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Preira CMF, Pizzi E, Fratini F, Grasso F, Boccolini D, Mochi S, Favia G, Piselli E, Damiani C, Siden-Kiamos I, Ponzi M, Currà C. A Time Point Proteomic Analysis Reveals Protein Dynamics of Plasmodium Oocysts. Mol Cell Proteomics 2024; 23:100736. [PMID: 38342407 PMCID: PMC10924140 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2024.100736] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The oocyst is a sporogonic stage of Plasmodium development that takes place in the mosquito midgut in about 2 weeks. The cyst is protected by a capsule of unknown composition, and little is known about oocyst biology. We carried out a proteomic analysis of oocyst samples isolated at early, mid, and late time points of development. Four biological replicates for each time point were analyzed, and almost 600 oocyst-specific candidates were identified. The analysis revealed that, in young oocysts, there is a strong activity of protein and DNA synthesis, whereas in mature oocysts, proteins involved in oocyst and sporozoite development, gliding motility, and invasion are mostly abundant. Among the proteins identified at early stages, 17 candidates are specific to young oocysts. Thirty-four candidates are common to oocyst and the merosome stages (sporozoite proteins excluded), sharing common features as replication and egress. Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses of selected candidates confirm the expression profile obtained by proteomic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Marie François Preira
- Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Molecular biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Greece; Department of Biology, Voutes University Campus, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Elisabetta Pizzi
- Core Facilities Technical-Scientific Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Fratini
- Core Facilities Technical-Scientific Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Felicia Grasso
- Department of Infectious diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Boccolini
- Department of Infectious diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Mochi
- Department of Infectious diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Favia
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Italy
| | - Elena Piselli
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Italy
| | - Claudia Damiani
- School of Biosciences & Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Italy
| | - Inga Siden-Kiamos
- Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Molecular biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Marta Ponzi
- Department of Infectious diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Currà
- Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Molecular biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Greece.
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2
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Bansal GP, Kumar N. Immune mechanisms targeting malaria transmission: opportunities for vaccine development. Expert Rev Vaccines 2024; 23:645-654. [PMID: 38888098 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2024.2369583] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malaria continues to remain a major global health problem with nearly a quarter of a billion clinical cases and more than 600,000 deaths in 2022. There has been significant progress toward vaccine development, however, poor efficacy of approved vaccines requiring multiple immunizing doses emphasizes the need for continued efforts toward improved vaccines. Progress to date, nonetheless, has provided impetus for malaria elimination. AREAS COVERED In this review we will focus on diverse immune mechanisms targeting gametocytes in the human host and gametocyte-mediated malaria transmission via the mosquito vector. EXPERT OPINION To march toward the goal of malaria elimination it will be critical to target the process of malaria transmission by mosquitoes, mediated exclusively by the sexual stages, i.e. male, and female gametocytes, ingested from infected vertebrate host. Studies over several decades have established antigens in the parasite sexual stages developing in the mosquito midgut as attractive targets for the development of transmission blocking vaccines (TBVs). Immune clearance of gametocytes in the vertebrate host can synergize with TBVs and directly aid in maintaining effective transmission reducing immune potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetha P Bansal
- Department of Tropical Medicine, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nirbhay Kumar
- Department of Global Health, The Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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3
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Simons LM, Ferrer P, Gombakomba N, Underwood K, Herrera R, Narum DL, Canepa G, Acquah F, Amoah L, Duffy PE, Barillas-Mury C, Long C, Lee SM, Locke E, Miura K, Williamson KC. Extending the range of Plasmodium falciparum transmission blocking antibodies. Vaccine 2023; 41:3367-3379. [PMID: 37100721 PMCID: PMC10334573 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.04.042] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent work demonstrating that asymptomatic carriers of P. falciparum parasites make up a large part of the infectious reservoir highlights the need for an effective malaria vaccine. Given the historical challenges of vaccine development, multiple parasite stages have been targeted, including the sexual stages required for transmission. Using flow cytometry to efficiently screen for P. falciparum gamete/zygote surface reactivity, we identified 82 antibodies that bound live P. falciparum gametes/zygotes. Ten antibodies had significant transmission-reducing activity (TRA) in a standard membrane feeding assay and were subcloned along with 9 nonTRA antibodies as comparators. After subcloning, only eight of the monoclonals obtained have significant TRA. These eight TRA mAbs do not recognize epitopes present in any of the current recombinant transmission-blocking vaccine candidates, Pfs230D1M, Pfs48/45.6C, Pf47 D2 and rPfs25. One TRA mAb immunoprecipitates two surface antigens, Pfs47 and Pfs230, that are expressed by both gametocytes and gametes/zygotes. These two proteins have not previously been reported to associate and the recognition of both by a single TRA mAb suggests the Pfs47/Pfs230 complex is a new vaccine target. In total, Pfs230 was the dominant target antigen, with five of the eight TRA mAbs and 8 of 11 nonTRA gamete/zygote surface reactive mAbs interacting with Pfs230. Of the three remaining TRA mAbs, two recognized non-reduced, parasite-produced Pfs25 and one bound non-reduced, parasite-produced Pfs48/45. None of the TRA mAbs bound protein on an immunoblot of reduced gamete/zygote extract and two TRA mAbs were immunoblot negative, indicating none of the new TRA epitopes are linear. The identification of eight new TRA mAbs that bind epitopes not included in any of the constructs currently under advancement as transmission-blocking vaccine candidates may provide new targets worthy of further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacy M Simons
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
| | - Patricia Ferrer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, 6720A Rockledge Drive, Suite 100, Bethesda, USA
| | - Nita Gombakomba
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA; Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, 6720A Rockledge Drive, Suite 100, Bethesda, USA
| | - Knashka Underwood
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Raul Herrera
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - David L Narum
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Gaspar Canepa
- Mosquito Immunity and Vector Competence Section Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Festus Acquah
- Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Linda Amoah
- Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Patrick E Duffy
- Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Mosquito Immunity and Vector Competence Section Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Carole Long
- Malaria Immunology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Shwu-Maan Lee
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, 455 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20001, USA
| | - Emily Locke
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, 455 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC, 20001, USA
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Malaria Immunology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Kim C Williamson
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd., Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA.
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4
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Plasmodium 6-cysteine proteins determine the commitment of sporozoites to liver-infection. Parasitol Int 2023; 93:102700. [PMID: 36403748 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102700] [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: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium sporozoites travel a long way from the site where they are released by a mosquito bite to the liver, where they infect hepatocytes and develop into erythrocyte-invasive forms. The success of this infection depends on the ability of the sporozoites to correctly recognize the hepatocyte as a target and change their behavior from migration to infection. However, how this change is accomplished remains incompletely understood. In this paper, we report that 6-cysteine protein family members expressed in sporozoites including B9 are responsible for this ability. Experiments on parasites using double knockouts of B9 and SPECT2, which is essential for sporozoite to migrate through the hepatocyte, showed that the parasites lacked the capacity to stop migration. This finding suggests that interactions between these parasite proteins and hepatocyte-specific cell surface ligands mediate correct recognition of hepatocytes by sporozoites, which is an essential step in malaria transmission to humans.
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Dickey TH, Gupta R, McAleese H, Ouahes T, Orr-Gonzalez S, Ma R, Muratova O, Salinas ND, Hume JCC, Lambert LE, Duffy PE, Tolia NH. Design of a stabilized non-glycosylated Pfs48/45 antigen enables a potent malaria transmission-blocking nanoparticle vaccine. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:20. [PMID: 36808125 PMCID: PMC9938515 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00619-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A malaria vaccine that blocks parasite transmission from human to mosquito would be a powerful method of disrupting the parasite lifecycle and reducing the incidence of disease in humans. Pfs48/45 is a promising antigen in development as a transmission blocking vaccine (TBV) against the deadliest malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The third domain of Pfs48/45 (D3) is an established TBV candidate, but production challenges have hampered development. For example, to date, a non-native N-glycan is required to stabilize the domain when produced in eukaryotic systems. Here, we implement a SPEEDesign computational design and in vitro screening pipeline that retains the potent transmission blocking epitope in Pfs48/45 while creating a stabilized non-glycosylated Pfs48/45 D3 antigen with improved characteristics for vaccine manufacture. This antigen can be genetically fused to a self-assembling single-component nanoparticle, resulting in a vaccine that elicits potent transmission-reducing activity in rodents at low doses. The enhanced Pfs48/45 antigen enables many new and powerful approaches to TBV development, and this antigen design method can be broadly applied towards the design of other vaccine antigens and therapeutics without interfering glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thayne H. Dickey
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Richi Gupta
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Holly McAleese
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Tarik Ouahes
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Sachy Orr-Gonzalez
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Rui Ma
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Olga Muratova
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Nichole D. Salinas
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Jen C. C. Hume
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Lynn E. Lambert
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Patrick E. Duffy
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Vaccine Development Unit, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA ,grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Pathogenesis and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Niraj H. Tolia
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD USA
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6
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Role of Pfs47 in the dispersal of ancestral Plasmodium falciparum malaria through adaptation to different anopheline vectors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2213626120. [PMID: 36689648 PMCID: PMC9945982 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213626120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria originated when Plasmodium praefalciparum, a gorilla malaria parasite transmitted by African sylvan anopheline mosquitoes, adapted to humans. Pfs47, a protein on the parasite surface mediates P. falciparum evasion of the mosquito immune system by interacting with a midgut receptor and is critical for Plasmodium adaptation to different anopheline species. Genetic analysis of 4,971 Pfs47 gene sequences from different continents revealed that Asia and Papua New Guinea harbor Pfs47 haplotypes more similar to its ortholog in P. praefalciparum at sites that determine vector compatibility, suggesting that ancestral P. falciparum readily adapted to Asian vectors. Consistent with this observation, Pfs47-receptor gene sequences from African sylvan malaria vectors, such as Anopheles moucheti and An. marshallii, were found to share greater similarity with those of Asian vectors than those of vectors of the African An. gambiae complex. Furthermore, experimental infections provide direct evidence that transformed P. falciparum parasites carrying Pfs47 orthologs of P. praefalciparum or P. reichenowi were more effective at evading the immune system of the Asian malaria vector An. dirus than An. gambiae. We propose that high compatibility of ancestral P. falciparum Pfs47 with the receptors of Asian vectors facilitated the early dispersal of human malaria to the Asian continent, without having to first adapt to sub-Saharan vectors of the An. gambiae complex.
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7
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Fernandes P, Loubens M, Marinach C, Coppée R, Baron L, Grand M, Andre TP, Hamada S, Langlois AC, Briquet S, Bun P, Silvie O. Plasmodium sporozoites require the protein B9 to invade hepatocytes. iScience 2023; 26:106056. [PMID: 36761022 PMCID: PMC9906020 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106056] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium sporozoites are transmitted to a mammalian host during blood feeding by an infected mosquito and invade hepatocytes for initial replication of the parasite into thousands of erythrocyte-invasive merozoites. Here we report that the B9 protein, a member of the 6-cysteine domain protein family, is secreted from sporozoite micronemes and is required for productive invasion of hepatocytes. The N-terminus of B9 forms a beta-propeller domain structurally related to CyRPA, a cysteine-rich protein forming an essential invasion complex in Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. The beta-propeller domain of B9 is essential for sporozoite infectivity and interacts with the 6-cysteine proteins P36 and P52 in a heterologous expression system. Our results suggest that, despite using distinct sets of parasite and host entry factors, Plasmodium sporozoites and merozoites may share common structural modules to assemble protein complexes for invasion of host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Fernandes
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Manon Loubens
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Carine Marinach
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Romain Coppée
- Université de Paris, UMR 261 MERIT, IRD, 75006 Paris, France
| | - Ludivine Baron
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Morgane Grand
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Thanh-Phuc Andre
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Soumia Hamada
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMS PASS, Plateforme Post-génomique de la Pitié Salpêtrière (P3S), 75013 Paris, France
| | - Anne-Claire Langlois
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Briquet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bun
- INSERM U1266, NeurImag Facility, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences of Paris, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Silvie
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
- Corresponding author
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8
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Sauer LM, Canovas R, Roche D, Shams-Eldin H, Ravel P, Colinge J, Schwarz RT, Ben Mamoun C, Rivals E, Cornillot E. FT-GPI, a highly sensitive and accurate predictor of GPI-anchored proteins, reveals the composition and evolution of the GPI proteome in Plasmodium species. Malar J 2023; 22:27. [PMID: 36698187 PMCID: PMC9876418 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04430-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protozoan parasites are known to attach specific and diverse group of proteins to their plasma membrane via a GPI anchor. In malaria parasites, GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) have been shown to play an important role in host-pathogen interactions and a key function in host cell invasion and immune evasion. Because of their immunogenic properties, some of these proteins have been considered as malaria vaccine candidates. However, identification of all possible GPI-APs encoded by these parasites remains challenging due to their sequence diversity and limitations of the tools used for their characterization. METHODS The FT-GPI software was developed to detect GPI-APs based on the presence of a hydrophobic helix at both ends of the premature peptide. FT-GPI was implemented in C ++and applied to study the GPI-proteome of 46 isolates of the order Haemosporida. Using the GPI proteome of Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7 and Plasmodium vivax strain Sal-1, a heuristic method was defined to select the most sensitive and specific FT-GPI software parameters. RESULTS FT-GPI enabled revision of the GPI-proteome of P. falciparum and P. vivax, including the identification of novel GPI-APs. Orthology- and synteny-based analyses showed that 19 of the 37 GPI-APs found in the order Haemosporida are conserved among Plasmodium species. Our analyses suggest that gene duplication and deletion events may have contributed significantly to the evolution of the GPI proteome, and its composition correlates with speciation. CONCLUSION FT-GPI-based prediction is a useful tool for mining GPI-APs and gaining further insights into their evolution and sequence diversity. This resource may also help identify new protein candidates for the development of vaccines for malaria and other parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena M. Sauer
- Institute for Virology, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- Present Address: GRN-Klinik Sinsheim, Alte Waibstadter Straße 2a, 74889 Sinsheim, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Canovas
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141LIRMM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Daniel Roche
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141LIRMM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Hosam Shams-Eldin
- Institute for Virology, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Patrice Ravel
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier INSERM U1094, ICM, Université de Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 208 Avenue Des Apothicaires, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | - Jacques Colinge
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier INSERM U1094, ICM, Université de Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 208 Avenue Des Apothicaires, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | - Ralph T. Schwarz
- Institute for Virology, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Eric Rivals
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141LIRMM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.510302.5Institut Français de Bioinformatique, CNRS UAR 3601, 2, rue Gaston Crémieux, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier INSERM U1094, ICM, Université de Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 208 Avenue Des Apothicaires, 34298 Montpellier, France
- Wespran SAS, 13 Rue de Penthièvre, 75008 Paris, France
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9
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Nanobodies against Pfs230 block Plasmodium falciparum transmission. Biochem J 2022; 479:2529-2546. [PMID: 36520108 PMCID: PMC9788556 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220554] [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: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Transmission blocking interventions can stop malaria parasite transmission from mosquito to human by inhibiting parasite infection in mosquitos. One of the most advanced candidates for a malaria transmission blocking vaccine is Pfs230. Pfs230 is the largest member of the 6-cysteine protein family with 14 consecutive 6-cysteine domains and is expressed on the surface of gametocytes and gametes. Here, we present the crystal structure of the first two 6-cysteine domains of Pfs230. We identified high affinity Pfs230-specific nanobodies that recognized gametocytes and bind to distinct sites on Pfs230, which were isolated from immunized alpacas. Using two non-overlapping Pfs230 nanobodies, we show that these nanobodies significantly blocked P. falciparum transmission and reduced the formation of exflagellation centers. Crystal structures of the transmission blocking nanobodies with the first 6-cysteine domain of Pfs230 confirm that they bind to different epitopes. In addition, these nanobodies bind to Pfs230 in the absence of the prodomain, in contrast with the binding of known Pfs230 transmission blocking antibodies. These results provide additional structural insight into Pfs230 domains and elucidate a mechanism of action of transmission blocking Pfs230 nanobodies.
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Real E, Nardella F, Scherf A, Mancio-Silva L. Repurposing of Plasmodium falciparum var genes beyond the blood stage. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 70:102207. [PMID: 36183663 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
A commonly observed survival strategy in protozoan parasites is the sequential expression of clonally variant-surface antigens to avoid elimination by the host's immune response. In malaria-causing P. falciparum, the immunovariant erythrocyte-membrane protein-1 (PfEMP1) adhesin family, encoded by var genes, is responsible for both antigenic variation and cytoadherence of infected erythrocytes to the microvasculature. Until recently, the biological function of these variant genes was believed to be restricted to intraerythrocytic developmental stages. With the advent of new technologies, var gene expression has been confirmed in transmission and pre-erythrocytic stages. Here, we discuss how repurposing of var gene expression beyond chronic blood-stage infection may be critical for successful transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Real
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1201, CNRS EMR9195, Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Flore Nardella
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1201, CNRS EMR9195, Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Artur Scherf
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1201, CNRS EMR9195, Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, F-75015 Paris, France.
| | - Liliana Mancio-Silva
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1201, CNRS EMR9195, Unité de Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, 25 Rue du Dr Roux, F-75015 Paris, France.
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11
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Fontecha G, Escobar D, Ortiz B, Pinto A. A PCR-RFLP Technique to Assess the Geographic Origin of Plasmodium falciparum Strains in Central America. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7080149. [PMID: 35893657 PMCID: PMC9394469 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7080149] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The elimination of malaria requires strengthening diagnosis and offering adequate and timely treatment. Imported cases of falciparum malaria represent a major challenge for pre-elimination areas, such as Central America, where chloroquine and primaquine continue to be used as first-line treatment. The pfs47 gene has been previously described as a precise molecular marker to track the geographic origin of the parasite. The aim of this study was to design a simple and low-cost technique using the polymorphic region of pfs47 to assess the geographic origin of P. falciparum strains. A PCR-RFLP technique was developed and evaluated using the MseI enzyme that proved capable of discriminating, with reasonable precision, the geographical origin of the parasites. This method could be used by national surveillance laboratories and malaria elimination programs in countries such as Honduras and Nicaragua in cases of malaria where an origin outside the Central American isthmus is suspected.
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12
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Lyons FMT, Gabriela M, Tham WH, Dietrich MH. Plasmodium 6-Cysteine Proteins: Functional Diversity, Transmission-Blocking Antibodies and Structural Scaffolds. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:945924. [PMID: 35899047 PMCID: PMC9309271 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.945924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The 6-cysteine protein family is one of the most abundant surface antigens that are expressed throughout the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle. Many members of the 6-cysteine family have critical roles in parasite development across the life cycle in parasite transmission, evasion of the host immune response and host cell invasion. The common feature of the family is the 6-cysteine domain, also referred to as s48/45 domain, which is conserved across Aconoidasida. This review summarizes the current approaches for recombinant expression for 6-cysteine proteins, monoclonal antibodies against 6-cysteine proteins that block transmission and the growing collection of crystal structures that provide insights into the functional domains of this protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frankie M. T. Lyons
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mikha Gabriela
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Melanie H. Dietrich
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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13
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Wang J, Chen K, Yang J, Zhang S, Li Y, Liu G, Luo J, Yin H, Wang G, Guan G. Comparative genomic analysis of Babesia duncani responsible for human babesiosis. BMC Biol 2022; 20:153. [PMID: 35790982 PMCID: PMC9258201 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01361-9] [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: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Human babesiosis, caused by parasites of the genus Babesia, is an emerging and re-emerging tick-borne disease that is mainly transmitted by tick bites and infected blood transfusion. Babesia duncani has caused majority of human babesiosis in Canada; however, limited data are available to correlate its genomic information and biological features. Results We generated a B. duncani reference genome using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) and Illumina sequencing technology and uncovered its biological features and phylogenetic relationship with other Apicomplexa parasites. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that B. duncani form a clade distinct from B. microti, Babesia spp. infective to bovine and ovine species, and Theileria spp. infective to bovines. We identified the largest species-specific gene family that could be applied as diagnostic markers for this pathogen. In addition, two gene families show signals of significant expansion and several genes that present signatures of positive selection in B. duncani, suggesting their possible roles in the capability of this parasite to infect humans or tick vectors. Conclusions Using ONT sequencing and Illumina sequencing technologies, we provide the first B. duncani reference genome and confirm that B. duncani forms a phylogenetically distinct clade from other Piroplasm parasites. Comparative genomic analyses show that two gene families are significantly expanded in B. duncani and may play important roles in host cell invasion and virulence of B. duncani. Our study provides basic information for further exploring B. duncani features, such as host-parasite and tick-parasite interactions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01361-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China.
| | - Kai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Jifei Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Shangdi Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730030, China
| | - Youquan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Guangyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Jianxun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China.,Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Guangying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730046, Gansu, China.
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14
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Elucidating functional epitopes within the N-terminal region of malaria transmission blocking vaccine antigen Pfs230. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:4. [PMID: 35027567 PMCID: PMC8758780 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-021-00423-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Pfs230 is a leading malaria transmission blocking vaccine (TBV) candidate. Comprising 3135 amino acids (aa), the large size of Pfs230 necessitates the use of sub-fragments as vaccine immunogens. Therefore, determination of which regions induce functional antibody responses is essential. We previously reported that of 27 sub-fragments spanning the entire molecule, only five induced functional antibodies. A “functional” antibody is defined herein as one that inhibits Plasmodium falciparum parasite development in mosquitoes in a standard membrane-feeding assay (SMFA). These five sub-fragments were found within the aa 443–1274 range, and all contained aa 543–730. Here, we further pinpoint the location of epitopes within Pfs230 that are recognized by functional antibodies using antibody depletion and enrichment techniques. Functional epitopes were not found within the aa 918–1274 region. Within aa 443–917, further analysis showed the existence of functional epitopes not only within the aa 543–730 region but also outside of it. Affinity-purified antibodies using a synthetic peptide matching aa 543–588 showed activity in the SMFA. Immunization with a synthetic peptide comprising this segment, formulated either as a carrier-protein conjugate vaccine or with a liposomal vaccine adjuvant system, induced antibodies in mice that were functional in the SMFA. These findings provide key insights for Pfs230-based vaccine design and establish the feasibility for the use of synthetic peptide antigens for a malaria TBV.
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15
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Koudatsu S, Masatani T, Konishi R, Asada M, Hakimi H, Kurokawa Y, Tomioku K, Kaneko O, Fujita A. Glycosphingolipid GM3 is localized in both exoplasmic and cytoplasmic leaflets of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite plasma membrane. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14890. [PMID: 34290278 PMCID: PMC8295280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94037-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid rafts, sterol-rich and sphingolipid-rich microdomains on the plasma membrane are important in processes like cell signaling, adhesion, and protein and lipid transport. The virulence of many eukaryotic parasites is related to raft microdomains on the cell membrane. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, which are important for invasion and are possible targets for vaccine development, are localized in the raft. However, rafts are poorly understood. We used quick-freezing and freeze-fracture immuno-electron microscopy to examine the localization of monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) and monosialodihexosylganglioside (GM3), putative raft microdomain components in P. falciparum and infected erythrocytes. This method immobilizes molecules in situ, minimizing artifacts. GM3 was localized in the exoplasmic (EF) and cytoplasmic leaflets (PF) of the parasite and the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) membranes, but solely in the EF of the infected erythrocyte membrane, as in the case for uninfected erythrocytes. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) was localized solely in the PF of erythrocyte, parasite, and PV membranes. This is the first time that GM3, the major component of raft microdomains, was found in the PF of a biological membrane. The unique localization of raft microdomains may be due to P. falciparum lipid metabolism and its unique biological processes, like protein transport from the parasite to infected erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiomi Koudatsu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Basic Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Masatani
- Transboundary Animal Diseases Research Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan.,Laboratory of Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
| | - Rikako Konishi
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Basic Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Masahito Asada
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan.,National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro, 080-8555, Japan
| | - Yuna Kurokawa
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Basic Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Kanna Tomioku
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Basic Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
| | - Akikazu Fujita
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry, Basic Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan.
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16
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Hang JW, Tukijan F, Lee EQH, Abdeen SR, Aniweh Y, Malleret B. Zoonotic Malaria: Non- Laverania Plasmodium Biology and Invasion Mechanisms. Pathogens 2021; 10:889. [PMID: 34358039 PMCID: PMC8308728 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, which is caused by Plasmodium parasites through Anopheles mosquito transmission, remains one of the most life-threatening diseases affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide every year. Plasmodium vivax, which accounts for the majority of cases of recurring malaria caused by the Plasmodium (non-Laverania) subgenus, is an ancient and continuing zoonosis originating from monkey hosts probably outside Africa. The emergence of other zoonotic malarias (P. knowlesi, P. cynomolgi, and P. simium) further highlights the seriousness of the disease. The severity of this epidemic disease is dependent on many factors, including the parasite characteristics, host-parasite interactions, and the pathology of the infection. Successful infection depends on the ability of the parasite to invade the host; however, little is known about the parasite invasion biology and mechanisms. The lack of this information adds to the challenges to malaria control and elimination, hence enhancing the potential for continuation of this zoonosis. Here, we review the literature describing the characteristics, distribution, and genome details of the parasites, as well as host specificity, host-parasite interactions, and parasite pathology. This information will provide the basis of a greater understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of malaria to support future development of strategies for the control and prevention of this zoonotic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Wen Hang
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
| | - Farhana Tukijan
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
| | - Erica-Qian-Hui Lee
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
| | - Shifana Raja Abdeen
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Biopolis, Singapore 138648, Singapore;
| | - Yaw Aniweh
- West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana;
| | - Benoit Malleret
- Immunology Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Immunology Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore; (J.W.H.); (F.T.); (E.Q.H.L.)
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Biopolis, Singapore 138648, Singapore;
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17
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Yang Z, Shi Y, Cui H, Yang S, Gao H, Yuan J. A malaria parasite phospholipid flippase safeguards midgut traversal of ookinetes for mosquito transmission. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/30/eabf6015. [PMID: 34301597 PMCID: PMC8302136 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf6015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito midgut epithelium traversal is essential for malaria parasite transmission. Phospholipid flippases are eukaryotic type 4 P-type adenosine triphosphatases (P4-ATPases), which, in association with CDC50, translocate phospholipids across the membrane lipid bilayers. In this study, we investigated the function of a putative P4-ATPase, ATP7, from the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii Disruption of ATP7 blocks the parasite infection of mosquitoes. ATP7 is localized on the ookinete plasma membrane. While ATP7-depleted ookinetes are capable of invading the midgut, they are eliminated within the epithelial cells by a process independent from the mosquito complement-like immunity. ATP7 colocalizes and interacts with the flippase cofactor CDC50C. Depletion of CDC50C phenocopies ATP7 deficiency. ATP7-depleted ookinetes fail to uptake phosphatidylcholine across the plasma membrane. Ookinete microinjection into the mosquito hemocoel reverses the ATP7 deficiency phenotype. Our study identifies Plasmodium flippase as a mechanism of parasite survival in the midgut epithelium that is required for mosquito transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenke Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Huiting Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Shuzhen Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Han Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signal Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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18
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Loubens M, Vincensini L, Fernandes P, Briquet S, Marinach C, Silvie O. Plasmodium sporozoites on the move: Switching from cell traversal to productive invasion of hepatocytes. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:870-881. [PMID: 33191548 PMCID: PMC8247013 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Plasmodium, the etiological agent of malaria, are transmitted through the bite of anopheline mosquitoes, which deposit sporozoites into the host skin. Sporozoites migrate through the dermis, enter the bloodstream, and rapidly traffic to the liver. They cross the liver sinusoidal barrier and traverse several hepatocytes before switching to productive invasion of a final one for replication inside a parasitophorous vacuole. Cell traversal and productive invasion are functionally independent processes that require proteins secreted from specialized secretory organelles known as micronemes. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of how sporozoites traverse through cells and productively invade hepatocytes, and discuss the role of environmental sensing in switching from a migratory to an invasive state. We propose that timely controlled secretion of distinct microneme subsets could play a key role in successful migration and infection of hepatocytes. A better understanding of these essential biological features of the Plasmodium sporozoite may contribute to the development of new strategies to fight against the very first and asymptomatic stage of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Loubens
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies InfectieusesSorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI‐ParisParisFrance
| | - Laetitia Vincensini
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies InfectieusesSorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI‐ParisParisFrance
| | - Priyanka Fernandes
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies InfectieusesSorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI‐ParisParisFrance
| | - Sylvie Briquet
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies InfectieusesSorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI‐ParisParisFrance
| | - Carine Marinach
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies InfectieusesSorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI‐ParisParisFrance
| | - Olivier Silvie
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies InfectieusesSorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI‐ParisParisFrance
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19
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Ramanto KN, Nurdiansyah R. Immunogenicity and structural efficacy of P41 of Plasmodium sp. as potential cross-species blood-stage malaria vaccine. Comput Biol Chem 2021; 92:107493. [PMID: 33962170 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2021.107493] [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: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Vaccine based strategies offer a promising future in malaria control by generating protective immunity against natural infection. However, vaccine development is hindered by the Plasmodium sp. genetic diversity. Previously, we have shown P41 protein from 6-Cysteine shared by Plasmodium sp. and could be used for cross-species anti-malaria vaccines. Two different approaches, ancestral, and consensus sequence, could produce a single target for all human-infecting Plasmodium. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of ancestral and consensus of P41 protein. Phylogenetic and time tree reconstruction was conducted by RAXML and BEAST2 package to determine the relationship of known P41 sequences. Ancestral and consensus sequences were reconstructed by the GRASP server and Unipro Ugene software, respectively. The structural prediction was made using the Psipred and Rosetta program. The protein characteristic was analyzed by assessing hydrophobicity and Post-Translational Modification sites. Meanwhile, the immunogenicity score for B-cell, T-cell, and MHC was determined using an immunoinformatic approach. The result suggests that ancestral and consensus have a distinct protein characteristic with high immunogenicity scores for all immune cells. We found one shared conserved epitope with phosphorylation modification from the ancestral sequence to target the cross-species vaccine. Thus, this study provides detailed insight into P41 efficacy for the cross-species anti-malaria blood-stage vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Nathanael Ramanto
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Rizky Nurdiansyah
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences, Jakarta, Indonesia.
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20
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Patel PN, Tolia N. Structural vaccinology of malaria transmission-blocking vaccines. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:199-214. [PMID: 33430656 PMCID: PMC11077433 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1873135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: The development of effective vaccines remains a major health priority to combat the global burden of malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. Transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) elicit antibodies that neutralize the sexual stages of the parasite in blood meals ingested by the Anopheles mosquito, interrupting parasite development in the vector host and preventing disease spread to other individuals.Areas covered: The P. falciparum gametocyte surface antigens Pfs230, Pfs48/45, and Pfs47, the parasite ookinete surface protein Pfs25, and the male gametocyte specific protein PfHAP2 are leading TBV candidates, some of which are in clinical development. The recent expansion of methodology to study monoclonal antibodies isolated directly from humans and animal models, coupled with effective measures for parasite neutralization, has provided unprecedented insight into TBV efficacy and development.Expert opinion: Available structural and functional data on antigen-monoclonal antibody (Ag-mAb) complexes, as well as epitope classification studies, have identified neutralizing epitopes that may aid vaccine development and improve protection. Here, we review the clinical prospects of TBV candidates, progress in the development of novel vaccine strategies for TBVs, and the impact of structural vaccinology in TBV design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palak N Patel
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niraj Tolia
- Host-Pathogen Interactions and Structural Vaccinology Section, Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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21
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Tomasina R, Francia ME. The Structural and Molecular Underpinnings of Gametogenesis in Toxoplasma gondii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:608291. [PMID: 33365279 PMCID: PMC7750520 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.608291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a widely prevalent protozoan parasite member of the phylum Apicomplexa. It causes disease in humans with clinical outcomes ranging from an asymptomatic manifestation to eye disease to reproductive failure and neurological symptoms. In farm animals, and particularly in sheep, toxoplasmosis costs the industry millions by profoundly affecting their reproductive potential. As do all the parasites in the phylum, T. gondii parasites go through sexual and asexual replication in the context of an heteroxenic life cycle involving members of the Felidae family and any warm-blooded vertebrate as definitive and intermediate hosts, respectively. During sexual replication, merozoites differentiate into female and male gametes; their combination gives rise to a zygotes which evolve into sporozoites that encyst and are shed in cat's feces as environmentally resistant oocysts. During zygote formation T. gondii parasites are diploid providing the parasite with a window of opportunity for genetic admixture making this a key step in the generation of genetic diversity. In addition, oocyst formation and shedding are central to dissemination and environmental contamination with infectious parasite forms. In this minireview we summarize the current state of the art on the process of gametogenesis. We discuss the unique structures of macro and microgametes, an insight acquired through classical techniques, as well as the more recently attained molecular understanding of the routes leading up to these life forms by in vitro and in vivo systems. We pose a number of unanswered questions and discuss these in the context of the latest findings on molecular cues mediating stage switching, and the implication for the field of newly available in vitro tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramiro Tomasina
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María E Francia
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.,Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
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22
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Yenkoidiok-Douti L, Canepa GE, Barletta ABF, Barillas-Mury C. In vivo Characterization of Plasmodium berghei P47 (Pbs47) as a Malaria Transmission-Blocking Vaccine Target. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1496. [PMID: 32719666 PMCID: PMC7348136 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
An effective vaccine to reduce malaria transmission is central to control and ultimately achieve disease eradication. Recently, we demonstrated that antibodies targeting the Plasmodium falciparum surface protein P47 (Pfs47) reduce parasite transmission to Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. Here, Plasmodium berghei (Pb) was used as a model to assess the in vivo efficacy of a P47-targeted transmission blocking vaccine (Pbs47). Mice were immunized following a prime/boost regimen and infected with P. berghei. The effect of immunization on infectivity to mosquitoes was evaluated by direct feeding on P. berghei-infected mice. The key region in Pbs47 where antibody binding confers protection was mapped, and the immunogenicity of this protective antigen was enhanced by conjugation to a virus-like particle. Passive immunization with 100 and 50 μg/mL of anti-Pbs47 IgG reduced oocyst density by 77 and 67%, respectively. Furthermore, affinity purified Pbs47-specific IgG significantly reduced oocyst density by 88 and 77%, respectively at doses as low as 10 and 1 μg/mL. These studies suggest that P47 is a promising transmission blocking target and show that antibodies to the same specific region in Pfs47 and Pbs47 confer protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lampouguin Yenkoidiok-Douti
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Gaspar E. Canepa
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Ana Beatriz F. Barletta
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
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23
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Genetic diversity and immunogenicity analysis of 6-cysteine protein family members in Plasmodium ovale curtisi importess from Africa to China: P12, P38 and P41. GENE REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2020.100657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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24
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Sà JM, Cannon MV, Caleon RL, Wellems TE, Serre D. Single-cell transcription analysis of Plasmodium vivax blood-stage parasites identifies stage- and species-specific profiles of expression. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000711. [PMID: 32365102 PMCID: PMC7224573 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum, the parasites responsible for most human malaria worldwide, exhibit striking biological differences, which have important clinical consequences. Unfortunately, P. vivax, unlike P. falciparum, cannot be cultivated continuously in vitro, which limits our understanding of its biology and, consequently, our ability to effectively control vivax malaria. Here, we describe single-cell gene expression profiles of 9,215 P. vivax parasites from bloodstream infections of Aotus and Saimiri monkeys. Our results show that transcription of most P. vivax genes occurs during short periods of the intraerythrocytic cycle and that this pattern of gene expression is conserved in other Plasmodium species. However, we also identify a strikingly high proportion of species-specific transcripts in late schizonts, possibly associated with the specificity of erythrocyte invasion. Our findings provide new and robust markers of blood-stage parasites, including some that are specific to the elusive P. vivax male gametocytes, and will be useful for analyzing gene expression data from laboratory and field samples. Analysis of individual Plasmodium vivax parasites reveals the tight control of the expression of most genes during the intra-erythrocytic cycle and the differentiation of male and female gametocytes, and highlights differences between the development of P. vivax and P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana M. Sà
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Matthew V. Cannon
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ramoncito L. Caleon
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas E. Wellems
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirdesh Kumar
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Niraj H. Tolia
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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26
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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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27
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Abstract
In the progression of the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, a small proportion of asexual parasites differentiate into male or female sexual forms called gametocytes. Just like their asexual counterparts, gametocytes are contained within the infected host's erythrocytes (RBCs). However, unlike their asexual partners, they do not exit the RBC until they are taken up in a blood meal by a mosquito. In the mosquito midgut, they are stimulated to emerge from the RBC, undergo fertilization, and ultimately produce tens of thousands of sporozoites that are infectious to humans. This transmission cycle can be blocked by antibodies targeting proteins exposed on the parasite surface in the mosquito midgut, a process that has led to the development of candidate transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV), including some that are in clinical trials. Here we review the leading TBV antigens and highlight the ongoing search for additional gametocyte/gamete surface antigens, as well as antigens on the surfaces of gametocyte-infected erythrocytes, which can potentially become a new group of TBV candidates.
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28
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Gupta DK, Dembele L, Voorberg-van der Wel A, Roma G, Yip A, Chuenchob V, Kangwanrangsan N, Ishino T, Vaughan AM, Kappe SH, Flannery EL, Sattabongkot J, Mikolajczak S, Bifani P, Kocken CH, Diagana TT. The Plasmodium liver-specific protein 2 (LISP2) is an early marker of liver stage development. eLife 2019; 8:43362. [PMID: 31094679 PMCID: PMC6542585 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax hypnozoites persist in the liver, cause malaria relapse and represent a major challenge to malaria elimination. Our previous transcriptomic study provided a novel molecular framework to enhance our understanding of the hypnozoite biology (Voorberg-van der Wel A, et al., 2017). In this dataset, we identified and characterized the Liver-Specific Protein 2 (LISP2) protein as an early molecular marker of liver stage development. Immunofluorescence analysis of hepatocytes infected with relapsing malaria parasites, in vitro (P. cynomolgi) and in vivo (P. vivax), reveals that LISP2 expression discriminates between dormant hypnozoites and early developing parasites. We further demonstrate that prophylactic drugs selectively kill all LISP2-positive parasites, while LISP2-negative hypnozoites are only sensitive to anti-relapse drug tafenoquine. Our results provide novel biological insights in the initiation of liver stage schizogony and an early marker suitable for the development of drug discovery assays predictive of anti-relapse activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devendra Kumar Gupta
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, United States.,Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Laurent Dembele
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), MRTC - DEAP, Bamako, Mali
| | | | - Guglielmo Roma
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andy Yip
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Tomoko Ishino
- Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan
| | | | - Stefan H Kappe
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, United States
| | | | | | - Sebastian Mikolajczak
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, United States.,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, United States
| | - Pablo Bifani
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Clemens Hm Kocken
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Thierry Tidiane Diagana
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, United States.,Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore, Singapore
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29
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Identification of domains within Pfs230 that elicit transmission blocking antibody responses. Vaccine 2019; 37:1799-1806. [PMID: 30824357 PMCID: PMC6708081 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) against Plasmodium falciparum is likely to be a valuable tool in a malaria eradication program. Pfs230 is one of the major TBV candidates, and multiple Pfs230-based vaccines induced antibodies, which prevented oocyst formation in mosquitoes as determined by a standard membrane-feeding assay (SMFA). Pfs230 is a >300 kDa protein consisting of 14 cysteine motif (CM) domains, and the size and cysteine-rich nature of the molecule have hampered its production as an intact protein. Except for one early study with maltose-binding protein fusion Pfs230 constructs expressed in Esherichia coli, all other studies have focused on only the first four CM domains in the Pfs230 molecule. To identify all possible TBV candidate domains, we systematically produced either single-CM-domain (a total of 14), 2-CM-domain (7), or 4-CM-domain (6) recombinant protein fragments using a eukaryotic wheat germ cell-free expression system (WGCFS). In addition, two more constructs which covered previously published regions, and an N-terminal prodomain construct spanning the natural cleavage site of Pfs230 were produced. Antisera against each fragment were generated in mice and we evaluated the reactivity to native Pfs230 protein by Western blots and immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and functionality by SMFA. All 30 WGCFS-produced Pfs230 constructs were immunogenic in mice. Approximately half of the mouse antibodies specifically recognized native Pfs230 by Western blots with variable band intensities. Among them, seven antibodies showed higher reactivities against native Pfs230 determined by IFA. Interestingly, antibodies against all protein fragments containing CM domain 1 displayed strong inhibitions in SMFA, while antibodies generated using constructs without CM domain 1 showed no inhibition. The results strongly support the concept that future Pfs230-based vaccine development should focus on the Pfs230 CM domain 1.
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30
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Ahmed MA, Chu KB, Quan FS. The Plasmodium knowlesi Pk41 surface protein diversity, natural selection, sub population and geographical clustering: a 6-cysteine protein family member. PeerJ 2018; 6:e6141. [PMID: 30581686 PMCID: PMC6296336 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The zoonotic malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi has currently become the most dominant form of infection in humans in Malaysia and is an emerging infectious disease in most Southeast Asian countries. The P41 is a merozoite surface protein belonging to the 6-cysteine family and is a well-characterized vaccine candidate in P. vivax and P. falciparum; however, no study has been done in the orthologous gene of P. knowlesi. This study investigates the level of polymorphism, haplotypes and natural selection of pk41 genes in clinical isolates from Malaysia. Method Thirty-five full-length pk41 sequences from clinical isolates of Malaysia along with four laboratory lines (along with H-strain) were downloaded from public databases. For comparative analysis between species, orthologous P41 genes from P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. coatneyi and P. cynomolgi were also downloaded. Genetic diversity, polymorphism, haplotype and natural selection were determined using DnaSP 5.10 software. Phylogenetic relationships between Pk41 genes were determined using MEGA 5.0 software. Results Analysis of 39 full-length pk41 sequences along with the H-strain identified 36 SNPs (20 non-synonymous and 16 synonymous substitutions) resulting in 31 haplotypes. Nucleotide diversity across the full-length gene was low and was similar to its ortholog in P. vivax; pv41. Domain-wise amino acid analysis of the two s48/45 domains indicated low level of polymorphisms for both the domains, and the glutamic acid rich region had extensive size variations. In the central domain, upstream to the glutamate rich region, a unique two to six (K-E)n repeat region was identified within the clinical isolates. Overall, the pk41 genes were indicative of negative/purifying selection due to functional constraints. Domain-wise analysis of the s48/45 domains also indicated purifying selection. However, analysis of Tajima’s D across the genes identified non-synonymous SNPs in the s48/45 domain II with high positive values indicating possible epitope binding regions. All the 6-cysteine residues within the s48/45 domains were conserved within the clinical isolates indicating functional conservation of these regions. Phylogenetic analysis of full-length pk41 genes indicated geographical clustering and identified three subpopulations of P. knowlesi; one originating in the laboratory lines and two originating from Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Conclusion This is the first study to report on the polymorphism and natural selection of pk41 genes from clinical isolates of Malaysia. The results reveal that there is low level of polymorphism in both s48/45 domains, indicating that this antigen could be a potential vaccine target. However, genetic and molecular immunology studies involving higher number of samples from various parts of Malaysia would be necessary to validate this antigen’s candidacy as a vaccine target for P. knowlesi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Atique Ahmed
- Department of Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki-Back Chu
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Fu-Shi Quan
- Department of Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Biomedical Science Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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31
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Arredondo SA, Swearingen KE, Martinson T, Steel R, Dankwa DA, Harupa A, Camargo N, Betz W, Vigdorovich V, Oliver BG, Kangwanrangsan N, Ishino T, Sather N, Mikolajczak S, Vaughan AM, Torii M, Moritz RL, Kappe SHI. The Micronemal Plasmodium Proteins P36 and P52 Act in Concert to Establish the Replication-Permissive Compartment Within Infected Hepatocytes. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:413. [PMID: 30547015 PMCID: PMC6280682 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the liver, Plasmodium sporozoites traverse cells searching for a "suitable" hepatocyte, invading these cells through a process that results in the formation of a parasitophorous vacuole (PV), within which the parasite undergoes intracellular replication as a liver stage. It was previously established that two members of the Plasmodium s48/45 protein family, P36 and P52, are essential for productive invasion of host hepatocytes by sporozoites as their simultaneous deletion results in growth-arrested parasites that lack a PV. Recent studies point toward a pathway of entry possibly involving the interaction of P36 with hepatocyte receptors EphA2, CD81, and SR-B1. However, the relationship between P36 and P52 during sporozoite invasion remains unknown. Here we show that parasites with a single P52 or P36 gene deletion each lack a PV after hepatocyte invasion, thereby pheno-copying the lack of a PV observed for the P52/P36 dual gene deletion parasite line. This indicates that both proteins are equally important in the establishment of a PV and act in the same pathway. We created a Plasmodium yoelii P36mCherry tagged parasite line that allowed us to visualize the subcellular localization of P36 and found that it partially co-localizes with P52 in the sporozoite secretory microneme organelles. Furthermore, through co-immunoprecipitation studies in vivo, we determined that P36 and P52 form a protein complex in sporozoites, indicating a concerted function for both proteins within the PV formation pathway. However, upon sporozoite stimulation, only P36 was released as a secreted protein while P52 was not. Our results support a model in which the putatively glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored P52 may serve as a scaffold to facilitate the interaction of secreted P36 with the host cell during sporozoite invasion of hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia A. Arredondo
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | - Thomas Martinson
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ryan Steel
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Dorender A. Dankwa
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Anke Harupa
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Nelly Camargo
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - William Betz
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Vladimir Vigdorovich
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Brian G. Oliver
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Niwat Kangwanrangsan
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Shitsukawa, Toon, Japan
| | - Noah Sather
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Sebastian Mikolajczak
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ashley M. Vaughan
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Motomi Torii
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Shitsukawa, Toon, Japan
| | | | - Stefan H. I. Kappe
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
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32
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Structural delineation of potent transmission-blocking epitope I on malaria antigen Pfs48/45. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4458. [PMID: 30367064 PMCID: PMC6203815 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06742-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Interventions that can block the transmission of malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) between the human host and Anopheles vector have the potential to reduce the incidence of malaria. Pfs48/45 is a gametocyte surface protein critical for parasite development and transmission, and its targeting by monoclonal antibody (mAb) 85RF45.1 leads to the potent reduction of parasite transmission. Here, we reveal how the Pfs48/45 6C domain adopts a (SAG1)-related-sequence (SRS) fold. We structurally delineate potent epitope I and show how mAb 85RF45.1 recognizes an electronegative surface with nanomolar affinity. Analysis of Pfs48/45 sequences reveals that polymorphisms are rare for residues involved at the binding interface. Humanization of rat-derived mAb 85RF45.1 conserved the mode of recognition and activity of the parental antibody, while also improving its thermostability. Our work has implications for the development of transmission-blocking interventions, both through improving vaccine designs and the testing of passive delivery of mAbs in humans. Malaria protein Pfs48/45 is a promising transmission-blocking antigen targeted by antibodies. Here, the authors determine the structure of its transmission-blocking epitope I, and generate a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds Pfs48/45 with high affinity.
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33
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Kanjee U, Rangel GW, Clark MA, Duraisingh MT. Molecular and cellular interactions defining the tropism of Plasmodium vivax for reticulocytes. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 46:109-115. [PMID: 30366310 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is uniquely restricted to invading reticulocytes, the youngest of red blood cells. Parasite invasion relies on the sequential deployment of multiple parasite invasion ligands. Correct targeting of the host reticulocyte is mediated by two families of invasion ligands: the reticulocyte binding proteins (RBPs) and erythrocyte binding proteins (EBPs). The Duffy receptor has long been established as a key determinant for P. vivax invasion. However, recently, the RBP protein PvRBP2b has been shown to bind to transferrin receptor, which is expressed on reticulocytes but lost on normocytes, implicating the ligand-receptor in the reticulocyte tropism of P. vivax. Furthermore there is increasing evidence for P. vivax growth and sexual development in reticulocyte-enriched tissues such as the bone marrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usheer Kanjee
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gabriel W Rangel
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martha A Clark
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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34
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Lennartz F, Brod F, Dabbs R, Miura K, Mekhaiel D, Marini A, Jore MM, Søgaard MM, Jørgensen T, de Jongh WA, Sauerwein RW, Long CA, Biswas S, Higgins MK. Structural basis for recognition of the malaria vaccine candidate Pfs48/45 by a transmission blocking antibody. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3822. [PMID: 30237518 PMCID: PMC6148045 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06340-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The quest to develop an effective malaria vaccine remains a major priority in the fight against global infectious disease. An approach with great potential is a transmission-blocking vaccine which induces antibodies that prevent establishment of a productive infection in mosquitos that feed on infected humans, thereby stopping the transmission cycle. One of the most promising targets for such a vaccine is the gamete surface protein, Pfs48/45. Here we establish a system for production of full-length Pfs48/45 and use this to raise a panel of monoclonal antibodies. We map the binding regions of these antibodies on Pfs48/45 and correlate the location of their epitopes with their transmission-blocking activity. Finally, we present the structure of the C-terminal domain of Pfs48/45 bound to the most potent transmission-blocking antibody, and provide key molecular information for future structure-guided immunogen design. Pfs48/45 is a promising component for a transmission-blocking malaria vaccine. Here, the authors develop a system to produce full-length Pfs48/45 for immunisation, characterise a panel of monoclonal antibodies and determine the structure of a potent transmission-blocking epitope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Lennartz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Florian Brod
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Rebecca Dabbs
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Malaria Immunology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, 20852, MD, USA
| | - David Mekhaiel
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Arianna Marini
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Matthijs M Jore
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Max M Søgaard
- ExpreS2ion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Agern Alle 1, DK-2970, Horsholm, Denmark
| | - Thomas Jørgensen
- ExpreS2ion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Agern Alle 1, DK-2970, Horsholm, Denmark
| | - Willem A de Jongh
- ExpreS2ion Biotechnologies, SCION-DTU Science Park, Agern Alle 1, DK-2970, Horsholm, Denmark
| | - Robert W Sauerwein
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Carole A Long
- Malaria Immunology Section, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Rockville, 20852, MD, USA
| | - Sumi Biswas
- Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK.
| | - Matthew K Higgins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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Ngara M, Palmkvist M, Sagasser S, Hjelmqvist D, Björklund ÅK, Wahlgren M, Ankarklev J, Sandberg R. Exploring parasite heterogeneity using single-cell RNA-seq reveals a gene signature among sexual stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Exp Cell Res 2018; 371:130-138. [PMID: 30096287 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The malaria parasite has a complex lifecycle, including several events of differentiation and stage progression, while actively evading immunity in both its mosquito and human hosts. Important parasite gene expression and regulation during these events remain hidden in rare populations of cells. Here, we combine a capillary-based platform for cell isolation with single-cell RNA-sequencing to transcriptionally profile 165 single infected red blood cells (iRBCs) during the intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC). Unbiased analyses of single-cell data grouped the cells into eight transcriptional states during IDC. Interestingly, we uncovered a gene signature from the single iRBC analyses that can successfully discriminate between developing asexual and sexual stage parasites at cellular resolution, and we verify five, previously undefined, gametocyte stage specific genes. Moreover, we show the capacity of detecting expressed genes from the variable gene families in single parasites, despite the sparse nature of data. In total, the single parasite transcriptomics holds promise for molecular dissection of rare parasite phenotypes throughout the malaria lifecycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mtakai Ngara
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Box 240, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, Box 285, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mia Palmkvist
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Nobels väg 16, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sven Sagasser
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Box 240, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daisy Hjelmqvist
- Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, Box 285, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Åsa K Björklund
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Box 240, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats Wahlgren
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Nobels väg 16, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Ankarklev
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Nobels väg 16, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill-Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Avenue, Box 62, New York, NY 10062, United States; Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 20C, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Rickard Sandberg
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Box 240, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Dept. of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 1, Box 285, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
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36
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Molina-Cruz A, Canepa GE, Barillas-Mury C. Plasmodium P47: a key gene for malaria transmission by mosquito vectors. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 40:168-174. [PMID: 29229188 PMCID: PMC5739336 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites that have a complex life cycle. The parasite protein P47 is critical for disease transmission. P47 mediates mosquito immune evasion in both Plasmodium berghei (Pbs47) and Plasmodium falciparum (Pfs47), and has been shown to be important for optimal female gamete fertility in P. berghei. Pfs47 presents strong geographic structure in natural P. falciparum populations, consistent with natural selection of Pfs47 haplotypes by the mosquito immune system as the parasite adapted to new vector species worldwide. These key functions make Plasmodium P47 an attractive target to disrupt malaria transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Molina-Cruz
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, United States.
| | - Gaspar E Canepa
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, United States
| | - Carolina Barillas-Mury
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, United States.
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37
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Plasmodium berghei P47 is essential for ookinete protection from the Anopheles gambiae complement-like response. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6026. [PMID: 28729672 PMCID: PMC5519742 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05917-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease affecting millions of people every year. The rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei has served as a model for human malaria transmission studies and played a pivotal role in dissecting the mosquito immune response against infection. The 6-cysteine protein P47, known to be important for P. berghei female gamete fertility, is shown to serve a different function in Plasmodium falciparum, protecting ookinetes from the mosquito immune response. Here, we investigate the function of P. berghei P47 in Anopheles gambiae mosquito infections. We show that P47 is expressed on the surface of both female gametocytes and ookinetes where it serves distinct functions in promoting gametocyte-to-ookinete development and protecting ookinetes from the mosquito complement-like response, respectively. The latter function is essential, as ookinetes lacking P47 are targeted for killing while traversing the mosquito midgut cells and eliminated upon exposure to hemolymph proteins of the complement-like system. Silencing key factors of the complement-like system restores oocyst development and disease transmission to rodent hosts. Our data establish a dual role of P. berghei P47 in vivo and reinforce the use of this parasite to study the impact of the mosquito immune response on human malaria transmission.
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38
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Preiser P, Renia L, Bozdech Z, Tan K, Russell B, Cooke BM. Singapore Malaria Network Meeting (SingMalNet) 2016. Int J Parasitol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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