genes with patterns consistent with positive selection, including genes involved in the “exportome” of P. vivax, which are potentially involved in evasion of the host immune system. Nevertheless, we have found a pattern of polymorphism genome wide that is consistent with a significant amount of constraint on the replacement changes and prevalent negative selection. Our analyses also show that silent polymorphism tends to be larger toward the ends of the chromosomes, where many genes involved in antigenicity are located, suggesting that natural selection acts not only by shaping the patterns of variation within the genes but it also affects genome organization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omar E Cornejo
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University
| | - David Fisher
- Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics, the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics, the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University Present address: Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Heterogeneous genetic diversity pattern in Plasmodium vivax genes encoding merozoite surface proteins (MSP) -7E, -7F and -7L. Malar J 2014; 13:495. [PMID: 25496322 PMCID: PMC4300842 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The msp-7 gene has become differentially expanded in the Plasmodium genus; Plasmodium vivax has the highest copy number of this gene, several of which encode antigenic proteins in merozoites. Methods DNA sequences from thirty-six Colombian clinical isolates from P. vivax (pv) msp-7E, −7F and -7L genes were analysed for characterizing and studying the genetic diversity of these pvmsp-7 members which are expressed during the intra-erythrocyte stage; natural selection signals producing the variation pattern so observed were evaluated. Results The pvmsp-7E gene was highly polymorphic compared to pvmsp-7F and pvmsp-7L which were seen to have limited genetic diversity; pvmsp-7E polymorphism was seen to have been maintained by different types of positive selection. Even though these copies seemed to be species-specific duplications, a search in the Plasmodium cynomolgi genome (P. vivax sister taxon) showed that both species shared the whole msp-7 repertoire. This led to exploring the long-term effect of natural selection by comparing the orthologous sequences which led to finding signatures for lineage-specific positive selection. Conclusions The results confirmed that the P. vivax msp-7 family has a heterogeneous genetic diversity pattern; some members are highly conserved whilst others are highly diverse. The results suggested that the 3′-end of these genes encode MSP-7 proteins’ functional region whilst the central region of pvmsp-7E has evolved rapidly. The lineage-specific positive selection signals found suggested that mutations occurring in msp-7s genes during host switch may have succeeded in adapting the ancestral P. vivax parasite population to humans. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1475-2875-13-495) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
|
28
|
The origin and diversification of the merozoite surface protein 3 (msp3) multi-gene family in Plasmodium vivax and related parasites. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2014; 78:172-84. [PMID: 24862221 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2013] [Revised: 05/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The genus Plasmodium is a diversified group of parasites with more than 200 known species that includes those causing malaria in humans. These parasites use numerous proteins in a complex process that allows them to invade the red blood cells of their vertebrate hosts. Many of those proteins are part of multi-gene families; one of which is the merozoite surface protein-3 (msp3) family. The msp3 multi-gene family is considered important in the two main human parasites, Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, as its paralogs are simultaneously expressed in the blood stage (merozoite) and are immunogenic. There are large differences among Plasmodium species in the number of paralogs in this family. Such differences have been previously explained, in part, as adaptations that allow the different Plasmodium species to invade their hosts. To investigate this, we characterized the array containing msp3 genes among several Plasmodium species, including P. falciparum and P. vivax. We first found no evidence indicating that the msp3 family of P. falciparum was homologous to that of P. vivax. Subsequently, by focusing on the diverse clade of nonhuman primate parasites to which P. vivax is closely related, where homology was evident, we found no evidence indicating that the interspecies variation in the number of paralogs was an adaptation related to changes in host range or host switches. Overall, we hypothesize that the evolution of the msp3 family in P. vivax is consistent with a model of multi-allelic diversifying selection where the paralogs may have functionally redundant roles in terms of increasing antigenic diversity. Thus, we suggest that the expressed MSP3 proteins could serve as "decoys", via antigenic diversity, during the critical process of invading the host red blood cells.
Collapse
|
29
|
Pacheco MA, Cranfield M, Cameron K, Escalante AA. Malarial parasite diversity in chimpanzees: the value of comparative approaches to ascertain the evolution of Plasmodium falciparum antigens. Malar J 2013; 12:328. [PMID: 24044371 PMCID: PMC3848613 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium falciparum shares its most recent common ancestor with parasites found in African apes; these species constitute the so-called Laverania clade. In this investigation, the evolutionary history of Plasmodium lineages found in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) was explored. METHODS Here, the remainders of 74 blood samples collected as part of the chimpanzees' routine health examinations were studied. For all positive samples with parasite lineages belonging to the Laverania clade, the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA), the gene encoding dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (dhfr-ts), the chloroquine resistance transporter (Pfcrt), the circumsporozoite protein (csp), merozoite surface protein 2 (msp2), and the DBL-1 domain from var2CSA were amplified, cloned, and sequenced. Other Plasmodium species were included in the mtDNA, dhfr-ts, and csp analyses. Phylogenetic and evolutionary genetic analyses were performed, including molecular clock analyses on the mtDNA. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Nine chimpanzees were malaria positive (12.2%); four of those infections were identified as P. falciparum, two as a Plasmodium reichenowi-like parasite or Plasmodium sp., one as Plasmodium gaboni, and two as Plasmodium malariae. All P. falciparum isolates were resistant to chloroquine indicating that the chimpanzees acquired such infections from humans in recent times. Such findings, however, are not sufficient for implicating chimpanzees as an animal reservoir for P. falciparum.Timing estimates support that the Laverania clade has co-existed with hominids for a long-period of time. The proposed species P. gaboni, Plasmodium billbrayi, and Plasmodium billcollinsi are monophyletic groups supporting that they are indeed different species.An expanded CSP phylogeny is presented, including all the Laverania species and other malarial parasites. Contrasting with other Plasmodium, the Laverania csp exhibits great conservation at the central tandem repeat region. Msp2 and var2CSA, however, show extended recent polymorphism in P. falciparum that likely originated after the P. reichenowi-P. falciparum split. The accumulation of such diversity may indicate adaptation to the human host. These examples support the notion that comparative approaches among P. falciparum and its related species will be of great value in understanding the evolution of proteins that are important in parasite invasion of the human red blood cell, as well as those involved in malaria pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Rice BL, Acosta MM, Pacheco MA, Escalante AA. Merozoite surface protein-3 alpha as a genetic marker for epidemiologic studies in Plasmodium vivax: a cautionary note. Malar J 2013; 12:288. [PMID: 23964962 PMCID: PMC3765194 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread of the human malaria parasites in terms of geography, and is thought to present unique challenges to local efforts aimed at control and elimination. Parasite molecular markers can provide much needed data on P. vivax populations, but few such markers have been critically evaluated. One marker that has seen extensive use is the gene encoding merozoite surface protein 3-alpha (MSP-3α), a blood-stage antigen known to be highly variable among P. vivax isolates. Here, a sample of complete msp-3α gene sequences is analysed in order to assess its utility as a molecular marker for epidemiologic investigations. Methods Amplification, cloning and sequencing of additional P. vivax isolates from different geographic locations, including a set of Venezuelan field isolates (n = 10), yielded a sample of 48 complete msp-3α coding sequences. Characterization of standard population genetic measures of diversity, phylogenetic analysis, and tests for recombination were performed. This allowed comparisons to patterns inferred from the in silico simulation of a polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) protocol used widely. Results The larger sample of MSP-3α diversity revealed incongruence between the observed levels of nucleotide polymorphism, which were high in all populations, and the pattern of PCR-RFLP haplotype diversity. Indeed, PCR-RFLP haplotypes were not informative of a population’s genetic diversity and identical haplotypes could be produced from analogous bands in the commonly used protocol. Evidence of frequent and variable insertion-deletion mutations and recurrent recombination between MSP-3α haplotypes complicated the inference of genetic diversity patterns and reduced the phylogenetic signal. Conclusions The genetic diversity of P. vivax msp-3α involves intragenic recombination events. Whereas the high genetic diversity of msp-3α makes it a promising marker for some epidemiological applications, the ability of msp-3α PCR-RFLP analysis to accurately track parasites is limited. Local studies of the circulating alleles are needed before implementing PCR-RFLP approaches. Furthermore, evidence from the global sample analysed here suggests such msp-3α PCR-RFLP methods are not suitable for broad geographic studies or tracking parasite populations for an extended period of time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Rice
- Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Taylor JE, Pacheco MA, Bacon DJ, Beg MA, Machado RL, Fairhurst RM, Herrera S, Kim JY, Menard D, Póvoa MM, Villegas L, Mulyanto, Snounou G, Cui L, Zeyrek FY, Escalante AA. The evolutionary history of Plasmodium vivax as inferred from mitochondrial genomes: parasite genetic diversity in the Americas. Mol Biol Evol 2013; 30:2050-64. [PMID: 23733143 PMCID: PMC3748350 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mst104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent human malaria parasite in the Americas. Previous studies have contrasted the genetic diversity of parasite populations in the Americas with those in Asia and Oceania, concluding that New World populations exhibit low genetic diversity consistent with a recent introduction. Here we used an expanded sample of complete mitochondrial genome sequences to investigate the diversity of P. vivax in the Americas as well as in other continental populations. We show that the diversity of P. vivax in the Americas is comparable to that in Asia and Oceania, and we identify several divergent clades circulating in South America that may have resulted from independent introductions. In particular, we show that several haplotypes sampled in Venezuela and northeastern Brazil belong to a clade that diverged from the other P. vivax lineages at least 30,000 years ago, albeit not necessarily in the Americas. We propose that, unlike in Asia where human migration increases local genetic diversity, the combined effects of the geographical structure and the low incidence of vivax malaria in the Americas has resulted in patterns of low local but high regional genetic diversity. This could explain previous views that P. vivax in the Americas has low genetic diversity because these were based on studies carried out in limited areas. Further elucidation of the complex geographical pattern of P. vivax variation will be important both for diversity assessments of genes encoding candidate vaccine antigens and in the formulation of control and surveillance measures aimed at malaria elimination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse E Taylor
- Center for Evolutionary Medicine and Informatics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|