1
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Ali DH, Gaji RY. TKL family kinases in human apicomplexan pathogens. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2024; 259:111628. [PMID: 38719028 PMCID: PMC11182715 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are the primary causative agents of many human diseases, including malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. These opportunistic pathogens undergo complex life cycles with multiple developmental stages, wherein many key steps are regulated by phosphorylation mechanisms. The genomes of apicomplexan pathogens contain protein kinases from different groups including tyrosine kinase-like (TKL) family proteins. Although information on the role of TKL kinases in apicomplexans is quite limited, recent studies have revealed the important role of this family of proteins in apicomplexan biology. TKL kinases in these protozoan pathogens show unique organization with many novel domains thus making them attractive candidates for drug development. In this mini review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of TKL kinases in human apicomplexan pathogens' (Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium falciparum and Cryptosporidium parvum) biology and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dima Hajj Ali
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Rajshekhar Y Gaji
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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2
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Huang Y, Li J, Pei S, You H, Liu H, Guo Y, Xu R, Li N, Feng Y, Xiao L. Optimization of a DiCre recombinase system with reduced leakage for conditional genome editing of Cryptosporidium. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:352. [PMID: 39169430 PMCID: PMC11337648 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06431-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The dimerizable Cre recombinase system (DiCre) exhibits increased leaky activity in Cryptosporidium, leading to unintended gene editing in the absence of induction. Therefore, optimization of the current DiCre technique is necessary for functional studies of essential Cryptosporidium genes. METHODS Based on the results of transcriptomic analysis of Cryptosporidium parvum stages, seven promoters with different transcriptional capabilities were screened to drive the expression of Cre fragments (FKBP-Cre59 and FRB-Cre60). Transient transfection was performed to assess the effect of promoter strength on leakage activity. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to evaluate the leaky activity and cleavage efficiency of the optimized DiCre system by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), nanoluciferase, and fluorescence analyses. RESULTS The use of promoters with lower transcriptional activity, such as pcgd6_4110 and pcgd3_260, as opposed to strong promoters such as pActin, pα-Tubulin, and pEnolase, reduced the leakage rate of the system from 35-75% to nearly undetectable levels, as verified by transient transfection. Subsequent in vitro and in vivo experiments using stable lines further demonstrated that the optimized DiCre system had no detectable leaky activity. The system achieved 71% cleavage efficiency in vitro. In mice, a single dose of the inducer resulted in a 10% conditional gene knockout and fluorescent protein expression in oocysts. These fluorescently tagged transgenic oocysts could be enriched by flow sorting for further infection studies. CONCLUSIONS A DiCre conditional gene knockout system for Cryptosporidium with good cleavage efficiency and reduced leaky activity has been successfully established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jinli Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Shifeng Pei
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Heng You
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Huimin Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Rui Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
| | - Lihua Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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3
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Lander N, Chiurillo MA. A key regulator of male gametogenesis in Cryptosporidium. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:662-663. [PMID: 38944561 PMCID: PMC11309878 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Gamete development is a precisely programmed process in Cryptosporidium parvum, a leading cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. Nava et al. recently described the developmentally regulated expression of CDPK5 during male gametogenesis. Here we discuss their main findings, posing this protein kinase as a promising target for antiparasitic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Lander
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-006, USA.
| | - Miguel A Chiurillo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-006, USA
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4
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Maurizio M, Masid M, Woods K, Caldelari R, Doench JG, Naguleswaran A, Joly D, González-Fernández M, Zemp J, Borteele M, Hatzimanikatis V, Heussler V, Rottenberg S, Olias P. Host cell CRISPR genomics and modelling reveal shared metabolic vulnerabilities in the intracellular development of Plasmodium falciparum and related hemoparasites. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6145. [PMID: 39034325 PMCID: PMC11271486 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50405-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Parasitic diseases, particularly malaria (caused by Plasmodium falciparum) and theileriosis (caused by Theileria spp.), profoundly impact global health and the socioeconomic well-being of lower-income countries. Despite recent advances, identifying host metabolic proteins essential for these auxotrophic pathogens remains challenging. Here, we generate a novel metabolic model of human hepatocytes infected with P. falciparum and integrate it with a genome-wide CRISPR knockout screen targeting Theileria-infected cells to pinpoint shared vulnerabilities. We identify key host metabolic enzymes critical for the intracellular survival of both of these lethal hemoparasites. Remarkably, among the metabolic proteins identified by our synergistic approach, we find that host purine and heme biosynthetic enzymes are essential for the intracellular survival of P. falciparum and Theileria, while other host enzymes are only essential under certain metabolic conditions, highlighting P. falciparum's adaptability and ability to scavenge nutrients selectively. Unexpectedly, host porphyrins emerge as being essential for both parasites. The shared vulnerabilities open new avenues for developing more effective therapies against these debilitating diseases, with the potential for broader applicability in combating apicomplexan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Maurizio
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maria Masid
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Teaching Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kerry Woods
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Reto Caldelari
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - John G Doench
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Denis Joly
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Jonas Zemp
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Borteele
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vassily Hatzimanikatis
- Laboratory of Computational Systems Biotechnology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Volker Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sven Rottenberg
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Philipp Olias
- Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
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5
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Cohn IS, Wallbank BA, Haskins BE, O’Dea KM, Pardy RD, Shaw S, Merolle MI, Gullicksrud JA, Christian DA, Striepen B, Hunter CA. Intestinal cDC1s provide cues required for CD4+ T cell-mediated resistance to Cryptosporidium. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20232067. [PMID: 38829369 PMCID: PMC11148471 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20232067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is an enteric pathogen and a prominent cause of diarrheal disease worldwide. Control of Cryptosporidium requires CD4+ T cells, but how protective CD4+ T cell responses are generated is poorly understood. Here, Cryptosporidium parasites that express MHCII-restricted model antigens were generated to understand the basis for CD4+ T cell priming and effector function. These studies revealed that parasite-specific CD4+ T cells are primed in the draining mesenteric lymph node but differentiate into Th1 cells in the gut to provide local parasite control. Although type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) were dispensable for CD4+ T cell priming, they were required for CD4+ T cell gut homing and were a source of IL-12 at the site of infection that promoted local production of IFN-γ. Thus, cDC1s have distinct roles in shaping CD4+ T cell responses to an enteric infection: first, to promote gut homing from the mesLN, and second, to drive effector responses in the intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bethan A. Wallbank
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Breanne E. Haskins
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Keenan M. O’Dea
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan D. Pardy
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sebastian Shaw
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria I. Merolle
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jodi A. Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David A. Christian
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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6
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Springer AL, Agrawal S, Chang EP. Malate dehydrogenase in parasitic protozoans: roles in metabolism and potential therapeutic applications. Essays Biochem 2024:EBC20230075. [PMID: 38938216 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20230075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
The role of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in the metabolism of various medically significant protozoan parasites is reviewed. MDH is an NADH-dependent oxidoreductase that catalyzes interconversion between oxaloacetate and malate, provides metabolic intermediates for both catabolic and anabolic pathways, and can contribute to NAD+/NADH balance in multiple cellular compartments. MDH is present in nearly all organisms; isoforms of MDH from apicomplexans (Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium spp.), trypanosomatids (Trypanosoma brucei, T. cruzi) and anaerobic protozoans (Trichomonas vaginalis, Giardia duodenalis) are presented here. Many parasitic species have complex life cycles and depend on the environment of their hosts for carbon sources and other nutrients. Metabolic plasticity is crucial to parasite transition between host environments; thus, the regulation of metabolic processes is an important area to explore for therapeutic intervention. Common themes in protozoan parasite metabolism include emphasis on glycolytic catabolism, substrate-level phosphorylation, non-traditional uses of common pathways like tricarboxylic acid cycle and adapted or reduced mitochondria-like organelles. We describe the roles of MDH isoforms in these pathways, discuss unusual structural or functional features of these isoforms relevant to activity or drug targeting, and review current studies exploring the therapeutic potential of MDH and related genes. These studies show that MDH activity has important roles in many metabolic pathways, and thus in the metabolic transitions of protozoan parasites needed for success as pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Springer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, U.S.A
| | - Swati Agrawal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA, U.S.A
| | - Eric P Chang
- Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, New York, NY, U.S.A
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7
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Walzer KA, Tandel J, Byerly JH, Daniels AM, Gullicksrud JA, Whelan EC, Carro SD, Krespan E, Beiting DP, Striepen B. Transcriptional control of the Cryptosporidium life cycle. Nature 2024; 630:174-180. [PMID: 38811723 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07466-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading agent of diarrhoeal disease in young children, and a cause and consequence of chronic malnutrition1,2. There are no vaccines and only limited treatment options3. The parasite infects enterocytes, in which it engages in asexual and sexual replication4, both of which are essential to continued infection and transmission. However, their molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear5. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal the gene expression programme of the entire Cryptosporidium parvum life cycle in culture and in infected animals. Diverging from the prevailing model6, we find support for only three intracellular stages: asexual type-I meronts, male gamonts and female gametes. We reveal a highly organized program for the assembly of components at each stage. Dissecting the underlying regulatory network, we identify the transcription factor Myb-M as the earliest determinant of male fate, in an organism that lacks genetic sex determination. Conditional expression of this factor overrides the developmental program and induces widespread maleness, while conditional deletion ablates male development. Both have a profound impact on the infection. A large set of stage-specific genes now provides the opportunity to understand, engineer and disrupt parasite sex and life cycle progression to advance the development of vaccines and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn A Walzer
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jayesh Tandel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jessica H Byerly
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Abigail M Daniels
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jodi A Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eoin C Whelan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stephen D Carro
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Elise Krespan
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Daniel P Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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8
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Li J, Fan Y, Li N, Guo Y, Wang W, Feng K, He W, Li F, Huang J, Xu Y, Xiao L, Feng Y. Comparative genomics analysis reveals sequence characteristics potentially related to host preference in Cryptosporidium xiaoi. Int J Parasitol 2024; 54:379-390. [PMID: 38492779 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.03.004] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium spp. are important diarrhea-associated pathogens in humans and livestock. Among the known species, Cryptosporidium xiaoi, which causes cryptosporidiosis in sheep and goats, was previously recognized as a genotype of the bovine-specific Cryptosporidium bovis based on their high sequence identity in the ssrRNA gene. However, the lack of genomic data has limited characterization of the genetic differences between the two closely related species. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of two C. xiaoi isolates and performed comparative genomic analysis to identify the sequence uniqueness of this ovine-adapted species compared with other Cryptosporidium spp. Our results showed that C. xiaoi is genetically related to C. bovis as shown by their 95.8% genomic identity and similar gene content. Consistent with this, both C. xiaoi and C. bovis appear to have fewer genes encoding mitochondrial metabolic enzymes and invasion-related protein families. However, they appear to possess several species-specific genes. Further analysis indicates that the sequence differences between these two Cryptosporidium spp. are mainly in 24 highly polymorphic genes, half of which are located in the subtelomeric regions. Some of these subtelomeric genes encode secretory proteins that have undergone positive selection. In addition, the genomes of two C. xiaoi isolates, identified as subtypes XXIIIf and XXIIIh, share 99.9% nucleotide sequence identity, with six highly divergent genes encoding putative secretory proteins. Therefore, these species-specific genes and sequence polymorphism in subtelomeric genes probably contribute to the different host preference of C. xiaoi and C. bovis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yingying Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Weijian Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Kangli Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wei He
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Falei Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jianbo Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yanhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Lihua Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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9
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Kimball A, Funkhouser-Jones L, Huang W, Xu R, Witola WH, Sibley LD. Mendelian segregation and high recombination rates facilitate genetic analyses in Cryptosporidium parvum. PLoS Genet 2024; 20:e1011162. [PMID: 38885280 PMCID: PMC11213348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Very little is known about the process of meiosis in the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium despite the essentiality of sex in its life cycle. Most cell lines only support asexual growth of Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), but stem cell derived intestinal epithelial cells grown under air-liquid interface (ALI) conditions support the sexual cycle. To examine chromosomal dynamics during meiosis in C. parvum, we generated two transgenic lines of parasites that were fluorescently tagged with mCherry or GFP on chromosomes 1 or 5, respectively. Infection of ALI cultures or Ifngr1-/- mice with mCherry and GFP parasites resulted in cross-fertilization and the formation of "yellow" oocysts, which contain 4 haploid sporozoites that are the product of meiosis. Recombinant oocysts from the F1 generation were purified and used to infect HCT-8 cultures, and phenotypes of the progeny were observed by microscopy. All possible phenotypes predicted by independent segregation were represented equally (~25%) in the population, indicating that C. parvum chromosomes exhibit a Mendelian inheritance pattern. The most common pattern observed from the outgrowth of single oocysts included all possible parental and recombinant phenotypes derived from a single meiotic event, suggesting a high rate of crossover. To estimate the frequency of crossover, additional loci on chromosomes 1 and 5 were tagged and used to monitor intrachromosomal crosses in Ifngr1-/- mice. Both chromosomes showed a high frequency of crossover compared to other apicomplexans with map distances (i.e., 1% recombination) of 3-12 kb. Overall, a high recombination rate may explain many unique characteristics observed in Cryptosporidium spp. such as high rates of speciation, wide variation in host range, and rapid evolution of host-specific virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Kimball
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Lisa Funkhouser-Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Wanyi Huang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - William H. Witola
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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10
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Luo C, Xu Y, Zhang J, Tian Q, Guo Y, Li N, Feng Y, Xu R, Xiao L. Cryptosporidium parvum disrupts intestinal epithelial barrier in neonatal mice through downregulation of cell junction molecules. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012212. [PMID: 38787872 PMCID: PMC11156435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cryptosporidium spp. cause watery diarrhea in humans and animals, especially in infants and neonates. They parasitize the apical surface of the epithelial cells in the intestinal lumen. However, the pathogenesis of Cryptosporidium-induced diarrhea is not fully understood yet. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In this study, we infected C57BL/6j neonatal mice with C. parvum IIa and IId subtypes, and examined oocyst burden, pathological changes, and intestinal epithelial permeability during the infection. In addition, transcriptomic analyses were used to study the mechanism of diarrhea induced by the C. parvum IId subtype. The neonatal mice were sensitive to both C. parvum IIa and IId infection, but the IId subtype caused a wide oocyst shedding window and maintained the high oocyst burden in the mice compared with the IIa subtype. In addition, the mice infected with C. parvum IId resulted in severe intestinal damage at the peak of infection, leading to increased permeability of the epithelial barrier. The KEGG, GO and GSEA analyses revealed that the downregulation of adherens junction and cell junction molecules at 11 dpi. Meanwhile, E-cadherin, which is associated with adherens junction, was reduced at the protein level in mouse ileum at peak and late infection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE C. parvum IId infection causes more severe pathological damage than C. parvum IIa infection in neonatal mice. Furthermore, the impairment of the epithelial barrier during C. parvum IId infection results from the downregulation of intestinal junction proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaowei Luo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanhua Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Tian
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lihua Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Pardy RD, Walzer KA, Wallbank BA, Byerly JH, O’Dea KM, Cohn IS, Haskins BE, Roncaioli JL, Smith EJ, Buenconsejo GY, Striepen B, Hunter CA. Analysis of intestinal epithelial cell responses to Cryptosporidium highlights the temporal effects of IFN-γ on parasite restriction. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011820. [PMID: 38718306 PMCID: PMC11078546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The production of IFN-γ is crucial for control of multiple enteric infections, but its impact on intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) is not well understood. Cryptosporidium parasites exclusively infect epithelial cells and the ability of interferons to activate the transcription factor STAT1 in IEC is required for parasite clearance. Here, the use of single cell RNA sequencing to profile IEC during infection revealed an increased proportion of mid-villus enterocytes during infection and induction of IFN-γ-dependent gene signatures that was comparable between uninfected and infected cells. These analyses were complemented by in vivo studies, which demonstrated that IEC expression of the IFN-γ receptor was required for parasite control. Unexpectedly, treatment of Ifng-/- mice with IFN-γ showed the IEC response to this cytokine correlates with a delayed reduction in parasite burden but did not affect parasite development. These data sets provide insight into the impact of IFN-γ on IEC and suggest a model in which IFN-γ signalling to uninfected enterocytes is important for control of Cryptosporidium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D. Pardy
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Katelyn A. Walzer
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Bethan A. Wallbank
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jessica H. Byerly
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Keenan M. O’Dea
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Breanne E. Haskins
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Justin L. Roncaioli
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Eleanor J. Smith
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gracyn Y. Buenconsejo
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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12
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Deng M, Hou T, Zhang J, Mao X, Yang F, Wei Y, Tang Y, Zeng W, Huang W, Li N, Xiao L, Feng Y, Guo Y. Cultivation, cryopreservation, and transcriptomic studies of host-adapted Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis using enteroids. iScience 2024; 27:109563. [PMID: 38623332 PMCID: PMC11016910 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109563] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum are major causes of severe diarrhea. Comparative studies of them are hampered by the lack of effective cultivation and cryopreservation methods, especially for C. hominis. Here, we describe adapted murine enteroids for the cultivation and complete development of host-adapted C. parvum and C. hominis subtypes, producing oocysts infectious to mice. Using the system, we developed a cryopreservation method for Cryptosporidium isolates. In comparative RNA-seq analyses of C. hominis cultures, the enteroid system generated significantly more host and pathogen responses than the conventional HCT-8 cell system. In particular, the infection was shown to upregulate PI3K-Akt, Ras, TNF, NF-κB, IL-17, MAPK, and innate immunity signaling pathways and downregulate host cell metabolism, and had significantly higher expression of parasite genes involved in oocyst formation. Therefore, the enteroid system provides a valuable tool for comparative studies of the biology of divergent Cryptosporidium species and isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miner Deng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianyi Hou
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xinjie Mao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fuxian Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yanting Wei
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongping Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wanting Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wanyi Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lihua Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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13
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Liffner B, Absalon S. Expansion microscopy of apicomplexan parasites. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:619-635. [PMID: 37571814 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites comprise significant pathogens of humans, livestock and wildlife, but also represent a diverse group of eukaryotes with interesting and unique cell biology. The study of cell biology in apicomplexan parasites is complicated by their small size, and historically this has required the application of cutting-edge microscopy techniques to investigate fundamental processes like mitosis or cell division in these organisms. Recently, a technique called expansion microscopy has been developed, which rather than increasing instrument resolution like most imaging modalities, physically expands a biological sample. In only a few years since its development, a derivative of expansion microscopy known as ultrastructure-expansion microscopy (U-ExM) has been widely adopted and proven extremely useful for studying cell biology of Apicomplexa. Here, we review the insights into apicomplexan cell biology that have been enabled through the use of U-ExM, with a specific focus on Plasmodium, Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium. Further, we summarize emerging expansion microscopy modifications and modalities and forecast how these may influence the field of parasite cell biology in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Liffner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Sabrina Absalon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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14
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Widmer G, Creasey HN. Fecal microbiota impacts development of Cryptosporidium parvum in the mouse. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5498. [PMID: 38448682 PMCID: PMC10917813 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56184-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The dependence of Cryptosporidium parasites on host cell metabolites suggests that the development of nutritional interventions to limit parasite proliferation should be feasible. Based on this concept, we are testing dietary interventions to affect the enterocytes' metabolism in a manner that limits intracellular multiplication of the parasite. We hypothesize that changes in the metabolic pathways encoded by the gastro-intestinal tract microbiota may restrict parasite proliferation. To identify taxonomic and metabolic features of the microbiota associated with severity of cryptosporidiosis, as determined by estimating oocyst output, we characterized the fecal microbiota from mice experimentally infected with Cryptosporidium parvum. To eliminate the confounding effect of the interaction between co-housed mice, as well as facilitate the identification of microbiota markers associated with severity of cryptosporidiosis, fecal microbiota from individually caged mice were analyzed. Variation partitioning analysis applied to 16S sequence data from 25 mice belonging to four experiments shows that experiment was by far the biggest source of microbiota variation. Severity of cryptosporidiosis explained a smaller, though significant, fraction of microbiota variation. Notably, this effect was significant in the pre-patent phase of the infection, before mice excreted oocysts. These results are consistent with the pre-patent intestinal microbiota having a modest, but measurable, effect on cryptosporidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Widmer
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA, 01536, USA.
| | - Hannah N Creasey
- Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA, 01536, USA
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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15
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Ajiboye J, Uldry AC, Heller M, Naguleswaran A, Fan E, Van Voorhis WC, Hemphill A, Müller J. Molecular Targets of the 5-Amido-Carboxamide Bumped Kinase Inhibitor BKI-1748 in Cryptosporidium parvum and HCT-8 Host Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2707. [PMID: 38473953 PMCID: PMC10931551 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is an apicomplexan parasite causing persistent diarrhea in humans and animals. Issuing from target-based drug development, calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 inhibitors, collectively named bumped kinase inhibitors (BKIs), with excellent efficacies in vitro and in vivo have been generated. Some BKIs including BKI-1748 share a core structure with similarities to the first-generation antiprotozoal drug quinine, which is known to exert notorious side effects. Unlike quinine, BKI-1748 rapidly interfered with C. parvum proliferation in the human colon tumor (HCT) cell line HCT-8 cells and caused dramatic effects on the parasite ultrastructure. To identify putative BKI targets in C. parvum and in host cells, we performed differential affinity chromatography with cell-free extracts from non-infected and infected HCT-8 cells using BKI-1748 and quinine epoxy-activated sepharose columns followed by mass spectrometry. C. parvum proteins of interest were identified in eluates from columns coupled to BKI-1748, or in eluates from both BKI-1748 and quinine columns. However, no C. parvum proteins could be identified binding exclusively to BKI-1748. In contrast, 25 BKI-1748-specific binding proteins originating from HCT-8 cells were detected. Moreover, 29 C. parvum and 224 host cell proteins were identified in both BKI-1748 as well as in quinine eluates. In both C. parvum and host cells, the largest subset of binding proteins was involved in RNA binding and modification, with a focus on ribosomal proteins and proteins involved in RNA splicing. These findings extend previous results, showing that BKI-1748 interacts with putative targets involved in common, essential pathways such as translation and RNA processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jubilee Ajiboye
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
- Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Anne-Christine Uldry
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; (A.-C.U.); (M.H.)
| | - Manfred Heller
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland; (A.-C.U.); (M.H.)
| | - Arunasalam Naguleswaran
- Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Erkang Fan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA;
| | - Wesley C. Van Voorhis
- Center for Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (CERID), Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA;
| | - Andrew Hemphill
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
| | - Joachim Müller
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
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16
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Li M, Sun X, Chen H, Li N, Feng Y, Xiao L, Guo Y. Stable expression of mucin glycoproteins GP40 and GP15 of Cryptosporidium parvum in Toxoplasma gondii. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:65. [PMID: 38360646 PMCID: PMC10870685 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06159-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cryptosporidium spp. are common protozoa causing diarrhea in humans and animals. There are currently only one FDA-approved drug and no vaccines for cryptosporidiosis, largely due to the limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the invasion of the pathogens. Previous studies have shown that GP60, which is cleaved into GP40 and GP15 after expression, is an immunodominant mucin protein involved in the invasion of Cryptosporidium. The protein is highly O-glycosylated, and recombinant proteins expressed in prokaryotic systems are non-functional. Therefore, few studies have investigated the function of GP40 and GP15. METHODS To obtain recombinant GP40 with correct post-translational modifications, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to insert GP40 and GP15 into the UPRT locus of Toxoplasma gondii, allowing heterologous expression of Cryptosporidium proteins. In addition, the Twin-Strep tag was inserted after GP40 for efficient purification of GP40. RESULTS Western blotting and immunofluorescent microscopic analyses both indicated that GP40 and GP15 were stably expressed in T. gondii mutants. GP40 localized not only in the cytoplasm of tachyzoites but also in the parasitophorous vacuoles, while GP15 without the GPI anchor was expressed only in the cytoplasm. In addition, a large amount of recTgGP40 was purified using Strep-TactinXT supported by a visible band of ~ 50 kDa in SDS-PAGE. CONCLUSIONS The establishment of a robust and efficient heterologous expression system of GP40 in T. gondii represents a novel approach and concept for investigating Cryptosporidium mucins, overcoming the limitations of previous studies that relied on unstable transient transfection, which involved complex steps and high costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Xiaohua Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Haoyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Na Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Lihua Xiao
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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17
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Kimball A, Funkhouser-Jones L, Huang W, Xu R, Witola WH, Sibley LD. Mendelian segregation and high recombination rates facilitate genetic analyses in Cryptosporidium parvum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.02.578536. [PMID: 38352509 PMCID: PMC10862819 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.02.578536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Very little is known about the process of meiosis in the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium despite the essentiality of sex in its life cycle. Most cell lines only support asexual growth of Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), but stem cell derived intestinal epithelial cells grown under air-liquid interface (ALI) conditions support the sexual cycle. To examine chromosomal dynamics during meiosis in C. parvum, we generated two transgenic lines of parasites that were fluorescently tagged with mCherry or GFP on chromosomes 1 or 5, respectively. Infection of ALI cultures or Ifngr1-/- mice with mCherry and GFP parasites produced "yellow" oocysts generated by cross-fertilization. Outcrossed oocysts from the F1 generation were purified and used to infect HCT-8 cultures, and phenotypes of the progeny were observed by microscopy. All possible phenotypes predicted by independent segregation were represented equally (~25%) in the population, indicating that C. parvum chromosomes exhibit a Mendelian inheritance pattern. Unexpectedly, the most common pattern observed from the outgrowth of single oocysts included all possible parental and recombinant phenotypes derived from a single meiotic event, suggesting a high rate of crossover. To estimate the frequency of crossover, additional loci on chromosomes 1 and 5 were tagged and used to monitor intrachromosomal crosses in Ifngr1-/- mice. Both chromosomes showed a high frequency of crossover compared to other apicomplexans with map distances (i.e., 1% recombination) of 3-12 kb. Overall, a high recombination rate may explain many unique characteristics observed in Cryptosporidium spp. such as high rates of speciation, wide variation in host range, and rapid evolution of host-specific virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Kimball
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lisa Funkhouser-Jones
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Wanyi Huang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - William H. Witola
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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18
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Pardy RD, Wallbank BA, Striepen B, Hunter CA. Immunity to Cryptosporidium: insights into principles of enteric responses to infection. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:142-155. [PMID: 37697084 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00932-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parasites replicate within intestinal epithelial cells and are an important cause of diarrhoeal disease in young children and in patients with primary and acquired defects in T cell function. This Review of immune-mediated control of Cryptosporidium highlights advances in understanding how intestinal epithelial cells detect this infection, the induction of innate resistance and the processes required for activation of T cell responses that promote parasite control. The development of a genetic tool set to modify Cryptosporidium combined with tractable mouse models provide new opportunities to understand the principles that govern the interface between intestinal epithelial cells and the immune system that mediate resistance to enteric pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Pardy
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bethan A Wallbank
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Christopher A Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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19
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Xu R, Beatty WL, Greigert V, Witola WH, Sibley LD. Multiple pathways for glucose phosphate transport and utilization support growth of Cryptosporidium parvum. Nat Commun 2024; 15:380. [PMID: 38191884 PMCID: PMC10774378 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44696-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is an obligate intracellular parasite with a highly reduced mitochondrion that lacks the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the ability to generate ATP, making the parasite reliant on glycolysis. Genetic ablation experiments demonstrated that neither of the two putative glucose transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2 were essential for growth. Surprisingly, hexokinase was also dispensable for parasite growth while the downstream enzyme aldolase was required, suggesting the parasite has an alternative way of obtaining phosphorylated hexose. Complementation studies in E. coli support a role for direct transport of glucose-6-phosphate from the host cell by the parasite transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2, thus bypassing a requirement for hexokinase. Additionally, the parasite obtains phosphorylated glucose from amylopectin stores that are released by the action of the essential enzyme glycogen phosphorylase. Collectively, these findings reveal that C. parvum relies on multiple pathways to obtain phosphorylated glucose both for glycolysis and to restore carbohydrate reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Wandy L Beatty
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Valentin Greigert
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - William H Witola
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61802, USA
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
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20
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Jaramillo Ponce JR, Frugier M. Plasmodium, the Apicomplexa Outlier When It Comes to Protein Synthesis. Biomolecules 2023; 14:46. [PMID: 38254646 PMCID: PMC10813123 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium is an obligate intracellular parasite that has numerous interactions with different hosts during its elaborate life cycle. This is also the case for the other parasites belonging to the same phylum Apicomplexa. In this study, we bioinformatically identified the components of the multi-synthetase complexes (MSCs) of several Apicomplexa parasites and modelled their assembly using AlphaFold2. It appears that none of these MSCs resemble the two MSCs that we have identified and characterized in Plasmodium. Indeed, tRip, the central protein involved in the association of the two Plasmodium MSCs is different from its homologues, suggesting also that the tRip-dependent import of exogenous tRNAs is not conserved in other apicomplexan parasites. Based on this observation, we searched for obvious differences that could explain the singularity of Plasmodium protein synthesis by comparing tRNA genes and amino acid usage in the different genomes. We noted a contradiction between the large number of asparagine residues used in Plasmodium proteomes and the single gene encoding the tRNA that inserts them into proteins. This observation remains true for all the Plasmodia strains studied, even those that do not contain long asparagine homorepeats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Magali Frugier
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Architecture et Réactivité de l’ARN, UPR 9002, F-67084 Strasbourg, France;
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21
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Tomasina R, González FC, Echeverría S, Cabrera A, Robello C. Insights into the Cell Division of Neospora caninum. Microorganisms 2023; 12:61. [PMID: 38257886 PMCID: PMC10818811 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite responsible for causing neosporosis in a range of animal species. It results in substantial economic losses in the livestock industry and poses significant health risks to companion and wild animals. Central to its survival and pathogenicity is the process of cell division, which remains poorly understood in this parasite. In this study, we explored the cell division of Neospora caninum using a combination of modern and classic imaging tools, emphasizing its pivotal role in perpetuating the parasite's life cycle and contributing to its ability to persist within host organisms. We described the intricacies of endodyogeny in Neospora caninum, detailing the dynamics of the cell assembly and the nuclear division by ultrastructure expansion microscopy and regular confocal microscopy. Furthermore, we explored the centrosome dynamics, the centrioles and the apicoplast through the advancement of the cell cycle. Our analysis described with unprecedented detail, the endodyogeny in this parasite. By advancing our understanding of these molecular mechanisms, we aimed to inspire innovative strategies for disease management and control, with the ultimate goal of mitigating the devastating impact of neosporosis on animal health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramiro Tomasina
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay; (R.T.); (F.C.G.); (S.E.); (A.C.)
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Fabiana C. González
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay; (R.T.); (F.C.G.); (S.E.); (A.C.)
| | - Soledad Echeverría
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay; (R.T.); (F.C.G.); (S.E.); (A.C.)
| | - Andrés Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay; (R.T.); (F.C.G.); (S.E.); (A.C.)
- Departamento de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay; (R.T.); (F.C.G.); (S.E.); (A.C.)
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
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Jiménez-Meléndez A, Shakya R, Markussen T, Robertson LJ, Myrmel M, Makvandi-Nejad S. Gene expression profile of HCT-8 cells following single or co-infections with Cryptosporidium parvum and bovine coronavirus. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22106. [PMID: 38092824 PMCID: PMC10719361 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49488-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the causative agents of neonatal diarrhoea in calves, two of the most prevalent are bovine coronavirus (BCoV) and the intracellular parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. Although several studies indicate that co-infections are associated with greater symptom severity, the host-pathogen interplay remains unresolved. Here, our main objective was to investigate the modulation of the transcriptome of HCT-8 cells during single and co-infections with BCoV and C. parvum. For this, HCT-8 cells were inoculated with (1) BCoV alone, (2) C. parvum alone, (3) BCoV and C. parvum simultaneously. After 24 and 72 h, cells were harvested and analyzed using high-throughput RNA sequencing. Following differential expression analysis, over 6000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in virus-infected and co-exposed cells at 72 hpi, whereas only 52 DEGs were found in C. parvum-infected cells at the same time point. Pathway (KEGG) and gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that DEGs in the virus-infected and co-exposed cells were mostly associated with immune pathways (such as NF-κB, TNF-α or, IL-17), apoptosis and regulation of transcription, with a more limited effect exerted by C. parvum. Although the modulation observed in the co-infection was apparently dominated by the virus, over 800 DEGs were uniquely expressed in co-exposed cells at 72 hpi. Our findings provide insights on possible biomarkers associated with co-infection, which could be further explored using in vivo models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Jiménez-Meléndez
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences (PARAFAG), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway.
| | - Ruchika Shakya
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences (PARAFAG), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Turhan Markussen
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences (PARAFAG), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Lucy J Robertson
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences (PARAFAG), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Mette Myrmel
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences (PARAFAG), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Shokouh Makvandi-Nejad
- Research Group Animal Health, Vaccinology, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ås, Norway
- Nykode Therapeutics ASA, Oslo Science Park, Oslo, Norway
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23
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Maradana MR, Marzook NB, Diaz OE, Mkandawire T, Diny NL, Li Y, Liebert A, Shah K, Tolaini M, Kváč M, Stockinger B, Sateriale A. Dietary environmental factors shape the immune defense against Cryptosporidium infection. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:2038-2050.e4. [PMID: 38052207 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of diarrheal-related deaths in children, especially in resource-poor settings. It also targets the immunocompromised, chronically infecting people living with HIV and primary immunodeficiencies. There is no vaccine or effective treatment. Although it is known from human cases and animal models that CD4+ T cells play a role in curbing Cryptosporidium, the role of CD8+ T cells remains to be defined. Using a Cryptosporidium tyzzeri mouse model, we show that gut-resident CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) confer resistance to parasite growth. CD8+ IELs express and depend on the ligand-dependent transcription factor aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). AHR deficiency reduces CD8+ IELs, decreases their cytotoxicity, and worsens infection. Transfer of CD8+ IELs rescues severely immunodeficient mice from death following Cryptosporidium challenge. Finally, dietary supplementation of the AHR pro-ligand indole-3-carbinol in newborn mice promotes resistance to infection. Therefore, common dietary metabolites augment the host immune response to cryptosporidiosis, protecting against disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Oscar E Diaz
- AhR Immunity Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | | | - Ying Li
- AhR Immunity Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Anke Liebert
- AhR Immunity Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Kathleen Shah
- AhR Immunity Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Mauro Tolaini
- AhR Immunity Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Martin Kváč
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | | | - Adam Sateriale
- Cryptosporidiosis Lab, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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24
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Hurle GR, Brainard J, Tyler KM. Microbiome diversity is a modifiable virulence factor for cryptosporidiosis. Virulence 2023; 14:2273004. [PMID: 37872759 PMCID: PMC10653618 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2273004] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium spp. infection causes significant disease in immunosuppressed individuals and children under the age of 5 years. The severity of the pathological presentation of cryptosporidiosis is a function of the host and parasite genotypes, host immune status, and the enteric environment or microbiome of the host. Cryptosporidiosis often presents with abdominal pain and severe diarrhoea and is associated with intestinal dysbiosis and inflammation. Our systematic analysis of the available literature revealed that bacterial diversity is reduced during infection in larger animal models, lending support to recent studies which indicate that the use of probiotics or the presence of a naturally diverse gut microbiome can prevent or minimise pathology caused by gastrointestinal pathogens. In summary, we present evidence that the presence of a diverse gut microbiome, natural or induced, reduces both symptomatic pathology and oocyst output.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julii Brainard
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Kevin. M. Tyler
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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25
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Pardy RD, Walzer KA, Wallbank BA, Byerly JH, O’Dea KM, Cohn IS, Haskins BE, Roncaioli JL, Smith EJ, Buenconsejo GY, Striepen B, Hunter CA. Analysis of intestinal epithelial cell responses to Cryptosporidium highlights the temporal effects of IFN-γ on parasite restriction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.14.567008. [PMID: 38014210 PMCID: PMC10680692 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.14.567008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
The production of IFN-γ is crucial for control of multiple enteric infections, but its impact on intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) is not well understood. Cryptosporidium parasites exclusively infect epithelial cells and the ability of interferons to activate the transcription factor STAT1 in IEC is required for parasite clearance. The use of single cell RNA sequencing to profile IEC during infection revealed induction of IFN-γ-dependent gene signatures that was comparable between uninfected and infected cells, and IEC expression of the IFN-γ receptor was required for parasite control. Unexpectedly, treatment of Ifng-/- mice with IFN-γ demonstrated the IEC response to this cytokine correlates with a delayed reduction in parasite burden but did not affect parasite development. These data sets provide insight into the impact of IFN-γ on IEC and suggest a model in which IFN-γ-mediated bystander activation of uninfected enterocytes is important for control of Cryptosporidium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D. Pardy
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Katelyn A. Walzer
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bethan A. Wallbank
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jessica H. Byerly
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Keenan M. O’Dea
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Breanne E. Haskins
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Justin L. Roncaioli
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eleanor J. Smith
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gracyn Y. Buenconsejo
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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26
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Cohn IS, Wallbank BA, Haskins BE, O’Dea KM, Pardy RD, Shaw S, Merolle MI, Gullicksrud JA, Christian DA, Striepen B, Hunter CA. Intestinal cDC1s provide IL-12 dependent and independent functions required for CD4 + T cell-mediated resistance to Cryptosporidium. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.11.566669. [PMID: 38014026 PMCID: PMC10680586 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.11.566669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is an enteric pathogen that is a prominent cause of diarrheal disease. Control of this infection requires CD4+ T cells, though the processes that lead to T cell-mediated resistance have been difficult to assess. Here, Cryptosporidium parasites that express MHCII-restricted model antigens were generated to dissect the early events that influence CD4+ T cell priming and effector function. These studies highlight that parasite-specific CD4+ T cells are primed in the draining mesenteric lymph node (mesLN) and differentiate into Th1 cells in the gut, where they mediate IFN-γ-dependent control of the infection. Although type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s) were not required for initial priming of CD4+ T cells, cDC1s were required for CD4+ T cell expansion and gut homing. cDC1s were also a major source of IL-12 that was not required for priming but promoted full differentiation of CD4+ T cells and local production of IFN-γ. Together, these studies reveal distinct roles for cDC1s in shaping CD4+ T cell responses to enteric infection: first to drive early expansion in the mesLN and second to drive effector responses in the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bethan A. Wallbank
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Breanne E. Haskins
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Keenan M. O’Dea
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ryan D. Pardy
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sebastian Shaw
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maria I. Merolle
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jodi A. Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - David A. Christian
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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27
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Chang Y, Li S, Wang L, Wang K, Li J, Li X, Jian F, Wang R, Zhang S, Zhang L. Micro-RNA expression profile of BALB/c mouse glandular stomach in the early phase of Cryptosporidium muris infection. Exp Parasitol 2023; 253:108603. [PMID: 37633513 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic disease in humans and animals that is caused by infection with the oocysts of Cryptosporidium. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important players in regulating the innate immune response against parasitic infection. Public miRNAs data for studying pathogenic mechanisms of cryptosporidiosis, particularly in natural hosts, are scarce. Here, we compared miRNA profiles of the glandular stomach of C. muris-infected and uninfected BALB/c mice using microarray sequencing. A total of 10 miRNAs (including 3 upregulated and 7 downregulated miRNAs) with significant differential expression (|FC| ≥ 2 and P value < 0.05) were identified in the glandular stomach of BALB/c mice 8 h after infection with C. muris. MiRWalk and miRDB online bioinformatics tools were used to predict the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to annotate the target genes. GO analysis indicate that gene transcription-related and ion transport-related GO terms were significantly enriched. In addition, the KEGG analyses showed that the target genes were strongly related to diverse types of tumor disease progression and anti-pathogen immunity pathways. In the current study, we firstly report changes in miRNA expression profiles in the glandular stomach of BALB/c mice at the early phase of C. muris invasion. This dysregulation in miRNA expression may contribute to our understanding of cryptosporidiosis pathology. This study provides a new perspective on the miRNA regulatory mechanisms of cryptosporidiosis, which may help in the development of effective control strategies against this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Chang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Songrui Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Luyang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Ke Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Junqiang Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Xiaoying Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Fuchun Jian
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Rongjun Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Sumei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
| | - Longxian Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450046, China.
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28
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Wang L, Cui Z, Li N, Liang G, Zhang X, Wang Y, Li D, Li X, Zhang S, Zhang L. Comparative proteomics reveals Cryptosporidium parvum infection disrupts cellular barriers. J Proteomics 2023; 287:104969. [PMID: 37463621 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2023.104969] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite capable of infecting humans and animals and is a leading cause of diarrheal disease and early childhood mortality. The molecular mechanisms underlying invasive infection and its pathogenesis remain largely unknown. To better understand the molecular mechanism of the interaction between C. parvum and host cells, we profiled the changes of host cells membrane proteins extracted using native membrane protein extraction kit between C. parvum-infected HCT-8 cells and the control group after C. parvum infected 6 h combined with quantitative Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) liquid chromatography-dual mass spectrometry proteomic analysis. Among the 4844 quantifiable proteins identified, the expression levels of 625 were upregulated, and those of 116 were downregulated at 6 h post-infection compared with controls (1.5-fold difference in abundance, p < 0.05). Enrichment analysis of the function, protein domain and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway of the differentially expressed proteins revealed that the differentially expressed proteins were mainly related to biological functions related to the cytoskeleton and cytoplasmic matrix. We also found that infection with C. parvum may destroy HCT-8 intercellular space adhesion. Six proteins were further verified using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Through systematic analysis of proteomics related to HCT-8 cell membranes infected by C. parvum, we found many host membrane proteins that can serve as potential receptors in C. parvum adhesion or invasion. C. parvum infection destroyed host cell barrier function and caused extensive changes in host cytoskeleton proteins, providing a deeper understanding of the molecules and their functions involved in the host-C. parvum interaction. SIGNIFICANCE: There is a lack of systematic research on the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction of C. parvum with host cells. Changes of host cell membrane proteins after C. parvum infection may be used to examine the host cell receptors for parasite adhesion and invasion, and how the parasite interacts with these receptors. It is of great significance that host cells undergo membrane fusion to mediate invasion. Through proteomic studies on the host cell membrane after infection with HCT-8 cells by C. parvum, we observed disruption of the host cell cellular barrier function and widespread alteration of host cytoskeletal proteins caused by C. parvum infection, providing a deeper understanding of the molecules and their functions involved in host-C. parvum interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China
| | - Zhaohui Cui
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biomarker Based Rapid-Detection Technology for Food Safety of Henan Province, Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China
| | - Guanda Liang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China
| | - Xiaotian Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China
| | - Yuexin Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China
| | - Dongfang Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Xiaoying Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China.
| | - Sumei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China.
| | - Longxian Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control of Poultry Products (Zhengzhou), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, PR China.
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Argüello-García R, Carrero JC, Ortega-Pierres MG. Extracellular Cysteine Proteases of Key Intestinal Protozoan Pathogens-Factors Linked to Virulence and Pathogenicity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12850. [PMID: 37629029 PMCID: PMC10454693 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Intestinal diseases caused by protistan parasites of the genera Giardia (giardiasis), Entamoeba (amoebiasis), Cryptosporidium (cryptosporidiosis) and Blastocystis (blastocystosis) represent a major burden in human and animal populations worldwide due to the severity of diarrhea and/or inflammation in susceptible hosts. These pathogens interact with epithelial cells, promoting increased paracellular permeability and enterocyte cell death (mainly apoptosis), which precede physiological and immunological disorders. Some cell-surface-anchored and molecules secreted from these parasites function as virulence markers, of which peptide hydrolases, particularly cysteine proteases (CPs), are abundant and have versatile lytic activities. Upon secretion, CPs can affect host tissues and immune responses beyond the site of parasite colonization, thereby increasing the pathogens' virulence. The four intestinal protists considered here are known to secrete predominantly clan A (C1- and C2-type) CPs, some of which have been characterized. CPs of Giardia duodenalis (e.g., Giardipain-1) and Entamoeba histolytica (EhCPs 1-6 and EhCP112) degrade mucin and villin, cause damage to intercellular junction proteins, induce apoptosis in epithelial cells and degrade immunoglobulins, cytokines and defensins. In Cryptosporidium, five Cryptopains are encoded in its genome, but only Cryptopains 4 and 5 are likely secreted. In Blastocystis sp., a legumain-activated CP, called Blastopain-1, and legumain itself have been detected in the extracellular medium, and the former has similar adverse effects on epithelial integrity and enterocyte survival. Due to their different functions, these enzymes could represent novel drug targets. Indeed, some promising results with CP inhibitors, such as vinyl sulfones (K11777 and WRR605), the garlic derivative, allicin, and purified amoebic CPs have been obtained in experimental models, suggesting that these enzymes might be useful drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Argüello-García
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City 07360, Mexico;
| | - Julio César Carrero
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México City 04510, Mexico
| | - M. Guadalupe Ortega-Pierres
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City 07360, Mexico;
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30
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Cohn IS, Hunter CA. Mining for crypto protection: a search for Cryptosporidium antibodies reveals antigens associated with immunity. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e171966. [PMID: 37581310 PMCID: PMC10425208 DOI: 10.1172/jci171966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly for children in low- and middle-income countries. Cryptosporidium is a diarrheal pathogen for which there is no vaccine and current therapies are only partially effective. In this issue of the JCI, Gilchrist, Campo, and colleagues surveyed a large cohort of Bangladeshi children to profile antibody responses against an array of Cryptosporidium proteins. They discovered 233 proteins to which children developed antibodies, identified seven as being associated with protection from reinfection, and provided insights regarding the longevity of Cryptosporidium antibodies and the development of antibody breadth. In this commentary, we discuss the burden of disease caused by Cryptosporidium and how these studies highlight the strategies to better manage this parasite.
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31
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Martinez M, Mageswaran SK, Guérin A, Chen WD, Thompson CP, Chavin S, Soldati-Favre D, Striepen B, Chang YW. Origin and arrangement of actin filaments for gliding motility in apicomplexan parasites revealed by cryo-electron tomography. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4800. [PMID: 37558667 PMCID: PMC10412601 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40520-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa comprises important eukaryotic parasites that invade host tissues and cells using a unique mechanism of gliding motility. Gliding is powered by actomyosin motors that translocate host-attached surface adhesins along the parasite cell body. Actin filaments (F-actin) generated by Formin1 play a central role in this critical parasitic activity. However, their subcellular origin, path and ultrastructural arrangement are poorly understood. Here we used cryo-electron tomography to image motile Cryptosporidium parvum sporozoites and reveal the cellular architecture of F-actin at nanometer-scale resolution. We demonstrate that F-actin nucleates at the apically positioned preconoidal rings and is channeled into the pellicular space between the parasite plasma membrane and the inner membrane complex in a conoid extrusion-dependent manner. Within the pellicular space, filaments on the inner membrane complex surface appear to guide the apico-basal flux of F-actin. F-actin concordantly accumulates at the basal end of the parasite. Finally, analyzing a Formin1-depleted Toxoplasma gondii mutant pinpoints the upper preconoidal ring as the conserved nucleation hub for F-actin in Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma. Together, we provide an ultrastructural model for the life cycle of F-actin for apicomplexan gliding motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shrawan Kumar Mageswaran
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute of Structural Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William David Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cameron Parker Thompson
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sabine Chavin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute of Structural Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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32
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Shaw S, Cohn IS, Baptista RP, Xia G, Melillo B, Agyabeng-Dadzie F, Kissinger JC, Striepen B. Genetic crosses within and between species of Cryptosporidium. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.04.551960. [PMID: 37577700 PMCID: PMC10418217 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.04.551960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Parasites and their hosts are engaged in rapid coevolution that balances competing mechanisms of virulence, resistance, and evasion. This often leads to host specificity, but genomic reassortment between different strains can enable parasites to jump host barriers and conquer new niches. In the apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium genetic exchange has been hypothesized to play a prominent role in adaptation to humans. The sexual lifecycle of the parasite provides a potential mechanism for such exchange; however, the boundaries of Cryptosporidium sex are currently undefined. To explore this experimentally, we established a model for genetic crosses. Drug resistance was engineered using a mutated phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase gene and marking strains with this and the previously used Neo transgene enabled selection of recombinant progeny. This is highly efficient, and genomic recombination is evident and can be continuously monitored in real time by drug resistance, flow cytometry, and PCR mapping. Using this approach multiple loci can now be modified with ease. We demonstrate that essential genes can be ablated by crossing a Cre recombinase driver strain with floxed strains. We further find that genetic crosses are also feasible between species. Crossing C. parvum, a parasite of cattle and humans, and C. tyzzeri a mouse parasite resulted in progeny with a recombinant genome derived from both species that continues to vigorously replicate sexually. These experiments have important fundamental and translational implications for the evolution of Cryptosporidium and open the door to reverse- and forward- genetic analysis of parasite biology and host specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Shaw
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - Guoqin Xia
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA
| | - Bruno Melillo
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics Science Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Jessica C. Kissinger
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases and Institute of Bioinformatics University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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Xu R, Beatty WL, Greigert V, Witola WH, Sibley LD. Multiple pathways for glucose phosphate transport and utilization support growth of Cryptosporidium parvum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546703. [PMID: 37425855 PMCID: PMC10327089 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is an obligate intracellular parasite with a highly reduced mitochondrion that lacks the TCA cycle and the ability to generate ATP, making the parasite reliant on glycolysis. Genetic ablation experiments demonstrated that neither of the two putative glucose transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2 were essential for growth. Surprisingly, hexokinase was also dispensable for parasite growth while the downstream enzyme aldolase was required, suggesting the parasite has an alternative way of obtaining phosphorylated hexose. Complementation studies in E. coli support a role for direct transport of glucose-6-phosphate from the host cell by the parasite transporters CpGT1 and CpGT2, thus bypassing a requirement for hexokinase. Additionally, the parasite obtains phosphorylated glucose from amylopectin stores that are released by the action of the essential enzyme glycogen phosphorylase. Collectively, these findings reveal that C. parvum relies on multiple pathways to obtain phosphorylated glucose both for glycolysis and to restore carbohydrate reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Wandy L. Beatty
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Valentin Greigert
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - William H. Witola
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61802, USA
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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34
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Tandel J, Walzer KA, Byerly JH, Pinkston B, Beiting DP, Striepen B. Genetic Ablation of a Female-Specific Apetala 2 Transcription Factor Blocks Oocyst Shedding in Cryptosporidium parvum. mBio 2023; 14:e0326122. [PMID: 36786597 PMCID: PMC10233709 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03261-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global cause of diarrheal disease, and the infection poses a particularly grave threat to young children and those with weakened immune function. Infection occurs by ingestion of meiotic spores called oocysts, and transmission relies on fecal shedding of new oocysts. The entire life cycle thus occurs in a single host and features asexual as well as sexual forms of replication. Here, we identify and locus tag two Apetala 2-type (AP2) transcription factors and demonstrate that they are exclusively expressed in male and female gametes, respectively. To enable functional studies of essential genes in Cryptosporidium parvum, we develop and validate a small-molecule-inducible gene excision system, which we apply to the female factor AP2-F to achieve conditional gene knockout. Analyzing this mutant, we find the factor to be dispensable for asexual growth and early female fate determination in vitro but to be required for oocyst shedding in infected animals in vivo. Transcriptional analyses conducted in the presence or absence of AP2-F revealed that the factor controls the transcription of genes encoding crystalloid body proteins, which are exclusively expressed in female gametes. In C. parvum, the organelle is restricted to sporozoites, and its loss in other apicomplexan parasites leads to blocked transmission. Overall, our development of conditional gene ablation in C. parvum provides a robust method for genetic analysis in this parasite that enabled us to identify AP2-F as an essential regulator of transcription required for oocyst shedding and transmission. IMPORTANCE The parasite Cryptosporidium infects millions of people worldwide each year, leading to life-threatening diarrheal disease in young children and immunosuppressed individuals. There is no vaccine and only limited treatment. Transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route by an environmentally resilient spore-like oocyst. Infection takes place in the intestinal epithelium, where parasites initially propagate asexually before transitioning to male and female gametes, with sex leading to the formation of new oocysts. The essential role of sexual development for continuous infection and transmission makes it an attractive target for therapy and prevention. To study essential genes and potential drug targets across the life cycle, we established inducible gene excision for C. parvum. We determined that the female-specific transcription factor AP2-F is not required for asexual growth and early female development in vitro but is necessary for oocyst shedding in vivo. This work enhances the genetic tools available to study Cryptosporidium gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayesh Tandel
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Katelyn A. Walzer
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica H. Byerly
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brittain Pinkston
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Daniel P. Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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35
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Saraav I, Sibley LD. Dendritic Cells and Cryptosporidium: From Recognition to Restriction. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1056. [PMID: 37110479 PMCID: PMC10144555 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11041056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Host immune responses are required for the efficient control of cryptosporidiosis. Immunity against Cryptosporidium infection has been best studied in mice, where it is mediated by both innate and adaptive immune responses. Dendritic cells are the key link between innate and adaptive immunity and participate in the defense against Cryptosporidium infection. While the effector mechanism varies, both humans and mice rely on dendritic cells for sensing parasites and restricting infection. Recently, the use of mouse-adapted strains C. parvum and mouse-specific strain C. tyzzeri have provided tractable systems to study the role of dendritic cells in mice against this parasite. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in innate immunity acting during infection with Cryptosporidium with a major focus on the role of dendritic cells in the intestinal mucosa. Further work is required to understand the role of dendritic cells in the activation of T cells and to explore associated molecular mechanisms. The identification of Cryptosporidium antigen involved in the activation of Toll-like receptor signaling in dendritic cells during infection is also a matter of future study. The in-depth knowledge of immune responses in cryptosporidiosis will help develop targeted prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - L. David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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36
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Guérin A, Strelau KM, Barylyuk K, Wallbank BA, Berry L, Crook OM, Lilley KS, Waller RF, Striepen B. Cryptosporidium uses multiple distinct secretory organelles to interact with and modify its host cell. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:650-664.e6. [PMID: 36958336 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of diarrheal disease in children and an important contributor to early childhood mortality. The parasite invades and extensively remodels intestinal epithelial cells, building an elaborate interface structure. How this occurs at the molecular level and the contributing parasite factors are largely unknown. Here, we generated a whole-cell spatial proteome of the Cryptosporidium sporozoite and used genetic and cell biological experimentation to discover the Cryptosporidium-secreted effector proteome. These findings reveal multiple organelles, including an original secretory organelle, and generate numerous compartment markers by tagging native gene loci. We show that secreted proteins are delivered to the parasite-host interface, where they assemble into different structures including a ring that anchors the parasite into its unique epicellular niche. Cryptosporidium thus uses a complex set of secretion systems during and following invasion that act in concert to subjugate its host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Katherine M Strelau
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Bethan A Wallbank
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Laurence Berry
- LPHI, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier 34095, France
| | - Oliver M Crook
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Kathryn S Lilley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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37
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Deng S, He W, Gong AY, Li M, Wang Y, Xia Z, Zhang XT, Huang Pacheco AS, Naqib A, Jenkins M, Swanson PC, Drescher KM, Strauss-Soukup JK, Belshan M, Chen XM. Cryptosporidium uses CSpV1 to activate host type I interferon and attenuate antiparasitic defenses. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1456. [PMID: 36928642 PMCID: PMC10020566 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37129-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium infects gastrointestinal epithelium and is a leading cause of infectious diarrhea and diarrheal-related death in children worldwide. There are no vaccines and no fully effective therapy available for the infection. Type II and III interferon (IFN) responses are important determinants of susceptibility to infection but the role for type I IFN response remains obscure. Cryptosporidium parvum virus 1 (CSpV1) is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus harbored by Cryptosporidium spp. Here we show that intestinal epithelial conditional Ifnar1-/- mice (deficient in type I IFN receptor) are resistant to C. parvum infection. CSpV1-dsRNAs are delivered into host cells and trigger type I IFN response in infected cells. Whereas C. parvum infection attenuates epithelial response to IFN-γ, loss of type I IFN signaling or inhibition of CSpV1-dsRNA delivery can restore IFN-γ-mediated protective response. Our findings demonstrate that type I IFN signaling in intestinal epithelial cells is detrimental to intestinal anti-C. parvum defense and Cryptosporidium uses CSpV1 to activate type I IFN signaling to evade epithelial antiparasitic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silu Deng
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Wei He
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Ai-Yu Gong
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Min Li
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Zijie Xia
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Xin-Tiang Zhang
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Andrew S Huang Pacheco
- Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital & Medical Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Ankur Naqib
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark Jenkins
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, the United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Patrick C Swanson
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Kristen M Drescher
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Juliane K Strauss-Soukup
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Creighton University College of Arts and Sciences, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Michael Belshan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Xian-Ming Chen
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
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38
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Watanabe N, Bando H, Murakoshi F, Sakurai R, Kabir MHB, Fukuda Y, Kato K. The role of atypical MAP kinase 4 in the host interaction with Cryptosporidium parvum. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1096. [PMID: 36658270 PMCID: PMC9852575 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28269-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is an apicomplexan parasite that causes severe zoonotic diarrhea in humans and calves. Since there are no effective treatments or vaccines for infants or immunocompromised patients, it is important to understand the molecular mechanisms of the parasite-host interaction for novel drug discovery. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) is a key host factor in interactions between host and various pathogens, including parasites. Although the function of conventional MAP kinases against parasite infection has been investigated, that of atypical MAP kinases remains largely unknown. Therefore, we focused on one of the atypical MAP kinases, MAPK4, and its effect on C. parvum infection in human intestinal cells. Here, we report that MAPK4-deficient intestinal cells showed a significant reduction in C. parvum infection. We also show that host MAPK4 has a role in host cell survival from C. parvum infection. In addition, we show that C. parvum requires host MAPK4 for its successful invasion and asexual reproduction. Taken together, our data suggest that MAPK4 is an important host factor contributing to C. parvum infection in human intestinal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Watanabe
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Hironori Bando
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan.,Department of Parasitology, Asahikawa Medical University, 2-1-1-1, Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, 078-8510, Japan
| | - Fumi Murakoshi
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Riku Sakurai
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Mohammad Hazzaz Bin Kabir
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Fukuda
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Kentaro Kato
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-Onsen, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan.
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39
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Huang W, Guo Y, Lysen C, Wang Y, Tang K, Seabolt MH, Yang F, Cebelinski E, Gonzalez-Moreno O, Hou T, Chen C, Chen M, Wan M, Li N, Hlavsa MC, Roellig DM, Feng Y, Xiao L. Multiple introductions and recombination events underlie the emergence of a hyper-transmissible Cryptosporidium hominis subtype in the USA. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:112-123.e4. [PMID: 36521488 PMCID: PMC10124589 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The parasite Cryptosporidium hominis is a leading cause of the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis, whose incidence in the United States has increased since 2005. Here, we show that the newly emerged and hyper-transmissible subtype IfA12G1R5 is now dominant in the United States. In a comparative analysis of 127 newly sequenced and 95 published C. hominis genomes, IfA12G1R5 isolates from the United States place into three of the 14 clusters (Pop6, Pop13, and Pop14), indicating that this subtype has multiple ancestral origins. Pop6 (IfA12G1R5a) has an East Africa origin and has recombined with autochthonous subtypes after its arrival. Pop13 (IfA12G1R5b) is imported from Europe, where it has recombined with the prevalent local subtype, whereas Pop14 (IfA12G1R5c) is a progeny of secondary recombination between Pop6 and Pop13. Selective sweeps in invasion-associated genes have accompanied the emergence of the dominant Pop14. These observations offer insights into the emergence and evolution of hyper-transmissible pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyi Huang
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yaqiong Guo
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Colleen Lysen
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Yuanfei Wang
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Kevin Tang
- Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Matthew H Seabolt
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Fengkun Yang
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Elizabeth Cebelinski
- Infectious Disease Laboratory, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, MN 55101, USA
| | | | - Tianyi Hou
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Chengyi Chen
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Muchun Wan
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Na Li
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Michele C Hlavsa
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
| | - Dawn M Roellig
- Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.
| | - Yaoyu Feng
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Lihua Xiao
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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40
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Tuemmers C, Fellenberg C, Pérez EJ, Paillaqueo J. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Horses from communities of the Mapuche native people, Araucanía Region, Chile. Equine Vet J 2023; 55:78-82. [PMID: 35253261 DOI: 10.1111/evj.13571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are no studies of potential zoonotic diseases in Mapuche communities' horses. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in horses of the Mapuche communities. STUDY DESIGN This was a cross-sectional study. METHODS Faecal samples from 100 randomly selected horses (n = 100) were taken from rural Mapuche communities from four municipalities from the Araucanía Region. These samples were processed with the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique and grouped by sex, age and municipality. RESULTS The general prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was 67.0% (n = 67). The prevalence was 51.0% (n = 51) in males and 49.0% (n = 49) in females, and there is no gender association to the presentation of Cryptosporidium spp. The prevalence by municipality was 60.0%, 80.0%, 64.0% and 64.0% in Curarrehue, Lonquimay, Padre las Casas and Teodoro Schmidt, respectively. The above shows no significant association between the sector and the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. The prevalence by age was 95.4% of horses tested positive for Cryptosporidium between birth and 6 years of age. About 27.3% of horses were tested positive in the age group between 7 and 10 years. There was no presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in the age group older than 11 years, showing a significant relationship between the age of the animal and the presence of Cryptosporidium (P ˂ 0.05). MAIN LIMITATIONS The sample analysis did not specifically identify the type of Cryptosporidium, and it was not possible to evaluate the zoonotic risk in the Mapuche communities. CONCLUSIONS Cryptosporidium spp. is present in working horses in Mapuche communities, with a 67.7% general prevalence, and there is a significant association between this parasite and the age of the horses, being higher in the age group between 0 and 6 years, with a prevalence of 95.4%. There may be a potential zoonotic risk in the Mapuche communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Tuemmers
- Veterinary Science and Public Health Department, Natural Resources Faculty, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco, Chile
| | - Constanza Fellenberg
- Veterinary Science and Public Health Department, Natural Resources Faculty, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco, Chile
| | - Eugenio J Pérez
- Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Javier Paillaqueo
- Veterinary Science and Public Health Department, Natural Resources Faculty, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco, Chile
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Cohn IS, Henrickson SE, Striepen B, Hunter CA. Immunity to Cryptosporidium: Lessons from Acquired and Primary Immunodeficiencies. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2022; 209:2261-2268. [PMID: 36469846 PMCID: PMC9731348 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a ubiquitous protozoan parasite that infects gut epithelial cells and causes self-limited diarrhea in immunocompetent individuals. However, in immunocompromised hosts with global defects in T cell function, this infection can result in chronic, life-threatening disease. In addition, there is a subset of individuals with primary immunodeficiencies associated with increased risk for life-threatening cryptosporidiosis. These patients highlight MHC class II expression, CD40-CD40L interactions, NF-κB signaling, and IL-21 as key host factors required for resistance to this enteric pathogen. Understanding which immune deficiencies do (or do not) lead to increased risk for severe Cryptosporidium may reveal mechanisms of parasite restriction and aid in the identification of novel strategies to manage this common pathogen in immunocompetent and deficient hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S. Cohn
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sarah E. Henrickson
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Allergy Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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42
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Dubik M, Pilecki B, Moeller JB. Commensal Intestinal Protozoa-Underestimated Members of the Gut Microbial Community. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121742. [PMID: 36552252 PMCID: PMC9774987 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The human gastrointestinal microbiota contains a diverse consortium of microbes, including bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and fungi. Through millennia of co-evolution, the host-microbiota interactions have shaped the immune system to both tolerate and maintain the symbiotic relationship with commensal microbiota, while exerting protective responses against invading pathogens. Microbiome research is dominated by studies describing the impact of prokaryotic bacteria on gut immunity with a limited understanding of their relationship with other integral microbiota constituents. However, converging evidence shows that eukaryotic organisms, such as commensal protozoa, can play an important role in modulating intestinal immune responses as well as influencing the overall health of the host. The presence of several protozoa species has recently been shown to be a common occurrence in healthy populations worldwide, suggesting that many of these are commensals rather than invading pathogens. This review aims to discuss the most recent, conflicting findings regarding the role of intestinal protozoa in gut homeostasis, interactions between intestinal protozoa and the bacterial microbiota, as well as potential immunological consequences of protozoa colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Dubik
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Bartosz Pilecki
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
| | - Jesper Bonnet Moeller
- Department of Cancer and Inflammation Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense, Denmark
- Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
- Correspondence:
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Dos Santos Pacheco N, Brusini L, Haase R, Tosetti N, Maco B, Brochet M, Vadas O, Soldati-Favre D. Conoid extrusion regulates glideosome assembly to control motility and invasion in Apicomplexa. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1777-1790. [DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01212-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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44
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Martinez M, Chen WD, Cova MM, Molnár P, Mageswaran SK, Guérin A, John ARO, Lebrun M, Chang YW. Rhoptry secretion system structure and priming in Plasmodium falciparum revealed using in situ cryo-electron tomography. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1230-1238. [PMID: 35817892 PMCID: PMC7613239 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01171-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites secrete contents of the rhoptries, club-shaped organelles in the apical region, into host cells to permit their invasion and establishment of infection. The rhoptry secretory apparatus (RSA), which is critical for rhoptry secretion, was recently discovered in Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium. It is unknown whether a similar molecular machinery exists in the malaria parasite Plasmodium. In this study, we use in situ cryo-electron tomography to investigate the rhoptry secretion system in P. falciparum merozoites. We identify the presence of an RSA at the cell apex and a morphologically distinct apical vesicle docking the tips of the two rhoptries to the RSA. We also discover two additional rhoptry organizations that lack the apical vesicle. Using subtomogram averaging, we reveal different conformations of the RSA structure corresponding to different rhoptry organizations. Our results highlight previously unknown steps in the process of rhoptry secretion and indicate a regulatory role for the conserved apical vesicle in host invasion by apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William David Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Petra Molnár
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shrawan Kumar Mageswaran
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Audrey R Odom John
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maryse Lebrun
- LPHI, UMR 5235 CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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45
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Köster PC, Lapuente J, Cruz I, Carmena D, Ponce-Gordo F. Human-Borne Pathogens: Are They Threatening Wild Great Ape Populations? Vet Sci 2022; 9:356. [PMID: 35878373 PMCID: PMC9323791 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9070356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change and anthropic activities are the two main factors explaining wild great ape habitat reduction and population decline. The extent to which human-borne infectious diseases are contributing to this trend is still poorly understood. This is due to insufficient or fragmented knowledge on the abundance and distribution of current wild great ape populations, the difficulty obtaining optimal biological samples for diagnostic testing, and the scarcity of pathogen typing data of sufficient quality. This review summarises current information on the most clinically relevant pathogens of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal nature for which transmission from humans to wild great apes is suspected. After appraising the robustness of available epidemiological and/or molecular typing evidence, we attempt to categorise each pathogen according to its likelihood of truly being of human origin. We further discuss those agents for which anthroponotic transmission is more likely. These include two viral (Human Metapneumovirus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus), one bacterial (diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli), and two parasitic (Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis) pathogens. Finally, we identify the main drawbacks impairing research on anthroponotic pathogen transmission in wild great apes and propose research lines that may contribute to bridging current knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela C. Köster
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Juan Lapuente
- Comoé Chimpanzee Conservation Project (CCCP) Comoé N.P., Kakpin, Côte d’Ivoire;
| | - Israel Cruz
- National School of Public Health, Health Institute Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain;
- Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) in Infectious Diseases, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - David Carmena
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain;
- Center for Biomedical Research Network (CIBER) in Infectious Diseases, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Ponce-Gordo
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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46
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Characterization of Dense Granule Metalloproteinase INS-16 in Cryptosporidium parvum. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147617. [PMID: 35886965 PMCID: PMC9315855 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147617] [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: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum infects intestinal epithelial cells and causes diarrhea in humans and young animals. Among the more than 20 genes encoding insulinase-like metalloproteinases (INS), two are paralogs with high sequence identity. In this study, one of them, INS-16 encoded by the cgd3_4270 gene, was expressed and characterized in a comparative study of its sibling, INS-15 encoded by the cgd3_4260 gene. A full-length INS-16 protein and its active domain I were expressed in Escherichia coli, and antibodies against the domain I and an INS-16-specific peptide were produced in rabbits. In the analysis of the crude extract of oocysts, a ~60 kDa fragment of INS-16 rather than the full protein was recognized by polyclonal antibodies against the specific peptide, indicating that INS-16 undergoes proteolytic cleavage before maturation. The expression of the ins-16 gene peaked at the invasion phase of in vitro C. parvum culture, with the documented expression of the protein in both sporozoites and merozoites. Localization studies with antibodies showed significant differences in the distribution of the native INS-15 and INS-16 proteins in sporozoites and merozoites. INS-16 was identified as a dense granule protein in sporozoites and macrogamonts but was mostly expressed at the apical end of merozoites. We screened 48 candidate INS-16 inhibitors from the molecular docking of INS-16. Among them, two inhibited the growth of C. parvum in vitro (EC50 = 1.058 µM and 2.089 µM). The results of this study suggest that INS-16 may have important roles in the development of C. parvum and could be a valid target for the development of effective treatments.
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47
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Corsi GI, Tichkule S, Sannella AR, Vatta P, Asnicar F, Segata N, Jex AR, van Oosterhout C, Cacciò SM. Recent genetic exchanges and admixture shape the genome and population structure of the zoonotic pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum. Mol Ecol 2022; 32:2633-2645. [PMID: 35652748 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cryptosporidium parvum is a globally distributed zoonotic pathogen and a major cause of diarrhoeal disease in humans and ruminants. The parasite's life cycle comprises an obligatory sexual phase, during which genetic exchanges can occur between previously isolated lineages. Here, we compare 32 whole genome sequences from human- and ruminant-derived parasite isolates collected across Europe, Egypt and China. We identify three strongly supported clusters that comprise a mix of isolates from different host species, geographic origins, and subtypes. We show that: (1) recombination occurs between ruminant isolates into human isolates; (2) these recombinant regions can be passed on to other human subtypes through gene flow and population admixture; (3) there have been multiple genetic exchanges, and most are likely recent; (4) putative virulence genes are significantly enriched within these genetic exchanges, and (5) this results in an increase in their nucleotide diversity. We carefully dissect the phylogenetic sequence of two genetic exchanges, illustrating the long-term evolutionary consequences of these events. Our results suggest that increased globalisation and close human-animal contacts increase the opportunity for genetic exchanges between previously isolated parasite lineages, resulting in spillover and spillback events. We discuss how this can provide a novel substrate for natural selection at genes involved in host-parasite interactions, thereby potentially altering the dynamic coevolutionary equilibrium in the Red Queens arms race.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia I Corsi
- CIBO, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.,Center for non-coding RNA in Technology and Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Swapnil Tichkule
- Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Rosa Sannella
- Department of Infectious Diseases, European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Vatta
- Department of Infectious Diseases, European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Aaron R Jex
- Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Cock van Oosterhout
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Simone M Cacciò
- Department of Infectious Diseases, European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, Rome, Italy
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48
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Gibson AR, Sateriale A, Dumaine JE, Engiles JB, Pardy RD, Gullicksrud JA, O’Dea KM, Doench JG, Beiting DP, Hunter CA, Striepen B. A genetic screen identifies a protective type III interferon response to Cryptosporidium that requires TLR3 dependent recognition. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010003. [PMID: 35584177 PMCID: PMC9154123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of severe diarrhea and diarrheal-related death in children worldwide. As an obligate intracellular parasite, Cryptosporidium relies on intestinal epithelial cells to provide a niche for its growth and survival, but little is known about the contributions that the infected cell makes to this relationship. Here we conducted a genome wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screen to discover host genes that influence Cryptosporidium parvum infection and/or host cell survival. Gene enrichment analysis indicated that the host interferon response, glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor biosynthesis are important determinants of susceptibility to C. parvum infection and impact on the viability of host cells in the context of parasite infection. Several of these pathways are linked to parasite attachment and invasion and C-type lectins on the surface of the parasite. Evaluation of transcript and protein induction of innate interferons revealed a pronounced type III interferon response to Cryptosporidium in human cells as well as in mice. Treatment of mice with IFNλ reduced infection burden and protected immunocompromised mice from severe outcomes including death, with effects that required STAT1 signaling in the enterocyte. Initiation of this type III interferon response was dependent on sustained intracellular growth and mediated by the pattern recognition receptor TLR3. We conclude that host cell intrinsic recognition of Cryptosporidium results in IFNλ production critical to early protection against this infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis R. Gibson
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Adam Sateriale
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jennifer E. Dumaine
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Julie B. Engiles
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Pathobiology, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ryan D. Pardy
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jodi A. Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Keenan M. O’Dea
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - John G. Doench
- Genetic Perturbation Platform, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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49
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Abstract
Toxoplasma motility is both activated and suppressed by 3′,5′-cyclic nucleotide signaling. Cyclic GMP (cGMP) signaling through Toxoplasma gondii protein kinase G (TgPKG) activates motility, whereas cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling through TgPKAc1 inhibits motility. Despite their importance, it remains unclear how cGMP and cAMP levels are maintained in Toxoplasma. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are known to inactivate cyclic nucleotides and are highly expanded in the Toxoplasma genome. Here, we analyzed the expression and function of the 18-member TgPDE family in tachyzoites, the virulent life stage of Toxoplasma. We detected the expression of 11 of 18 TgPDEs, confirming prior expression studies. A knockdown screen of the TgPDE family revealed four TgPDEs that contribute to lytic Toxoplasma growth (TgPDE1, TgPDE2, TgPDE5, and TgPDE9). Depletion of TgPDE1 or TgPDE2 caused severe growth defects, prompting further investigation. While TgPDE1 was important for extracellular motility, TgPDE2 was important for host cell invasion, parasite replication, host cell egress, and extracellular motility. TgPDE1 displayed a plasma membrane/cytomembranous distribution, whereas TgPDE2 displayed an endoplasmic reticulum/cytomembranous distribution. Biochemical analysis of TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 purified from Toxoplasma lysates revealed that TgPDE1 hydrolyzes both cGMP and cAMP, whereas TgPDE2 was cAMP specific. Interactome studies of TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 indicated that they do not physically interact with each other or other TgPDEs but may be regulated by kinases and proteases. Our studies have identified TgPDE1 and TgPDE2 as central regulators of tachyzoite cyclic nucleotide levels and enable future studies aimed at determining how these enzymes are regulated and cooperate to control Toxoplasma motility and growth. IMPORTANCE Apicomplexan parasites require motility to actively infect host cells and cause disease. Cyclic nucleotide signaling governs apicomplexan motility, but it is unclear how cyclic nucleotide levels are maintained in these parasites. In search of novel regulators of cyclic nucleotides in the model apicomplexan Toxoplasma, we identified and characterized two catalytically active phosphodiesterases, TgPDE1 and TgPDE2, that are important for Toxoplasma’s virulent tachyzoite life cycle. Enzymes that generate, sense, or degrade cyclic nucleotides make attractive targets for therapies aimed at paralyzing and killing apicomplexan parasites.
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50
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Gullicksrud JA, Sateriale A, Englies JB, Gibson A, Shaw S, Hutchins ZA, Martin L, Christian DA, Taylor GA, Yamamoto M, Beiting DP, Striepen B, Hunter CA. Enterocyte-innate lymphoid cell crosstalk drives early IFN-γ-mediated control of Cryptosporidium. Mucosal Immunol 2022; 15:362-372. [PMID: 34750455 PMCID: PMC8881313 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-021-00468-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The intestinal parasite, Cryptosporidium, is a major contributor to global child mortality and causes opportunistic infection in immune deficient individuals. Innate resistance to Cryptosporidium, which specifically invades enterocytes, is dependent on the production of IFN-γ, yet whether enterocytes contribute to parasite control is poorly understood. In this study, utilizing a mouse-adapted strain of C. parvum, we show that epithelial-derived IL-18 synergized with IL-12 to stimulate innate lymphoid cell (ILC) production of IFN-γ required for early parasite control. The loss of IFN-γ-mediated STAT1 signaling in enterocytes, but not dendritic cells or macrophages, antagonized early parasite control. Transcriptional profiling of enterocytes from infected mice identified an IFN-γ signature and enrichment of the anti-microbial effectors IDO, GBP, and IRG. Deletion experiments identified a role for Irgm1/m3 in parasite control. Thus, enterocytes promote ILC production of IFN-γ that acts on enterocytes to restrict the growth of Cryptosporidium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi A. Gullicksrud
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Adam Sateriale
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America.,Current: The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Julie B. Englies
- Department of Pathobiology, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA 19348, United States of America
| | - Alexis Gibson
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Sebastian Shaw
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Zachary A. Hutchins
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America.,Current: Jill Robests Institute for Research in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, United States of America
| | - Lindsay Martin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - David A. Christian
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Gregory A. Taylor
- Departments of Medicine; Molecular Genetics and Microbiology; and Immunology; and Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America,Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Masahiro Yamamoto
- Department of Immunoparasitology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daniel P. Beiting
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Boris Striepen
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Hunter
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
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