1
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Bulloch MS, Huynh LK, Kennedy K, Ralton JE, McConville MJ, Ralph SA. Apicoplast-derived isoprenoids are essential for biosynthesis of GPI protein anchors, and consequently for egress and invasion in Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012484. [PMID: 39241090 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012484] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 09/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors are the predominant glycoconjugate in Plasmodium parasites, enabling modified proteins to associate with biological membranes. GPI biosynthesis commences with donation of a mannose residue held by dolichol-phosphate at the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. In Plasmodium dolichols are derived from isoprenoid precursors synthesised in the Plasmodium apicoplast, a relict plastid organelle of prokaryotic origin. We found that treatment of Plasmodium parasites with apicoplast inhibitors decreases the synthesis of isoprenoid and GPI intermediates resulting in GPI-anchored proteins becoming untethered from their normal membrane association. Even when other isoprenoids were chemically rescued, GPI depletion led to an arrest in schizont stage parasites, which had defects in segmentation and egress. In those daughter parasites (merozoites) that did form, proteins that would normally be GPI-anchored were mislocalised, and when these merozoites were artificially released they were able to attach to but not invade new red blood cells. Our data provides further evidence for the importance of GPI biosynthesis during the asexual cycle of P. falciparum, and indicates that GPI biosynthesis, and by extension egress and invasion, is dependent on isoprenoids synthesised in the apicoplast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela S Bulloch
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Long K Huynh
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kit Kennedy
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Julie E Ralton
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Malcolm J McConville
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stuart A Ralph
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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2
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Nagar R, Garcia Castillo SS, Pinzon-Ortiz M, Patray S, Coppi A, Kanatani S, Moritz RL, Swearingen KE, Ferguson MAJ, Sinnis P. The major surface protein of malaria sporozoites is GPI-anchored to the plasma membrane. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107557. [PMID: 39002668 PMCID: PMC11359735 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107557] [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: 05/22/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor protein modification in Plasmodium species is well known and represents the principal form of glycosylation in these organisms. The structure and biosynthesis of GPI anchors of Plasmodium spp. has been primarily studied in the asexual blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum and is known to contain the typical conserved GPI structure of EtN-P-Man3GlcN-PI. Here, we have investigated the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) for the presence of a GPI anchor. CSP is the major surface protein of Plasmodium sporozoites, the infective stage of the malaria parasite. While it is widely assumed that CSP is a GPI-anchored cell surface protein, compelling biochemical evidence for this supposition is absent. Here, we employed metabolic labeling and mass-spectrometry-based approaches to confirm the presence of a GPI anchor in CSP. Biosynthetic radiolabeling of CSP with [3H]-palmitic acid and [3H]-ethanolamine, with the former being base-labile and therefore ester-linked, provided strong evidence for the presence of a GPI anchor on CSP, but these data alone were not definitive. To provide further evidence, immunoprecipitated CSP was analyzed for the presence of myo-inositol (a characteristic component of GPI anchor) using strong acid hydrolysis and GC-MS for highly sensitive and quantitative detection. The single ion monitoring (SIM) method for GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of the myo-inositol component in CSP. Taken together, these data provide confidence that the long-assumed presence of a GPI anchor on this important parasite protein is correct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupa Nagar
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Stefano S Garcia Castillo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Maria Pinzon-Ortiz
- Department of Medical Parsitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sharon Patray
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alida Coppi
- Department of Medical Parsitology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sachie Kanatani
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Michael A J Ferguson
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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3
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Nagar R, Garcia Castillo SS, Pinzon-Ortiz M, Patray S, Coppi A, Kanatani S, Moritz RL, Swearingen KE, Ferguson MAJ, Sinnis P. The major surface protein of malaria sporozoites is GPI-anchored to the plasma membrane. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.21.595204. [PMID: 38826328 PMCID: PMC11142060 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.21.595204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor protein modification in Plasmodium species is well known and represents the principal form of glycosylation in these organisms. The structure and biosynthesis of GPI anchors of Plasmodium spp. has been primarily studied in the asexual blood stage of P. falciparum and is known to contain the typical conserved GPI structure of EtN-P-Man3GlcN-PI. Here, we have investigated the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) for the presence of a GPI-anchor. CSP is the major surface protein of Plasmodium sporozoites, the infective stage of the malaria parasite. While it is widely assumed that CSP is a GPI-anchored cell surface protein, compelling biochemical evidence for this supposition is absent. Here, we employed metabolic labeling and mass-spectrometry based approaches to confirm the presence of a GPI anchor in CSP. Biosynthetic radiolabeling of CSP with [ 3 H]-palmitic acid and [ 3 H]-ethanolamine, with the former being base-labile and therefore ester-linked, provided strong evidence for the presence of a GPI anchor on CSP, but these data alone were not definitive. To provide further evidence, immunoprecipitated CSP was analyzed for presence of myo -inositol (a characteristic component of GPI anchor) using strong acid hydrolysis and GC-MS for a highly sensitive and quantitative detection. The single ion monitoring (SIM) method for GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of the myo -inositol component in CSP. Taken together, these data provide confidence that the long-assumed presence of a GPI anchor on this important parasite protein is correct.
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4
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Yuan Y, Li P, Li J, Zhao Q, Chang Y, He X. Protein lipidation in health and disease: molecular basis, physiological function and pathological implication. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:60. [PMID: 38485938 PMCID: PMC10940682 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01759-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications increase the complexity and functional diversity of proteins in response to complex external stimuli and internal changes. Among these, protein lipidations which refer to lipid attachment to proteins are prominent, which primarily encompassing five types including S-palmitoylation, N-myristoylation, S-prenylation, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor and cholesterylation. Lipid attachment to proteins plays an essential role in the regulation of protein trafficking, localisation, stability, conformation, interactions and signal transduction by enhancing hydrophobicity. Accumulating evidence from genetic, structural, and biomedical studies has consistently shown that protein lipidation is pivotal in the regulation of broad physiological functions and is inextricably linked to a variety of diseases. Decades of dedicated research have driven the development of a wide range of drugs targeting protein lipidation, and several agents have been developed and tested in preclinical and clinical studies, some of which, such as asciminib and lonafarnib are FDA-approved for therapeutic use, indicating that targeting protein lipidations represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Here, we comprehensively review the known regulatory enzymes and catalytic mechanisms of various protein lipidation types, outline the impact of protein lipidations on physiology and disease, and highlight potential therapeutic targets and clinical research progress, aiming to provide a comprehensive reference for future protein lipidation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Peiyuan Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianghui Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiu Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ying Chang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
| | - Xingxing He
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Clinical Center and Key Laboratory of Intestinal and Colorectal Diseases, Wuhan, China.
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Gowda DC, Miller LH. Glycosylation in malaria parasites: what do we know? Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:131-146. [PMID: 38262838 PMCID: PMC10923157 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.12.006] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
In malaria parasites, although post-translational modification of proteins with N-. O-, and C-glycosidic bond-linked glycans is limited, it is confined to relatively fewer proteins in which the glycans are present at significant levels and may have important functions. Furthermore, several proteins are modified with glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) which represent the predominant glycan synthesized by parasites. Modification of proteins with GPIs is obligatory for parasite survival as GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) play essential roles in all life cycle stages of the parasites, including development, egress, gametogenesis, motility, and host cell adhesion and invasion. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on the structures and potential functions of the glycan moieties of parasite proteins. The knowledge has important implications for the development of drugs and vaccines for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Channe Gowda
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Louis H Miller
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
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6
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Li D. Structure and Function of the Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Transamidase, a Transmembrane Complex Catalyzing GPI Anchoring of Proteins. Subcell Biochem 2024; 104:425-458. [PMID: 38963495 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-58843-3_16] [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] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring of proteins is a ubiquitous posttranslational modification in eukaryotic cells. GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) play critical roles in enzymatic, signaling, regulatory, and adhesion processes. Over 20 enzymes are involved in GPI synthesis, attachment to client proteins, and remodeling after attachment. The GPI transamidase (GPI-T), a large complex located in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, catalyzes the attachment step by replacing a C-terminal signal peptide of proproteins with GPI. In the last three decades, extensive research has been conducted on the mechanism of the transamidation reaction, the components of the GPI-T complex, the role of each subunit, and the substrate specificity. Two recent studies have reported the three-dimensional architecture of GPI-T, which represent the first structures of the pathway. The structures provide detailed mechanisms for assembly that rationalizes previous biochemical results and subunit-dependent stability data. While the structural data confirm the catalytic role of PIGK, which likely uses a caspase-like mechanism to cleave the proproteins, they suggest that unlike previously proposed, GPAA1 is not a catalytic subunit. The structures also reveal a shared cavity for GPI binding. Somewhat unexpectedly, PIGT, a single-pass membrane protein, plays a crucial role in GPI recognition. Consistent with the assembly mechanisms and the active site architecture, most of the disease mutations occur near the active site or the subunit interfaces. Finally, the catalytic dyad is located ~22 Å away from the membrane interface of the GPI-binding site, and this architecture may confer substrate specificity through topological matching between the substrates and the elongated active site. The research conducted thus far sheds light on the intricate processes involved in GPI anchoring and paves the way for further mechanistic studies of GPI-T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianfan Li
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China.
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Crispim M, Verdaguer IB, Hernández A, Kronenberger T, Fenollar À, Yamaguchi LF, Alberione MP, Ramirez M, de Oliveira SS, Katzin AM, Izquierdo L. Beyond the MEP Pathway: A novel kinase required for prenol utilization by malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011557. [PMID: 38277417 PMCID: PMC10849223 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011557] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A proposed treatment for malaria is a combination of fosmidomycin and clindamycin. Both compounds inhibit the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway, the parasitic source of farnesyl and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (FPP and GGPP, respectively). Both FPP and GGPP are crucial for the biosynthesis of several essential metabolites such as ubiquinone and dolichol, as well as for protein prenylation. Dietary prenols, such as farnesol (FOH) and geranylgeraniol (GGOH), can rescue parasites from MEP inhibitors, suggesting the existence of a missing pathway for prenol salvage via phosphorylation. In this study, we identified a gene in the genome of P. falciparum, encoding a transmembrane prenol kinase (PolK) involved in the salvage of FOH and GGOH. The enzyme was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and its FOH/GGOH kinase activities were experimentally validated. Furthermore, conditional knockout parasites (Δ-PolK) were created to investigate the biological importance of the FOH/GGOH salvage pathway. Δ-PolK parasites were viable but displayed increased susceptibility to fosmidomycin. Their sensitivity to MEP inhibitors could not be rescued by adding prenols. Additionally, Δ-PolK parasites lost their capability to utilize prenols for protein prenylation. Experiments using culture medium supplemented with whole/delipidated human plasma in transgenic parasites revealed that human plasma has components that can diminish the effectiveness of fosmidomycin. Mass spectrometry tests indicated that both bovine supplements used in culture and human plasma contain GGOH. These findings suggest that the FOH/GGOH salvage pathway might offer an alternate source of isoprenoids for malaria parasites when de novo biosynthesis is inhibited. This study also identifies a novel kind of enzyme related to isoprenoid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcell Crispim
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignasi Bofill Verdaguer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Agustín Hernández
- Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Integrated Unit for Research in Biodiversity (BIOTROP-CCBS), Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tuebingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Àngel Fenollar
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - María Pía Alberione
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Ramirez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Miguel Katzin
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
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8
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Izquierdo L. The glycobiology of plasmodium falciparum: New approaches and recent advances. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108178. [PMID: 37216996 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Like any other microorganism, pathogenic protozoan parasites rely heavily on glycoconjugates and glycan binding proteins to protect themselves from the environment and to interact with their diverse hosts. A thorough comprehension of how glycobiology contributes to the survival and virulence of these organisms may reveal unknown aspects of their biology and may open much needed avenues for the design of new strategies against them. In the case of Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the vast majority of malaria cases and deaths, the restricted variety and the simplicity of its glycans seemed to confer limited significance to the role played by glycoconjugates in the parasite. Nonetheless, the last 10 to 15 years of research are revealing a clearer and more defined picture. Thus, the use of new experimental techniques and the results obtained provide new avenues for understanding the biology of the parasite, as well as opportunities for the development of much required new tools against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Izquierdo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain.
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Bofill Verdaguer I, Sussmann RAC, Santiago VF, Palmisano G, Moura GC, Mesquita JT, Yamaguchi LF, Kato MJ, Katzin AM, Crispim M. Isoprenoid alcohols utilization by malaria parasites. Front Chem 2022; 10:1035548. [PMID: 36531309 PMCID: PMC9751614 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1035548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is the etiological agent of human malaria, one of the most widespread diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. Drug resistance is one of the biggest problems in controlling the disease, which leads to the need to discover new antimalarial compounds. One of the most promissory drugs purposed is fosmidomycin, an inhibitor of the biosynthesis of isoprene units by the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway, which in some cases failed in clinical studies. Once formed, isoprene units are condensed to form longer structures such as farnesyl and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, which are necessary for Heme O and A formation, ubiquinone, and dolichyl phosphate biosynthesis as well as for protein isoprenylation. Even though the natural substrates of polyprenyl transferases and synthases are polyprenyl pyrophosphates, it was already demonstrated that isoprenoid alcohols (polyprenols) such as farnesol (FOH) and geranylgeraniol (GGOH) can rescue parasites from fosmidomycin. This study better investigated how this rescue phenomenon occurs by performing drug-rescue assays. Similarly, to FOH and GGOH, it was observed that phytol (POH), a 20-carbon plant isoprenoid, as well as unsaponifiable lipid extracts from foods rescue parasites from the antimalarial effect of fosmidomycin. Contrarily, neither dolichols nor nonaprenol rescue parasites from fosmidomycin. Considering this, here we characterized the transport of FOH, GGOH, and POH. Once incorporated, it was observed that these substances are phosphorylated, condensed into longer isoprenoid alcohols, and incorporated into proteins and dolichyl phosphates. Through proteomic and radiolabelling approaches, it was found that prenylated proteins are naturally attached to several isoprenoids, derived from GGOH, dolichol, and POH if exogenously added. Furthermore, the results suggest the presence of at least two promiscuous protein prenyltransferases in the parasite: one enzyme which can use FPP among other unidentified substrates and another enzyme that can use GGPP, phytyl pyrophosphate (PPP), and dolichols, among other substrates not identified here. Thus, further evidence was obtained for dolichols and other isoprenoid products attached to proteins. This study helps to better understand the apicoplast-targeting antimalarial mechanism of action and a novel post-translational modification of proteins in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignasi Bofill Verdaguer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A C Sussmann
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Environmental Sciences, Institute of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, Federal University of Southern Bahia, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Verônica Feijoli Santiago
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Cândido Moura
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Tonini Mesquita
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lydia Fumiko Yamaguchi
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Massuo Jorge Kato
- Department of Fundamental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Miguel Katzin
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcell Crispim
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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10
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Jenkins C, Micallef ML, Padula MP, Bogema DR. Characterisation of the Theileria orientalis Piroplasm Proteome across Three Common Genotypes. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11101135. [PMID: 36297192 PMCID: PMC9610513 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11101135] [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: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Theileria orientalis is an emerging apicomplexan pathogen of cattle occurring in areas populated by the principal vector tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis. Unlike transforming Theileria spp. that induce cancer-like proliferation of lymphocytes via their schizont stage, T. orientalis destroys host erythrocytes during its piroplasm phase resulting in anaemia. The underlying pathogenic processes of T. orientalis infection are poorly understood; consequently, there are no vaccines for prevention of T. orientalis infection and chemotherapeutic options are limited. To identify antigens expressed during the piroplasm phase of T. orientalis, including those which may be useful targets for future therapeutic development, we examined the proteome across three common genotypes of the parasite (Ikeda, Chitose and Buffeli) using preparations of piroplasms purified from bovine blood. A combination of Triton X-114 extraction, one-dimensional electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS identified a total of 1113 proteins across all genotypes, with less than 3% of these representing host-derived proteins. Just over three quarters of T. orientalis proteins (78%) identified were from the aqueous phase of the TX-114 extraction representing cytosolic proteins, with the remaining 22% from the detergent phase, representing membrane-associated proteins. All enzymes involved in glycolysis were expressed, suggesting that this is the major metabolic pathway used during the T. orientalis piroplasm phase. Proteins involved in binding and breakdown of haemoglobin were also identified, suggesting that T. orientalis uses haemoglobin as a source of amino acids. A number of proteins involved in host cell interaction were also identified which may be suitable targets for the development of chemotherapeutics or vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Jenkins
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-2-4640-6396
| | - Melinda L. Micallef
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia
| | - Matthew P. Padula
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Daniel R. Bogema
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Menangle, NSW 2568, Australia
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