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Cooper C, Thompson RCA, Clode PL. Investigating parasites in three dimensions: trends in volume microscopy. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:668-681. [PMID: 37302958 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To best understand parasite, host, and vector morphologies, host-parasite interactions, and to develop new drug and vaccine targets, structural data should, ideally, be obtained and visualised in three dimensions (3D). Recently, there has been a significant uptake of available 3D volume microscopy techniques that allow collection of data across centimetre (cm) to Angstrom (Å) scales by utilising light, X-ray, electron, and ion sources. Here, we present and discuss microscopy tools available for the collection of 3D structural data, focussing on electron microscopy-based techniques. We highlight their strengths and limitations, such that parasitologists can identify techniques best suited to answer their research questions. Additionally, we review the importance of volume microscopy to the advancement of the field of parasitology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal Cooper
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - R C Andrew Thompson
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Peta L Clode
- Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation, and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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2
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Differentiating Trypanosoma cruzi in a Host Mammalian Cell Imaged in Aqueous Liquid by Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscopy. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0141321. [PMID: 34985339 PMCID: PMC8729778 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01413-21] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscopy (ASEM) is a powerful tool to observe a wet specimen at high resolution under atmospheric pressure. Here, we visualized a protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi over the course of its infection cycle in the host mammalian cell. This is the first observation of intracellular parasite using a liquid-phase EM. Unlike regular SEM, aldehyde-fixed cell body of T. cruzi appears translucent, allowing the visualization of internal structures such as kinetoplast of trypomastigote and nucleus of amastigote. Plasma membrane of the host mammalian cell also appears translucent, which enabled direct observation of differentiating intracellular parasites and dynamic change of host cellular structures in their near-natural states. Various water-rich structures including micro- and macro- vesicles were visualized around T. cruzi. In addition, Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy exploiting open sample dish of ASEM allowed identification of parasite nucleus and transfected fluorescence-labeled parasites soon after internalization, while location of this morphological intermediate was otherwise obscure. Successful visualization of the differentiation of T. cruzi within the host cell demonstrated here opens up the possibility of using ASEM for observation of variety of intracellular parasites. IMPORTANCE Using Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscopy (ASEM), we visualized interaction between infectious stage of Trypanosoma cruzi and completely intact host mammalian cell. Plasma membrane appears translucent under ASEM, which not only enables direct observation of T. cruzi within its host cell, but also reveals internal structures of the parasite itself. Sample deformation is minimal, since the specimen remains hydrated under atmospheric pressure at all times. This nature of ASEM, along with the open structure of ASEM sample dish, is suited for correlative light-electron microscopy, which can further be exploited in identification of fluorescent protein in the intracellular parasites.
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Zuma AA, Dos Santos Barrias E, de Souza W. Basic Biology of Trypanosoma cruzi. Curr Pharm Des 2021; 27:1671-1732. [PMID: 33272165 DOI: 10.2174/1381612826999201203213527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present review addresses basic aspects of the biology of the pathogenic protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi and some comparative information of Trypanosoma brucei. Like eukaryotic cells, their cellular organization is similar to that of mammalian hosts. However, these parasites present structural particularities. That is why the following topics are emphasized in this paper: developmental stages of the life cycle in the vertebrate and invertebrate hosts; the cytoskeleton of the protozoa, especially the sub-pellicular microtubules; the flagellum and its attachment to the protozoan body through specialized junctions; the kinetoplast-mitochondrion complex, including its structural organization and DNA replication; glycosome and its role in the metabolism of the cell; acidocalcisome, describing its morphology, biochemistry, and functional role; cytostome and the endocytic pathway; the organization of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex; the nucleus, describing its structural organization during interphase and division; and the process of interaction of the parasite with host cells. The unique characteristics of these structures also make them interesting chemotherapeutic targets. Therefore, further understanding of cell biology aspects contributes to the development of drugs for chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline A Zuma
- Laboratorio de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Emile Dos Santos Barrias
- Laboratorio de Metrologia Aplicada a Ciencias da Vida, Diretoria de Metrologia Aplicada a Ciencias da Vida - Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia (Inmetro), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wanderley de Souza
- Laboratorio de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Nájera CA, Batista MF, Meneghelli I, Bahia D. Mixed signals - how Trypanosoma cruzi exploits host-cell communication and signaling to establish infection. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:134/5/jcs255687. [PMID: 33692153 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.255687] [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] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is a 'neglected' pathology that affects millions of people worldwide, mainly in Latin America. Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent, is an obligate intracellular parasite with a complex and diverse biology that infects several mammalian species, including humans. Because of genetic variability among strains and the presence of four biochemically and morphologically distinct parasite forms, the outcome of T. cruzi infection varies considerably depending on host cell type and parasite strain. During the initial contact, cellular communication is established by host-recognition-mediated responses, followed by parasite adherence and penetration. For this purpose, T. cruzi expresses a variety of proteins that modify the host cell, enabling it to safely reach the cytoplasm. After entry into the host cell, T. cruzi forms a transitory structure termed 'parasitophorous vacuole' (PV), followed by its cytoplasmic replication and differentiation after PV rupture, and subsequent invasion of other cells. The success of infection, maintenance and survival inside host cells is facilitated by the ability of T. cruzi to subvert various host signaling mechanisms. We focus in this Review on the various mechanisms that induce host cytoskeletal rearrangements, activation of autophagy-related proteins and crosstalk among major immune response regulators, as well as recent studies on the JAK-STAT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Acides Nájera
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
| | - Marina Ferreira Batista
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
| | - Isabela Meneghelli
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
| | - Diana Bahia
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 486, Brazil
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Torrecilhas AC, Soares RP, Schenkman S, Fernández-Prada C, Olivier M. Extracellular Vesicles in Trypanosomatids: Host Cell Communication. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:602502. [PMID: 33381465 PMCID: PMC7767885 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.602502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania (Trypanosomatidae: Kinetoplastida) are parasitic protozoan causing Chagas disease, African Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniases worldwide. They are vector borne diseases transmitted by triatomine bugs, Tsetse fly, and sand flies, respectively. Those diseases cause enormous economic losses and morbidity affecting not only rural and poverty areas but are also spreading to urban areas. During the parasite-host interaction, those organisms release extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are crucial for the immunomodulatory events triggered by the parasites. EVs are involved in cell-cell communication and can act as important pro-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, interface between EVs and host immune responses are crucial for the immunopathological events that those diseases exhibit. Additionally, EVs from these organisms have a role in the invertebrate hosts digestive tracts prior to parasite transmission. This review summarizes the available data on how EVs from those medically important trypanosomatids affect their interaction with vertebrate and invertebrate hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Claudia Torrecilhas
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, Brazil
| | | | - Sergio Schenkman
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Martin Olivier
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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Batista MF, Nájera CA, Meneghelli I, Bahia D. The Parasitic Intracellular Lifestyle of Trypanosomatids: Parasitophorous Vacuole Development and Survival. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:396. [PMID: 32587854 PMCID: PMC7297907 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The trypanosomatid (protozoan) parasites Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. are causative agents of Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis, respectively. They display high morphological plasticity, are capable of developing in both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts, and are the only trypanosomatids that can survive and multiply inside mammalian host cells. During internalization by host cells, these parasites are lodged in “parasitophorous vacuoles” (PVs) comprised of host cell endolysosomal system components. PVs effectively shelter parasites within the host cell. PV development and maturation (acidification, acquisition of membrane markers, and/or volumetric expansion) precede parasite escape from the vacuole and ultimately from the host cell, which are key determinants of infective burden and persistence. PV biogenesis varies, depending on trypanosomatid species, in terms of morphology (e.g., size), biochemical composition, and parasite-mediated processes that coopt host cell machinery. PVs play essential roles in the intracellular development (i.e., morphological differentiation and/or multiplication) of T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. They are of great research interest as potential gateways for drug delivery systems and other therapeutic strategies for suppression of parasite multiplication and control of the large spectrum of diseases caused by these trypanosomatids. This mini-review focuses on mechanisms of PV biogenesis, and processes whereby PVs of T. cruzi and Leishmania spp. promote parasite persistence within and dissemination among mammalian host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ferreira Batista
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Carlos Alcides Nájera
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Isabela Meneghelli
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Diana Bahia
- Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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