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Keeling PJ, Mtawali M, Trznadel M, Livingston SJ, Wakeman KC. Parallel functional reduction in the mitochondria of apicomplexan parasites. Eur J Protistol 2024; 94:126065. [PMID: 38492251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2024.126065] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Extreme functional reduction of mitochondria has taken place in parallel in many distantly related lineages of eukaryotes, leading to a number of recurring metabolic states with variously lost electron transport chain (ETC) complexes, loss of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and/or loss of the mitochondrial genome. The resulting mitochondria-related organelles (MROs) are generally structurally reduced and in the most extreme cases barely recognizable features of the cell with no role in energy metabolism whatsoever (e.g., mitosomes, which generally only make iron-sulfur clusters). Recently, a wide diversity of MROs were discovered to be hiding in plain sight: in gregarine apicomplexans. This diverse group of invertebrate parasites has been known and observed for centuries, but until recent applications of culture-free genomics, their mitochondria were unremarkable. The genomics, however, showed that mitochondrial function has reduced in parallel in multiple gregarine lineages to several different endpoints, including the most reduced mitosomes. Here we review this remarkable case of parallel evolution of MROs, and some of the interesting questions this work raises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada.
| | - Mahara Mtawali
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
| | - Morelia Trznadel
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
| | - Samuel J Livingston
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
| | - Kevin C Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
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2
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Yarlett N, Jarroll EL, Morada M, Lloyd D. Protists: Eukaryotic single-celled organisms and the functioning of their organelles. Adv Microb Physiol 2024; 84:243-307. [PMID: 38821633 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Organelles are membrane bound structures that compartmentalize biochemical and molecular functions. With improved molecular, biochemical and microscopy tools the diversity and function of protistan organelles has increased in recent years, providing a complex panoply of structure/function relationships. This is particularly noticeable with the description of hydrogenosomes, and the diverse array of structures that followed, having hybrid hydrogenosome/mitochondria attributes. These diverse organelles have lost the major, at one time, definitive components of the mitochondrion (tricarboxylic cycle enzymes and cytochromes), however they all contain the machinery for the assembly of Fe-S clusters, which is the single unifying feature they share. The plasticity of organelles, like the mitochondrion, is therefore evident from its ability to lose its identity as an aerobic energy generating powerhouse while retaining key ancestral functions common to both aerobes and anaerobes. It is interesting to note that the apicoplast, a non-photosynthetic plastid that is present in all apicomplexan protozoa, apart from Cryptosporidium and possibly the gregarines, is also the site of Fe-S cluster assembly proteins. It turns out that in Cryptosporidium proteins involved in Fe-S cluster biosynthesis are localized in the mitochondrial remnant organelle termed the mitosome. Hence, different organisms have solved the same problem of packaging a life-requiring set of reactions in different ways, using different ancestral organelles, discarding what is not needed and keeping what is essential. Don't judge an organelle by its cover, more by the things it does, and always be prepared for surprises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel Yarlett
- Haskins Laboratories, Pace University, New York, NY, United States; The Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Pace University, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Edward L Jarroll
- Department of Biological Sciences, CUNY-Lehman College, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Mary Morada
- Haskins Laboratories, Pace University, New York, NY, United States
| | - David Lloyd
- Schools of Biosciences and Engineering, Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom
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3
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Devarakonda PM, Sarmiento V, Heaslip AT. F-actin and myosin F control apicoplast elongation dynamics which drive apicoplast-centrosome association in Toxoplasma gondii. mBio 2023; 14:e0164023. [PMID: 37732764 PMCID: PMC10653800 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01640-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Toxoplasma gondii and most other parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa contain an apicoplast, a non-photosynthetic plastid organelle required for fatty acid, isoprenoid, iron-sulfur cluster, and heme synthesis. Perturbation of apicoplast function results in parasite death. Thus, parasite survival critically depends on two cellular processes: apicoplast division to ensure every daughter parasite inherits a single apicoplast, and trafficking of nuclear encoded proteins to the apicoplast. Despite the importance of these processes, there are significant knowledge gaps in regards to the molecular mechanisms which control these processes; this is particularly true for trafficking of nuclear-encoded apicoplast proteins. This study provides crucial new insight into the timing of apicoplast protein synthesis and trafficking to the apicoplast. In addition, this study demonstrates how apicoplast-centrosome association, a key step in the apicoplast division cycle, is controlled by the actomyosin cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valeria Sarmiento
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Aoife T. Heaslip
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
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4
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Devarakonda PM, Sarmiento V, Heaslip AT. F-actin and Myosin F control apicoplast elongation dynamics which drive apicoplast-centrosome association in Toxoplasma gondii. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.01.521342. [PMID: 36711828 PMCID: PMC9881852 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.01.521342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii contains an essential plastid organelle called the apicoplast that is necessary for fatty acid, isoprenoid, and heme synthesis. Perturbations affecting apicoplast function or inheritance lead to parasite death. The apicoplast is a single copy organelle and therefore must be divided so that each daughter parasite inherits an apicoplast during cell division. In this study we identify new roles for F-actin and an unconventional myosin motor, TgMyoF, in this process. First, loss of TgMyoF and actin lead to an accumulation of apicoplast vesicles in the cytosol indicating a role for this actomyosin system in apicoplast protein trafficking or morphological integrity of the organelle. Second, live cell imaging reveals that during division the apicoplast is highly dynamic, exhibiting branched, U-shaped and linear morphologies that are dependent on TgMyoF and actin. In parasites where movement was inhibited by the depletion of TgMyoF, the apicoplast fails to associate with the parasite centrosomes. Thus, this study provides crucial new insight into mechanisms controlling apicoplast-centrosome association, a vital step in the apicoplast division cycle, which ensures that each daughter inherits a single apicoplast.
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Qian J, Zhao T, Guo L, Li S, He Z, He M, Shen B, Fang R. Mitochondrial ADP/ATP Carrier 1 Is Important for the Growth of Toxoplasma Tachyzoites. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0004023. [PMID: 37154708 PMCID: PMC10269819 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00040-23] [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: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolism associated with energy production is highly compartmentalized in eukaryotic cells. During this process, transporters that move metabolites across organelle membranes play pivotal roles. The highly conserved ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) involved in ATP and ADP exchange between the mitochondria and cytoplasm is key to linking the metabolic activities in these 2 compartments. The ATP produced in mitochondria can be exchanged with cytoplasmic ADP by AAC, thus satisfying the energy needs in the cytoplasm. Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite with a wide range of hosts. Previous studies have shown that mitochondrial metabolism helps Toxoplasma to parasitize diverse host cells. Here, we identified 2 putative mitochondria ADP/ATP carriers in Toxoplasma with significant sequence similarity to known AACs from other eukaryotes. We examined the ATP transport function of TgAACs by expressing them in Escherichia coli cells and found that only TgAAC1 had ATP transport activity. Moreover, knockdown of TgAAC1 caused severe growth defects of parasites and heterologous expression of mouse ANT2 in the TgAAC1 depletion mutant restored its growth, revealing its importance for parasite growth. These results verified that TgAAC1 functions as the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier in T. gondii and the functional studies demonstrated the importance of TgAAC1 for tachyzoites growth. IMPORTANCE T. gondii has an efficient and flexible energy metabolism system to meet different growth needs. ATP is an energy-carrying molecule and needs to be exchanged between organelles with the assistance of transporters. However, the function of TgAACs has yet to be characterized. Here, we identified 2 putative AACs of T. gondii and verified that only TgAAC1 had ATP transport activity with expression in the intact E. coli cells. Detailed analyses found that TgAAC1 is critical for the growth of tachyzoites and TgAAC2 is dispensable. Moreover, complementation with mouse ANT2 restored the growth speed of iTgAAC1, further suggesting TgAAC1 functions as a mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier. Our research demonstrated the importance of TgAAC1 for tachyzoites growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahui Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tongjie Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Senyang Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhengming He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingfeng He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
| | - Rui Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People’s Republic of China
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Ito T, Kajita S, Fujii M, Shinohara Y. Plasmodium Parasite Malate-Quinone Oxidoreductase Functionally Complements a Yeast Deletion Mutant of Mitochondrial Malate Dehydrogenase. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0016823. [PMID: 37036365 PMCID: PMC10269487 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00168-23] [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: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant variants of malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites is a life-threatening problem worldwide. Investigation of the physiological function of individual parasite proteins is a prerequisite for a deeper understanding of the metabolic pathways required for parasite survival and therefore a requirement for the development of novel antimalarials. A Plasmodium membrane protein, malate-quinone oxidoreductase (MQO), is thought to contribute to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the electron transport chain (ETC) and is an antimalarial drug target. However, there is little information on its expression and function. Here, we investigated the function of Plasmodium falciparum MQO (PfMQO) in mitochondria using a yeast heterologous expression system. Using a yeast deletion mutant of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH1), which is expected to be functionally similar to MQO, as a background strain, we successfully constructed PfMQO-expressing yeast. We confirmed that expression of PfMQO complemented the growth defect of the MDH1 deletion, indicating that PfMQO can adopt the metabolic role of MDH1 in energy transduction for growth in the recombinant yeast. Analysis of cell fractions confirmed that PfMQO was expressed and enriched in yeast mitochondria. By measuring MQO activity, we also confirmed that PfMQO expressed in yeast mitochondria was active. Measurement of oxygen consumption rates showed that mitochondrial respiration was driven by the TCA cycle through PfMQO. In addition, we found that MQO activity was enhanced when intact mitochondria were sonicated, indicating that the malate binding site of PfMQO is located facing the mitochondrial matrix. IMPORTANCE We constructed a model organism to study the physiological role and function of P. falciparum malate-quinone oxidoreductase (PfMQO) in a yeast expression system. PfMQO is actively expressed in yeast mitochondria and functions in place of yeast mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the oxidation of malate to oxaloacetate in the TCA cycle. The catalytic site for the oxidation of malate in PfMQO, which is a membrane-bound protein, faces into the mitochondrial matrix, not the mitochondrial inner membrane space. Our findings clearly show that PfMQO is a TCA cycle enzyme and is coupled with the ETC via ubiquinone reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Ito
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Sayaka Kajita
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Minori Fujii
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yasuo Shinohara
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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Saini M, Julius Ngwa C, Marothia M, Verma P, Ahmad S, Kumari J, Anand S, Vandana V, Goyal B, Chakraborti S, Pandey KC, Garg S, Pati S, Ranganathan A, Pradel G, Singh S. Characterization of Plasmodium falciparum prohibitins as novel targets to block infection in humans by impairing the growth and transmission of the parasite. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 212:115567. [PMID: 37088154 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Prohibitins (PHBs) are highly conserved pleiotropic proteins as they have been shown to mediate key cellular functions. Here, we characterize PHBs encoding putative genes of Plasmodium falciparum by exploiting different orthologous models. We demonstrated that PfPHB1 (PF3D7_0829200) and PfPHB2 (PF3D7_1014700) are expressed in asexual and sexual blood stages of the parasite. Immunostaining indicated these proteins as mitochondrial residents as they were found to be localized as branched structures. We further validated PfPHBs as organellar proteins residing in Plasmodium mitochondria, where they interact with each other. Functional characterization was done in Saccharomyces cerevisiae orthologous model by expressing PfPHB1 and PfPHB2 in cells harboring respective mutants. The PfPHBs functionally complemented the yeast PHB1 and PHB2 mutants, where the proteins were found to be involved in stabilizing the mitochondrial DNA, retaining mitochondrial integrity and rescuing yeast cell growth. Further, Rocaglamide (Roc-A), a known inhibitor of PHBs and anti-cancerous agent, was tested against PfPHBs and as an antimalarial. Roc-A treatment retarded the growth of PHB1, PHB2, and ethidium bromide petite yeast mutants. Moreover, Roc-A inhibited growth of yeast PHBs mutants that were functionally complemented with PfPHBs, validating P. falciparum PHBs as one of the molecular targets for Roc-A. Roc-A treatment led to growth inhibition of artemisinin-sensitive (3D7), artemisinin-resistant (R539T) and chloroquine-resistant (RKL-9) parasites in nanomolar ranges. The compound was able to retard gametocyte and oocyst growth with significant morphological aberrations. Based on our findings, we propose the presence of functional mitochondrial PfPHB1 and PfPHB2 in P. falciparum and their druggability to block parasite growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Saini
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR, India; Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany; Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Che Julius Ngwa
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Manisha Marothia
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Pritee Verma
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Jyoti Kumari
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR, India; Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Sakshi Anand
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Vandana Vandana
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Bharti Goyal
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Kailash C Pandey
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India; Academic Council of Scientific and Innovative Research, Faridabad, India
| | - Swati Garg
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Soumya Pati
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR, India
| | - Anand Ranganathan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Gabriele Pradel
- Division of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology, Institute of Zoology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Shailja Singh
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR, India; Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
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Xu Q, Duan YY, Pan M, Jin QW, Tao JP, Huang SY. In Vitro Evaluation Reveals Effect and Mechanism of Artemether against Toxoplasma gondii. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040476. [PMID: 37110135 PMCID: PMC10145583 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the limited effectiveness of existing drugs for the treatment of toxoplasmosis, there is a dire need for the discovery of new therapeutic options. Artemether is an important drug for malaria and several studies have indicated that it also exhibits anti-T. gondii activity. However, its specific effect and mechanisms are still not clear. To elucidate its specific role and potential mechanism, we first evaluated its cytotoxicity and anti-Toxoplasma effect on human foreskin fibroblast cells, and then analyzed its inhibitory activity during T. gondii invasion and intracellular proliferation. Finally, we examined its effect on mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in T. gondii. The CC50 value of artemether was found to be 866.4 μM, and IC50 was 9.035 μM. It exhibited anti-T. gondii activity and inhibited the growth of T. gondii in a dose-dependent manner. We also found that the inhibition occurred primarily in intracellular proliferation, achieved by reducing the mitochondrial membrane integrity of T. gondii and stimulating ROS production. These findings suggest that the mechanism of artemether against T. gondii is related to a change in the mitochondrial membrane and the increase in ROS production, which may provide a theoretical basis for optimizing artemether derivatives and further improving their anti-Toxoplasma efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Xu
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yin-Yan Duan
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Ming Pan
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Qi-Wang Jin
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jian-Ping Tao
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Si-Yang Huang
- Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonosis, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Correspondence:
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9
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Christian R, Labbancz J, Usadel B, Dhingra A. Understanding protein import in diverse non-green plastids. Front Genet 2023; 14:969931. [PMID: 37007964 PMCID: PMC10063809 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.969931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The spectacular diversity of plastids in non-green organs such as flowers, fruits, roots, tubers, and senescing leaves represents a Universe of metabolic processes in higher plants that remain to be completely characterized. The endosymbiosis of the plastid and the subsequent export of the ancestral cyanobacterial genome to the nuclear genome, and adaptation of the plants to all types of environments has resulted in the emergence of diverse and a highly orchestrated metabolism across the plant kingdom that is entirely reliant on a complex protein import and translocation system. The TOC and TIC translocons, critical for importing nuclear-encoded proteins into the plastid stroma, remain poorly resolved, especially in the case of TIC. From the stroma, three core pathways (cpTat, cpSec, and cpSRP) may localize imported proteins to the thylakoid. Non-canonical routes only utilizing TOC also exist for the insertion of many inner and outer membrane proteins, or in the case of some modified proteins, a vesicular import route. Understanding this complex protein import system is further compounded by the highly heterogeneous nature of transit peptides, and the varying transit peptide specificity of plastids depending on species and the developmental and trophic stage of the plant organs. Computational tools provide an increasingly sophisticated means of predicting protein import into highly diverse non-green plastids across higher plants, which need to be validated using proteomics and metabolic approaches. The myriad plastid functions enable higher plants to interact and respond to all kinds of environments. Unraveling the diversity of non-green plastid functions across the higher plants has the potential to provide knowledge that will help in developing climate resilient crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Christian
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - June Labbancz
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | | | - Amit Dhingra
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Amit Dhingra,
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10
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Romano PS, Akematsu T, Besteiro S, Bindschedler A, Carruthers VB, Chahine Z, Coppens I, Descoteaux A, Alberto Duque TL, He CY, Heussler V, Le Roch KG, Li FJ, de Menezes JPB, Menna-Barreto RFS, Mottram JC, Schmuckli-Maurer J, Turk B, Tavares Veras PS, Salassa BN, Vanrell MC. Autophagy in protists and their hosts: When, how and why? AUTOPHAGY REPORTS 2023; 2:2149211. [PMID: 37064813 PMCID: PMC10104450 DOI: 10.1080/27694127.2022.2149211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic protists are a group of organisms responsible for causing a variety of human diseases including malaria, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis, among others. These diseases, which affect more than one billion people globally, mainly the poorest populations, are characterized by severe chronic stages and the lack of effective antiparasitic treatment. Parasitic protists display complex life-cycles and go through different cellular transformations in order to adapt to the different hosts they live in. Autophagy, a highly conserved cellular degradation process, has emerged as a key mechanism required for these differentiation processes, as well as other functions that are crucial to parasite fitness. In contrast to yeasts and mammals, protist autophagy is characterized by a modest number of conserved autophagy-related proteins (ATGs) that, even though, can drive the autophagosome formation and degradation. In addition, during their intracellular cycle, the interaction of these pathogens with the host autophagy system plays a crucial role resulting in a beneficial or harmful effect that is important for the outcome of the infection. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on autophagy and other related mechanisms in pathogenic protists and their hosts. We sought to emphasize when, how, and why this process takes place, and the effects it may have on the parasitic cycle. A better understanding of the significance of autophagy for the protist life-cycle will potentially be helpful to design novel anti-parasitic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Silvia Romano
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y de la célula hospedadora. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. (IHEM-CONICET-UNCUYO). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Av. Libertador 80 (5500), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Takahiko Akematsu
- Department of Biosciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Vern B Carruthers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zeinab Chahine
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Albert Descoteaux
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Laval, QC
| | - Thabata Lopes Alberto Duque
- Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Cynthia Y He
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Volker Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology.University of Bern. Baltzerstr. 4 3012 Bern
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Feng-Jun Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Jeremy C Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | | | - Boris Turk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Patricia Sampaio Tavares Veras
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction and Epidemiology, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Fiocruz-Bahia
- National Institute of Science and Technology of Tropical Diseases - National Council for Scientific Research and Development (CNPq)
| | - Betiana Nebai Salassa
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y de la célula hospedadora. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. (IHEM-CONICET-UNCUYO). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Av. Libertador 80 (5500), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - María Cristina Vanrell
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y de la célula hospedadora. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. (IHEM-CONICET-UNCUYO). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Av. Libertador 80 (5500), Mendoza, Argentina
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11
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Mathur V, Salomaki ED, Wakeman KC, Na I, Kwong WK, Kolisko M, Keeling PJ. Reconstruction of Plastid Proteomes of Apicomplexans and Close Relatives Reveals the Major Evolutionary Outcomes of Cryptic Plastids. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:6969433. [PMID: 36610734 PMCID: PMC9847631 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexans and related lineages comprise many obligate symbionts of animals; some of which cause notorious diseases such as malaria. They evolved from photosynthetic ancestors and transitioned into a symbiotic lifestyle several times, giving rise to species with diverse non-photosynthetic plastids. Here, we sought to reconstruct the evolution of the cryptic plastids in the apicomplexans, chrompodellids, and squirmids (ACS clade) by generating five new single-cell transcriptomes from understudied gregarine lineages, constructing a robust phylogenomic tree incorporating all ACS clade sequencing datasets available, and using these to examine in detail, the evolutionary distribution of all 162 proteins recently shown to be in the apicoplast by spatial proteomics in Toxoplasma. This expanded homology-based reconstruction of plastid proteins found in the ACS clade confirms earlier work showing convergence in the overall metabolic pathways retained once photosynthesis is lost, but also reveals differences in the degrees of plastid reduction in specific lineages. We show that the loss of the plastid genome is common and unexpectedly find many lineage- and species-specific plastid proteins, suggesting the presence of evolutionary innovations and neofunctionalizations that may confer new functional and metabolic capabilities that are yet to be discovered in these enigmatic organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric D Salomaki
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kevin C Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Ina Na
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
| | - Waldan K Kwong
- Present address: Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) Rua da Quinta Grande, 6, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Martin Kolisko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, 3156-6270 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z4, BC, Canada
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12
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Huet D, Moreno SNJ. Interorganellar Communication Through Membrane Contact Sites in Toxoplasma Gondii. CONTACT (THOUSAND OAKS (VENTURA COUNTY, CALIF.)) 2023; 6:25152564231189064. [PMID: 37560622 PMCID: PMC10408353 DOI: 10.1177/25152564231189064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are a group of protists that cause disease in humans and include pathogens like Plasmodium spp., the causative agent of malaria, and Toxoplasma gondii, the etiological agent of toxoplasmosis and one of the most ubiquitous human parasites in the world. Membrane contact sites (MCSs) are widespread structures within eukaryotic cells but their characterization in apicomplexan parasites is only in its very beginnings. Basic biological features of the T. gondii parasitic cycle support numerous organellar interactions, including the transfer of Ca2+ and metabolites between different compartments. In T. gondii, Ca2+ signals precede a series of interrelated molecular processes occurring in a coordinated manner that culminate in the stimulation of key steps of the parasite life cycle. Calcium transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum to other organelles via MCSs would explain the precision, speed, and efficiency that is needed during the lytic cycle of T. gondii. In this short review, we discuss the implications of these structures in cellular signaling, with an emphasis on their potential role in Ca2+ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Huet
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Silvia N. J. Moreno
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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13
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Dass S, Mather MW, Morrisey JM, Ling L, Vaidya AB, Ke H. Transcriptional changes in Plasmodium falciparum upon conditional knock down of mitochondrial ribosomal proteins RSM22 and L23. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274993. [PMID: 36201550 PMCID: PMC9536634 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrion of malaria parasites is an attractive antimalarial drug target, which require mitoribosomes to translate genes encoded in the mitochondrial (mt) DNA. Plasmodium mitoribosomes are composed of highly fragmented ribosomal RNA (rRNA) encoded in the mtDNA. All mitoribosomal proteins (MRPs) and other assembly factors are encoded in the nuclear genome. Here, we have studied one putative assembly factor, RSM22 (Pf3D7_1027200) and one large subunit (LSU) MRP, L23 (Pf3D7_1239100) in Plasmodium falciparum. We show that both proteins localize to the mitochondrion. Conditional knock down (KD) of PfRSM22 or PfMRPL23 leads to reduced cytochrome bc1 complex activity and increased sensitivity to bc1 inhibitors such as atovaquone and ELQ-300. Using RNA sequencing as a tool, we reveal the transcriptomic changes of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes upon KD of these two proteins. In the early phase of KD, while most mt rRNAs and transcripts of putative MRPs were downregulated in the absence of PfRSM22, many mt rRNAs and several MRPs were upregulated after KD of PfMRPL23. The contrast effects in the early phase of KD likely suggests non-redundant roles of PfRSM22 and PfMRPL23 in the assembly of P. falciparum mitoribosomes. At the late time points of KD, loss of PfRSM22 and PfMRPL23 caused defects in many essential metabolic pathways and transcripts related to essential mitochondrial functions, leading to parasite death. In addition, we enlist mitochondrial proteins of unknown function that are likely novel Plasmodium MRPs based on their structural similarity to known MRPs as well as their expression profiles in KD parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Dass
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Michael W. Mather
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Joanne M. Morrisey
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Liqin Ling
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Akhil B. Vaidya
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Hangjun Ke
- Center for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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14
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Wu Y, Ying Z, Liu J, Sun Z, Li S, Liu Q. Depletion of Toxoplasma adenine nucleotide translocator leads to defects in mitochondrial morphology. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:185. [PMID: 35642006 PMCID: PMC9158195 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05295-7] [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: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) is a protein that catalyzes the exchange of ADP/ATP across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Beyond this, ANT is closely associated with cell death pathways and mitochondrial dysfunction. It is a potential therapeutic target for many diseases. The function of the ANT in Toxoplasma gondii is poorly understood. Methods The CRISPR/CAS9 gene editing tool was used to identify and study the function of the ANT protein in T. gondii. We constructed T. gondii ANT transgenic parasite lines, including endogenous tag strain, knockout strain and gene complement strain, to clarify the function and location of TgANT. Mitochondrial morphology was observed by immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. Results Toxoplasma gondii was found to encode an ANT protein, which was designated TgANT. TgANT localized to the inner mitochondrial membrane. The proliferation of the Δant strain was significantly reduced. More important, depletion of TgANT resulted in significant changes in the morphology and ultrastructure of mitochondria, abnormal apicoplast division and abnormal cytoskeletal daughter budding. In addition, the pathogenicity of the Δant strain to mice was significantly reduced. Conclusions Altogether, we identified and characterized the ANT protein of T. gondii. Depletion of TgANT inhibited parasite growth and impaired apicoplast and mitochondrial biogenesis, as well as abnormal parasite division, suggesting TgANT is important for parasite growth. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-022-05295-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Wu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhu Ying
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhepeng Sun
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuang Li
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Beijing, 100193, China. .,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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15
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Pedra-Rezende Y, Macedo IS, Midlej V, Mariante RM, Menna-Barreto RFS. Different Drugs, Same End: Ultrastructural Hallmarks of Autophagy in Pathogenic Protozoa. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:856686. [PMID: 35422792 PMCID: PMC9002357 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.856686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Protozoan parasites interact with a wide variety of organisms ranging from bacteria to humans, representing one of the most common causes of parasitic diseases and an important public health problem affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The current treatment for these parasitic diseases remains unsatisfactory and, in some cases, very limited. Treatment limitations together with the increased resistance of the pathogens represent a challenge for the improvement of the patient’s quality of life. The continuous search for alternative preclinical drugs is mandatory, but the mechanisms of action of several of these compounds have not been described. Electron microscopy is a powerful tool for the identification of drug targets in almost all cellular models. Interestingly, ultrastructural analysis showed that several classes of antiparasitic compounds induced similar autophagic phenotypes in trypanosomatids, trichomonadids, and apicomplexan parasites as well as in Giardia intestinalis and Entamoeba spp. with the presence of an increased number of autophagosomes as well as remarkable endoplasmic reticulum profiles surrounding different organelles. Autophagy is a physiological process of eukaryotes that maintains homeostasis by the self-digestion of nonfunctional organelles and/or macromolecules, limiting redundant and damaged cellular components. Here, we focus on protozoan autophagy to subvert drug effects, discussing its importance for successful chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Pedra-Rezende
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Isabela S Macedo
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Victor Midlej
- Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael M Mariante
- Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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16
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Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasitic protist infecting a wide group of warm-blooded animals, ranging from birds to humans. While this infection is usually asymptomatic in healthy individuals, it can also lead to severe ocular or neurological outcomes in immunocompromised individuals or in developing fetuses. This obligate intracellular parasite has the ability to infect a considerable range of nucleated cells and can propagate in the intermediate host. Yet, under the pressure of the immune system it transforms into an encysted persistent form residing primarily in the brain and muscle tissues. Encysted parasites, which are resistant to current medication, may reactivate and give rise to an acute infection. The clinical outcome of toxoplasmosis depends on a complex balance between the host immune response and parasite virulence factors. Susceptibility to the disease is thus determined by both parasite strains and host species. Recent advances on our understanding of host cell-parasite interactions and parasite virulence have brought new insights into the pathophysiology of T. gondii infection and are summarized here.
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17
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Song X, Yang X, Ying Z, Zhang H, Liu J, Liu Q. Identification and Function of Apicoplast Glutaredoxins in Neospora caninum. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111946. [PMID: 34769376 PMCID: PMC8584781 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutaredoxins (GRXs), important components of the intracellular thiol redox system, are involved in multiple cellular processes. In a previous study, we identified five GRXs in the apicomplexan parasite, Neospora caninum. In the present study, we confirmed that the GRXs S14 and C5 are located in the apicoplast, which suggests unique functions for these proteins. Although single-gene deficiency did not affect the growth of parasites, a double knockout (Δgrx S14Δgrx C5) significantly reduced their reproductive capacity. However, there were no significant changes in redox indices (GSH/GSSG ratio, reactive oxygen species and hydroxyl radical levels) in double-knockout parasites, indicating that grx S14 and grx C5 are not essential for maintaining the redox balance in parasite cells. Key amino acid mutations confirmed that the Cys203 of grx S14 and Cys253/256 of grx C5 are important for parasite growth. Based on comparative proteomics, 79 proteins were significantly downregulated in double-knockout parasites, including proteins mainly involved in the electron transport chain, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and protein translation. Collectively, GRX S14 and GRX C5 coordinate the growth of parasites. However, considering their special localization, the unique functions of GRX S14 and GRX C5 need to be further studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingju Song
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.S.); (X.Y.); (Z.Y.); (H.Z.); (J.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xu Yang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.S.); (X.Y.); (Z.Y.); (H.Z.); (J.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zhu Ying
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.S.); (X.Y.); (Z.Y.); (H.Z.); (J.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.S.); (X.Y.); (Z.Y.); (H.Z.); (J.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jing Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.S.); (X.Y.); (Z.Y.); (H.Z.); (J.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Qun Liu
- National Animal Protozoa Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; (X.S.); (X.Y.); (Z.Y.); (H.Z.); (J.L.)
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
- Correspondence:
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18
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Pamukcu S, Cerutti A, Bordat Y, Hem S, Rofidal V, Besteiro S. Differential contribution of two organelles of endosymbiotic origin to iron-sulfur cluster synthesis and overall fitness in Toxoplasma. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010096. [PMID: 34793583 PMCID: PMC8639094 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are one of the most ancient and ubiquitous prosthetic groups, and they are required by a variety of proteins involved in important metabolic processes. Apicomplexan parasites have inherited different plastidic and mitochondrial Fe-S clusters biosynthesis pathways through endosymbiosis. We have investigated the relative contributions of these pathways to the fitness of Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan parasite causing disease in humans, by generating specific mutants. Phenotypic analysis and quantitative proteomics allowed us to highlight notable differences in these mutants. Both Fe-S cluster synthesis pathways are necessary for optimal parasite growth in vitro, but their disruption leads to markedly different fates: impairment of the plastidic pathway leads to a loss of the organelle and to parasite death, while disruption of the mitochondrial pathway trigger differentiation into a stress resistance stage. This highlights that otherwise similar biochemical pathways hosted by different sub-cellular compartments can have very different contributions to the biology of the parasites, which is something to consider when exploring novel strategies for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aude Cerutti
- LPHI, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Yann Bordat
- LPHI, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Sonia Hem
- BPMP, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Valérie Rofidal
- BPMP, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
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19
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Stofberg ML, Caillet C, de Villiers M, Zininga T. Inhibitors of the Plasmodium falciparum Hsp90 towards Selective Antimalarial Drug Design: The Past, Present and Future. Cells 2021; 10:2849. [PMID: 34831072 PMCID: PMC8616389 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is still one of the major killer parasitic diseases in tropical settings, posing a public health threat. The development of antimalarial drug resistance is reversing the gains made in attempts to control the disease. The parasite leads a complex life cycle that has adapted to outwit almost all known antimalarial drugs to date, including the first line of treatment, artesunate. There is a high unmet need to develop new strategies and identify novel therapeutics to reverse antimalarial drug resistance development. Among the strategies, here we focus and discuss the merits of the development of antimalarials targeting the Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) due to the central role it plays in protein quality control.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tawanda Zininga
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa; (M.L.S.); (C.C.); (M.d.V.)
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20
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Li ZH, King TP, Ayong L, Asady B, Cai X, Rahman T, Vella SA, Coppens I, Patel S, Moreno SNJ. A plastid two-pore channel essential for inter-organelle communication and growth of Toxoplasma gondii. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5802. [PMID: 34608145 PMCID: PMC8490419 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25987-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Two-pore channels (TPCs) are a ubiquitous family of cation channels that localize to acidic organelles in animals and plants to regulate numerous Ca2+-dependent events. Little is known about TPCs in unicellular organisms despite their ancient origins. Here, we characterize a TPC from Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. TgTPC is a member of a novel clad of TPCs in Apicomplexa, distinct from previously identified TPCs and only present in coccidians. We show that TgTPC localizes not to acidic organelles but to the apicoplast, a non-photosynthetic plastid found in most apicomplexan parasites. Conditional silencing of TgTPC resulted in progressive loss of apicoplast integrity, severely affecting growth and the lytic cycle. Isolation of TPC null mutants revealed a selective role for TPCs in replication independent of apicoplast loss that required conserved residues within the pore-lining region. Using a genetically-encoded Ca2+ indicator targeted to the apicoplast, we show that Ca2+ signals deriving from the ER but not from the extracellular space are selectively transmitted to the lumen. Deletion of the TgTPC gene caused reduced apicoplast Ca2+ uptake and membrane contact site formation between the apicoplast and the ER. Fundamental roles for TPCs in maintaining organelle integrity, inter-organelle communication and growth emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu-Hong Li
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Thayer P King
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Lawrence Ayong
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Beejan Asady
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Xinjiang Cai
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Taufiq Rahman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1PD, USA
| | - Stephen A Vella
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sandip Patel
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Silvia N J Moreno
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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21
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Kloehn J, Lacour CE, Soldati-Favre D. The metabolic pathways and transporters of the plastid organelle in Apicomplexa. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 63:250-258. [PMID: 34455306 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The apicoplast is the relict of a plastid organelle found in several disease-causing apicomplexan parasites such as Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. In these organisms, the organelle has lost its photosynthetic capability but harbours several fitness-conferring or essential metabolic pathways. Although maintaining the apicoplast and fuelling the metabolic pathways within requires the challenging constant import and export of numerous metabolites across its four membranes, only few apicoplast transporters have been identified to date, most of which are orphan transporters. Here we review the roles of metabolic pathways within the apicoplast and what is currently known about the few identified apicoplast metabolite transporters. We discuss what metabolites must get in and out of the apicoplast, the many transporters that are yet to be discovered, and what role these might play in parasite metabolism and as putative drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Clément Em Lacour
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Geneva, CMU, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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22
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Ma L, Papadopoulou M, Taton M, Genco F, Marchant A, Meroni V, Vermijlen D. Effector Vγ9Vδ2 T cell response to congenital Toxoplasma gondii infection. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e138066. [PMID: 34255746 PMCID: PMC8409983 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.138066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A major γδ T cell population in human adult blood are the Vγ9Vδ2 T cells that are activated and expanded in a TCR-dependent manner by microbe-derived and endogenously derived phosphorylated prenyl metabolites (phosphoantigens). Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are also abundant in human fetal peripheral blood, but compared with their adult counterparts they have a distinct developmental origin, are hyporesponsive toward in vitro phosphoantigen exposure, and do not possess a cytotoxic effector phenotype. In order to obtain insight into the role of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in the human fetus, we investigated their response to in utero infection with the phosphoantigen-producing parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). Vγ9Vδ2 T cells expanded strongly when faced with congenital T. gondii infection, which was associated with differentiation toward potent cytotoxic effector cells. The Vγ9Vδ2 T cell expansion in utero resulted in a fetal footprint with public germline-encoded clonotypes in the Vγ9Vδ2 TCR repertoire 2 months after birth. Overall, our data indicate that the human fetus, from early gestation onward, possesses public Vγ9Vδ2 T cells that acquire effector functions following parasite infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Ma
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics.,Institute for Medical Immunology, and.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maria Papadopoulou
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics.,Institute for Medical Immunology, and.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Martin Taton
- Institute for Medical Immunology, and.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Arnaud Marchant
- Institute for Medical Immunology, and.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Valeria Meroni
- IRCCS San Matteo Polyclinic, Pavia, Italy.,Molecular Medicine Department, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - David Vermijlen
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics.,Institute for Medical Immunology, and.,ULB Center for Research in Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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23
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Broichhagen J, Kilian N. Chemical Biology Tools To Investigate Malaria Parasites. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2219-2236. [PMID: 33570245 PMCID: PMC8360121 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic diseases like malaria tropica have been shaping human evolution and history since the beginning of mankind. After infection, the response of the human host ranges from asymptomatic to severe and may culminate in death. Therefore, proper examination of the parasite's biology is pivotal to deciphering unique molecular, biochemical and cell biological processes, which in turn ensure the identification of treatment strategies, such as potent drug targets and vaccine candidates. However, implementing molecular biology methods for genetic manipulation proves to be difficult for many parasite model organisms. The development of fast and straightforward applicable alternatives, for instance small-molecule probes from the field of chemical biology, is essential. In this review, we will recapitulate the highlights of previous molecular and chemical biology approaches that have already created insight and understanding of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We discuss current developments from the field of chemical biology and explore how their application could advance research into this parasite in the future. We anticipate that the described approaches will help to close knowledge gaps in the biology of P. falciparum and we hope that researchers will be inspired to use these methods to gain knowledge - with the aim of ending this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Broichhagen
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)Robert-Roessle-Strasse 1013125BerlinGermany
| | - Nicole Kilian
- Centre for Infectious DiseasesParasitologyHeidelberg University HospitalIm Neuenheimer Feld 32469120HeidelbergGermany
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24
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Mathur V, Wakeman KC, Keeling PJ. Parallel functional reduction in the mitochondria of apicomplexan parasites. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2920-2928.e4. [PMID: 33974849 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Gregarines are an early-diverging lineage of apicomplexan parasites that hold many clues into the origin and evolution of the group, a remarkable transition from free-living phototrophic algae into obligate parasites of animals.1 Using single-cell transcriptomics targeting understudied lineages to complement available sequencing data, we characterized the mitochondrial metabolic repertoire across the tree of apicomplexans. In contrast to the large suite of proteins involved in aerobic respiration in well-studied parasites like Toxoplasma or Plasmodium,2 we find that gregarine trophozoites have significantly reduced energy metabolism: most lack respiratory complexes III and IV, and some lack the electron transport chains (ETCs) and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle entirely. Phylogenomic analyses show that these reductions took place several times in parallel, resulting in a functional range from fully aerobic organelles to extremely reduced "mitosomes" restricted to Fe-S cluster biosynthesis. The mitochondrial genome has also been lost repeatedly: in species with severe functional reduction simply by gene loss but in one species with a complete ETC by relocating cox1 to the nuclear genome. Severe functional reduction of mitochondria is generally associated with structural reduction, resulting in small, nondescript mitochondrial-related organelles (MROs).3 By contrast, gregarines retain distinctive mitochondria with tubular cristae, even the most functionally reduced cases that also lack genes associated with cristae formation. Overall, the parallel, severe reduction of gregarine mitochondria expands the diversity of organisms that contain MROs and further emphasizes the role of parallel transitions in apicomplexan evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Mathur
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Kevin C Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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25
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Salomaki ED, Terpis KX, Rueckert S, Kotyk M, Varadínová ZK, Čepička I, Lane CE, Kolisko M. Gregarine single-cell transcriptomics reveals differential mitochondrial remodeling and adaptation in apicomplexans. BMC Biol 2021; 19:77. [PMID: 33863338 PMCID: PMC8051059 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01007-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apicomplexa is a diverse phylum comprising unicellular endobiotic animal parasites and contains some of the most well-studied microbial eukaryotes including the devastating human pathogens Plasmodium falciparum and Cryptosporidium hominis. In contrast, data on the invertebrate-infecting gregarines remains sparse and their evolutionary relationship to other apicomplexans remains obscure. Most apicomplexans retain a highly modified plastid, while their mitochondria remain metabolically conserved. Cryptosporidium spp. inhabit an anaerobic host-gut environment and represent the known exception, having completely lost their plastid while retaining an extremely reduced mitochondrion that has lost its genome. Recent advances in single-cell sequencing have enabled the first broad genome-scale explorations of gregarines, providing evidence of differential plastid retention throughout the group. However, little is known about the retention and metabolic capacity of gregarine mitochondria. RESULTS Here, we sequenced transcriptomes from five species of gregarines isolated from cockroaches. We combined these data with those from other apicomplexans, performed detailed phylogenomic analyses, and characterized their mitochondrial metabolism. Our results support the placement of Cryptosporidium as the earliest diverging lineage of apicomplexans, which impacts our interpretation of evolutionary events within the phylum. By mapping in silico predictions of core mitochondrial pathways onto our phylogeny, we identified convergently reduced mitochondria. These data show that the electron transport chain has been independently lost three times across the phylum, twice within gregarines. CONCLUSIONS Apicomplexan lineages show variable functional restructuring of mitochondrial metabolism that appears to have been driven by adaptations to parasitism and anaerobiosis. Our findings indicate that apicomplexans are rife with convergent adaptations, with shared features including morphology, energy metabolism, and intracellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric D Salomaki
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Kristina X Terpis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Sonja Rueckert
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Michael Kotyk
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ivan Čepička
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Christopher E Lane
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA.
| | - Martin Kolisko
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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26
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Biddau M, Santha Kumar TR, Henrich P, Laine LM, Blackburn GJ, Chokkathukalam A, Li T, Lee Sim K, King L, Hoffman SL, Barrett MP, Coombs GH, McFadden GI, Fidock DA, Müller S, Sheiner L. Plasmodium falciparum LipB mutants display altered redox and carbon metabolism in asexual stages and cannot complete sporogony in Anopheles mosquitoes. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:441-453. [PMID: 33713652 PMCID: PMC8126644 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Apicoplast LipB deletion leads to changed antioxidant expression that precedes and coincides with accelerated differentiation. 3D7 Plasmodium exhibits changes in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle activity after deletion of apicoplast LipB. When LipB is deleted from NF54 Plasmodium, the resulting parasites cannot complete their development in mosquitoes.
Malaria is still one of the most important global infectious diseases. Emergence of drug resistance and a shortage of new efficient antimalarials continue to hamper a malaria eradication agenda. Malaria parasites are highly sensitive to changes in the redox environment. Understanding the mechanisms regulating parasite redox could contribute to the design of new drugs. Malaria parasites have a complex network of redox regulatory systems housed in their cytosol, in their mitochondrion and in their plastid (apicoplast). While the roles of enzymes of the thioredoxin and glutathione pathways in parasite survival have been explored, the antioxidant role of α-lipoic acid (LA) produced in the apicoplast has not been tested. To take a first step in teasing a putative role of LA in redox regulation, we analysed a mutant Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 strain) lacking the apicoplast lipoic acid protein ligase B (lipB) known to be depleted of LA. Our results showed a change in expression of redox regulators in the apicoplast and the cytosol. We further detected a change in parasite central carbon metabolism, with lipB deletion resulting in changes to glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle activity. Further, in another Plasmodium cell line (NF54), deletion of lipB impacted development in the mosquito, preventing the detection of infectious sporozoite stages. While it is not clear at this point if the observed phenotypes are linked, these findings flag LA biosynthesis as an important subject for further study in the context of redox regulation in asexual stages, and point to LipB as a potential target for the development of new transmission drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Biddau
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
| | - T R Santha Kumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Philipp Henrich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Larissa M Laine
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin J Blackburn
- Glasgow Polyomics, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tao Li
- Sanaria Inc., Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | | | - Lewis King
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - Michael P Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Glasgow Polyomics, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Graham H Coombs
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Sylke Müller
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Lilach Sheiner
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom; Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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27
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Maclean AE, Bridges HR, Silva MF, Ding S, Ovciarikova J, Hirst J, Sheiner L. Complexome profile of Toxoplasma gondii mitochondria identifies divergent subunits of respiratory chain complexes including new subunits of cytochrome bc1 complex. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009301. [PMID: 33651838 PMCID: PMC7987180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) and F1Fo-ATP synthase are of central importance for energy and metabolism in eukaryotic cells. The Apicomplexa, important pathogens of humans causing diseases such as toxoplasmosis and malaria, depend on their mETC in every known stage of their complicated life cycles. Here, using a complexome profiling proteomic approach, we have characterised the Toxoplasma mETC complexes and F1Fo-ATP synthase. We identified and assigned 60 proteins to complexes II, IV and F1Fo-ATP synthase of Toxoplasma, of which 16 have not been identified previously. Notably, our complexome profile elucidates the composition of the Toxoplasma complex III, the target of clinically used drugs such as atovaquone. We identified two new homologous subunits and two new parasite-specific subunits, one of which is broadly conserved in myzozoans. We demonstrate all four proteins are essential for complex III stability and parasite growth, and show their depletion leads to decreased mitochondrial potential, supporting their assignment as complex III subunits. Our study highlights the divergent subunit composition of the apicomplexan mETC and F1Fo-ATP synthase complexes and sets the stage for future structural and drug discovery studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E. Maclean
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah R. Bridges
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mariana F. Silva
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Shujing Ding
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Ovciarikova
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Judy Hirst
- MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lilach Sheiner
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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28
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Mathur V, Kwong WK, Husnik F, Irwin NAT, Kristmundsson Á, Gestal C, Freeman M, Keeling PJ. Phylogenomics Identifies a New Major Subgroup of Apicomplexans, Marosporida class nov., with Extreme Apicoplast Genome Reduction. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:evaa244. [PMID: 33566096 PMCID: PMC7875001 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylum Apicomplexa consists largely of obligate animal parasites that include the causative agents of human diseases such as malaria. Apicomplexans have also emerged as models to study the evolution of nonphotosynthetic plastids, as they contain a relict chloroplast known as the apicoplast. The apicoplast offers important clues into how apicomplexan parasites evolved from free-living ancestors and can provide insights into reductive organelle evolution. Here, we sequenced the transcriptomes and apicoplast genomes of three deep-branching apicomplexans, Margolisiella islandica, Aggregata octopiana, and Merocystis kathae. Phylogenomic analyses show that these taxa, together with Rhytidocystis, form a new lineage of apicomplexans that is sister to the Coccidia and Hematozoa (the lineages including most medically significant taxa). Members of this clade retain plastid genomes and the canonical apicomplexan plastid metabolism. However, the apicoplast genomes of Margolisiella and Rhytidocystis are the most reduced of any apicoplast, are extremely GC-poor, and have even lost genes for the canonical plastidial RNA polymerase. This new lineage of apicomplexans, for which we propose the class Marosporida class nov., occupies a key intermediate position in the apicomplexan phylogeny, and adds a new complexity to the models of stepwise reductive evolution of genome structure and organelle function in these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Mathur
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Waldan K Kwong
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Filip Husnik
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Nicholas A T Irwin
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Árni Kristmundsson
- Fish Disease Laboratory, Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Camino Gestal
- Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC), Vigo, Spain
| | - Mark Freeman
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, West Indies
| | - Patrick J Keeling
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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29
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Using BioID for the Identification of Interacting and Proximal Proteins in Subcellular Compartments in Toxoplasma gondii. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 31758461 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9857-9_18] [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: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
BioID is an in vivo biotinylation system developed to examine the proximal and interacting proteins of a bait protein within a subcellular compartment. This approach has been exploited in Toxoplasma for protein-protein interaction studies and proteomic characterizations of intracellular compartments. The BioID method requires constructing a translational fusion between a protein of interest and the promiscuous biotin ligase BirA∗ (a mutant of the E. coli protein BirA) which enables trafficking of the protein to the correct intracellular compartment and association with its partners. Proximity labelling occurs upon addition of biotin to the media and the biotinylated target proteins are then be purified using stringent conditions via streptavidin chromatography. In this chapter, we describe the methodology to fuse BirA∗ (or the newer variant BioID2) to a bait protein using endogenous gene tagging in Toxoplasma and then identify the proximal and interacting proteins using in vivo biotinylation, streptavidin purification and mass spectrometric analysis.
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30
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Oberstaller J, Otto TD, Rayner JC, Adams JH. Essential Genes of the Parasitic Apicomplexa. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:304-316. [PMID: 33419671 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Genome-scale mutagenesis screens for genes essential for apicomplexan parasite survival have been completed in three species: Plasmodium falciparum, the major human malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei, a model rodent malaria parasite, and the more distantly related Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. These three species share 2606 single-copy orthologs, 1500 of which have essentiality data in all three screens. In this review, we explore the overlap between these datasets to define the core essential genes of the phylum Apicomplexa. We further discuss the implications of these groundbreaking studies for understanding apicomplexan parasite biology, and we identify promising areas of focus for developing new pan-apicomplexan parasite interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Oberstaller
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 404, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Thomas D Otto
- Centre of Immunobiology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, The Keith Peters Building, Hills Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases and USF Genomics Program, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 404, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
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31
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Barylyuk K, Koreny L, Ke H, Butterworth S, Crook OM, Lassadi I, Gupta V, Tromer E, Mourier T, Stevens TJ, Breckels LM, Pain A, Lilley KS, Waller RF. A Comprehensive Subcellular Atlas of the Toxoplasma Proteome via hyperLOPIT Provides Spatial Context for Protein Functions. Cell Host Microbe 2020; 28:752-766.e9. [PMID: 33053376 PMCID: PMC7670262 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites cause major human disease and food insecurity. They owe their considerable success to highly specialized cell compartments and structures. These adaptations drive their recognition, nondestructive penetration, and elaborate reengineering of the host's cells to promote their growth, dissemination, and the countering of host defenses. The evolution of unique apicomplexan cellular compartments is concomitant with vast proteomic novelty. Consequently, half of apicomplexan proteins are unique and uncharacterized. Here, we determine the steady-state subcellular location of thousands of proteins simultaneously within the globally prevalent apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This provides unprecedented comprehensive molecular definition of these unicellular eukaryotes and their specialized compartments, and these data reveal the spatial organizations of protein expression and function, adaptation to hosts, and the underlying evolutionary trajectories of these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ludek Koreny
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Huiling Ke
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Simon Butterworth
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Oliver M Crook
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK; Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20 0AW, UK; MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge Institute for Public Health, Cambridge CB2 0SR, UK
| | - Imen Lassadi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Vipul Gupta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Eelco Tromer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tim J Stevens
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Lisa M Breckels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK; Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20 0AW, UK
| | - Arnab Pain
- Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; Global Station for Zoonosis Control, Gi-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan; Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NDCLS), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Kathryn S Lilley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK; Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB20 0AW, UK
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK.
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32
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Chellappan S, Roy S, Nagmoti JM, Tabassum W, Hoti SL, Bhattacharyya MK, Nina PB. Functional studies of Plasmodium falciparum's prohibitin1 and prohibitin 2 in yeast. Indian J Med Microbiol 2020; 38:213-215. [PMID: 32883936 DOI: 10.4103/ijmm.ijmm_20_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Prohibitins (PHBs) are evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial integral membrane proteins, shown to regulate mitochondrial structure and function, and can be classified into PHB1 and PHB2. PHB1 and PHB2 have been shown to interact with each other, and form heterodimers in mitochondrial inner membrane. Plasmodium falciparum has orthologues of PHB1 and PHB2 in its genome, and their role is unclear. Here, by homology modelling and yeast two-hybrid analysis, we show that putative Plasmodium PHBs (Pf PHB1 and Pf PHB2) interact with each other, which suggests that they could form supercomplexes of heterodimers in Plasmodium, the functional form required for optimum mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savitha Chellappan
- Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Subarna Roy
- Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Jyoti M Nagmoti
- Department of Microbiology, K.L.E. University, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Wahida Tabassum
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - S L Hoti
- Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Mrinal Kanti Bhattacharyya
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Praveen Balabaskaran Nina
- Indian Council of Medical Research - National Institute of Traditional Medicine, Belagavi, Karnataka; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
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33
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Biological evaluation of newly synthesized quinoline–based compound PPQ-8 in acute and chronic toxoplasmosis: An experimental study. Exp Parasitol 2019; 206:107756. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Lacombe A, Maclean AE, Ovciarikova J, Tottey J, Mühleip A, Fernandes P, Sheiner L. Identification of the
Toxoplasma gondii
mitochondrial ribosome, and characterisation of a protein essential for mitochondrial translation. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1235-1252. [PMID: 31339607 PMCID: PMC6851545 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites cause diseases such as malaria and toxoplasmosis. The apicomplexan mitochondrion shows striking differences from common model organisms, including fundamental processes such as mitochondrial translation. Despite evidence that mitochondrial translation is essential for parasite survival, it is largely understudied. Progress has been restricted by the absence of functional assays to detect apicomplexan mitochondrial translation, a lack of knowledge of proteins involved in the process and the inability to identify and detect mitoribosomes. We report the localization of 12 new mitochondrial proteins, including 6 putative mitoribosomal proteins. We demonstrate the integration of three mitoribosomal proteins in macromolecular complexes, and provide evidence suggesting these are apicomplexan mitoribosomal subunits, detected here for the first time. Finally, a new analytical pipeline detected defects in mitochondrial translation upon depletion of the small subunit protein 35 (TgmS35), while other mitochondrial functions remain unaffected. Our work lays a foundation for the study of apicomplexan mitochondrial translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lacombe
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology University of Glasgow 120 University Place GlasgowG12 8TAUK
| | - Andrew E. Maclean
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology University of Glasgow 120 University Place GlasgowG12 8TAUK
| | - Jana Ovciarikova
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology University of Glasgow 120 University Place GlasgowG12 8TAUK
| | - Julie Tottey
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology University of Glasgow 120 University Place GlasgowG12 8TAUK
- UMR 1282 ISP INRA‐Université François Rabelais de Tours Nouzilly France
| | - Alexander Mühleip
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden
| | - Paula Fernandes
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology University of Glasgow 120 University Place GlasgowG12 8TAUK
| | - Lilach Sheiner
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology University of Glasgow 120 University Place GlasgowG12 8TAUK
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35
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Targeting the apicoplast in malaria. Biochem Soc Trans 2019; 47:973-983. [PMID: 31383817 DOI: 10.1042/bst20170563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Malaria continues to be one of the leading causes of human mortality in the world, and the therapies available are insufficient for eradication. Severe malaria is caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum Apicomplexan parasites, including the Plasmodium spp., are descendants of photosynthetic algae, and therefore they possess an essential plastid organelle, named the apicoplast. Since humans and animals have no plastids, the apicoplast is an attractive target for drug development. Indeed, after its discovery, the apicoplast was found to host the target pathways of some known antimalarial drugs, which motivated efforts for further research into its biological functions and biogenesis. Initially, many apicoplast inhibitions were found to result in 'delayed death', whereby parasite killing is seen only at the end of one invasion-egress cycle. This slow action is not in line with the current standard for antimalarials, which seeded scepticism about the potential of compounds targeting apicoplast functions as good candidates for drug development. Intriguingly, recent evidence of apicoplast inhibitors causing rapid killing could put this organelle back in the spotlight. We provide an overview of drugs known to inhibit apicoplast pathways, alongside recent findings in apicoplast biology that may provide new avenues for drug development.
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36
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Mastud P, Patankar S. An ambiguous N-terminus drives the dual targeting of an antioxidant protein Thioredoxin peroxidase (TgTPx1/2) to endosymbiotic organelles in Toxoplasma gondii. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7215. [PMID: 31346496 PMCID: PMC6642795 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii harbors two endosymbiotic organelles: a relict plastid, the apicoplast, and a mitochondrion. The parasite expresses an antioxidant protein, thioredoxin peroxidase 1/2 (TgTPx1/2), that is dually targeted to these organelles. Nuclear-encoded proteins such as TgTPx1/2 are trafficked to the apicoplast via a secretory route through the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and to the mitochondrion via a non-secretory pathway comprising of translocon uptake. Given the two distinct trafficking pathways for localization to the two organelles, the signals in TgTPx1/2 for this dual targeting are open areas of investigation. Here we show that the signals for apicoplast and mitochondrial trafficking lie in the N-terminal 50 amino acids of the protein and are overlapping. Interestingly, mutational analysis of the overlapping stretch shows that despite this overlap, the signals for individual organellar uptake can be easily separated. Further, deletions in the N-terminus also reveal a 10 amino acid stretch that is responsible for targeting the protein from punctate structures surrounding the apicoplast into the organelle itself. Collectively, results presented in this report suggest that an ambiguous signal sequence for organellar uptake combined with a hierarchy of recognition by the protein trafficking machinery drives the dual targeting of TgTPx1/2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragati Mastud
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, India
| | - Swati Patankar
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, India
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Hillebrand A, Matz JM, Almendinger M, Müller K, Matuschewski K, Schmitz-Linneweber C. Identification of clustered organellar short (cos) RNAs and of a conserved family of organellar RNA-binding proteins, the heptatricopeptide repeat proteins, in the malaria parasite. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 46:10417-10431. [PMID: 30102371 PMCID: PMC6212722 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression in mitochondria of Plasmodium falciparum is essential for parasite survival. The molecular mechanisms of Plasmodium organellar gene expression remain poorly understood. This includes the enigmatic assembly of the mitochondrial ribosome from highly fragmented rRNAs. Here, we present the identification of clustered organellar short RNA fragments (cosRNAs) that are possible footprints of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in Plasmodium organelles. In plants, RBPs of the pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) class produce footprints as a consequence of their function in processing organellar RNAs. Intriguingly, many of the Plasmodium cosRNAs overlap with 5'-ends of rRNA fragments. We hypothesize that these are footprints of RBPs involved in assembling the rRNA fragments into a functioning ribosome. A bioinformatics search of the Plasmodium nuclear genome identified a hitherto unrecognized organellar helical-hairpin-repeat protein family that we term heptatricopeptide repeat (HPR) proteins. We demonstrate that selected HPR proteins are targeted to mitochondria in P. berghei and that one of them, PbHPR1, associates with RNA, but not DNA in vitro. A phylogenetic search identified HPR proteins in a wide variety of eukaryotes. We hypothesize that HPR proteins are required for processing and stabilizing RNAs in Apicomplexa and other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Hillebrand
- Humboldt University Berlin, Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Joachim M Matz
- Humboldt University, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Katja Müller
- Humboldt University, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Humboldt University, Department of Molecular Parasitology, Berlin, Germany
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38
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Skinner-Adams TS, Fisher GM, Riches AG, Hutt OE, Jarvis KE, Wilson T, von Itzstein M, Chopra P, Antonova-Koch Y, Meister S, Winzeler EA, Clarke M, Fidock DA, Burrows JN, Ryan JH, Andrews KT. Cyclization-blocked proguanil as a strategy to improve the antimalarial activity of atovaquone. Commun Biol 2019; 2:166. [PMID: 31069275 PMCID: PMC6499835 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0397-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone®) is used for malaria prophylaxis and treatment. While the cytochrome bc1-inhibitor atovaquone has potent activity, proguanil's action is attributed to its cyclization-metabolite, cycloguanil. Evidence suggests that proguanil has limited intrinsic activity, associated with mitochondrial-function. Here we demonstrate that proguanil, and cyclization-blocked analogue tBuPG, have potent, but slow-acting, in vitro anti-plasmodial activity. Activity is folate-metabolism and isoprenoid biosynthesis-independent. In yeast dihydroorotate dehydrogenase-expressing parasites, proguanil and tBuPG slow-action remains, while bc1-inhibitor activity switches from comparatively fast to slow-acting. Like proguanil, tBuPG has activity against P. berghei liver-stage parasites. Both analogues act synergistically with bc1-inhibitors against blood-stages in vitro, however cycloguanil antagonizes activity. Together, these data suggest that proguanil is a potent slow-acting anti-plasmodial agent, that bc1 is essential to parasite survival independent of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase-activity, that Malarone® is a triple-drug combination that includes antagonistic partners and that a cyclization-blocked proguanil may be a superior combination partner for bc1-inhibitors in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina S. Skinner-Adams
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
| | - Gillian M. Fisher
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
| | - Andrew G. Riches
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Oliver E. Hutt
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Karen E. Jarvis
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Tony Wilson
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Mark von Itzstein
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Pradeep Chopra
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Yevgeniya Antonova-Koch
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Present Address: California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Stephan Meister
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA
- Present Address: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46268 USA
| | | | - Mary Clarke
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
| | - David A. Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032 USA
| | - Jeremy N. Burrows
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Route de Pré Bois 20, Geneva, 1215 Switzerland
| | - John H. Ryan
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Biomedical Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168 Australia
| | - Katherine T. Andrews
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111 Australia
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Melatti C, Pieperhoff M, Lemgruber L, Pohl E, Sheiner L, Meissner M. A unique dynamin-related protein is essential for mitochondrial fission in Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007512. [PMID: 30947298 PMCID: PMC6448817 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The single mitochondrion of apicomplexan protozoa is thought to be critical for all stages of the life cycle, and is a validated drug target against these important human and veterinary parasites. In contrast to other eukaryotes, replication of the mitochondrion is tightly linked to the cell cycle. A key step in mitochondrial segregation is the fission event, which in many eukaryotes occurs by the action of dynamins constricting the outer membrane of the mitochondria from the cytosolic face. To date, none of the components of the apicomplexan fission machinery have been identified and validated. We identify here a highly divergent, dynamin-related protein (TgDrpC), conserved in apicomplexans as essential for mitochondrial biogenesis and potentially for fission in Toxoplasma gondii. We show that TgDrpC is found adjacent to the mitochondrion, and is localised both at its periphery and at its basal part, where fission is expected to occur. We demonstrate that depletion or dominant negative expression of TgDrpC results in interconnected mitochondria and ultimately in drastic changes in mitochondrial morphology, as well as in parasite death. Intriguingly, we find that the canonical adaptor TgFis1 is not required for mitochondrial fission. The identification of an Apicomplexa-specific enzyme required for mitochondrial biogenesis and essential for parasite growth highlights parasite adaptation. This work paves the way for future drug development targeting TgDrpC, and for the analysis of additional partners involved in this crucial step of apicomplexan multiplication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Melatti
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Manuela Pieperhoff
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Leandro Lemgruber
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ehmke Pohl
- Department of Biosciences, & Biophysical Sciences Institute, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Lilach Sheiner
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Meissner
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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40
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Graupner N, Jensen M, Bock C, Marks S, Rahmann S, Beisser D, Boenigk J. Evolution of heterotrophy in chrysophytes as reflected by comparative transcriptomics. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019. [PMID: 29518196 PMCID: PMC6019013 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Shifts in the nutritional mode between phototrophy, mixotrophy and heterotrophy are a widespread phenomenon in the evolution of eukaryotic diversity. The transition between nutritional modes is particularly pronounced in chrysophytes and occurred independently several times through parallel evolution. Thus, chrysophytes provide a unique opportunity for studying the molecular basis of nutritional diversification and of the accompanying pathway reduction and degradation of plastid structures. In order to analyze the succession in switching the nutritional mode from mixotrophy to heterotrophy, we compared the transcriptome of the mixotrophic Poterioochromonas malhamensis with the transcriptomes of three obligate heterotrophic species of Ochromonadales. We used the transcriptome of P. malhamensis as a reference for plastid reduction in the heterotrophic taxa. The analyzed heterotrophic taxa were in different stages of plastid reduction. We investigated the reduction of several photosynthesis related pathways e.g. the xanthophyll cycle, the mevalonate pathway, the shikimate pathway and the tryptophan biosynthesis as well as the reduction of plastid structures and postulate a presumable succession of pathway reduction and degradation of accompanying structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Graupner
- Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Manfred Jensen
- Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Christina Bock
- Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Sabina Marks
- Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Sven Rahmann
- Genome Informatics, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Duisburg-Essen, University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, D-45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Daniela Beisser
- Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Jens Boenigk
- Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141 Essen, Germany.,Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 2, D-45141 Essen, Germany
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41
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Tang Y, Meister TR, Walczak M, Pulkoski-Gross MJ, Hari SB, Sauer RT, Amberg-Johnson K, Yeh E. A mutagenesis screen for essential plastid biogenesis genes in human malaria parasites. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000136. [PMID: 30726238 PMCID: PMC6380595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Endosymbiosis has driven major molecular and cellular innovations. Plasmodium spp. parasites that cause malaria contain an essential, non-photosynthetic plastid-the apicoplast-which originated from a secondary (eukaryote-eukaryote) endosymbiosis. To discover organellar pathways with evolutionary and biomedical significance, we performed a mutagenesis screen for essential genes required for apicoplast biogenesis in Plasmodium falciparum. Apicoplast(-) mutants were isolated using a chemical rescue that permits conditional disruption of the apicoplast and a new fluorescent reporter for organelle loss. Five candidate genes were validated (out of 12 identified), including a triosephosphate isomerase (TIM)-barrel protein that likely derived from a core metabolic enzyme but evolved a new activity. Our results demonstrate, to our knowledge, the first forward genetic screen to assign essential cellular functions to unannotated P. falciparum genes. A putative TIM-barrel enzyme and other newly identified apicoplast biogenesis proteins open opportunities to discover new mechanisms of organelle biogenesis, molecular evolution underlying eukaryotic diversity, and drug targets against multiple parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Tang
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas R. Meister
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Marta Walczak
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Pulkoski-Gross
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Sanjay B. Hari
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Robert T. Sauer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Katherine Amberg-Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Ellen Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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42
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Boucher MJ, Yeh E. Disruption of Apicoplast Biogenesis by Chemical Stabilization of an Imported Protein Evades the Delayed-Death Phenotype in Malaria Parasites. mSphere 2019; 4:e00710-18. [PMID: 30674649 PMCID: PMC6344605 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00710-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) contain a nonphotosynthetic plastid organelle called the apicoplast, which houses essential metabolic pathways and is required throughout the parasite life cycle. The biogenesis pathways responsible for apicoplast growth, division, and inheritance are of key interest as potential drug targets. Unfortunately, several known apicoplast biogenesis inhibitors are of limited clinical utility because they cause a peculiar "delayed-death" phenotype in which parasites do not stop replicating until the second lytic cycle posttreatment. Identifying apicoplast biogenesis pathways that avoid the delayed-death phenomenon is a priority. Here, we generated parasites targeting a murine dihydrofolate reductase (mDHFR) domain, which can be conditionally stabilized with the compound WR99210, to the apicoplast. Surprisingly, chemical stabilization of this exogenous fusion protein disrupted parasite growth in an apicoplast-specific manner after a single lytic cycle. WR99210-treated parasites exhibited an apicoplast biogenesis defect beginning within the same lytic cycle as drug treatment, indicating that stabilized mDHFR perturbs a non-delayed-death biogenesis pathway. While the precise mechanism-of-action of the stabilized fusion is still unclear, we hypothesize that it inhibits apicoplast protein import by stalling within and blocking translocons in the apicoplast membranes.IMPORTANCE Malaria is a major cause of global childhood mortality. To sustain progress in disease control made in the last decade, new antimalarial therapies are needed to combat emerging drug resistance. Malaria parasites contain a relict chloroplast called the apicoplast, which harbors new targets for drug discovery. Unfortunately, some drugs targeting apicoplast pathways exhibit a delayed-death phenotype, which results in a slow onset-of-action that precludes their use as fast-acting, frontline therapies. Identification of druggable apicoplast biogenesis factors that will avoid the delayed-death phenotype is an important priority. Here, we find that chemical stabilization of an apicoplast-targeted mDHFR domain disrupts apicoplast biogenesis and inhibits parasite growth after a single lytic cycle, suggesting a non-delayed-death target. Our finding indicates that further interrogation of the mechanism-of-action of this exogenous fusion protein may reveal novel therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Boucher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ellen Yeh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, USA
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43
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Bölter B. En route into chloroplasts: preproteins' way home. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2018; 138:263-275. [PMID: 29943212 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-018-0542-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are the characteristic endosymbiotic organelles of plant cells which during the course of evolution lost most of their genetic information to the nucleus. Thus, they critically depend on the host cell for allocation of nearly their complete protein supply. This includes gene expression, translation, protein targeting, and transport-all of which need to be tightly regulated and perfectly coordinated to accommodate the cells' needs. To this end, multiple signaling pathways have been implemented that interchange information between the different cellular compartments. One of the most complex and energy consuming processes is the translocation of chloroplast-destined proteins into their target organelle. It is a concerted effort from chaperones, receptor proteins, channels, and regulatory elements to ensure correct targeting, efficient transport, and subsequent folding. Although we have discovered and learned a lot about protein import into chloroplasts in the last decades, there are still many open questions and debates about the roles of individual proteins as well as the mechanistic details. In this review, I will summarize and discuss the published data with a focus on the translocation complex in the chloroplast inner envelope membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Bölter
- Department Biologie I, Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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44
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Boucher MJ, Ghosh S, Zhang L, Lal A, Jang SW, Ju A, Zhang S, Wang X, Ralph SA, Zou J, Elias JE, Yeh E. Integrative proteomics and bioinformatic prediction enable a high-confidence apicoplast proteome in malaria parasites. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005895. [PMID: 30212465 PMCID: PMC6155542 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) and related apicomplexan pathogens contain a nonphotosynthetic plastid called the apicoplast. Derived from an unusual secondary eukaryote-eukaryote endosymbiosis, the apicoplast is a fascinating organelle whose function and biogenesis rely on a complex amalgamation of bacterial and algal pathways. Because these pathways are distinct from the human host, the apicoplast is an excellent source of novel antimalarial targets. Despite its biomedical importance and evolutionary significance, the absence of a reliable apicoplast proteome has limited most studies to the handful of pathways identified by homology to bacteria or primary chloroplasts, precluding our ability to study the most novel apicoplast pathways. Here, we combine proximity biotinylation-based proteomics (BioID) and a new machine learning algorithm to generate a high-confidence apicoplast proteome consisting of 346 proteins. Critically, the high accuracy of this proteome significantly outperforms previous prediction-based methods and extends beyond other BioID studies of unique parasite compartments. Half of identified proteins have unknown function, and 77% are predicted to be important for normal blood-stage growth. We validate the apicoplast localization of a subset of novel proteins and show that an ATP-binding cassette protein ABCF1 is essential for blood-stage survival and plays a previously unknown role in apicoplast biogenesis. These findings indicate critical organellar functions for newly discovered apicoplast proteins. The apicoplast proteome will be an important resource for elucidating unique pathways derived from secondary endosymbiosis and prioritizing antimalarial drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Boucher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Sreejoyee Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Lichao Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Avantika Lal
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Se Won Jang
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - An Ju
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Shuying Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Xinzi Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stuart A. Ralph
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - James Zou
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Joshua E. Elias
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Ellen Yeh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Mallo N, Fellows J, Johnson C, Sheiner L. Protein Import into the Endosymbiotic Organelles of Apicomplexan Parasites. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E412. [PMID: 30110980 PMCID: PMC6115763 DOI: 10.3390/genes9080412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
: The organelles of endosymbiotic origin, plastids, and mitochondria, evolved through the serial acquisition of endosymbionts by a host cell. These events were accompanied by gene transfer from the symbionts to the host, resulting in most of the organellar proteins being encoded in the cell nuclear genome and trafficked into the organelle via a series of translocation complexes. Much of what is known about organelle protein translocation mechanisms is based on studies performed in common model organisms; e.g., yeast and humans or Arabidopsis. However, studies performed in divergent organisms are gradually accumulating. These studies provide insights into universally conserved traits, while discovering traits that are specific to organisms or clades. Apicomplexan parasites feature two organelles of endosymbiotic origin: a secondary plastid named the apicoplast and a mitochondrion. In the context of the diseases caused by apicomplexan parasites, the essential roles and divergent features of both organelles make them prime targets for drug discovery. This potential and the amenability of the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii to genetic manipulation motivated research about the mechanisms controlling both organelles' biogenesis. Here we provide an overview of what is known about apicomplexan organelle protein import. We focus on work done mainly in T. gondii and provide a comparison to model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Mallo
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Justin Fellows
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Carla Johnson
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Lilach Sheiner
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
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Kong P, Lehmann MJ, Helms JB, Brouwers JF, Gupta N. Lipid analysis of Eimeria sporozoites reveals exclusive phospholipids, a phylogenetic mosaic of endogenous synthesis, and a host-independent lifestyle. Cell Discov 2018; 4:24. [PMID: 29844921 PMCID: PMC5964319 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-018-0023-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful inter-host transmission of most apicomplexan parasites requires the formation of infective sporozoites within the oocysts. Unlike all other infective stages that are strictly intracellular and depend on host resources, the sporozoite stage develops outside the host cells, but little is known about its self-governing metabolism. This study deployed Eimeria falciformis, a parasite infecting the mouse as its natural host, to investigate the process of phospholipid biogenesis in sporozoites. Lipidomic analyses demonstrated the occurrence of prototypical phospholipids along with abundant expression of at least two exclusive lipids, phosphatidylthreonine (PtdThr) and inositol phosphorylceramide with a phytosphingosine backbone, in sporozoites. To produce them de novo, the parasite harbors nearly the entire biogenesis network, which is an evolutionary mosaic of eukaryotic-type and prokaryotic-type enzymes. Notably, many have no phylogenetic counterpart or functional equivalent in the mammalian host. Using Toxoplasma gondii as a gene-tractable surrogate to examine Eimeria enzymes, we show a highly compartmentalized network of lipid synthesis spread primarily in the apicoplast, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrion, and Golgi complex. Likewise, trans-genera complementation of a Toxoplasma mutant with the PtdThr synthase from Eimeria reveals a convergent role of PtdThr in fostering the lytic cycle of coccidian parasites. Taken together, our work establishes a model of autonomous membrane biogenesis involving significant inter-organelle cooperation and lipid trafficking in sporozoites. Phylogenetic divergence of certain pathways offers attractive drug targets to block the sporulation and subsequent transmission. Not least, our results vindicate the possession of an entire de novo lipid synthesis network in a representative protist adapted to an obligate intracellular parasitic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Kong
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, 10115 Germany
| | - Maik J. Lehmann
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, 10115 Germany
- Present Address: Department of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Applied Sciences, Bingen, 55411 Germany
| | - J. Bernd Helms
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584CM The Netherlands
| | - Jos F. Brouwers
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584CM The Netherlands
| | - Nishith Gupta
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt University, Berlin, 10115 Germany
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Cyrklaff M, Frischknecht F, Kudryashev M. Functional insights into pathogen biology from 3D electron microscopy. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2018; 41:828-853. [PMID: 28962014 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fux041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, novel imaging approaches revolutionised our understanding of the cellular and molecular biology of microorganisms. These include advances in fluorescent probes, dynamic live cell imaging, superresolution light and electron microscopy. Currently, a major transition in the experimental approach shifts electron microscopy studies from a complementary technique to a method of choice for structural and functional analysis. Here we review functional insights into the molecular architecture of viruses, bacteria and parasites as well as interactions with their respective host cells gained from studies using cryogenic electron tomography and related methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Cyrklaff
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mikhail Kudryashev
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 17, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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48
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Characterization of Plasmodium Atg3-Atg8 Interaction Inhibitors Identifies Novel Alternative Mechanisms of Action in Toxoplasma gondii. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.01489-17. [PMID: 29158278 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01489-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Protozoan parasites, including the apicomplexan pathogens Plasmodium falciparum (which causes malaria) and Toxoplasma gondii (which causes toxoplasmosis), infect millions of people worldwide and represent major human disease burdens. Despite their prevalence, therapeutic strategies to treat infections caused by these parasites remain limited and are threatened by the emergence of drug resistance, highlighting the need for the identification of novel drug targets. Recently, homologues of the core autophagy proteins, including Atg8 and Atg3, were identified in many protozoan parasites. Importantly, components of the Atg8 conjugation system that facilitate the lipidation of Atg8 are required for both canonical and parasite-specific functions and are essential for parasite viability. Structural characterization of the P. falciparum Atg3-Atg8 (PfAtg3-Atg8) interaction has led to the identification of compounds that block this interaction. Additionally, many of these compounds inhibit P. falciparum growth in vitro, demonstrating the viability of this pathway as a drug target. Given the essential role of the Atg8 lipidation pathway in Toxoplasma, we sought to determine whether three PfAtg3-Atg8 interaction inhibitors identified in the Medicines for Malaria Venture Malaria Box exerted a similar inhibitory effect in Toxoplasma While all three inhibitors blocked Toxoplasma replication in vitro at submicromolar concentrations, they did not inhibit T. gondii Atg8 (TgAtg8) lipidation. Rather, high concentrations of two of these compounds induced TgAtg8 lipidation and fragmentation of the parasite mitochondrion, similar to the effects seen following starvation and monensin-induced autophagy. Additionally, we report that one of the PfAtg3-Atg8 interaction inhibitors induces Toxoplasma egress and provide evidence that this is mediated by an increase in intracellular calcium in response to drug treatment.
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Rono MK, Nyonda MA, Simam JJ, Ngoi JM, Mok S, Kortok MM, Abdullah AS, Elfaki MM, Waitumbi JN, El-Hassan IM, Marsh K, Bozdech Z, Mackinnon MJ. Adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum to its transmission environment. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 2:377-387. [PMID: 29255304 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0419-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Success in eliminating malaria will depend on whether parasite evolution outpaces control efforts. Here, we show that Plasmodium falciparum parasites (the deadliest of the species causing human malaria) found in low-transmission-intensity areas have evolved to invest more in transmission to new hosts (reproduction) and less in within-host replication (growth) than parasites found in high-transmission areas. At the cellular level, this adaptation manifests as increased production of reproductive forms (gametocytes) early in the infection at the expense of processes associated with multiplication inside red blood cells, especially membrane transport and protein trafficking. At the molecular level, this manifests as changes in the expression levels of genes encoding epigenetic and translational machinery. Specifically, expression levels of the gene encoding AP2-G-the transcription factor that initiates reproduction-increase as transmission intensity decreases. This is accompanied by downregulation and upregulation of genes encoding HDAC1 and HDA1-two histone deacetylases that epigenetically regulate the parasite's replicative and reproductive life-stage programmes, respectively. Parasites in reproductive mode show increased reliance on the prokaryotic translation machinery found inside the plastid-derived organelles. Thus, our dissection of the parasite's adaptive regulatory architecture has identified new potential molecular targets for malaria control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin K Rono
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Pwani University Bioscience Research Centre, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mary A Nyonda
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Joyce M Ngoi
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Sachel Mok
- Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Moses M Kortok
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | - Mohammed M Elfaki
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Gizan, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - John N Waitumbi
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research/Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Ibrahim M El-Hassan
- Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Gizan, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kevin Marsh
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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50
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Lack of mitochondrial MutS homolog 1 in Toxoplasma gondii disrupts maintenance and fidelity of mitochondrial DNA and reveals metabolic plasticity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188040. [PMID: 29141004 PMCID: PMC5687708 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of maintaining the fidelity of the mitochondrial genome is underscored by the presence of various repair pathways within this organelle. Presumably, the repair of mitochondrial DNA would be of particular importance in organisms that possess only a single mitochondrion, like the human pathogens Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. Understanding the machinery that maintains mitochondrial DNA in these parasites is of particular relevance, as mitochondrial function is a validated and effective target for anti-parasitic drugs. We previously determined that the Toxoplasma MutS homolog TgMSH1 localizes to the mitochondrion. MutS homologs are key components of the nuclear mismatch repair system in mammalian cells, and both yeast and plants possess MutS homologs that localize to the mitochondria where they regulate DNA stability. Here we show that the lack of TgMSH1 results in accumulation of single nucleotide variations in mitochondrial DNA and a reduction in mitochondrial DNA content. Additionally, parasites lacking TgMSH1 function can survive treatment with the cytochrome b inhibitor atovaquone. While the Tgmsh1 knockout strain has several missense mutations in cytochrome b, none affect amino acids known to be determinants of atovaquone sensitivity and atovaquone is still able to inhibit electron transport in the Tgmsh1 mutants. Furthermore, culture of Tgmsh1 mutant in the presence atovaquone leads to parasites with enhanced atovaquone resistance and complete shutdown of respiration. Thus, parasites lacking TgMSH1 overcome the disruption of mitochondrial DNA by adapting their physiology allowing them to forgo the need for oxidative phosphorylation. Consistent with this idea, the Tgmsh1 mutant is resistant to mitochondrial inhibitors with diverse targets and exhibits reduced ability to grow in the absence of glucose. This work shows TgMSH1 as critical for the maintenance and fidelity of the mitochondrial DNA in Toxoplasma, reveals a novel mechanism for atovaquone resistance, and exposes the physiological plasticity of this important human pathogen.
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