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Alves-Rosa MF, Tayler NM, Dorta D, Coronado LM, Spadafora C. P. falciparum Invasion and Erythrocyte Aging. Cells 2024; 13:334. [PMID: 38391947 PMCID: PMC10887143 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040334] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites need to find red blood cells (RBCs) that, on the one hand, expose receptors for the pathogen ligands and, on the other hand, maintain the right geometry to facilitate merozoite attachment and entry into the red blood cell. Both characteristics change with the maturation of erythrocytes. Some Plasmodia prefer younger vs. older erythrocytes. How does the life evolution of the RBC affect the invasion of the parasite? What happens when the RBC ages? In this review, we present what is known up until now.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carmenza Spadafora
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicio de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), City of Knowledge, Panama City 0843-01103, Panama; (M.F.A.-R.); (N.M.T.); (D.D.); (L.M.C.)
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2
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Bhattacharjee S, Ghosh D, Saha R, Sarkar R, Kumar S, Khokhar M, Pandey RK. Mechanism of Immune Evasion in Mosquito-Borne Diseases. Pathogens 2023; 12:635. [PMID: 37242305 PMCID: PMC10222277 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050635] [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: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, mosquito-borne illnesses have emerged as a major health burden in many tropical regions. These diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika virus infection, Rift Valley fever, Japanese encephalitis, and West Nile virus infection, are transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. These pathogens have been shown to interfere with the host's immune system through adaptive and innate immune mechanisms, as well as the human circulatory system. Crucial immune checkpoints such as antigen presentation, T cell activation, differentiation, and proinflammatory response play a vital role in the host cell's response to pathogenic infection. Furthermore, these immune evasions have the potential to stimulate the human immune system, resulting in other associated non-communicable diseases. This review aims to advance our understanding of mosquito-borne diseases and the immune evasion mechanisms by associated pathogens. Moreover, it highlights the adverse outcomes of mosquito-borne disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Debanjan Ghosh
- Department of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
| | - Rounak Saha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India
| | - Rima Sarkar
- DBT Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India
| | - Saurav Kumar
- DBT Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695014, India
| | - Manoj Khokhar
- Department of Biochemistry, AIIMS, Jodhpur 342005, India
| | - Rajan Kumar Pandey
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, 171 77 Solna, Sweden
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3
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Patterns of Heterochromatin Transitions Linked to Changes in the Expression of Plasmodium falciparum Clonally Variant Genes. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0304922. [PMID: 36515553 PMCID: PMC9927496 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03049-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The survival of malaria parasites in the changing human blood environment largely depends on their ability to alter gene expression by epigenetic mechanisms. The active state of Plasmodium falciparum clonally variant genes (CVGs) is associated with euchromatin characterized by the histone mark H3K9ac, whereas the silenced state is characterized by H3K9me3-based heterochromatin. Expression switches are linked to euchromatin-heterochromatin transitions, but these transitions have not been characterized for the majority of CVGs. To define the heterochromatin distribution patterns associated with the alternative transcriptional states of CVGs, we compared H3K9me3 occupancy at a genome-wide level among several parasite subclones of the same genetic background that differed in the transcriptional state of many CVGs. We found that de novo heterochromatin formation or the complete disruption of a heterochromatin domain is a relatively rare event, and for the majority of CVGs, expression switches can be explained by the expansion or retraction of heterochromatin domains. We identified different modalities of heterochromatin changes linked to transcriptional differences, but despite this complexity, heterochromatin distribution patterns generally enable the prediction of the transcriptional state of specific CVGs. We also found that in some subclones, several var genes were simultaneously in an active state. Furthermore, the heterochromatin levels in the putative regulatory region of the gdv1 antisense noncoding RNA, a regulator of sexual commitment, varied between parasite lines with different sexual conversion rates. IMPORTANCE The malaria parasite P. falciparum is responsible for more than half a million deaths every year. P. falciparum clonally variant genes (CVGs) mediate fundamental host-parasite interactions and play a key role in parasite adaptation to fluctuations in the conditions of the human host. The expression of CVGs is regulated at the epigenetic level by changes in the distribution of a type of chromatin called heterochromatin. Here, we describe at a genome-wide level the changes in the heterochromatin distribution associated with the different transcriptional states of CVGs. Our results also reveal a likely role for heterochromatin at a particular locus in determining the parasite investment in transmission to mosquitoes. Additionally, this data set will enable the prediction of the transcriptional state of CVGs from epigenomic data, which is important for the study of parasite adaptation to the conditions of the host in natural malaria infections.
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4
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Chew M, Ye W, Omelianczyk RI, Pasaje CF, Hoo R, Chen Q, Niles JC, Chen J, Preiser P. Selective expression of variant surface antigens enables Plasmodium falciparum to evade immune clearance in vivo. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4067. [PMID: 35831417 PMCID: PMC9279368 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31741-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum has developed extensive mechanisms to evade host immune clearance. Currently, most of our understanding is based on in vitro studies of individual parasite variant surface antigens and how this relates to the processes in vivo is not well-understood. Here, we have used a humanized mouse model to identify parasite factors important for in vivo growth. We show that upregulation of the specific PfEMP1, VAR2CSA, provides the parasite with protection from macrophage phagocytosis and clearance in the humanized mice. Furthermore, parasites adapted to thrive in the humanized mice show reduced NK cell-mediated killing through interaction with the immune inhibitory receptor, LILRB1. Taken together, these findings reveal new insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms that the parasite utilizes to coordinate immune escape in vivo. Identification and targeting of these specific parasite variant surface antigens crucial for immune evasion provides a unique approach for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Chew
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Weijian Ye
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Charisse Flerida Pasaje
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Regina Hoo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB101SA, UK
| | - Qingfeng Chen
- Humanized Mouse Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency of Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jianzhu Chen
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore, Singapore. .,Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Peter Preiser
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore. .,Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore, Singapore.
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5
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Bandoh B, Kyei-Baafour E, Aculley B, van der Puije W, Tornyigah B, Akyea-Mensah K, Hviid L, Ngala RA, Frempong MT, Ofori MF. Influence of α2-Macroglobulin, Anti-Parasite IgM and ABO Blood Group on Rosetting in Plasmodium falciparum Clinical Isolates and Their Associations with Disease Severity in a Ghanaian Population. J Blood Med 2022; 13:151-164. [PMID: 35330697 PMCID: PMC8939864 DOI: 10.2147/jbm.s329177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The severity of Plasmodium falciparum infections is associated with the ability of the infected red blood cells to cytoadhere to host vascular endothelial surfaces and to uninfected RBCs. Host blood group antigens and two serum proteins α2-macroglobulin (α2M) and IgM have been implicated in rosette formation in laboratory-adapted P. falciparum. However, there is only limited information about these phenotypes in clinical isolates. Methods This was a hospital-based study involving children under 12 years-of-age reporting to the Hohoe Municipal Hospital with different clinical presentations of malaria. Parasite isolates were grown and rosette capabilities and characteristics were investigated by fluorescence microscopy. α2M and IgM were detected by ELISA. Results Rosette formation was observed in 46.8% (75/160) of the parasite isolates from all the blood groups tested. Rosettes were more prevalent (55%) among isolates from patients with severe malaria compared to isolates from patients with uncomplicated malaria (45%). Rosette prevalence was highest (30%) among patients with blood group O (30%) and B (29%), while the mean rosette frequency was higher in isolates from patients with blood group A (28.7). Rosette formation correlated negatively with age (r = −0.09, P= 0.008). Participants with severe malaria had a lower IgM concentration (3.683±3.553) than those with uncomplicated malaria (5.256±4.294) and the difference was significant (P= 0.0228). The mean concentrations of anti-parasite IgM measured among the clinical isolates which formed rosettes was lower (4.2 ±3.930 mg/mL), than that in the non rosetting clinical isolates (4.604 ±4.159 mg/mL) but the difference was not significant (P=0.2733). There was no significant difference in plasma α2M concentration between rosetting and non rosetting isolates (P=0.442). Conclusion P. falciparum parasite rosette formation was affected by blood group type and plasma concentration of IgM. A lower IgM concentration was associated with severe malaria whilst a higher α2M concentration was associated with uncomplicated malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betty Bandoh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Eric Kyei-Baafour
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Belinda Aculley
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - William van der Puije
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Bernard Tornyigah
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo Akyea-Mensah
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Lars Hviid
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert A Ngala
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Margaret T Frempong
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Michael F Ofori
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Correspondence: Michael F Ofori, Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Post Office Box LG581, Legon, Accra, Ghana, Tel +233 244 715975, Fax +233 302 502182, Email
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6
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Zhou AE, Shah ZV, Bradwell KR, Munro JB, Berry AA, Serre D, Takala-Harrison S, O'Connor TD, Silva JC, Travassos MA. STRIDE: a command-line HMM-based identifier and sub-classifier of Plasmodium falciparum RIFIN and STEVOR variant surface antigen families. BMC Bioinformatics 2022; 23:15. [PMID: 34991452 PMCID: PMC8733436 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04515-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RIFINs and STEVORs are variant surface antigens expressed by P. falciparum that play roles in severe malaria pathogenesis and immune evasion. These two highly diverse multigene families feature multiple paralogs, making their classification challenging using traditional bioinformatic methods. RESULTS STRIDE (STevor and RIfin iDEntifier) is an HMM-based, command-line program that automates the identification and classification of RIFIN and STEVOR protein sequences in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. STRIDE is more sensitive in detecting RIFINs and STEVORs than available PFAM and TIGRFAM tools and reports RIFIN subtypes and the number of sequences with a FHEYDER amino acid motif, which has been associated with severe malaria pathogenesis. CONCLUSIONS STRIDE will be beneficial to malaria research groups analyzing genome sequences and transcripts of clinical field isolates, providing insight into parasite biology and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert E Zhou
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zalak V Shah
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Katie R Bradwell
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James B Munro
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrea A Berry
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shannon Takala-Harrison
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Timothy D O'Connor
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Program in Personalized and Genomic Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark A Travassos
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Kumar T, Maitra S, Rahman A, Bhattacharjee S. A conserved guided entry of tail-anchored pathway is involved in the trafficking of a subset of membrane proteins in Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009595. [PMID: 34780541 PMCID: PMC8629386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Tail-anchored (TA) proteins are defined by the absence of N-terminus signal sequence and the presence of a single transmembrane domain (TMD) proximal to their C-terminus. They play fundamental roles in cellular processes including vesicular trafficking, protein translocation and quality control. Some of the TA proteins are post-translationally integrated by the Guided Entry of TA (GET) pathway to the cellular membranes; with their N-terminus oriented towards the cytosol and C-terminus facing the organellar lumen. The TA repertoire and the GET machinery have been extensively characterized in the yeast and mammalian systems, however, they remain elusive in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In this study, we bioinformatically predicted a total of 63 TA proteins in the P. falciparum proteome and revealed the association of a subset with the P. falciparum homolog of Get3 (PfGet3). In addition, our proximity labelling studies either definitively identified or shortlisted the other eligible GET constituents, and our in vitro association studies validated associations between PfGet3 and the corresponding homologs of Get4 and Get2 in P. falciparum. Collectively, this study reveals the presence of proteins with hallmark TA signatures and the involvement of evolutionary conserved GET trafficking pathway for their targeted delivery within the parasite. Tail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins are known to play essential cellular functions in the eukaryotes. These proteins are trafficked to their respective destinations by post-translational translocation pathways that are evolutionarily conserved from yeast to human. However, they remain unidentified in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We have used bioinformatic prediction algorithms in conjunction with functional validation studies to identify the candidate TA repertoire and some of the homologs of the trafficking machinery in P. falciparum. Initially, we predicted the presence of 63 putative TA proteins localized to distinct compartments within this parasite, including a few confirmed TA homologs in other eukaryotic systems. We then identified and characterized PfGet3 as a central component in the Guided-Entry of TA (GET) translocation machinery, and our bacterial co-expression and pulldown assays with two selected recombinant TA proteins, PfBOS1 and PfUSE1, showed co-association with PfGet3. We also identified PfGet2 and PfGet4 as the other two components of the GET machinery in P. falciparum using proximity biotinylation followed by mass spectrometry. Interestingly, we also found six TA proteins in the parasite enriched in this fraction. We further validated the direct interactions between a few TA candidates, PfGet4 and PfGet2 with PfGet3 using recombinant-based pulldown studies. In conclusion, this study classified a subset of membrane proteins with the TA nomenclature and implicated a previously unidentified GET pathway for their translocation in this apicomplexan parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarkeshwar Kumar
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Satarupa Maitra
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Abdur Rahman
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Souvik Bhattacharjee
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail:
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Expression Patterns of Plasmodium falciparum Clonally Variant Genes at the Onset of a Blood Infection in Malaria-Naive Humans. mBio 2021; 12:e0163621. [PMID: 34340541 PMCID: PMC8406225 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01636-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Clonally variant genes (CVGs) play fundamental roles in the adaptation of Plasmodium falciparum to fluctuating conditions of the human host. However, their expression patterns under the natural conditions of the blood circulation have been characterized in detail for only a few specific gene families. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of the complete P. falciparum transcriptome across the full intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC) at the onset of a blood infection in malaria-naive human volunteers. We found that the vast majority of transcriptional differences between parasites obtained from the volunteers and the parental parasite line maintained in culture occurred in CVGs. In particular, we observed a major increase in the transcript levels of most genes of the pfmc-2tm and gbp families and of specific genes of other families, such as phist, hyp10, rif, or stevor, in addition to previously reported changes in var and clag3 gene expression. Increased transcript levels of individual pfmc-2tm, rif, and stevor genes involved activation in small subsets of parasites. Large transcriptional differences correlated with changes in the distribution of heterochromatin, confirming their epigenetic nature. Furthermore, the similar expression of several CVGs between parasites collected at different time points along the blood infection suggests that the epigenetic memory for multiple CVG families is lost during transmission stages, resulting in a reset of their transcriptional state. Finally, the CVG expression patterns observed in a volunteer likely infected by a single sporozoite suggest that new epigenetic patterns are established during liver stages.
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9
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Structure of the Plasmodium-interspersed repeat proteins of the malaria parasite. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:32098-32104. [PMID: 33257570 PMCID: PMC7749308 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016775117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria replicate within blood cells of an infected host. These parasites send a small number of proteins to infected blood cell surfaces, allowing them to bind host molecules but also risking their detection by the host immune system. These proteins have diversified into large families, allowing the parasite to avoid detection by using antigenic variation. The most ubiquitous of these families is the Plasmodium-interspersed repeat (PIR) protein family. Here we present the structure of a PIR protein, revealing the architecture of its ectodomain and showing how it has diversified. Finally, we use structure-guided methods to understand which small variant surface antigen families are PIRs and to understand their evolution across malaria parasites. The deadly symptoms of malaria occur as Plasmodium parasites replicate within blood cells. Members of several variant surface protein families are expressed on infected blood cell surfaces. Of these, the largest and most ubiquitous are the Plasmodium-interspersed repeat (PIR) proteins, with more than 1,000 variants in some genomes. Their functions are mysterious, but differential pir gene expression associates with acute or chronic infection in a mouse malaria model. The membership of the PIR superfamily, and whether the family includes Plasmodium falciparum variant surface proteins, such as RIFINs and STEVORs, is controversial. Here we reveal the structure of the extracellular domain of a PIR from Plasmodium chabaudi. We use structure-guided sequence analysis and molecular modeling to show that this fold is found across PIR proteins from mouse- and human-infective malaria parasites. Moreover, we show that RIFINs and STEVORs are not PIRs. This study provides a structure-guided definition of the PIRs and a molecular framework to understand their evolution.
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10
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Gonzales SJ, Reyes RA, Braddom AE, Batugedara G, Bol S, Bunnik EM. Naturally Acquired Humoral Immunity Against Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Front Immunol 2020; 11:594653. [PMID: 33193447 PMCID: PMC7658415 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.594653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a significant contributor to the global burden of disease, with around 40% of the world's population at risk of Plasmodium infections. The development of an effective vaccine against the malaria parasite would mark a breakthrough in the fight to eradicate the disease. Over time, natural infection elicits a robust immune response against the blood stage of the parasite, providing protection against malaria. In recent years, we have gained valuable insight into the mechanisms by which IgG acts to prevent pathology and inhibit parasite replication, as well as the potential role of immunoglobulin M (IgM) in these processes. Here, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms, acquisition, and maintenance of naturally acquired immunity, and the relevance of these discoveries for the development of a potential vaccine against the blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Evelien M. Bunnik
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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11
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Rapid activation of distinct members of multigene families in Plasmodium spp. Commun Biol 2020; 3:351. [PMID: 32620892 PMCID: PMC7334209 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-1081-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The genomes of Plasmodium spp. encode a number of different multigene families that are thought to play a critical role for survival. However, with the exception of the P. falciparum var genes, very little is known about the biological roles of any of the other multigene families. Using the recently developed Selection Linked Integration method, we have been able to activate the expression of a single member of a multigene family of our choice in Plasmodium spp. from its endogenous promoter. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach by activating the expression of a unique var, rifin and stevor in P. falciparum as well as yir in P. yoelii. Characterization of the selected parasites reveals differences between the different families in terms of mutual exclusive control, co-regulation, and host adaptation. Our results further support the application of the approach for the study of multigene families in Plasmodium and other organisms. Omelianczyk, Loh et al. activate the expression of a single member of a multigene family in Plasmodium spp. from its endogenous promoter, identifying differences between the different families. This study supports the application of the Selection Linked Integration method for studying multigene families in Plasmodium.
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12
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Kanoi BN, Nagaoka H, White MT, Morita M, Palacpac NMQ, Ntege EH, Balikagala B, Yeka A, Egwang TG, Horii T, Tsuboi T, Takashima E. Global Repertoire of Human Antibodies Against Plasmodium falciparum RIFINs, SURFINs, and STEVORs in a Malaria Exposed Population. Front Immunol 2020; 11:893. [PMID: 32477363 PMCID: PMC7235171 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical immunity to malaria develops after repeated exposure to Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Broadly reactive antibodies against parasite antigens expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes (variable surface antigens; VSAs) are candidates for anti-malaria therapeutics and vaccines. Among the VSAs, several RIFIN, STEVOR, and SURFIN family members have been demonstrated to be targets of naturally acquired immunity against malaria. For example, RIFIN family members are important ligands for opsonization of P. falciparum infected erythrocytes with specific immunoglobulins (IgG) acquiring broad protective reactivity. However, the global repertoire of human anti-VSAs IgG, its variation in children, and the key protective targets remain poorly understood. Here, we report wheat germ cell-free system-based production and serological profiling of a comprehensive library of A-RIFINs, B-RIFINs, STEVORs, and SURFINs derived from the P. falciparum 3D7 parasite strain. We observed that >98% of assayed proteins (n = 265) were immunogenic in malaria-exposed individuals in Uganda. The overall breadth of immune responses was significantly correlated with age but not with clinical malaria outcome among the study volunteers. However, children with high levels of antibodies to four RIFINs (PF3D7_0201000, PF3D7_1254500, PF3D7_1040600, PF3D7_1041100), STEVOR (PF3D7_0732000), and SURFIN 1.2 (PF3D7_0113600) had prospectively reduced the risk of developing febrile malaria, suggesting that the 5 antigens are important targets of protective immunity. Further studies on the significance of repeated exposure to malaria infection and maintenance of such high-level antibodies would contribute to a better understanding of susceptibility and naturally acquired immunity to malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard N Kanoi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Hikaru Nagaoka
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Michael T White
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France
| | - Masayuki Morita
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Nirianne M Q Palacpac
- Department of Malaria Vaccine Development, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Edward H Ntege
- Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine and Hospital, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Betty Balikagala
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Adoke Yeka
- Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Toshihiro Horii
- Department of Malaria Vaccine Development, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
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13
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Florentin A, Cobb DW, Kudyba HM, Muralidharan V. Directing traffic: Chaperone-mediated protein transport in malaria parasites. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13215. [PMID: 32388921 PMCID: PMC7282954 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The ability of eukaryotic parasites from the phylum Apicomplexa to cause devastating diseases is predicated upon their ability to maintain faithful and precise protein trafficking mechanisms. Their parasitic life cycle depends on the trafficking of effector proteins to the infected host cell, transport of proteins to several critical organelles required for survival, as well as transport of parasite and host proteins to the digestive organelles to generate the building blocks for parasite growth. Several recent studies have shed light on the molecular mechanisms parasites utilise to transform the infected host cells, transport proteins to essential metabolic organelles and for biogenesis of organelles required for continuation of their life cycle. Here, we review key pathways of protein transport originating and branching from the endoplasmic reticulum, focusing on the essential roles of chaperones in these processes. Further, we highlight key gaps in our knowledge that prevents us from building a holistic view of protein trafficking in these deadly human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Florentin
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - David W Cobb
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Heather M Kudyba
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Vasant Muralidharan
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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14
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Andersson A, Kudva R, Magoulopoulou A, Lejarre Q, Lara P, Xu P, Goel S, Pissi J, Ru X, Hessa T, Wahlgren M, von Heijne G, Nilsson I, Tellgren-Roth Å. Membrane integration and topology of RIFIN and STEVOR proteins of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite. FEBS J 2019; 287:2744-2762. [PMID: 31821735 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The malarial parasite Plasmodium exports its own proteins to the cell surfaces of red blood cells (RBCs) during infection. Examples of exported proteins include members of the repetitive interspersed family (RIFIN) and subtelomeric variable open reading frame (STEVOR) family of proteins from Plasmodium falciparum. The presence of these parasite-derived proteins on surfaces of infected RBCs triggers the adhesion of infected cells to uninfected cells (rosetting) and to the vascular endothelium potentially obstructing blood flow. While there is a fair amount of information on the localization of these proteins on the cell surfaces of RBCs, less is known about how they can be exported to the membrane and the topologies they can adopt during the process. The first step of export is plausibly the cotranslational insertion of proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of the parasite, and here, we investigate the insertion of three RIFIN and two STEVOR proteins into the ER membrane. We employ a well-established experimental system that uses N-linked glycosylation of sites within the protein as a measure to assess the extent of membrane insertion and the topology it assumes when inserted into the ER membrane. Our results indicate that for all the proteins tested, transmembranes (TMs) 1 and 3 integrate into the membrane, so that the protein assumes an overall topology of Ncyt-Ccyt. We also show that the segment predicted to be TM2 for each of the proteins likely does not reside in the membrane, but is translocated to the lumen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Andersson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Renuka Kudva
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Anastasia Magoulopoulou
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden.,Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Quentin Lejarre
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Patricia Lara
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Peibo Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Suchi Goel
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jennifer Pissi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Xing Ru
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Tara Hessa
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Mats Wahlgren
- Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Gunnar von Heijne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden.,Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - IngMarie Nilsson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
| | - Åsa Tellgren-Roth
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Sweden
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15
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Abstract
In the progression of the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum, a small proportion of asexual parasites differentiate into male or female sexual forms called gametocytes. Just like their asexual counterparts, gametocytes are contained within the infected host's erythrocytes (RBCs). However, unlike their asexual partners, they do not exit the RBC until they are taken up in a blood meal by a mosquito. In the mosquito midgut, they are stimulated to emerge from the RBC, undergo fertilization, and ultimately produce tens of thousands of sporozoites that are infectious to humans. This transmission cycle can be blocked by antibodies targeting proteins exposed on the parasite surface in the mosquito midgut, a process that has led to the development of candidate transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV), including some that are in clinical trials. Here we review the leading TBV antigens and highlight the ongoing search for additional gametocyte/gamete surface antigens, as well as antigens on the surfaces of gametocyte-infected erythrocytes, which can potentially become a new group of TBV candidates.
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16
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Antibodies to Peptides in Semiconserved Domains of RIFINs and STEVORs Correlate with Malaria Exposure. mSphere 2019; 4:4/2/e00097-19. [PMID: 30894432 PMCID: PMC6429043 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00097-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, an infectious disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, causes nearly 435,000 deaths annually worldwide. RIFINs and STEVORs are two variant surface antigen families that are involved in malaria pathogenesis and immune evasion. Recent work has shown that a lack of humoral immunity to these proteins is associated with severe malaria vulnerability in Malian children. This is the first study to have compared serologic responses of children and adults to RIFINs and STEVORs in settings of malaria endemicity and to examine such serologic responses before and after a clinical malaria episode. Using microarrays, we determined that the semiconserved domains in these two parasite variant surface antigen families harbor peptides whose seroreactivity reflects malaria exposure. A similar approach has the potential to illuminate the role of variant surface antigens in the development of natural immunity to clinical malaria. Potential vaccines for severe malaria should include consideration of peptides within the semiconserved domains of RIFINs and STEVORs. The repetitive interspersed family (RIFIN) and the subtelomeric variable open reading frame (STEVOR) family represent two of three major Plasmodium falciparum variant surface antigen families involved in malaria pathogenesis and immune evasion and are potential targets in the development of natural immunity. Protein and peptide microarrays populated with RIFINs and STEVORs associated with severe malaria vulnerability in Malian children were probed with adult and pediatric sera to identify epitopes that reflect malaria exposure. Adult sera recognized and reacted with greater intensity to all STEVOR proteins than pediatric sera did. Serorecognition of and seroreactivity to peptides within the semiconserved domain of STEVORs increased with age and seasonal malaria exposure, while serorecognition and seroreactivity increased for the semiconserved and second hypervariable domains of RIFINs only with age. Serologic responses to RIFIN and STEVOR peptides within the semiconserved domains may play a role in natural immunity to severe malaria. IMPORTANCE Malaria, an infectious disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, causes nearly 435,000 deaths annually worldwide. RIFINs and STEVORs are two variant surface antigen families that are involved in malaria pathogenesis and immune evasion. Recent work has shown that a lack of humoral immunity to these proteins is associated with severe malaria vulnerability in Malian children. This is the first study to have compared serologic responses of children and adults to RIFINs and STEVORs in settings of malaria endemicity and to examine such serologic responses before and after a clinical malaria episode. Using microarrays, we determined that the semiconserved domains in these two parasite variant surface antigen families harbor peptides whose seroreactivity reflects malaria exposure. A similar approach has the potential to illuminate the role of variant surface antigens in the development of natural immunity to clinical malaria. Potential vaccines for severe malaria should include consideration of peptides within the semiconserved domains of RIFINs and STEVORs.
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17
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Tan J, Piccoli L, Lanzavecchia A. The Antibody Response to Plasmodium falciparum: Cues for Vaccine Design and the Discovery of Receptor-Based Antibodies. Annu Rev Immunol 2018; 37:225-246. [PMID: 30566366 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-042617-053301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum remains a serious public health problem and a continuous challenge for the immune system due to the complexity and diversity of the pathogen. Recent advances from several laboratories in the characterization of the antibody response to the parasite have led to the identification of critical targets for protection and revealed a new mechanism of diversification based on the insertion of host receptors into immunoglobulin genes, leading to the production of receptor-based antibodies. These advances have opened new possibilities for vaccine design and passive antibody therapies to provide sterilizing immunity and control blood-stage parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Tan
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland; .,Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom.,Current affiliation: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA
| | - Luca Piccoli
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland;
| | - Antonio Lanzavecchia
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland; .,VIR Biotechnology, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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18
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Yam XY, Preiser PR. Host immune evasion strategies of malaria blood stage parasite. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2018; 13:2498-2508. [PMID: 29091093 DOI: 10.1039/c7mb00502d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Host immune evasion is a key strategy for the continual survival of many microbial pathogens including Apicomplexan protozoan: Plasmodium spp., the causative agent of Malaria. The malaria parasite has evolved a variety of mechanisms to evade the host immune responses within its two hosts: the female Anopheles mosquito vector and vertebrate host. In this review, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms of the immune evasion strategies used by the Plasmodium parasite at the blood stage which is responsible for the clinical manifestations of human malaria. We also aim to provide some insights on the potential targets for malaria interventions through the recent advancement in understanding the molecular biology of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yan Yam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.
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19
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Abstract
Eukaryotic pathogens must survive in different hosts, respond to changing environments, and exploit specialized niches to propagate. Plasmodium parasites cause human malaria during bloodstream infections, where they must persist long enough to be transmitted. Parasites have evolved diverse strategies of variant gene expression that control critical biological processes of blood-stage infections, including antigenic variation, erythrocyte invasion, innate immune evasion, and nutrient acquisition, as well as life-cycle transitions. Epigenetic mechanisms within the parasite are being elucidated, with discovery of epigenomic marks associated with gene silencing and activation, and the identification of epigenetic regulators and chromatin proteins that are required for the switching and maintenance of gene expression. Here, we review the key epigenetic processes that facilitate transition through the parasite life cycle and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms utilized by Plasmodium parasites to survive changing environments and consider epigenetic switching in the context of the outcome of human infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; ,
| | - Kristen M Skillman
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA; ,
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20
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Kaur J, Hora R. '2TM proteins': an antigenically diverse superfamily with variable functions and export pathways. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4757. [PMID: 29770278 PMCID: PMC5951124 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a disease that affects millions of people annually. An intracellular habitat and lack of protein synthesizing machinery in erythrocytes pose numerous difficulties for survival of the human pathogen Plasmodium falciparum. The parasite refurbishes the infected red blood cell (iRBC) by synthesis and export of several proteins in an attempt to suffice its metabolic needs and evade the host immune response. Immune evasion is largely mediated by surface display of highly polymorphic protein families known as variable surface antigens. These include the two trans-membrane (2TM) superfamily constituted by multicopy repetitive interspersed family (RIFINs), subtelomeric variable open reading frame (STEVORs) and Plasmodium falciparum Maurer's cleft two trans-membrane proteins present only in P. falciparum and some simian infecting Plasmodium species. Their hypervariable region flanked by 2TM domains exposed on the iRBC surface is believed to generate antigenic diversity. Though historically named "2TM superfamily," several A-type RIFINs and some STEVORs assume one trans-membrane topology. RIFINs and STEVORs share varied functions in different parasite life cycle stages like rosetting, alteration of iRBC rigidity and immune evasion. Additionally, a member of the STEVOR family has been implicated in merozoite invasion. Differential expression of these families in laboratory strains and clinical isolates propose them to be important for host cell survival and defense. The role of RIFINs in modulation of host immune response and presence of protective antibodies against these surface exposed molecules in patient sera highlights them as attractive targets of antimalarial therapies and vaccines. 2TM proteins are Plasmodium export elements positive, and several of these are exported to the infected erythrocyte surface after exiting through the classical secretory pathway within parasites. Cleaved and modified proteins are trafficked after packaging in vesicles to reach Maurer's clefts, while information regarding delivery to the iRBC surface is sparse. Expression and export timing of the RIFIN and Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein1 families correspond to each other. Here, we have compiled and comprehended detailed information regarding orthologues, domain architecture, surface topology, functions and trafficking of members of the "2TM superfamily." Considering the large repertoire of proteins included in the 2TM superfamily and recent advances defining their function in malaria biology, a surge in research carried out on this important protein superfamily is likely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasweer Kaur
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
| | - Rachna Hora
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab, India
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21
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Saito F, Hirayasu K, Satoh T, Wang CW, Lusingu J, Arimori T, Shida K, Palacpac NMQ, Itagaki S, Iwanaga S, Takashima E, Tsuboi T, Kohyama M, Suenaga T, Colonna M, Takagi J, Lavstsen T, Horii T, Arase H. Immune evasion of Plasmodium falciparum by RIFIN via inhibitory receptors. Nature 2017; 552:101-105. [PMID: 29186116 PMCID: PMC5748893 DOI: 10.1038/nature24994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is among the most serious infectious diseases affecting humans, accounting for approximately half a million deaths annually1. Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of most life-threatening malaria cases. Acquired immunity to malaria is inefficient, even after repeated exposures to P. falciparum2; immune regulatory mechanisms employed by P. falciparum remain largely unclear. Here, we show that P. falciparum uses immune inhibitory receptors for immune evasion. RIFINs, products of a polymorphic multigene family comprising approximately 150–200 genes per parasite genome3, are expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes. We found that a subset of RIFINs binds to either leucocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor B1 (LILRB1) or leucocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor 1 (LAIR1). LILRB1-binding RIFINs inhibited activation of LILRB1-expressing B cells and NK cells. Furthermore, interactions between LILRB1 and P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes isolated from malaria patients were associated with severe malaria, although an extended study with larger sample sizes is required to confirm the findings. These results suggest that P. falciparum has acquired multiple RIFINs to evade the host immune system by targeting immune inhibitory receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumiji Saito
- Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kouyuki Hirayasu
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takeshi Satoh
- Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Christian W Wang
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - John Lusingu
- National Institute for Medical Research, Tanga Research Centre, Tanga, Tanzania
| | - Takao Arimori
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kyoko Shida
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Nirianne Marie Q Palacpac
- Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Sawako Itagaki
- Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Department of Medical Zoology, School of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan.,Department of Environmental Parasitology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Centre, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8577, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Centre, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8577, Japan
| | - Masako Kohyama
- Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.,Laboratory of Immunochemistry, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tadahiro Suenaga
- Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.,Laboratory of Immunochemistry, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Marco Colonna
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Junichi Takagi
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Thomas Lavstsen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Toshihiro Horii
- Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hisashi Arase
- Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.,Laboratory of Immunochemistry, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Centre, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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22
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Nilsson Bark SK, Ahmad R, Dantzler K, Lukens AK, De Niz M, Szucs MJ, Jin X, Cotton J, Hoffmann D, Bric-Furlong E, Oomen R, Parrington M, Milner D, Neafsey DE, Carr SA, Wirth DF, Marti M. Quantitative Proteomic Profiling Reveals Novel Plasmodium falciparum Surface Antigens and Possible Vaccine Candidates. Mol Cell Proteomics 2017; 17:43-60. [PMID: 29162636 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.ra117.000076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent efforts toward control and elimination, malaria remains a major public health problem worldwide. Plasmodium falciparum resistance against artemisinin, used in front line combination drugs, is on the rise, and the only approved vaccine shows limited efficacy. Combinations of novel and tailored drug and vaccine interventions are required to maintain the momentum of the current malaria elimination program. Current evidence suggests that strain-transcendent protection against malaria infection can be achieved using whole organism vaccination or with a polyvalent vaccine covering multiple antigens or epitopes. These approaches have been successfully applied to the human-infective sporozoite stage. Both systemic and tissue-specific pathology during infection with the human malaria parasite P. falciparum is caused by asexual blood stages. Tissue tropism and vascular sequestration are the result of specific binding interactions between antigens on the parasite-infected red blood cell (pRBC) surface and endothelial receptors. The major surface antigen and parasite ligand binding to endothelial receptors, PfEMP1 is encoded by about 60 variants per genome and shows high sequence diversity across strains. Apart from PfEMP1 and three additional variant surface antigen families RIFIN, STEVOR, and SURFIN, systematic analysis of the infected red blood cell surface is lacking. Here we present the most comprehensive proteomic investigation of the parasitized red blood cell surface so far. Apart from the known variant surface antigens, we identified a set of putative single copy surface antigens with low sequence diversity, several of which are validated in a series of complementary experiments. Further functional and immunological investigation is underway to test these novel P. falciparum blood stage proteins as possible vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra K Nilsson Bark
- From the ‡Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Rushdy Ahmad
- §The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Kathleen Dantzler
- From the ‡Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.,¶Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Amanda K Lukens
- From the ‡Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.,§The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Mariana De Niz
- ¶Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Matthew J Szucs
- §The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Xiaoying Jin
- ‖Sanofi Biopharmaceutics Development, Framingham, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Joanne Cotton
- ‖Sanofi Biopharmaceutics Development, Framingham, Massachusetts 02142
| | | | | | - Ray Oomen
- **Sanofi Pasteur Biologics, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | | | - Dan Milner
- From the ‡Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.,‡‡Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Daniel E Neafsey
- §The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Steven A Carr
- §The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Dyann F Wirth
- From the ‡Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.,§The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
| | - Matthias Marti
- From the ‡Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; .,¶Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
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23
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Martins RM, Macpherson CR, Claes A, Scheidig-Benatar C, Sakamoto H, Yam XY, Preiser P, Goel S, Wahlgren M, Sismeiro O, Coppée JY, Scherf A. An ApiAP2 member regulates expression of clonally variant genes of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2017; 7:14042. [PMID: 29070841 PMCID: PMC5656681 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12578-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Variegated surface antigen expression is key to chronic infection and pathogenesis of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. This protozoan parasite expresses distinct surface molecules that are encoded by clonally variant gene families such as var, rif and stevor. The molecular mechanisms governing activation of individual members remain ill-defined. To investigate the molecular events of the initial transcriptional activation process we focused on a member of the apicomplexan ApiAP2 transcription factor family predicted to bind to the 5′ upstream regions of the var gene family, AP2-exp (PF3D7_1466400). Viable AP2-exp mutant parasites rely on expressing no less than a short truncated protein including the N-terminal AP2 DNA-binding domain. RNA-seq analysis in mutant parasites revealed transcriptional changes in a subset of exported proteins encoded by clonally variant gene families. Upregulation of RIFINs and STEVORs was validated at the protein levels. In addition, morphological alterations were observed on the surface of the host cells infected by the mutants. This work points to a complex regulatory network of clonally variant gene families in which transcription of a subset of members is regulated by the same transcription factor. In addition, we highlight the importance of the non-DNA binding AP2 domain in functional gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael M Martins
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France. .,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France. .,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France. .,CNRS 5290/IRD 224/University of Montpellier ("MiVEGEC"), Montpellier, France.
| | - Cameron R Macpherson
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Aurélie Claes
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Christine Scheidig-Benatar
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Hiroshi Sakamoto
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France.,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France.,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Xue Yan Yam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Peter Preiser
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Suchi Goel
- MTC, Nobels väg 16, KI Solna Campus Karolinska Institutet, Box 280, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.,Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati Rami Reddy Nagar, 517507, Mangalam, Tirupati Andhra Pradhesh, India
| | - Mats Wahlgren
- MTC, Nobels väg 16, KI Solna Campus Karolinska Institutet, Box 280, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Odile Sismeiro
- Plateforme 2, Transcriptome et Epigenome, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Plateforme 2, Transcriptome et Epigenome, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Artur Scherf
- Unité Biologie des Interactions Hôte-Parasite, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France. .,CNRS, ERL 9195, Paris, 75015, France. .,INSERM, Unit U1201, Paris, 75015, France.
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24
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Moles E, Galiano S, Gomes A, Quiliano M, Teixeira C, Aldana I, Gomes P, Fernàndez-Busquets X. ImmunoPEGliposomes for the targeted delivery of novel lipophilic drugs to red blood cells in a falciparum malaria murine model. Biomaterials 2017; 145:178-191. [PMID: 28869864 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Most drugs currently entering the clinical pipeline for severe malaria therapeutics are of lipophilic nature, with a relatively poor solubility in plasma and large biodistribution volumes. Low amounts of these compounds do consequently accumulate in circulating Plasmodium-infected red blood cells, exhibiting limited antiparasitic activity. These drawbacks can in principle be satisfactorily dealt with by stably encapsulating drugs in targeted nanocarriers. Here this approach has been adapted for its use in immunocompetent mice infected by the Plasmodium yoelii 17XL lethal strain, selected as a model for human blood infections by Plasmodium falciparum. Using immunoliposomes targeted against a surface protein characteristic of the murine erythroid lineage, the protocol has been applied to two novel antimalarial lipophilic drug candidates, an aminoquinoline and an aminoalcohol. Large encapsulation yields of >90% were obtained using a citrate-buffered pH gradient method and the resulting immunoliposomes reached in vivo erythrocyte targeting and retention efficacies of >80%. In P. yoelii-infected mice, the immunoliposomized aminoquinoline succeeded in decreasing blood parasitemia from severe to uncomplicated malaria parasite densities (i.e. from ≥25% to ca. 5%), whereas the same amount of drug encapsulated in non-targeted liposomes had no significant effect on parasite growth. Pharmacokinetic analysis indicated that this good performance was obtained with a rapid clearance of immunoliposomes from the circulation (blood half-life of ca. 2 h), suggesting a potential for improvement of the proposed model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Moles
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, ES-08028, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona Center for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Rosselló 149-153, ES-08036, Barcelona, Spain; Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, ES-08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Silvia Galiano
- Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Campus Universitario, ES-31008, Pamplona, Spain; Universidad de Navarra, Facultad de Farmacia y Nutrición, Departamento de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Campus Universitario, ES-31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ana Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 685, P-4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Quiliano
- Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Campus Universitario, ES-31008, Pamplona, Spain; Universidad de Navarra, Facultad de Farmacia y Nutrición, Departamento de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Campus Universitario, ES-31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 685, P-4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ignacio Aldana
- Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Salud Tropical (ISTUN), Campus Universitario, ES-31008, Pamplona, Spain; Universidad de Navarra, Facultad de Farmacia y Nutrición, Departamento de Química Orgánica y Farmacéutica, Campus Universitario, ES-31008, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 685, P-4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, ES-08028, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona Center for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Rosselló 149-153, ES-08036, Barcelona, Spain; Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, ES-08028, Barcelona, Spain.
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25
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Wahlgren M, Goel S, Akhouri RR. Variant surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum and their roles in severe malaria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2017; 15:479-491. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2017.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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26
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Three Is a Crowd – New Insights into Rosetting in Plasmodium falciparum. Trends Parasitol 2017; 33:309-320. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2016.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 12/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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27
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Ch'ng JH, Sirel M, Zandian A, Del Pilar Quintana M, Chun Leung Chan S, Moll K, Tellgren-Roth A, Nilsson I, Nilsson P, Qundos U, Wahlgren M. Epitopes of anti-RIFIN antibodies and characterization of rif-expressing Plasmodium falciparum parasites by RNA sequencing. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43190. [PMID: 28233866 PMCID: PMC5324397 DOI: 10.1038/srep43190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Variable surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum have been a major research focus since they facilitate parasite sequestration and give rise to deadly malaria complications. Coupled with its potential use as a vaccine candidate, the recent suggestion that the repetitive interspersed families of polypeptides (RIFINs) mediate blood group A rosetting and influence blood group distribution has raised the research profile of these adhesins. Nevertheless, detailed investigations into the functions of this highly diverse multigene family remain hampered by the limited number of validated reagents. In this study, we assess the specificities of three promising polyclonal anti-RIFIN antibodies that were IgG-purified from sera of immunized animals. Their epitope regions were mapped using a 175,000-peptide microarray holding overlapping peptides of the P. falciparum variable surface antigens. Through immunoblotting and immunofluorescence imaging, we show that different antibodies give varying results in different applications/assays. Finally, we authenticate the antibody-based detection of RIFINs in two previously uncharacterized non-rosetting parasite lines by identifying the dominant rif transcripts using RNA sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Hong Ch'ng
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Madle Sirel
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Arash Zandian
- Affinity Proteomics, Science for Life Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Del Pilar Quintana
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sherwin Chun Leung Chan
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kirsten Moll
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Asa Tellgren-Roth
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - IngMarie Nilsson
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Nilsson
- Affinity Proteomics, Science for Life Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Qundos
- Affinity Proteomics, Science for Life Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats Wahlgren
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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28
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Barreto-Santamaría A, Curtidor H, Arévalo-Pinzón G, Herrera C, Suárez D, Pérez WH, Patarroyo ME. A New Synthetic Peptide Having Two Target of Antibacterial Action in E. coli ML35. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:2006. [PMID: 28066341 PMCID: PMC5167725 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.02006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The increased resistance of microorganisms to the different antimicrobials available to today has highlighted the need to find new therapeutic agents, including natural and/or synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This study has evaluated the antimicrobial activity of synthetic peptide 35409 (RYRRKKKMKKALQYIKLLKE) against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 and Escherichia coli ML 35 (ATCC 43827). The results have shown that peptide 35409 inhibited the growth of these three bacterial strains, having 16-fold greater activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa, but requiring less concentration regarding E. coli (22 μM). When analyzing this activity against E. coli compared to time taken, it was found that this peptide inhibited bacterial growth during the first 60 min and reduced CFU/mL 1 log after 120 min had elapsed. This AMP permeabilized the E. coli membrane by interaction with membrane phospholipids, mainly phosphatidylethanolamine, inhibited cell division and induced filamentation, suggesting two different targets of action within a bacterial cell. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that peptide 35409 had low hemolytic activity and was not cytotoxic for two human cell lines. We would thus propose, in the light of these findings, that the peptide 35409 sequence should provide a promising template for designing broad-spectrum AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Barreto-Santamaría
- Receptor-Ligand Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de ColombiaBogotá, Colombia; Faculty of Sciences and Education, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de CaldasBogotá, Colombia; School of Medicine and Health sciences, Universidad del RosarioBogotá, Colombia
| | - Hernando Curtidor
- Receptor-Ligand Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de ColombiaBogotá, Colombia; School of Medicine and Health sciences, Universidad del RosarioBogotá, Colombia
| | - Gabriela Arévalo-Pinzón
- Receptor-Ligand Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de ColombiaBogotá, Colombia; School of Medicine and Health sciences, Universidad del RosarioBogotá, Colombia
| | - Chonny Herrera
- Receptor-Ligand Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de ColombiaBogotá, Colombia; School of Medicine and Health sciences, Universidad del RosarioBogotá, Colombia
| | - Diana Suárez
- Receptor-Ligand Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de ColombiaBogotá, Colombia; School of Medicine and Health sciences, Universidad del RosarioBogotá, Colombia
| | - Walter H Pérez
- Escuela Colombiana de Carreras Industriales Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Manuel E Patarroyo
- Receptor-Ligand Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de ColombiaBogotá, Colombia; Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de ColombiaBogotá, Colombia
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29
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Chan JA, Howell KB, Langer C, Maier AG, Hasang W, Rogerson SJ, Petter M, Chesson J, Stanisic DI, Duffy MF, Cooke BM, Siba PM, Mueller I, Bull PC, Marsh K, Fowkes FJI, Beeson JG. A single point in protein trafficking by Plasmodium falciparum determines the expression of major antigens on the surface of infected erythrocytes targeted by human antibodies. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:4141-58. [PMID: 27193441 PMCID: PMC5042999 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2267-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Revised: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Antibodies to blood-stage antigens of Plasmodium falciparum play a pivotal role in human immunity to malaria. During parasite development, multiple proteins are trafficked from the intracellular parasite to the surface of P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs). However, the relative importance of different proteins as targets of acquired antibodies, and key pathways involved in trafficking major antigens remain to be clearly defined. We quantified antibodies to surface antigens among children, adults, and pregnant women from different malaria-exposed regions. We quantified the importance of antigens as antibody targets using genetically engineered P. falciparum with modified surface antigen expression. Genetic deletion of the trafficking protein skeleton-binding protein-1 (SBP1), which is involved in trafficking the surface antigen PfEMP1, led to a dramatic reduction in antibody recognition of IEs and the ability of human antibodies to promote opsonic phagocytosis of IEs, a key mechanism of parasite clearance. The great majority of antibody epitopes on the IE surface were SBP1-dependent. This was demonstrated using parasite isolates with different genetic or phenotypic backgrounds, and among antibodies from children, adults, and pregnant women in different populations. Comparisons of antibody reactivity to parasite isolates with SBP1 deletion or inhibited PfEMP1 expression suggest that PfEMP1 is the dominant target of acquired human antibodies, and that other P. falciparum IE surface proteins are minor targets. These results establish SBP1 as part of a critical pathway for the trafficking of major surface antigens targeted by human immunity, and have key implications for vaccine development, and quantifying immunity in populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo-Anne Chan
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Katherine B Howell
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Christine Langer
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Alexander G Maier
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Wina Hasang
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephen J Rogerson
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michaela Petter
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Joanne Chesson
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Michael F Duffy
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Brian M Cooke
- Programs in Infection and Immunity and Cardiovascular Disease, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter M Siba
- Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter C Bull
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Kevin Marsh
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Freya J I Fowkes
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne School of Public Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine and Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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30
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Subudhi AK, Boopathi P, Middha S, Acharya J, Rao SN, Mugasimangalam RC, Sirohi P, Kochar SK, Kochar DK, Das A. A cross strain Plasmodium falciparum microarray optimized for the transcriptome analysis of Plasmodium falciparum patient derived isolates. GENOMICS DATA 2016; 9:118-25. [PMID: 27489776 PMCID: PMC4961827 DOI: 10.1016/j.gdata.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Malarial parasite P. falciparum, an apicomplexan protozoan has a 23.3 MB nuclear genome and encodes ~ 5600 transcripts. The genetic diversity of the parasite within and across geographical zones is a challenge to gene expression studies which are essential for understanding of disease process, outcome and developing markers for diagnostics and prognostics. Here, we describe the strategy involved in designing a custom P. falciparum 15K array using the Agilent platform and Genotypic's Right Design methodology to study the transcriptome of Indian field isolates for which genome sequence information is limited. The array contains probes representing genome sequences of two distinct geographical isolates (i.e. 3D7 and HB3) and sub-telomeric var gene sequences of a third isolate (IT4) known to adhere in culture condition. Probes in the array have been selected based on their efficiency to detect transcripts through a 244K array experimentation. Array performance for the 15K array, was evaluated and validated using RNA materials from P. falciparum clinical isolates. A large percentage (91%) of the represented transcripts was detected from Indian P. falciparum patient isolates. Replicated probes and multiple probes representing the same gene showed perfect correlation between them suggesting good probe performance. Additional transcripts could be detected due to inclusion of unique probes representing HB3 strain transcripts. Variant surface antigen (VSA) transcripts were detected by optimized probes representing the VSA genes of three geographically distinct strains. The 15K cross strain P. falciparum array has shown good efficiency in detecting transcripts from P. falciparum parasite samples isolated from patients. The low parasite loads and presence of host RNA makes arrays a preferred platform for gene expression studies over RNA-Seq.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Subudhi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - P.A. Boopathi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sheetal Middha
- Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
| | - Jyoti Acharya
- Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
| | | | | | - Paramendra Sirohi
- Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sanjay K. Kochar
- Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India
| | | | - Ashis Das
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India
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31
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Yam XY, Brugat T, Siau A, Lawton J, Wong DS, Farah A, Twang JS, Gao X, Langhorne J, Preiser PR. Characterization of the Plasmodium Interspersed Repeats (PIR) proteins of Plasmodium chabaudi indicates functional diversity. Sci Rep 2016; 6:23449. [PMID: 26996203 PMCID: PMC4800443 DOI: 10.1038/srep23449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium multigene families play a central role in the pathogenesis of malaria. The Plasmodium interspersed repeat (pir) genes comprise the largest multigene family in many Plasmodium spp. However their function(s) remains unknown. Using the rodent model of malaria, Plasmodium chabaudi, we show that individual CIR proteins have differential localizations within infected red cell (iRBC), suggesting different functional roles in a blood-stage infection. Some CIRs appear to be located on the surface of iRBC and merozoites and are therefore well placed to interact with host molecules. In line with this hypothesis, we show for the first time that a subset of recombinant CIRs bind mouse RBCs suggesting a role for CIR in rosette formation and/or invasion. Together, our results unravel differences in subcellular localization and ability to bind mouse erythrocytes between the members of the cir family, which strongly suggest different functional roles in a blood-stage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yan Yam
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Thibaut Brugat
- Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, London, UK
| | - Anthony Siau
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | | | - Daniel S Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Abdirahman Farah
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore.,Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jing Shun Twang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Xiaohong Gao
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Jean Langhorne
- Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, London, UK
| | - Peter R Preiser
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
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32
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Malaria Parasite Proteins and Their Role in Alteration of the Structure and Function of Red Blood Cells. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2015; 91:1-86. [PMID: 27015947 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Malaria, caused by Plasmodium spp., continues to be a major threat to human health and a significant cause of socioeconomic hardship in many countries. Almost half of the world's population live in malaria-endemic regions and many of them suffer one or more, often life-threatening episodes of malaria every year, the symptoms of which are attributable to replication of the parasite within red blood cells (RBCs). In the case of Plasmodium falciparum, the species responsible for most malaria-related deaths, parasite replication within RBCs is accompanied by striking alterations to the morphological, biochemical and biophysical properties of the host cell that are essential for the parasites' survival. To achieve this, the parasite establishes a unique and extensive protein export network in the infected RBC, dedicating at least 6% of its genome to the process. Understanding the full gamut of proteins involved in this process and the mechanisms by which P. falciparum alters the structure and function of RBCs is important both for a more complete understanding of the pathogenesis of malaria and for development of new therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat this devastating disease. This review focuses on what is currently known about exported parasite proteins, their interactions with the RBC and their likely pathophysiological consequences.
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33
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Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is the protozoan parasite that causes most malaria-associated morbidity and mortality in humans with over 500,000 deaths annually. The disease symptoms are associated with repeated cycles of invasion and asexual multiplication inside red blood cells of the parasite. Partial, non-sterile immunity to P. falciparum malaria develops only after repeated infections and continuous exposure. The successful evasion of the human immune system relies on the large repertoire of antigenically diverse parasite proteins displayed on the red blood cell surface and on the merozoite membrane where they are exposed to the human immune system. Expression switching of these polymorphic proteins between asexual parasite generations provides an efficient mechanism to adapt to the changing environment in the host and to maintain chronic infection. This chapter discusses antigenic diversity and variation in the malaria parasite and our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms that direct the expression of these proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Petter
- Department of Medicine Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Michael F Duffy
- Department of Medicine Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, 792 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
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34
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Niang M, Bei AK, Madnani KG, Pelly S, Dankwa S, Kanjee U, Gunalan K, Amaladoss A, Yeo KP, Bob NS, Malleret B, Duraisingh MT, Preiser PR. STEVOR is a Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte binding protein that mediates merozoite invasion and rosetting. Cell Host Microbe 2015; 16:81-93. [PMID: 25011110 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2012] [Revised: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Variant surface antigens play an important role in Plasmodium falciparum malaria pathogenesis and in immune evasion by the parasite. Although most work to date has focused on P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1), two other multigene families encoding STEVOR and RIFIN are expressed in invasive merozoites and on the infected erythrocyte surface. However, their role during parasite infection remains to be clarified. Here we report that STEVOR functions as an erythrocyte-binding protein that recognizes Glycophorin C (GPC) on the red blood cell (RBC) surface and that its binding correlates with the level of GPC on the RBC surface. STEVOR expression on the RBC leads to PfEMP1-independent binding of infected RBCs to uninfected RBCs (rosette formation), while antibodies targeting STEVOR in the merozoite can effectively inhibit invasion. Our results suggest a PfEMP1-independent role for STEVOR in enabling infected erythrocytes at the schizont stage to form rosettes and in promoting merozoite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makhtar Niang
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Amy Kristine Bei
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kripa Gopal Madnani
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Shaaretha Pelly
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Selasi Dankwa
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Usheer Kanjee
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Karthigayan Gunalan
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Anburaj Amaladoss
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)-Interdisciplinary Research Group in Infectious Diseases, Singapore 117456, Singapore
| | - Kim Pin Yeo
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Ndeye Sakha Bob
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Benoit Malleret
- Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore 117545, Singapore; Singapore Immunology Network, A(∗)STAR, Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Manoj Theodore Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter Rainer Preiser
- Nanyang Technological University, School of Biological Sciences, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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35
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Bachmann A, Scholz JAM, Janßen M, Klinkert MQ, Tannich E, Bruchhaus I, Petter M. A comparative study of the localization and membrane topology of members of the RIFIN, STEVOR and PfMC-2TM protein families in Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. Malar J 2015; 14:274. [PMID: 26173856 PMCID: PMC4502930 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0784-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Variant surface antigens (VSA) exposed on the membrane of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes mediate immune evasion and are important pathogenicity factors in malaria disease. In addition to the well-studied PfEMP1, the small VSA families RIFIN, STEVOR and PfMC-2TM are assumed to play a role in this process. Methods This study presents a detailed comparative characterization of the localization, membrane topology and extraction profile across the life cycle of various members of these protein families employing confocal microscopy, immunoelectron microscopy and immunoblots. Results The presented data reveal a clear association of variants of the RIFIN, STEVOR and PfMC-2TM proteins with the host cell membrane and topological studies indicate that the semi-conserved N-terminal region of RIFINs and some STEVOR proteins is exposed at the erythrocyte surface. At the Maurer’s clefts, the semi-conserved N-terminal region as well as the variable stretch of RIFINs appears to point to the lumen away from the erythrocyte cytoplasm. These results challenge the previously proposed two transmembrane topology model for the RIFIN and STEVOR protein families and suggest that only one hydrophobic region spans the membrane. In contrast, PfMC-2TM proteins indeed seem to be anchored by two hydrophobic stretches in the host cell membrane exposing just a few, variable amino acids at the surface of the host cell. Conclusion Together, the host cell surface exposure and topology of RIFIN and STEVOR proteins suggests members of these protein families may indeed be involved in immune evasion of the infected erythrocyte, whereas members of the PfMC-2TM family seem to bear different functions in parasite biology. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12936-015-0784-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bachmann
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Judith Anna Marie Scholz
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Marthe Janßen
- Department of Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany. .,CRTD/DFG-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstraße 105, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Mo-Quen Klinkert
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Egbert Tannich
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Iris Bruchhaus
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Michaela Petter
- Department of Medicine, The Peter Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne, 792n Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, 3000, VIC, Australia.
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Mancio-Silva L, Mota MM. A mediator for malaria stickiness in A versus O blood. Nat Med 2015; 21:307-8. [PMID: 25849268 DOI: 10.1038/nm.3837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Mancio-Silva
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria M Mota
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Subudhi AK, Boopathi PA, Pandey I, Kohli R, Karwa R, Middha S, Acharya J, Kochar SK, Kochar DK, Das A. Plasmodium falciparum complicated malaria: Modulation and connectivity between exportome and variant surface antigen gene families. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2015; 201:31-46. [PMID: 26022315 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2015.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
In temperate and sub-tropical regions of Asia and Latin America, complicated malaria manifested as hepatic dysfunction or renal dysfunction is seen in all age groups. There has been a concerted focus on understanding the patho-physiological and molecular basis of complicated malaria in children, much less is known about it in adults. We report here, the analysis of data from a custom, cross strain microarray (Agilent Platform) using material from adult patient samples, showing hepatic dysfunction or renal failure. These are the most common manifestations seen in adults along with cerebral malaria. The data has been analyzed with reference to variant surface antigens, encoded by the var, rifin and stevor gene families. The differential regulation profiles of key genes (comparison between Plasmodium falciparum complicated and uncomplicated isolates) have been observed. The exportome has been analyzed using similar parameters. Gene ontology term based functional enrichment of differentially regulated genes identified, up-regulated genes statistically enriched (P<0.05) to critical biological processes like generation of precursor metabolite and energy, chromosome organization and electron transport chain. Systems network based functional enrichment of overall differentially regulated genes yielded a similar result. We are reporting here, up-regulation of var group B and C genes whose proteins are predicted to interact with CD36 receptor in the host, the up-regulation of domain cassette 13 (DC13) containing var group A, as also the up-regulation of group A rifins and many of the stevors. This is contrary to most other reports from pediatric patients, with cerebral malaria where the up-regulation of mostly var A group genes have been seen. A protein-protein interaction based network has been created and analysis performed. This co-expression and text mining based network has shown overall connectivity between the variant surface antigens (VSA) and the exportome. The up-regulation of var group B and C genes encoding PfEMP1 with different domain architecture would be important for deciding strategies for disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Subudhi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
| | - P A Boopathi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Isha Pandey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Ramandeep Kohli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Rohan Karwa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Sheetal Middha
- Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Jyoti Acharya
- Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Sanjay K Kochar
- Department of Medicine, S.P. Medical College, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Dhanpat K Kochar
- Rajasthan University of Health Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Ashis Das
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
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Wang CW, Hviid L. Rifins, rosetting, and red blood cells. Trends Parasitol 2015; 31:285-6. [PMID: 25959958 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The binding of multiple uninfected erythrocytes to a central malaria parasite-infected erythrocyte (IE) is called rosetting. Rosetting has been associated with severe disease, but its functional significance,and the host receptors and parasite ligands involved are only partially known. A recent study, which describes yet another piece in this already complex puzzle, provides a welcome boost and a broadening of an important malaria research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian W Wang
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Hviid
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen and Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Goel S, Palmkvist M, Moll K, Joannin N, Lara P, Akhouri RR, Moradi N, Öjemalm K, Westman M, Angeletti D, Kjellin H, Lehtiö J, Blixt O, Ideström L, Gahmberg CG, Storry JR, Hult AK, Olsson ML, von Heijne G, Nilsson I, Wahlgren M. RIFINs are adhesins implicated in severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Nat Med 2015; 21:314-7. [PMID: 25751816 DOI: 10.1038/nm.3812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rosetting is a virulent Plasmodium falciparum phenomenon associated with severe malaria. Here we demonstrate that P. falciparum-encoded repetitive interspersed families of polypeptides (RIFINs) are expressed on the surface of infected red blood cells (iRBCs), where they bind to RBCs--preferentially of blood group A--to form large rosettes and mediate microvascular binding of iRBCs. We suggest that RIFINs have a fundamental role in the development of severe malaria and thereby contribute to the varying global distribution of ABO blood groups in the human population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchi Goel
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mia Palmkvist
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kirsten Moll
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nicolas Joannin
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patricia Lara
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Reetesh R Akhouri
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nasim Moradi
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Öjemalm
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mattias Westman
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Davide Angeletti
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hanna Kjellin
- SciLifeLab, Departments of Oncology, Pathology, Molecular Medicine, and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Janne Lehtiö
- SciLifeLab, Departments of Oncology, Pathology, Molecular Medicine, and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ola Blixt
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Fredriksberg, Denmark
| | - Lars Ideström
- Department of Medical Physics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl G Gahmberg
- Department of Biosciences, Division of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jill R Storry
- Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Annika K Hult
- Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Martin L Olsson
- Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gunnar von Heijne
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - IngMarie Nilsson
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mats Wahlgren
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Almelli T, Nuel G, Bischoff E, Aubouy A, Elati M, Wang CW, Dillies MA, Coppée JY, Ayissi GN, Basco LK, Rogier C, Ndam NT, Deloron P, Tahar R. Differences in gene transcriptomic pattern of Plasmodium falciparum in children with cerebral malaria and asymptomatic carriers. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114401. [PMID: 25479608 PMCID: PMC4257676 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying the heterogeneity of clinical malaria remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that differential gene expression contributes to phenotypic variation of parasites which results in a specific interaction with the host, leading to different clinical features of malaria. In this study, we analyzed the transcriptomes of isolates obtained from asymptomatic carriers and patients with uncomplicated or cerebral malaria. We also investigated the transcriptomes of 3D7 clone and 3D7-Lib that expresses severe malaria associated-variant surface antigen. Our findings revealed a specific up-regulation of genes involved in pathogenesis, adhesion to host cell, and erythrocyte aggregation in parasites from patients with cerebral malaria and 3D7-Lib, compared to parasites from asymptomatic carriers and 3D7, respectively. However, we did not find any significant difference between the transcriptomes of parasites from cerebral malaria and uncomplicated malaria, suggesting similar transcriptomic pattern in these two parasite populations. The difference between isolates from asymptomatic children and cerebral malaria concerned genes coding for exported proteins, Maurer's cleft proteins, transcriptional factor proteins, proteins implicated in protein transport, as well as Plasmodium conserved and hypothetical proteins. Interestingly, UPs A1, A2, A3 and UPs B1 of var genes were predominantly found in cerebral malaria-associated isolates and those containing architectural domains of DC4, DC5, DC13 and their neighboring rif genes in 3D7-lib. Therefore, more investigations are needed to analyze the effective role of these genes during malaria infection to provide with new knowledge on malaria pathology. In addition, concomitant regulation of genes within the chromosomal neighborhood suggests a common mechanism of gene regulation in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talleh Almelli
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 216 Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, Université Paris-Descartes, Près Sorbonne Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbone Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
| | - Grégory Nuel
- PRES Sorbone Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Bischoff
- Institut Pasteur, Unit of Molecular Immunology of Parasites, Unit of Insect Vector Genetics and Genomics, Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), URA 3012, Paris, France
| | - Agnès Aubouy
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 152 Pharmacochimie et pharmacologie pour le développement - (PHARMA-DEV), Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Mohamed Elati
- Institute of Systems and Synthetic Biology, CNRS, University of Evry, Genopole, Evry, France
| | - Christian William Wang
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen and at Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie-Agnès Dillies
- Plate-forme Transcriptome et Epigénome, Departement Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Plate-forme Transcriptome et Epigénome, Departement Génomes et Génétique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Leonardo Kishi Basco
- Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Paludisme, B. P. 288, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 198 Unité de Recherche des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, Faculté de Médecine La Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Christophe Rogier
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, B.P. 1274, Ambatofotsikely, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Nicaise Tuikue Ndam
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 216 Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, Université Paris-Descartes, Près Sorbonne Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbone Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Deloron
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 216 Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, Université Paris-Descartes, Près Sorbonne Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbone Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
| | - Rachida Tahar
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 216 Mère et Enfant Face aux Infections Tropicales, Université Paris-Descartes, Près Sorbonne Paris-Cité, Paris, France
- PRES Sorbone Paris Cité, Université Paris Descartes, Faculté de Pharmacie, Paris, France
- Organisation de Coordination pour la lutte contre les Endémies en Afrique Centrale (OCEAC), Laboratoire de Recherche sur le Paludisme, B. P. 288, Yaoundé, Cameroon
- * E-mail:
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Large, rapidly evolving gene families are at the forefront of host-parasite interactions in Apicomplexa. Parasitology 2014; 142 Suppl 1:S57-70. [PMID: 25257746 PMCID: PMC4413850 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182014001528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Apicomplexa is a phylum of parasitic protozoa, which includes the malaria parasite Plasmodium, amongst other species that can devastate human and animal health. The past decade has seen the release of genome sequences for many of the most important apicomplexan species, providing an excellent basis for improving our understanding of their biology. One of the key features of each genome is a unique set of large, variant gene families. Although closely related species share the same families, even different types of malaria parasite have distinct families. In some species they tend to be found at the ends of chromosomes, which may facilitate aspects of gene expression regulation and generation of sequence diversity. In others they are scattered apparently randomly across chromosomes. For some families there is evidence they are involved in antigenic variation, immune regulation and immune evasion. For others there are no known functions. Even where function is unknown these families are most often predicted to be exposed to the host, contain much sequence diversity and evolve rapidly. Based on these properties it is clear that they are at the forefront of host–parasite interactions. In this review I compare and contrast the genomic context, gene structure, gene expression, protein localization and function of these families across different species.
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Export of virulence proteins by malaria-infected erythrocytes involves remodeling of host actin cytoskeleton. Blood 2014; 124:3459-68. [PMID: 25139348 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2014-06-583054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Following invasion of human red blood cells (RBCs) by the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, a remarkable process of remodeling occurs in the host cell mediated by trafficking of several hundred effector proteins to the RBC compartment. The exported virulence protein, P falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), is responsible for cytoadherence of infected cells to host endothelial receptors. Maurer clefts are organelles essential for protein trafficking, sorting, and assembly of protein complexes. Here we demonstrate that disruption of PfEMP1 trafficking protein 1 (PfPTP1) function leads to severe alterations in the architecture of Maurer's clefts. Furthermore, 2 major surface antigen families, PfEMP1 and STEVOR, are no longer displayed on the host cell surface leading to ablation of cytoadherence to host receptors. PfPTP1 functions in a large complex of proteins and is required for linking of Maurer's clefts to the host actin cytoskeleton.
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Siau A, Huang X, Yam XY, Bob NS, Sun H, Rajapakse JC, Renia L, Preiser PR. Identification of a new export signal in Plasmodium yoelii: identification of a new exportome. Cell Microbiol 2014; 16:673-86. [PMID: 24636637 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Development of the erythrocytic malaria parasite requires targeting of parasite proteins into multiple compartments located within and beyond the parasite confine. Beyond the PEXEL/VTS pathway and its characterized players, increasing amount of evidence has highlighted the existence of proteins exported using alternative export-signal(s)/pathway(s); hence, the exportomes currently predicted are incomplete. The nature of these exported proteins which could have a prominent role in most of the Plasmodium species remains elusive. Using P. yoelii variant proteins, we identified a signal associated to lipophilic region that mediates export of P. yoelii proteins. This non-PEXEL signal termed PLASMED is defined by semi-conserved residues and possibly a secondary structure. In vivo characterization of exported-proteins indicated that PLASMED is a bona fide export-signal that allowed us to identify an unseen P. yoelii exportome. The repertoire of the newly predicted exported proteins opens up perspectives for unravelling the remodelling of the host-cell by the parasite, against which new therapies could be elaborated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Siau
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
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Chan JA, Fowkes FJI, Beeson JG. Surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes as immune targets and malaria vaccine candidates. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:3633-57. [PMID: 24691798 PMCID: PMC4160571 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1614-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2013] [Revised: 03/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the targets and mechanisms of human immunity to malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is crucial for advancing effective vaccines and developing tools for measuring immunity and exposure in populations. Acquired immunity to malaria predominantly targets the blood stage of infection when merozoites of Plasmodium spp. infect erythrocytes and replicate within them. During the intra-erythrocytic development of P. falciparum, numerous parasite-derived antigens are expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes (IEs). These antigens enable P. falciparum-IEs to adhere in the vasculature and accumulate in multiple organs, which is a key process in the pathogenesis of disease. IE surface antigens, often referred to as variant surface antigens, are important targets of acquired protective immunity and include PfEMP1, RIFIN, STEVOR and SURFIN. These antigens are highly polymorphic and encoded by multigene families, which generate substantial antigenic diversity to mediate immune evasion. The most important immune target appears to be PfEMP1, which is a major ligand for vascular adhesion and sequestration of IEs. Studies are beginning to identify specific variants of PfEMP1 linked to disease pathogenesis that may be suitable for vaccine development, but overcoming antigenic diversity in PfEMP1 remains a major challenge. Much less is known about other surface antigens, or antigens on the surface of gametocyte-IEs, the effector mechanisms that mediate immunity, and how immunity is acquired and maintained over time; these are important topics for future research.
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Elsworth B, Crabb BS, Gilson PR. Protein export in malaria parasites: an update. Cell Microbiol 2014; 16:355-63. [PMID: 24418476 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Symptomatic malaria is caused by the infection of human red blood cells (RBCs) with Plasmodium parasites. The RBC is a peculiar environment for parasites to thrive in as they lack many of the normal cellular processes and resources present in other cells. Because of this, Plasmodium spp. have adapted to extensively remodel the host cell through the export of hundreds of proteins that have a range of functions, the best known of which are virulence-associated. Many exported parasite proteins are themselves involved in generating a novel trafficking system in the RBC that further promotes export. In this review we provide an overview of the parasite synthesized export machinery as well as recent developments in how different classes of exported proteins are recognized by this machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Elsworth
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Vic., 3004, Australia; Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
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Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, completely remodels the infected human erythrocyte to acquire nutrients and to evade the immune system. For this process, the parasite exports more than 10% of all its proteins into the host cell cytosol, including the major virulence factor PfEMP1 (P. falciparum erythrocyte surface protein 1). This unusual protein trafficking system involves long-known parasite-derived membranous structures in the host cell cytosol, called Maurer's clefts. However, the genesis, role, and function of Maurer's clefts remain elusive. Similarly unclear is how proteins are sorted and how they are transported to and from these structures. Recent years have seen a large increase of knowledge but, as yet, no functional model has been established. In this perspective we review the most important findings and conclude with potential possibilities to shed light into the enigma of Maurer's clefts. Understanding the mechanism and function of these structures, as well as their involvement in protein export in P. falciparum, might lead to innovative control strategies and might give us a handle with which to help to eliminate this deadly parasite.
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Remodeling of human red cells infected with Plasmodium falciparum and the impact of PHIST proteins. Blood Cells Mol Dis 2013; 51:195-202. [PMID: 23880461 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2013] [Revised: 06/08/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In an infected erythrocyte (iRBC), renovation and decoration are crucial for malarial parasite survival, pathogenesis and reproduction. Host cell remodeling is mediated by an array of diverse parasite-encoded export proteins that traffic within iRBC. These remodeling proteins extensively modify the membrane and cytoskeleton of iRBC and help in formation of parasite-induced novel organelles such as 'Maurer's Cleft (MC), tubulovesicular network (TVN) and parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) inside the iRBC. The genome sequence of Plasmodium falciparum shows expansion of export proteins, which suggests a complex requirement of these export proteins for specific pathogenesis and erythrocyte remodeling. Plasmodium helical intersperse sub-telomeric (PHIST) is a family of seventy-two small export proteins and many of its recently discovered functional characteristics suggest an intriguing putative role in modification of an iRBC. This review highlights the recent advances in parasite genomics, proteomics, and cell biology studies unraveling the host cell modification; providing a speculation on the impact of PHIST proteins in modification of the iRBC.
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Mbengue A, Audiger N, Vialla E, Dubremetz JF, Braun-Breton C. NovelPlasmodium falciparum Maurer's clefts protein families implicated in the release of infectious merozoites. Mol Microbiol 2013; 88:425-42. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Mwakalinga SB, Wang CW, Bengtsson DC, Turner L, Dinko B, Lusingu JP, Arnot DE, Sutherland CJ, Theander TG, Lavstsen T. Expression of a type B RIFIN in Plasmodium falciparum merozoites and gametes. Malar J 2012; 11:429. [PMID: 23259643 PMCID: PMC3544569 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability of Plasmodium falciparum to undergo antigenic variation, by switching expression among protein variants encoded by multigene families, such as var, rif and stevor, is key to the survival of this parasite in the human host. The RIFIN protein family can be divided into A and B types based on the presence or absence of a 25 amino acid motif in the semi-conserved domain. A particular type B RIFIN, PF13_0006, has previously been shown to be strongly transcribed in the asexual and sexual stages of P. falciparum in vitro. METHODS Antibodies to recombinant PF13_0006 RIFIN were used in immunofluorescence and confocal imaging of 3D7 parasites throughout the asexual reproduction and sexual development to examine the expression of PF13_0006. Furthermore, reactivity to recombinant PF13_0006 was measured in plasma samples collected from individuals from both East and West African endemic areas. RESULTS The PF13_0006 RIFIN variant appeared expressed by both released merozoites and gametes after emergence. 7.4% and 12.1% of individuals from East and West African endemic areas, respectively, carry plasma antibodies that recognize recombinant PF13_0006, where the antibody responses were more common among older children. CONCLUSIONS The stage specificity of PF13_0006 suggests that the diversity of RIFIN variants has evolved to provide multiple specialized functions in different stages of the parasite life cycle. These data also suggest that RIFIN variants antigenically similar to PF13_0006 occur in African parasite populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven B Mwakalinga
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Cortés A, Crowley VM, Vaquero A, Voss TS. A view on the role of epigenetics in the biology of malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8:e1002943. [PMID: 23271963 PMCID: PMC3521673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alfred Cortés
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Valerie M. Crowley
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Vaquero
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Till S. Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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