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Contreras-Ortiz JME, Hernández-Mendoza D, Márquez-Dueñas C, Manning-Cela R, Santillán M. In vitro characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi infection dynamics in skeletal and cardiac myotubes models suggests a potential cell-to-cell transmission in mediating cardiac pathology. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012288. [PMID: 38913744 PMCID: PMC11226117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease predominantly affects the heart, esophagus, and colon in its chronic phase. However, the precise infection mechanisms of the causal agent Trypanosoma cruzi in these tissue types remain incompletely understood. This study investigated T. cruzi infection dynamics in skeletal (SM) and cardiac myotubes (CM) differentiated from H9c2(2-1) myoblasts (control). SM and CM were generated using 1% fetal bovine serum (FBS) without or with retinoic acid, respectively. Initial invasion efficiencies and numbers of released parasites were equivalent between undifferentiated and differentiated cells (~0.3-0.6%). Concomitantly, parasite motility patterns were similar across cell lines. However, CM demonstrated significantly higher infection kinetics over time, reaching 13.26% infected cells versus 3.12% for SM and 3.70% for myoblasts at later stages. Cellular automata modeling suggested an enhanced role for cell-to-cell transmission in driving the heightened parasitism observed in CM. The increased late-stage susceptibility of CM, potentially mediated by cell-to-cell transfer mechanisms of the parasite, aligns with reported clinical tropism patterns. The myotube infection models provide novel insights into Chagas disease pathogenesis that are not fully attainable through in vivo examination alone. Expanding knowledge in this area could aid therapeutic development for this neglected illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Eloy Contreras-Ortiz
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, México
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, CDMX, Ciudad de México, México
- Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Biológicas Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, México
| | - Daniel Hernández-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, México
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, CDMX, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Claudia Márquez-Dueñas
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, México
| | - Rebeca Manning-Cela
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, CDMX, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Moisés Santillán
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Monterrey, Apodaca, Nuevo Leon, México
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Goudarzi F, Jajarmi V, Shojaee S, Mohebali M, Keshavarz H. Formulation and evaluation of atovaquone-loaded macrophage-derived exosomes against Toxoplasma gondii: in vitro and in vivo assessment. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0308023. [PMID: 38014940 PMCID: PMC10782982 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03080-23] [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] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE This study is the first of its kind that suggests exosomes as a nano-carrier loaded with atovaquone (ATQ), which could be considered as a new strategy for improving the effectiveness of ATQ against acute and chronic phases of Toxoplasma gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Goudarzi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Jajarmi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeedeh Shojaee
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Keshavarz
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Baba M, Nozaki M, Tachibana M, Tsuboi T, Torii M, Ishino T. Rhoptry neck protein 4 plays important roles during Plasmodium sporozoite infection of the mammalian liver. mSphere 2023; 8:e0058722. [PMID: 37272704 PMCID: PMC10449513 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00587-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During invasion, Plasmodium parasites secrete proteins from rhoptry and microneme apical end organelles, which have crucial roles in attaching to and invading target cells. A sporozoite stage-specific gene silencing system revealed that rhoptry neck protein 2 (RON2), RON4, and RON5 are important for sporozoite invasion of mosquito salivary glands. Here, we further investigated the roles of RON4 during sporozoite infection of the liver in vivo. Following intravenous inoculation of RON4-knockdown sporozoites into mice, we demonstrated that sporozoite RON4 has multiple functions during sporozoite traversal of sinusoidal cells and infection of hepatocytes. In vitro infection experiments using a hepatoma cell line revealed that secreted RON4 is involved in sporozoite adhesion to hepatocytes and has an important role in the early steps of hepatocyte infection. In addition, in vitro motility assays indicated that RON4 is required for sporozoite attachment to the substrate and the onset of migration. These findings indicate that RON4 is crucial for sporozoite migration toward and invasion of hepatocytes via attachment ability and motility.IMPORTANCEMalarial parasite transmission to mammals is established when sporozoites are inoculated by mosquitoes and migrate through the bloodstream to infect hepatocytes. Many aspects of the molecular mechanisms underpinning migration and cellular invasion remain largely unelucidated. By applying a sporozoite stage-specific gene silencing system in the rodent malarial parasite, Plasmodium berghei, we demonstrated that rhoptry neck protein 4 (RON4) is crucial for sporozoite infection of the liver in vivo. Combined with in vitro investigations, it was revealed that RON4 functions during a crossing of the sinusoidal cell layer and invading hepatocytes, at an early stage of liver infection, by mediating the sporozoite capacity for adhesion and the onset of motility. Since RON4 is also expressed in Plasmodium merozoites and Toxoplasma tachyzoites, our findings contribute to understanding the conserved invasion mechanisms of Apicomplexa parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minami Baba
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Mamoru Nozaki
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Mayumi Tachibana
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan
| | - Motomi Torii
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, Japan
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Possenti A, Di Cristina M, Nicastro C, Lunghi M, Messina V, Piro F, Tramontana L, Cherchi S, Falchi M, Bertuccini L, Spano F. Functional Characterization of the Thrombospondin-Related Paralogous Proteins Rhoptry Discharge Factors 1 and 2 Unveils Phenotypic Plasticity in Toxoplasma gondii Rhoptry Exocytosis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:899243. [PMID: 35756016 PMCID: PMC9218915 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.899243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To gain access to the intracellular cytoplasmic niche essential for their growth and replication, apicomplexan parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii rely on the timely secretion of two types of apical organelles named micronemes and rhoptries. Rhoptry proteins are key to host cell invasion and remodeling, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the tight control of rhoptry discharge are poorly understood. Here, we report the identification and functional characterization of two novel T. gondii thrombospondin-related proteins implicated in rhoptry exocytosis. The two proteins, already annotated as MIC15 and MIC14, were renamed rhoptry discharge factor 1 (RDF1) and rhoptry discharge factor 2 (RDF2) and found to be exclusive of the Coccidia class of apicomplexan parasites. Furthermore, they were shown to have a paralogous relationship and share a C-terminal transmembrane domain followed by a short cytoplasmic tail. Immunofluorescence analysis of T. gondii tachyzoites revealed that RDF1 presents a diffuse punctate localization not reminiscent of any know subcellular compartment, whereas RDF2 was not detected. Using a conditional knockdown approach, we demonstrated that RDF1 loss caused a marked growth defect. The lack of the protein did not affect parasite gliding motility, host cell attachment, replication and egress, whereas invasion was dramatically reduced. Notably, while RDF1 depletion did not result in altered microneme exocytosis, rhoptry discharge was found to be heavily impaired. Interestingly, rhoptry secretion was reversed by spontaneous upregulation of the RDF2 gene in knockdown parasites grown under constant RDF1 repression. Collectively, our results identify RDF1 and RDF2 as additional key players in the pathway controlling rhoptry discharge. Furthermore, this study unveils a new example of compensatory mechanism contributing to phenotypic plasticity in T. gondii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Possenti
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Manlio Di Cristina
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Chiara Nicastro
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Lunghi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Valeria Messina
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Piro
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Tramontana
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cherchi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Falchi
- National AIDS Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Furio Spano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Identification of Oocyst-Driven Toxoplasma gondii Infections in Humans and Animals through Stage-Specific Serology-Current Status and Future Perspectives. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9112346. [PMID: 34835471 PMCID: PMC8618849 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The apicomplexan zoonotic parasite Toxoplasma gondii has three infective stages: sporozoites in sporulated oocysts, which are shed in unsporulated form into the environment by infected felids; tissue cysts containing bradyzoites, and fast replicating tachyzoites that are responsible for acute toxoplasmosis. The contribution of oocysts to infections in both humans and animals is understudied despite being highly relevant. Only a few diagnostic antigens have been described to be capable of discriminating which parasite stage has caused an infection. Here we provide an extensive overview of the antigens and serological assays used to detect oocyst-driven infections in humans and animals according to the literature. In addition, we critically discuss the possibility to exploit the increasing knowledge of the T. gondii genome and the various 'omics datasets available, by applying predictive algorithms, for the identification of new oocyst-specific proteins for diagnostic purposes. Finally, we propose a workflow for how such antigens and assays based on them should be evaluated to ensure reproducible and robust results.
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Global phosphoproteome analysis reveals significant differences between sporulated oocysts of virulent and avirulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii. Microb Pathog 2021; 161:105240. [PMID: 34655729 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the differences in the phosphoproteomic landscape of sporulated oocysts between virulent and avirulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii were examined using a global phosphoproteomics approach. Phosphopeptides from sporulated oocysts of the virulent PYS strain (Chinese ToxoDB#9) and the avirulent PRU strain (type II) were enriched by titanium dioxide (TiO2) affinity chromatography and quantified using IBT approach. A total of 10,645 unique phosphopeptides, 8181 nonredundant phosphorylation sites and 2792 phosphoproteins were identified. We also detected 4129 differentially expressed phosphopeptides (DEPs) between sporulated oocysts of PYS strain and PRU strain (|log1.5 fold change| > 1 and p < 0.05), including 2485 upregulated and 1644 downregulated phosphopeptides. Motif analysis identified 24 motifs from the upregulated phosphorylated peptides including 22 serine motifs and two threonine motifs (TPE and TP), and 15 motifs from the downregulated phosphorylated peptides including 12 serine motifs and three threonine motifs (TP, RxxT and KxxT) in PYS strain when comparing PYS strain to PRU strain. Several kinases were consistent with motifs of overrepresented phosphopeptides, such as PKA, PKG, CKII, IKK, MAPK, EGFR, INSR, Jak, Syk, Src, Ab1. GO enrichment, KEGG pathway analysis and STRING analysis revealed DEPs significantly enriched in many biological processes and pathways. Kinase related network analysis showed that AGC kinase was the most connected kinase peptide. Our findings reveal significant difference in phosphopeptide profiles of sporulated oocysts between virulent and avirulent T. gondii strains, providing new resources for further elucidation of the mechanisms underpinning the virulence of T. gondii.
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Yu G, Liang W, Yang Q, Wang J, Wang Y, Zhang T, Zhang X, Fan H, Zhao P, Cao L, Dong J. Immune Protective Evaluation Elicited by DNA Vaccination With Neospora caninum Dense Granules Proteins in Mice. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:638067. [PMID: 33718474 PMCID: PMC7953147 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.638067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan, is the major cause for neosporosis and brings serious economic losses to cattle breeding industries worldwide. After invasion, dense granules proteins are abundantly secreted and being important components of parasitophorous vacuole and intravacuolar network where N. caninum survives and replicates. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective immunity induced by DNA vaccines with genes encoding dense granules proteins 1 (GRA1), GRA4, GRA9, GRA14, GRA17, and GRA23 against N. caninum tachyzoites in BALB/C mice. Eukaryotic expressing plasmids of pcNcGRAs were constructed and the mice were intramuscularly immunized with pcNcGRAs followed by challenging infection with lethal doses of N. caninum. Immune responses were evaluated through monitoring the levels of serum antibodies, measurement of lymphocyte proliferation, and secretion of cytokines. Immune protection assays were carried out through monitoring survival time, body weight, and parasite burden in the brains. Results showed that all the pcNcGRA DNA vaccines could trigger remarkably specific humoral and cellular responses, with higher levels of IgG and IgG2a antibodies as well as obviously increased secretion of Th1-type IFN-γ cytokines. The immune protective efficacy revealed that pcNcGRA4, pcNcGRA14, and pcNcGRA17 DNA vaccines could individually increase the survival rate to 50, 37.5, and 25% in comparison with 0% in the control group; prolong the survival time more than 20.88 ± 11.12, 18.88 ± 10.83, and 16.63 ± 10.66 days compared with the control group of 4 ± 1.31 days; and decrease parasite burden in the brains to 297.63 ± 83.77, 471.5 ± 110.74, and 592.13 ± 102.2 parasites/100 ng comparing with 1221.36 ± 269.59 parasites/100 ng in the control group. These findings indicated that NcGRA4, NcGRA14, and NcGRA17 are potential vaccine candidates; NcGRA4 displayed better performance in immune protective efficacy and could be further combined with other advantageous antigens applied to the development of safe and effective DNA vaccines against N. caninum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guili Yu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang City, Lianyungang, China
| | - Qiankun Yang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Jinxin Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Tianmeng Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Hui Fan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
| | - Panpan Zhao
- Department of Parasite, Jilin Academy of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lili Cao
- Department of Parasite, Jilin Academy of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Changchun, China.,Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Ministry of Education, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jingquan Dong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Environment, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Pharmaceutical Compound Screening, Co-Innovation Center of Jiangsu Marine Bio-industry Technology, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang, China
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Uboldi AD, Wilde ML, Bader SM, Tonkin CJ. Environmental sensing and regulation of motility in Toxoplasma. Mol Microbiol 2020; 115:916-929. [PMID: 33278047 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma and other apicomplexan parasites undergo a unique form of cellular locomotion referred to as "gliding motility." Gliding motility is crucial for parasite survival as it powers tissue dissemination, host cell invasion and egress. Distinct environmental cues lead to activation of gliding motility and have become a prominent focus of recent investigation. Progress has been made toward understanding what environmental cues are sensed and how these signals are transduced in order to regulate the machinery and cellular events powering gliding motility. In this review, we will discuss new findings and integrate these into our current understanding to propose a model of how environmental sensing is achieved to regulate gliding motility in Toxoplasma. Collectively, these findings also have implications for the understanding of gliding motility across Apicomplexa more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro D Uboldi
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mary-Louise Wilde
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stefanie M Bader
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christopher J Tonkin
- Division of Infectious Disease and Immune Defense, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,The Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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