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Su X, Stadler RV, Xu F, Wu J. Malaria Genomics, Vaccine Development, and Microbiome. Pathogens 2023; 12:1061. [PMID: 37624021 PMCID: PMC10459703 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12081061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in malaria genetics and genomics have transformed many aspects of malaria research in areas of molecular evolution, epidemiology, transmission, host-parasite interaction, drug resistance, pathogenicity, and vaccine development. Here, in addition to introducing some background information on malaria parasite biology, parasite genetics/genomics, and genotyping methods, we discuss some applications of genetic and genomic approaches in vaccine development and in studying interactions with microbiota. Genetic and genomic data can be used to search for novel vaccine targets, design an effective vaccine strategy, identify protective antigens in a whole-organism vaccine, and evaluate the efficacy of a vaccine. Microbiota has been shown to influence disease outcomes and vaccine efficacy; studying the effects of microbiota in pathogenicity and immunity may provide information for disease control. Malaria genetics and genomics will continue to contribute greatly to many fields of malaria research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinzhuan Su
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; (R.V.S.); (F.X.); (J.W.)
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Su XZ, Zhang C, Joy DA. Host-Malaria Parasite Interactions and Impacts on Mutual Evolution. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:587933. [PMID: 33194831 PMCID: PMC7652737 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.587933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is the most deadly parasitic disease, affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Malaria parasites have been associated with their hosts for millions of years. During the long history of host-parasite co-evolution, both parasites and hosts have applied pressure on each other through complex host-parasite molecular interactions. Whereas the hosts activate various immune mechanisms to remove parasites during an infection, the parasites attempt to evade host immunity by diversifying their genome and switching expression of targets of the host immune system. Human intervention to control the disease such as antimalarial drugs and vaccination can greatly alter parasite population dynamics and evolution, particularly the massive applications of antimalarial drugs in recent human history. Vaccination is likely the best method to prevent the disease; however, a partially protective vaccine may have unwanted consequences that require further investigation. Studies of host-parasite interactions and co-evolution will provide important information for designing safe and effective vaccines and for preventing drug resistance. In this essay, we will discuss some interesting molecules involved in host-parasite interactions, including important parasite antigens. We also discuss subjects relevant to drug and vaccine development and some approaches for studying host-parasite interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Zhuan Su
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Cui Zhang
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Deirdre A Joy
- Parasitology and International Programs Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Plasmodium Genomics and Genetics: New Insights into Malaria Pathogenesis, Drug Resistance, Epidemiology, and Evolution. Clin Microbiol Rev 2019; 32:32/4/e00019-19. [PMID: 31366610 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00019-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoan Plasmodium parasites are the causative agents of malaria, a deadly disease that continues to afflict hundreds of millions of people every year. Infections with malaria parasites can be asymptomatic, with mild or severe symptoms, or fatal, depending on many factors such as parasite virulence and host immune status. Malaria can be treated with various drugs, with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) being the first-line choice. Recent advances in genetics and genomics of malaria parasites have contributed greatly to our understanding of parasite population dynamics, transmission, drug responses, and pathogenesis. However, knowledge gaps in parasite biology and host-parasite interactions still remain. Parasites resistant to multiple antimalarial drugs have emerged, while advanced clinical trials have shown partial efficacy for one available vaccine. Here we discuss genetic and genomic studies of Plasmodium biology, host-parasite interactions, population structures, mosquito infectivity, antigenic variation, and targets for treatment and immunization. Knowledge from these studies will advance our understanding of malaria pathogenesis, epidemiology, and evolution and will support work to discover and develop new medicines and vaccines.
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Abkallo HM, Martinelli A, Inoue M, Ramaprasad A, Xangsayarath P, Gitaka J, Tang J, Yahata K, Zoungrana A, Mitaka H, Acharjee A, Datta PP, Hunt P, Carter R, Kaneko O, Mustonen V, Illingworth CJR, Pain A, Culleton R. Rapid identification of genes controlling virulence and immunity in malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006447. [PMID: 28704525 PMCID: PMC5507557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the genetic determinants of phenotypes that impact disease severity is of fundamental importance for the design of new interventions against malaria. Here we present a rapid genome-wide approach capable of identifying multiple genetic drivers of medically relevant phenotypes within malaria parasites via a single experiment at single gene or allele resolution. In a proof of principle study, we found that a previously undescribed single nucleotide polymorphism in the binding domain of the erythrocyte binding like protein (EBL) conferred a dramatic change in red blood cell invasion in mutant rodent malaria parasites Plasmodium yoelii. In the same experiment, we implicated merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and other polymorphic proteins, as the major targets of strain-specific immunity. Using allelic replacement, we provide functional validation of the substitution in the EBL gene controlling the growth rate in the blood stages of the parasites. Developing a greater understanding of malaria genetics is a key step in combating the threat posed by the disease. Here we use a novel approach to study two important properties of the parasite; the rate at which parasites grow within a single host, and the means by which parasites are affected by the host immune system. Two malaria strains with different biological properties were crossed in mosquitoes to produce a hybrid population, which was then grown in naïve and vaccinated mice. Parasites with genes conveying increased growth or immune evasion are favoured under natural selection, leaving a signature on the genetic composition of the cross population. We describe a novel mathematical approach to interpret this signature, identifying selected genes within the parasite population. We discover new genetic variants conveying increased within-host growth and resistance to host immunity in a mouse malaria strain. Experimental validation highlights the ability of this rapid experimental process for generating insights into malaria biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hussein M. Abkallo
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Axel Martinelli
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Megumi Inoue
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Phonepadith Xangsayarath
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Jesse Gitaka
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Centre for Malaria Elimination, School of Medicine, Mount Kenya University, Thika, Kenya
| | - Jianxia Tang
- Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kazuhide Yahata
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Augustin Zoungrana
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hayato Mitaka
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Arita Acharjee
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur - 741 246, West Bengal, India
| | - Partha P. Datta
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur - 741 246, West Bengal, India
| | - Paul Hunt
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Carter
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Protozooolgy, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Ville Mustonen
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. R. Illingworth
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (CJRI); (AP); (RC)
| | - Arnab Pain
- Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Global Institution for Collaborative Research and Education (GI-CoRE), Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail: (CJRI); (AP); (RC)
| | - Richard Culleton
- Malaria Unit, Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- * E-mail: (CJRI); (AP); (RC)
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Conway DJ. Paths to a malaria vaccine illuminated by parasite genomics. Trends Genet 2015; 31:97-107. [PMID: 25620796 PMCID: PMC4359294 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2014.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Discovery of vaccine candidate antigens by parasite genome sequence analyses. Genetic crosses, linkage group selection, and functional studies on parasites. Characterizing developmental and epigenetic variation alongside allelic polymorphism. Selection by naturally acquired immune responses helps to focus vaccine design.
More human death and disease is caused by malaria parasites than by all other eukaryotic pathogens combined. As early as the sequencing of the first human genome, malaria parasite genomics was prioritized to fuel the discovery of vaccine candidate antigens. This stimulated increased research on malaria, generating new understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of infection and immunity. This review of recent developments illustrates how new approaches in parasite genomics, and increasingly large amounts of data from population studies, are helping to identify antigens that are promising lead targets. Although these results have been encouraging, effective discovery and characterization need to be coupled with more innovation and funding to translate findings into newly designed vaccine products for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Conway
- Pathogen Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
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Otto TD, Böhme U, Jackson AP, Hunt M, Franke-Fayard B, Hoeijmakers WAM, Religa AA, Robertson L, Sanders M, Ogun SA, Cunningham D, Erhart A, Billker O, Khan SM, Stunnenberg HG, Langhorne J, Holder AA, Waters AP, Newbold CI, Pain A, Berriman M, Janse CJ. A comprehensive evaluation of rodent malaria parasite genomes and gene expression. BMC Biol 2014; 12:86. [PMID: 25359557 PMCID: PMC4242472 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-014-0086-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent malaria parasites (RMP) are used extensively as models of human malaria. Draft RMP genomes have been published for Plasmodium yoelii, P. berghei ANKA (PbA) and P. chabaudi AS (PcAS). Although availability of these genomes made a significant impact on recent malaria research, these genomes were highly fragmented and were annotated with little manual curation. The fragmented nature of the genomes has hampered genome wide analysis of Plasmodium gene regulation and function. RESULTS We have greatly improved the genome assemblies of PbA and PcAS, newly sequenced the virulent parasite P. yoelii YM genome, sequenced additional RMP isolates/lines and have characterized genotypic diversity within RMP species. We have produced RNA-seq data and utilised it to improve gene-model prediction and to provide quantitative, genome-wide, data on gene expression. Comparison of the RMP genomes with the genome of the human malaria parasite P. falciparum and RNA-seq mapping permitted gene annotation at base-pair resolution. Full-length chromosomal annotation permitted a comprehensive classification of all subtelomeric multigene families including the 'Plasmodium interspersed repeat genes' (pir). Phylogenetic classification of the pir family, combined with pir expression patterns, indicates functional diversification within this family. CONCLUSIONS Complete RMP genomes, RNA-seq and genotypic diversity data are excellent and important resources for gene-function and post-genomic analyses and to better interrogate Plasmodium biology. Genotypic diversity between P. chabaudi isolates makes this species an excellent parasite to study genotype-phenotype relationships. The improved classification of multigene families will enhance studies on the role of (variant) exported proteins in virulence and immune evasion/modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Otto
- />Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge UK
| | - Ulrike Böhme
- />Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge UK
| | - Andrew P Jackson
- />Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Martin Hunt
- />Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge UK
| | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- />Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Wieteke A M Hoeijmakers
- />Department of Molecular Biology, Science faculty, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Agnieszka A Religa
- />Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, School of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, & Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland UK
| | | | - Mandy Sanders
- />Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge UK
| | - Solabomi A Ogun
- />Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London UK
| | - Deirdre Cunningham
- />Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London UK
| | - Annette Erhart
- />Unit of Malariology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Oliver Billker
- />Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge UK
| | - Shahid M Khan
- />Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hendrik G Stunnenberg
- />Department of Molecular Biology, Science faculty, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jean Langhorne
- />Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London UK
| | - Anthony A Holder
- />Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London UK
| | - Andrew P Waters
- />Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, School of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, & Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland UK
| | - Chris I Newbold
- />Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- />Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford UK
| | - Arnab Pain
- />Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Chris J Janse
- />Leiden Malaria Research Group, Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Lu F, Li J, Wang B, Cheng Y, Kong DH, Cui L, Ha KS, Sattabongkot J, Tsuboi T, Han ET. Profiling the humoral immune responses to Plasmodium vivax infection and identification of candidate immunogenic rhoptry-associated membrane antigen (RAMA). J Proteomics 2014; 102:66-82. [PMID: 24607491 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2014.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Revised: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Completion of sequencing of the Plasmodium vivax genome and transcriptome offers the chance to identify antigens among >5000 candidate proteins. To identify those P. vivax proteins that are immunogenic, a total of 152 candidate proteins (160 fragments) were expressed using a wheat germ cell-free system. The results of Western blot analysis showed that 92.5% (148/160) of the targets were expressed, and 96.6% (143/148) were in a soluble form with 67.7% of solubility rate. The proteins were screened by protein arrays with sera from 22 vivax malaria patients and 10 healthy individuals to confirm their immune profile, and 44 (27.5%, 44/160) highly reactive P. vivax antigens were identified. Overall, 5 candidates (rhoptry-associated membrane antigen [RAMA], Pv-fam-a and -b, EXP-1 and hypothetical protein PVX_084775) showed a positive reaction with >80% of patient sera, and 21 candidates with 50% to 80%. More than 23% of the highly immunoreactive proteins were hypothetical proteins, described for the first time in this study. One of the top immunogenic proteins, RAMA, was characterized and confirmed to be a serological marker of recent exposure to P. vivax infection. These novel immunoproteomes should greatly facilitate the identification of promising novel malaria antigens and may warrant further study. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE The establishment of high-throughput cloning and expression systems has permitted the construction of protein arrays for proteome-wide study of Plasmodium vivax. In this study, high-throughput screening assays have been applied to investigate blood stage-specific immune proteomes from P. vivax. We identified 44 antigenic proteins from the 152 putative candidates, more than 23% of which were hypothetical proteins described for the first time in this study. In addition, PvRAMA was characterized further and confirmed to be a serological marker of exposure to infections. The expression of one-third of the selected antigenic genes were shifted between P. vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, suggesting that these genes may represent important factors associated with P. vivax selectivity for young erythrocytes and/or with immune evasion. These novel immune proteomes of the P. vivax blood stage provide a baseline for further prospective serological marker studies in malaria. These methods could be used to determine immunodominant candidate antigens from the P. vivax genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Lu
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea; Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Key Laboratory on Technology for Parasitic Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health, Wuxi, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea; Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Key Laboratory on Technology for Parasitic Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health, Wuxi, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yang Cheng
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Deok-Hoon Kong
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kwon-Soo Ha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.
| | - Eun-Taek Han
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, School of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chunchon, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea.
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Schussek S, Trieu A, Doolan DL. Genome- and proteome-wide screening strategies for antigen discovery and immunogen design. Biotechnol Adv 2014; 32:403-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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9
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Fairlie-Clarke KJ, Allen JE, Read AF, Graham AL. Quantifying variation in the potential for antibody-mediated apparent competition among nine genotypes of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2013; 20:270-5. [PMID: 24056014 PMCID: PMC3898986 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Within-host competition among parasite genotypes affects epidemiology as well as the evolution of virulence. In the rodent malaria Plasmodium chabaudi, competition among genotypes, as well as clone-specific and clone-transcending immunity are well documented. However, variation among genotypes in the induction of antibodies is not well understood, despite the important role of antibodies in the clearance of malaria infection. Here, we quantify the potential for antibodies induced by one clone to bind another (i.e., to cause antibody-mediated apparent competition) for nine genetically distinct P. chabaudi clones. We hypothesised that clones would vary in the strength of antibody induction, and that the propensity for clone-transcending immunity between a pair of clones would increase with increasing genetic relatedness at key antigenic loci. Using serum collected from mice 35 days post-infection, we measured titres of antibody to an unrelated antigen, Keyhole Limpet Haemocyanin (KLH), and two malaria antigens: recombinant Apical Membrane Antigen-1 (AMA-1) and Merozoite Surface Protein-119 (MSP-119). Amino acid sequence homology within each antigenic locus was used as a measure of relatedness. We found significant parasite genetic variation for the strength of antibody induction. We also found that relatedness at MSP-119 but not AMA-1 predicted clone-transcending binding. Our results help explain the outcome of chronic-phase mixed infections and generate testable predictions about the pairwise competitive ability of P. chabaudi clones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen J Fairlie-Clarke
- Institutes of Evolution, Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, King's Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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10
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da Silva HB, de Salles EM, Panatieri RH, Boscardin SB, Rodríguez-Málaga SM, Alvarez JM, D'Império Lima MR. IFN-γ-induced priming maintains long-term strain-transcending immunity against blood-stage Plasmodium chabaudi malaria. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 191:5160-9. [PMID: 24133169 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1300462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The mechanism by which protective immunity to Plasmodium is lost in the absence of continued exposure to this parasite has yet to be fully elucidated. It has been recently shown that IFN-γ produced during human and murine acute malaria primes the immune response to TLR agonists. In this study, we investigated whether IFN-γ-induced priming is important to maintain long-term protective immunity against Plasmodium chabaudi AS malaria. On day 60 postinfection, C57BL/6 mice still had chronic parasitemia and efficiently controlled homologous and heterologous (AJ strain) challenge. The spleens of chronic mice showed augmented numbers of effector/effector memory (TEM) CD4(+) cells, which is associated with increased levels of IFN-γ-induced priming (i.e., high expression of IFN-inducible genes and TLR hyperresponsiveness). After parasite elimination, IFN-γ-induced priming was no longer detected and protective immunity to heterologous challenge was mostly lost with >70% mortality. Spontaneously cured mice had high serum levels of parasite-specific IgG, but effector T/TEM cell numbers, parasite-driven CD4(+) T cell proliferation, and IFN-γ production were similar to noninfected controls. Remarkably, the priming of cured mice with low doses of IFN-γ rescued TLR hyperresponsiveness and the capacity to control heterologous challenge, increasing the TEM cell population and restoring the CD4(+) T cell responses to parasites. Contribution of TLR signaling to the CD4(+) T cell responses in chronic mice was supported by data obtained in mice lacking the MyD88 adaptor. These results indicate that IFN-γ-induced priming is required to maintain protective immunity against P. chabaudi and aid in establishing the molecular basis of strain-transcending immunity in human malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Borges da Silva
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-000 São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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N-terminal Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein-1, a potential subunit for malaria vivax vaccine. Clin Dev Immunol 2013; 2013:965841. [PMID: 24187566 PMCID: PMC3804292 DOI: 10.1155/2013/965841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The human malaria is widely distributed in the Middle East, Asia, the western Pacific, and Central and South America. Plasmodium vivax started to have the attention of many researchers since it is causing diseases to millions of people and several reports of severe malaria cases have been noticed in the last few years. The lack of in vitro cultures for P. vivax represents a major delay in developing a functional malaria vaccine. One of the major candidates to antimalarial vaccine is the merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP1), which is expressed abundantly on the merozoite surface and capable of activating the host protective immunity. Studies have shown that MSP-1 possesses highly immunogenic fragments, capable of generating immune response and protection in natural infection in endemic regions. This paper shows humoral immune response to different proteins of PvMSP1 and the statement of N-terminal to be added to the list of potential candidates for malaria vivax vaccine.
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12
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Stephens R, Culleton RL, Lamb TJ. The contribution of Plasmodium chabaudi to our understanding of malaria. Trends Parasitol 2011; 28:73-82. [PMID: 22100995 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2011.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2011] [Revised: 10/17/2011] [Accepted: 10/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Malaria kills close to a million people every year, mostly children under the age of five. In the drive towards the development of an effective vaccine and new chemotherapeutic targets for malaria, field-based studies on human malaria infection and laboratory-based studies using animal models of malaria offer complementary opportunities to further our understanding of the mechanisms behind malaria infection and pathology. We outline here the parallels between the Plasmodium chabaudi mouse model of malaria and human malaria. We will highlight the contribution of P. chabaudi to our understanding of malaria in particular, how the immune response in malaria infection is initiated and regulated, its role in pathology, and how immunological memory is maintained. We will also discuss areas where new tools have opened up potential areas of exploration using this invaluable model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Stephens
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0435, USA
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Blake DP, Billington KJ, Copestake SL, Oakes RD, Quail MA, Wan KL, Shirley MW, Smith AL. Genetic mapping identifies novel highly protective antigens for an apicomplexan parasite. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1001279. [PMID: 21347348 PMCID: PMC3037358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1001279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2010] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are responsible for a myriad of diseases in humans and livestock; yet despite intensive effort, development of effective sub-unit vaccines remains a long-term goal. Antigenic complexity and our inability to identify protective antigens from the pool that induce response are serious challenges in the development of new vaccines. Using a combination of parasite genetics and selective barriers with population-based genetic fingerprinting, we have identified that immunity against the most important apicomplexan parasite of livestock (Eimeria spp.) was targeted against a few discrete regions of the genome. Herein we report the identification of six genomic regions and, within two of those loci, the identification of true protective antigens that confer immunity as sub-unit vaccines. The first of these is an Eimeria maxima homologue of apical membrane antigen-1 (AMA-1) and the second is a previously uncharacterised gene that we have termed ‘immune mapped protein-1’ (IMP-1). Significantly, homologues of the AMA-1 antigen are protective with a range of apicomplexan parasites including Plasmodium spp., which suggest that there may be some characteristic(s) of protective antigens shared across this diverse group of parasites. Interestingly, homologues of the IMP-1 antigen, which is protective against E. maxima infection, can be identified in Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. Overall, this study documents the discovery of novel protective antigens using a population-based genetic mapping approach allied with a protection-based screen of candidate genes. The identification of AMA-1 and IMP-1 represents a substantial step towards development of an effective anti-eimerian sub-unit vaccine and raises the possibility of identification of novel antigens for other apicomplexan parasites. Moreover, validation of the parasite genetics approach to identify effective antigens supports its adoption in other parasite systems where legitimate protective antigen identification is difficult. Protozoan parasites are responsible for serious diseases in humans and livestock species. Vaccination is a declared intervention of choice with these infections, but even after many years of effort few effective vaccines are available. Identification of the right antigens for inclusion in sub-unit vaccines is a particular problem with complex pathogens. Moreover, the host response does not discriminate between protective and non-protective antigens, confounding development of effective screening systems. This study represents the culmination of work using parasite genetics and immunity as a selective barrier to find parts of the parasite genome targeted by immunity. The pathogen used in these studies (Eimeria maxima) is very important in livestock and related to a number of human pathogens including those responsible for malaria. Our studies indicate that just six regions in the genome were targeted by immunity and two of these have now been interrogated to determine the protective antigen encoding gene. Interestingly, one of these (called AMA-1) has homologues known to be protective with other apicomplexan parasites. This raises the intriguing possibility that a set of homologous antigens may be protective across the apicomplexan parasites and that protective antigen discovery in one parasite may generate new leads in other vaccine programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damer P. Blake
- Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DPB); (ALS)
| | | | | | | | - Michael A. Quail
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Kiew-Lian Wan
- Malaysia Genome Institute, UKM-MTDC Technology Centre, Selangor, Malaysia
- School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Adrian L. Smith
- Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Berkshire, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DPB); (ALS)
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CULLETON RL, INOUE M, REECE SE, CHEESMAN S, CARTER R. Strain-specific immunity induced by immunization with pre-erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium chabaudi. Parasite Immunol 2010; 33:73-8. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2010.01251.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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