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Guo Z, Yue N, Chen M, Li J, Lv R, Wang J, Liu T, Huang J, Gao S, Li Y, Yuan B, Wang J, Kang L, Ji B, Xin W. Purinergic Receptor Antagonists Inhibit Hemolysis Induced by Clostridium perfringens Alpha Toxin. Pathogens 2024; 13:454. [PMID: 38921752 PMCID: PMC11206506 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin (CPA), which causes yellow lamb disease in sheep and gas gangrene and food poisoning in humans, is produced by all types of C. perfringens and is the major virulence determinant of C. perfringens type A. CPA induces hemolysis in many species, including humans, murines, sheep and rabbits, through its enzymatic activity, which dissolves the cell membrane. Recent studies have shown that some pore-forming toxins cause hemolysis, which is achieved by the activation of purinergic receptors (P2). However, the relationship between P2 receptors and non-pore-forming toxin hemolysis has not been investigated. In the present study, we examined the function of P2 receptors in CPA toxin hemolysis and found that CPA-induced hemolysis was dependent on P2 receptor activation, and this was also true for Staphylococcus aureus β-Hemolysin, another non-pore-forming toxin. Furthermore, we use selective P2 receptor antagonists to demonstrate that P2X1 and P2X7 play important roles in the hemolysis of human and murine erythrocytes. In addition, we found that redox metabolism was mainly involved in CPA-induced hemolysis using metabolomic analysis. We further demonstrate that CPA activates P2 receptors and then activates NADPH oxidase through the PI3K/Akt and MEK1/ERK1 pathways, followed by the production of active oxygen to induce hemolysis. These findings contribute to our understanding of the pathological effects of CPA, clarify the relationship between P2 activation and non-pore-forming toxin-induced hemolysis, and provide new insights into CPA-induced hemolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zishuo Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
- Emergency Department, 96605 Army Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army, Jilin 134000, China
| | - Nan Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Ming Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Jiaxin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Ruomei Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Tingting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Jing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Shan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Yanwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Bing Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Jinglin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Lin Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Bin Ji
- Department of Disease Control, The Affiliated Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi 214101, China
| | - Wenwen Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, AMMS, Beijing 100071, China; (Z.G.); (N.Y.); (M.C.); (J.L.); (R.L.); (J.W.); (T.L.); (J.H.); (S.G.); (Y.L.); (B.Y.); (J.W.)
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Ghosh S, Kundu R, Chandana M, Das R, Anand A, Beura S, Bobde RC, Jain V, Prabhu SR, Behera PK, Mohanty AK, Chakrapani M, Satyamoorthy K, Suryawanshi AR, Dixit A, Padmanaban G, Nagaraj VA. Distinct evolution of type I glutamine synthetase in Plasmodium and its species-specific requirement. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4216. [PMID: 37452051 PMCID: PMC10349072 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39670-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasite lacks canonical pathways for amino acid biosynthesis and depends primarily on hemoglobin degradation and extracellular resources for amino acids. Interestingly, a putative gene for glutamine synthetase (GS) is retained despite glutamine being an abundant amino acid in human and mosquito hosts. Here we show Plasmodium GS has evolved as a unique type I enzyme with distinct structural and regulatory properties to adapt to the asexual niche. Methionine sulfoximine (MSO) and phosphinothricin (PPT) inhibit parasite GS activity. GS is localized to the parasite cytosol and abundantly expressed in all the life cycle stages. Parasite GS displays species-specific requirement in Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) having asparagine-rich proteome. Targeting PfGS affects asparagine levels and inhibits protein synthesis through eIF2α phosphorylation leading to parasite death. Exposure of artemisinin-resistant Pf parasites to MSO and PPT inhibits the emergence of viable parasites upon artemisinin treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Ghosh
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Rajib Kundu
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Manjunatha Chandana
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- School of Biotechnology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Rahul Das
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Aditya Anand
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Subhashree Beura
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Ruchir Chandrakant Bobde
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, Haryana, India
| | - Vishal Jain
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Sowmya Ramakant Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Akshaya Kumar Mohanty
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
- Ispat General Hospital, Sector 19, Rourkela, 769005, Odisha, India
| | - Mahabala Chakrapani
- Department of Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Kapaettu Satyamoorthy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Anshuman Dixit
- Infectious Disease Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, 751023, Odisha, India
| | - Govindarajan Padmanaban
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, Karnataka, India
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Azzuolo A, Yang Y, Berghuis A, Fodil N, Gros P. Biphosphoglycerate Mutase: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Malaria? Transfus Med Rev 2023; 37:150748. [PMID: 37827586 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2023.150748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Biphosphoglycerate mutase (BPGM) is a tri-functional enzyme expressed exclusively in erythroid cells and tissues that is responsible for the production of 2,3-biphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG) through the Rapoport-Luebering shunt. The 2,3-BPG is required for efficient glycolysis and ATP production under anaerobic conditions, but is also a critical allosteric regulator of hemoglobin (Hb), acting to regulate oxygen release in peripheral tissues. In humans, BPGM deficiency is very rare, and is associated with reduced levels of erythrocytic 2,3-BPG and ATP, left shifted Hb-O2 dissociation curve, low P50, elevated Hb and constitutive erythrocytosis. BPGM deficiency in mice recapitulates the erythroid defects seen in human patients. A recent report has shown that BPGM deficiency in mice affords striking protection against both severe malaria anemia and cerebral malaria. These findings are reminiscent of studies of another erythrocyte specific glycolytic enzyme, Pyruvate Kinase (PKLR), which mutational inactivation protects humans and mice against malaria through impairment of glycolysis and ATP production in erythrocytes. BPGM, and PKLR join glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and other erythrocyte variants as modulating response to malaria. Recent studies reviewed suggest glycolysis in general, and BPGM in particular, as a novel pharmacological target for therapeutic intervention in malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Azzuolo
- Department of Biochemistry, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yunxiang Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Albert Berghuis
- Department of Biochemistry, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nassima Fodil
- Department of Biochemistry, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Philippe Gros
- Department of Biochemistry, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Ito T, Kajita S, Fujii M, Shinohara Y. Plasmodium Parasite Malate-Quinone Oxidoreductase Functionally Complements a Yeast Deletion Mutant of Mitochondrial Malate Dehydrogenase. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0016823. [PMID: 37036365 PMCID: PMC10269487 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00168-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of drug-resistant variants of malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites is a life-threatening problem worldwide. Investigation of the physiological function of individual parasite proteins is a prerequisite for a deeper understanding of the metabolic pathways required for parasite survival and therefore a requirement for the development of novel antimalarials. A Plasmodium membrane protein, malate-quinone oxidoreductase (MQO), is thought to contribute to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the electron transport chain (ETC) and is an antimalarial drug target. However, there is little information on its expression and function. Here, we investigated the function of Plasmodium falciparum MQO (PfMQO) in mitochondria using a yeast heterologous expression system. Using a yeast deletion mutant of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH1), which is expected to be functionally similar to MQO, as a background strain, we successfully constructed PfMQO-expressing yeast. We confirmed that expression of PfMQO complemented the growth defect of the MDH1 deletion, indicating that PfMQO can adopt the metabolic role of MDH1 in energy transduction for growth in the recombinant yeast. Analysis of cell fractions confirmed that PfMQO was expressed and enriched in yeast mitochondria. By measuring MQO activity, we also confirmed that PfMQO expressed in yeast mitochondria was active. Measurement of oxygen consumption rates showed that mitochondrial respiration was driven by the TCA cycle through PfMQO. In addition, we found that MQO activity was enhanced when intact mitochondria were sonicated, indicating that the malate binding site of PfMQO is located facing the mitochondrial matrix. IMPORTANCE We constructed a model organism to study the physiological role and function of P. falciparum malate-quinone oxidoreductase (PfMQO) in a yeast expression system. PfMQO is actively expressed in yeast mitochondria and functions in place of yeast mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the oxidation of malate to oxaloacetate in the TCA cycle. The catalytic site for the oxidation of malate in PfMQO, which is a membrane-bound protein, faces into the mitochondrial matrix, not the mitochondrial inner membrane space. Our findings clearly show that PfMQO is a TCA cycle enzyme and is coupled with the ETC via ubiquinone reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Ito
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Sayaka Kajita
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Minori Fujii
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yasuo Shinohara
- Institute of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan
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Mosavati B, Oleinikov A, Du E. 3D microfluidics-assisted modeling of glucose transport in placental malaria. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15278. [PMID: 36088464 PMCID: PMC9464215 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19422-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The human placenta is a critical organ, mediating the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste products between fetus and mother. Placental malaria (PM) resulted from Plasmodium falciparum infections causes up to 200 thousand newborn deaths annually, mainly due to low birth weight, as well as 10 thousand mother deaths. In this work, a placenta-on-a-chip model is developed to mimic the nutrient exchange between the fetus and mother under the influence of PM. In this model, trophoblasts cells (facing infected or uninfected blood simulating maternal blood and termed “trophoblast side”) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (facing uninfected blood simulating fetal blood and termed “endothelial” side) are cultured on the opposite sides of an extracellular matrix gel in a compartmental microfluidic system, forming a physiological barrier between the co-flow tubular structure to mimic a simplified maternal–fetal interface in placental villi. The influences of infected erythrocytes (IEs) sequestration through cytoadhesion to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) expressed on the surface of trophoblast cells, a critical feature of PM, on glucose transfer efficiency across the placental barrier was studied. To create glucose gradients across the barrier, uninfected erythrocyte or IE suspension with a higher glucose concentration was introduced into the “trophoblast side” and a culture medium with lower glucose concentration was introduced into the “endothelial side”. The glucose levels in the endothelial channel in response to CSA-adherent erythrocytes infected with CS2 line of parasites in trophoblast channel under flow conditions was monitored. Uninfected erythrocytes served as a negative control. The results demonstrated that CSA-binding IEs added resistance to the simulated placental barrier for glucose perfusion and decreased the glucose transfer across this barrier. The results of this study can be used for better understanding of PM pathology and development of models useful in studying potential treatment of PM.
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Ramos S, Ademolue TW, Jentho E, Wu Q, Guerra J, Martins R, Pires G, Weis S, Carlos AR, Mahú I, Seixas E, Duarte D, Rajas F, Cardoso S, Sousa AGG, Lilue J, Paixão T, Mithieux G, Nogueira F, Soares MP. A hypometabolic defense strategy against malaria. Cell Metab 2022; 34:1183-1200.e12. [PMID: 35841892 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Hypoglycemia is a clinical hallmark of severe malaria, the often-lethal outcome of Plasmodium falciparum infection. Here, we report that malaria-associated hypoglycemia emerges from a non-canonical resistance mechanism, whereby the infected host reduces glycemia to starve Plasmodium. This hypometabolic response is elicited by labile heme, a byproduct of hemolysis that induces illness-induced anorexia and represses hepatic glucose production. While transient repression of hepatic glucose production prevents unfettered immune-mediated inflammation, organ damage, and anemia, when sustained over time it leads to hypoglycemia, compromising host energy expenditure and adaptive thermoregulation. The latter arrests the development of asexual stages of Plasmodium via a mechanism associated with parasite mitochondrial dysfunction. In response, Plasmodium activates a transcriptional program associated with the reduction of virulence and sexual differentiation toward the generation of transmissible gametocytes. In conclusion, malaria-associated hypoglycemia represents a trade-off of a hypometabolic-based defense strategy that balances parasite virulence versus transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Ramos
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Elisa Jentho
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Qian Wu
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Joel Guerra
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Rui Martins
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Gil Pires
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Sebastian Weis
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany; Institute for Infectious Disease and Infection Control, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany; Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Jena University, Jena, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Inês Mahú
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Elsa Seixas
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Denise Duarte
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | | | | | | | - Tiago Paixão
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Fátima Nogueira
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Abidha CA, Amoako YA, Nyamekye RK, Bedu-Addo G, Grziwotz F, Mockenhaupt FP, Telschow A, Danquah I. Fasting blood glucose in a Ghanaian adult is causally affected by malaria parasite load: a mechanistic case study using convergent cross mapping. Malar J 2022; 21:93. [PMID: 35303892 PMCID: PMC8932323 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04076-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) in malaria-endemic areas might be more susceptible to Plasmodium infection than healthy individuals. Herein, the study was aimed at verifying the hypothesis that increased fasting blood glucose (FBG) promotes parasite growth as reflected by increased parasite density. METHODS Seven adults without DM were recruited in rural Ghana to determine the relationships between FBG and malaria parasite load. Socio-economic data were recorded in questionnaire-based interviews. Over a period of 6 weeks, FBG and Plasmodium sp. Infection were measured in peripheral blood samples photometrically and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-assays, respectively. Daily physical activity and weather data were documented via smartphone recording. For the complex natural systems of homeostatic glucose control and Plasmodium sp. life cycle, empirical dynamic modelling was applied. RESULTS At baseline, four men and three women (median age, 33 years; interquartile range, 30-48) showed a median FBG of 5.5 (5.1-6.0 mmol/L); one participant had an asymptomatic Plasmodium sp. infection (parasite density: 240/µL). In this participant, convergent cross mapping (CCM) for 34 consecutive days, showed that FBG was causally affected by parasite density (p < 0.02), while the reciprocal relationship was not discernible (p > 0.05). Additionally, daily ambient temperature affected parasite density (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION In this study population living in a malaria-endemic area, time series analyses were successfully piloted for the relationships between FBG and Plasmodium sp. density. Longer observation periods and larger samples are required to confirm these findings and determine the direction of causality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Abidha
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Yaw Ampem Amoako
- Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - George Bedu-Addo
- Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Florian Grziwotz
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frank P Mockenhaupt
- Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Arndt Telschow
- Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Environmental Systems Research, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Ina Danquah
- Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, Heidelberg Institute of Global Health (HIGH), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Germany
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Akinwunmi MT, Adisa RA, Aroyeun SO, Ademowo OG. Ethanolic extract of Camellia sinensise licited hypoglycemic but lacked antimalarial properties in Plasmodium berghei-infected diabetic mice. Niger J Physiol Sci 2021; 36:189-194. [PMID: 35947739 DOI: 10.54548/njps.v36i2.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The in vivo antimalarial and antidiabetic activity of extract of Camellia sinensis (ECS) in alloxan-induced diabetic and Plasmodium berghei-infected mice were investigated. Eighty-four BALB/c mice divided into sets 1 & 2 infected with P. berghei and 2 & 3 injected with alloxan received either distilled water, ECS (300mg/kg), Chloroquine (CQ-10mg/kg) or Metformin (250mg/kg). Results showed significant increases (p<0.05) in percentage parasitaemia of P. berghei-infected mice treated with ECS and P. berghei-diabetic mice. Furthermore, ECS significantly decreased (p<0.05) blood glucose and PCV in diabetic and P. berghei-diabetic mice. ECS regenerated pancreatic islet cells in P. berghei-infected-diabetes but lacked appreciable antimalarial activity.
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Rangel GW, Llinás M. Re-Envisioning Anti-Apicomplexan Parasite Drug Discovery Approaches. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:691121. [PMID: 34178727 PMCID: PMC8226314 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.691121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa impact humans in nearly all parts of the world, causing diseases including to toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, babesiosis, and malaria. Apicomplexan parasites have complex life cycles comprised of one or more stages characterized by rapid replication and biomass amplification, which enables accelerated evolutionary adaptation to environmental changes, including to drug pressure. The emergence of drug resistant pathogens is a major looming and/or active threat for current frontline chemotherapies, especially for widely used antimalarial drugs. In fact, resistant parasites have been reported against all modern antimalarial drugs within 15 years of clinical introduction, including the current frontline artemisinin-based combination therapies. Chemotherapeutics are a major tool in the public health arsenal for combatting the onset and spread of apicomplexan diseases. All currently approved antimalarial drugs have been discovered either through chemical modification of natural products or through large-scale screening of chemical libraries for parasite death phenotypes, and so far, none have been developed through a gene-to-drug pipeline. However, the limited duration of efficacy of these drugs in the field underscores the need for new and innovative approaches to discover drugs that can counter rapid resistance evolution. This review details both historical and current antimalarial drug discovery approaches. We also highlight new strategies that may be employed to discover resistance-resistant drug targets and chemotherapies in order to circumvent the rapid evolution of resistance in apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel W. Rangel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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10
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Rashidi S, Tuteja R, Mansouri R, Ali-Hassanzadeh M, Shafiei R, Ghani E, Karimazar M, Nguewa P, Manzano-Román R. The main post-translational modifications and related regulatory pathways in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum: An update. J Proteomics 2021; 245:104279. [PMID: 34089893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There are important challenges when investigating individual post-translational modifications (PTMs) or protein interaction network and delineating if PTMs or their changes and cross-talks are involved during infection, disease initiation or as a result of disease progression. Proteomics and in silico approaches now offer the possibility to complement each other to further understand the regulatory involvement of these modifications in parasites and infection biology. Accordingly, the current review highlights key expressed or altered proteins and PTMs are invisible switches that turn on and off the function of most of the proteins. PTMs include phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquitylation, palmitoylation, myristoylation, prenylation, acetylation, methylation, and epigenetic PTMs in P. falciparum which have been recently identified. But also other low-abundant or overlooked PTMs that might be important for the parasite's survival, infectivity, antigenicity, immunomodulation and pathogenesis. We here emphasize the PTMs as regulatory pathways playing major roles in the biology, pathogenicity, metabolic pathways, survival, host-parasite interactions and the life cycle of P. falciparum. Further validations and functional characterizations of such proteins might confirm the discovery of therapeutic targets and might most likely provide valuable data for the treatment of P. falciparum, the main cause of severe malaria in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajad Rashidi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Renu Tuteja
- Parasite Biology Group, ICGEB, P. O. Box 10504, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Reza Mansouri
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ali-Hassanzadeh
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Jiroft University of Medical Sciences, Jiroft, Iran
| | - Reza Shafiei
- Vector-borne Diseases Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
| | - Esmaeel Ghani
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Mohammadreza Karimazar
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Paul Nguewa
- University of Navarra, ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
| | - Raúl Manzano-Román
- Proteomics Unit, Cancer Research Centre (IBMCC/CSIC/USAL/IBSAL), 37007, Salamanca, Spain.
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Glucose-mediated proliferation of a gut commensal bacterium promotes Plasmodium infection by increasing mosquito midgut pH. Cell Rep 2021; 35:108992. [PMID: 33882310 PMCID: PMC8116483 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-nectar-derived sugar is the major energy source for mosquitoes, but its influence on vector competence for malaria parasites remains unclear. Here, we show that Plasmodium berghei infection of Anopheles stephensi results in global metabolome changes, with the most significant impact on glucose metabolism. Feeding on glucose or trehalose (the main hemolymph sugars) renders the mosquito more susceptible to Plasmodium infection by alkalizing the mosquito midgut. The glucose/trehalose diets promote proliferation of a commensal bacterium, Asaia bogorensis, that remodels glucose metabolism in a way that increases midgut pH, thereby promoting Plasmodium gametogenesis. We also demonstrate that the sugar composition from different natural plant nectars influences A. bogorensis growth, resulting in a greater permissiveness to Plasmodium. Altogether, our results demonstrate that dietary glucose is an important determinant of mosquito vector competency for Plasmodium, further highlighting a key role for mosquito-microbiota interactions in regulating the development of the malaria parasite.
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12
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Erythrocyte sphingosine kinase regulates intraerythrocytic development of Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1257. [PMID: 33441957 PMCID: PMC7806667 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80658-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sphingolipid pool is key regulator of vital cellular functions in Plasmodium falciparum a causative agent for deadly malaria. Erythrocytes, the host for asexual stage of Plasmodium, are major reservoir for Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Erythrocyte possesses Sphingosine kinase (SphK) that catalyzed its biosynthesis from sphingosine (Sph). Since, Plasmodium lacks SphK homologous protein it can be envisaged that it co-opts sphingolipids from both intraerythrocytic as well as extracellular pools for its growth and development. Herein, by sphingosine-NBD probing, we report that infected erythrocytes imports Sph from extracellular pool, which is converted to S1P and thereby taken by P. falciparum. Next, by targeting of the SphK through specific inhibitor N,N-Dimethylsphingosine DMS, we show a reduction in erythrocyte endogenous S1P pool and SphK-phosphorylation that led to inhibition in growth and development of ring stage P. falciparum. Owing to the role of S1P in erythrocyte glycolysis we analyzed uptake of NBD-Glucose and production of lactate in DMS treated and untreated plasmodium. DMS treatment led to decreased glycolysis in Plasmodium. Interestingly the host free Plasmodium did not show any effect on glycolysis with DMS treatment indicating its host-mediated effect. Further to understand the in-vivo anti-plasmodial effects of exogenous and endogenous erythrocyte S1P level, Sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase (S1PL) inhibitor (THI), S1P and SphK-1 inhibitor (DMS), were used in Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) mice model. DMS treatment led to reduction of endogenous S1P conferred significant decrease in parasite load, whereas the plasma level S1P modulated by (THI) and exogenous S1P have no effect on growth of Plasmodium. This suggested erythrocyte endogenous S1P pool is important for Plasmodium growth whereas the plasma level S1P has no effect. Altogether, this study provides insight on cellular processes regulated by S1P in P. falciparum and highlights the novel mechanistically distinct molecular target i.e. SphK-1.
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Sato D, Hartuti ED, Inaoka DK, Sakura T, Amalia E, Nagahama M, Yoshioka Y, Tsuji N, Nozaki T, Kita K, Harada S, Matsubayashi M, Shiba T. Structural and Biochemical Features of Eimeria tenella Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase, a Potential Drug Target. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11121468. [PMID: 33297567 PMCID: PMC7762340 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a mitochondrial monotopic membrane protein that plays an essential role in the pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis and electron transport chain pathways. In Eimeria tenella, an intracellular apicomplexan parasite that causes the most severe form of chicken coccidiosis, the activity of pyrimidine salvage pathway at the intracellular stage is negligible and it relies on the pyrimidine de novo biosynthesis pathway. Therefore, the enzymes of the de novo pathway are considered potential drug target candidates for the design of compounds with activity against this parasite. Although, DHODHs from E. tenella (EtDHODH), Plasmodium falciparum (PfDHODH), and human (HsDHODH) show distinct sensitivities to classical DHODH inhibitors, in this paper, we identify ferulenol as a potent inhibitor of both EtDHODH and HsDHODH. Additionally, we report the crystal structures of EtDHODH and HsDHODH in the absence and presence of ferulenol. Comparison of these enzymes showed that despite similar overall structures, the EtDHODH has a long insertion in the N-terminal helix region that assumes a disordered configuration. In addition, the crystal structures revealed that the ferulenol binding pocket of EtDHODH is larger than that of HsDHODH. These differences can be explored to accelerate structure-based design of inhibitors specifically targeting EtDHODH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Sato
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Endah Dwi Hartuti
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
| | - Daniel Ken Inaoka
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
- Correspondence: (D.K.I.); (T.S.); Tel.: +81-95-819-7230 (D.K.I.); Tel./Fax: +81-75-724-7541 (T.S.)
| | - Takaya Sakura
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
| | - Eri Amalia
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
| | - Madoka Nagahama
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Yukina Yoshioka
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Naotoshi Tsuji
- Department of Parasitology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0374, Japan;
| | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
| | - Kiyoshi Kita
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan;
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; (E.A.); (T.N.)
- Department of Host-Defense Biochemistry, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Shigeharu Harada
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
| | - Makoto Matsubayashi
- Division of Veterinary Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58 Rinku Orai Kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan;
| | - Tomoo Shiba
- Department of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan; (D.S.); (M.N.); (Y.Y.); (S.H.)
- Correspondence: (D.K.I.); (T.S.); Tel.: +81-95-819-7230 (D.K.I.); Tel./Fax: +81-75-724-7541 (T.S.)
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Shaw WR, Holmdahl IE, Itoe MA, Werling K, Marquette M, Paton DG, Singh N, Buckee CO, Childs LM, Catteruccia F. Multiple blood feeding in mosquitoes shortens the Plasmodium falciparum incubation period and increases malaria transmission potential. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1009131. [PMID: 33382824 PMCID: PMC7774842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Many mosquito species, including the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, naturally undergo multiple reproductive cycles of blood feeding, egg development and egg laying in their lifespan. Such complex mosquito behavior is regularly overlooked when mosquitoes are experimentally infected with malaria parasites, limiting our ability to accurately describe potential effects on transmission. Here, we examine how Plasmodium falciparum development and transmission potential is impacted when infected mosquitoes feed an additional time. We measured P. falciparum oocyst size and performed sporozoite time course analyses to determine the parasite's extrinsic incubation period (EIP), i.e. the time required by parasites to reach infectious sporozoite stages, in An. gambiae females blood fed either once or twice. An additional blood feed at 3 days post infection drastically accelerates oocyst growth rates, causing earlier sporozoite accumulation in the salivary glands, thereby shortening the EIP (reduction of 2.3 ± 0.4 days). Moreover, parasite growth is further accelerated in transgenic mosquitoes with reduced reproductive capacity, which mimic genetic modifications currently proposed in population suppression gene drives. We incorporate our shortened EIP values into a measure of transmission potential, the basic reproduction number R0, and find the average R0 is higher (range: 10.1%-12.1% increase) across sub-Saharan Africa than when using traditional EIP measurements. These data suggest that malaria elimination may be substantially more challenging and that younger mosquitoes or those with reduced reproductive ability may provide a larger contribution to infection than currently believed. Our findings have profound implications for current and future mosquito control interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Robert Shaw
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Inga E. Holmdahl
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Maurice A. Itoe
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Kristine Werling
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Meghan Marquette
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Douglas G. Paton
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Naresh Singh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Caroline O. Buckee
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Lauren M. Childs
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Flaminia Catteruccia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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15
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Mahapatra RK, Das M. A computational approach to validate novel drug targets of gentianine from Swertiya chirayita in Plasmodium falciparum. Biosystems 2020; 196:104175. [PMID: 32593550 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2020.104175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Gentianine is one of the compounds found in the plant Swertiya chirayita that is known for its antimalarial activity. However, its exact molecular mechanism of action is yet to be understood. In our present study, we applied several computational approaches to filter out and determine possible targets of gentianine in Plasmodium falciparum 3D7. Protein-protein networks formed the basis of one of our strategies along with orthologous protein analysis to establish essentiality. Out of 6 essential proteins from unique pathways, haloacid dehalogenase like-hydrolase (PfHAD1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PfPEPCK) and fumarate hydratase (PfFH) were screened as drug targets through this approach. Through our other strategy we established the predicted IC50 (PIC50) value of gentianine with a set of molecular descriptors from 123 Pathogen Box anti-malarial compounds. Afterwards through 2D structural similarity, L-lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH) was established as another possible target. In our work, we performed in silico docking and analysed the binding of gentianine to the proteins. All of the proteins were reported with favourable binding results and were considered for complex molecular dynamics simulation approach. Our research clears up the molecular mechanism of antimalarial activity of gentianine to some extent paving way for experimental validation of the same in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajani Kanta Mahapatra
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India.
| | - Mahin Das
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, Odisha, India
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Atchou K, Ongus J, Machuka E, Juma J, Tiambo C, Djikeng A, Silva JC, Pelle R. Comparative Transcriptomics of the Bovine Apicomplexan Parasite Theileria parva Developmental Stages Reveals Massive Gene Expression Variation and Potential Vaccine Antigens. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:287. [PMID: 32582776 PMCID: PMC7296165 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Theileria parva is a protozoan parasite that causes East Coast fever (ECF), an economically important disease of cattle in Africa. It is transmitted mainly by the tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. Research efforts to develop a subunit vaccine based on parasite neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes have met with limited success. The molecular mechanisms underlying T. parva life cycle stages in the tick vector and bovine host are poorly understood, thus limiting progress toward an effective and efficient control of ECF. Transcriptomics has been used to identify candidate vaccine antigens or markers associated with virulence and disease pathology. Therefore, characterization of gene expression throughout the parasite's life cycle should shed light on host-pathogen interactions in ECF and identify genes underlying differences in parasite stages as well as potential, novel therapeutic targets. Recently, the first gene expression profiling of T. parva was conducted for the sporoblast, sporozoite, and schizont stages. The sporozoite is infective to cattle, whereas the schizont is the major pathogenic form of the parasite. The schizont can differentiate into piroplasm, which is infective to the tick vector. The present study was designed to extend the T. parva gene expression profiling to the piroplasm stage with reference to the schizont. Pairwise comparison revealed that 3,279 of a possible 4,084 protein coding genes were differentially expressed, with 1,623 (49%) genes upregulated and 1,656 (51%) downregulated in the piroplasm relative to the schizont. In addition, over 200 genes were stage-specific. In general, there were more molecular functions, biological processes, subcellular localizations, and pathways significantly enriched in the piroplasm than in the schizont. Using known antigens as benchmarks, we identified several new potential vaccine antigens, including TP04_0076 and TP04_0640, which were highly immunogenic in naturally T. parva-infected cattle. All the candidate vaccine antigens identified have yet to be investigated for their capacity to induce protective immune response against ECF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kodzo Atchou
- Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi, Kenya.,Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Juliette Ongus
- Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eunice Machuka
- Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation, Pan African University, Nairobi, Kenya.,Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - John Juma
- Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Christian Tiambo
- Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Appolinaire Djikeng
- Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Roger Pelle
- Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
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17
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Tewari SG, Swift RP, Reifman J, Prigge ST, Wallqvist A. Metabolic alterations in the erythrocyte during blood-stage development of the malaria parasite. Malar J 2020; 19:94. [PMID: 32103749 PMCID: PMC7045481 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03174-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Human blood cells (erythrocytes) serve as hosts for the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum during its 48-h intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC). Established in vitro protocols allow for the study of host–parasite interactions during this phase and, in particular, high-resolution metabolomics can provide a window into host–parasite interactions that support parasite development. Methods Uninfected and parasite-infected erythrocyte cultures were maintained at 2% haematocrit for the duration of the IDC, while parasitaemia was maintained at 7% in the infected cultures. The parasite-infected cultures were synchronized to obtain stage-dependent information of parasite development during the IDC. Samples were collected in quadruplicate at six time points from the uninfected and parasite-infected cultures and global metabolomics was used to analyse cell fractions of these cultures. Results In uninfected and parasite-infected cultures during the IDC, 501 intracellular metabolites, including 223 lipid metabolites, were successfully quantified. Of these, 19 distinct metabolites were present only in the parasite-infected culture, 10 of which increased to twofold in abundance during the IDC. This work quantified approximately five times the metabolites measured in previous studies of similar research scope, which allowed for more detailed analyses. Enrichment in lipid metabolism pathways exhibited a time-dependent association with different classes of lipids during the IDC. Specifically, enrichment occurred in sphingolipids at the earlier stages, and subsequently in lysophospholipid and phospholipid metabolites at the intermediate and end stages of the IDC, respectively. In addition, there was an accumulation of 18-, 20-, and 22-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids, which produce eicosanoids and promote gametocytogenesis in infected erythrocyte cultures. Conclusions The current study revealed a number of heretofore unidentified metabolic components of the host–parasite system, which the parasite may exploit in a time-dependent manner to grow over the course of its development in the blood stage. Notably, the analyses identified components, such as precursors of immunomodulatory molecules, stage-dependent lipid dynamics, and metabolites, unique to parasite-infected cultures. These conclusions are reinforced by the metabolic alterations that were characterized during the IDC, which were in close agreement with those known from previous studies of blood-stage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivendra G Tewari
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, USA. .,The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF), Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Russell P Swift
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jaques Reifman
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, USA
| | - Sean T Prigge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anders Wallqvist
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Ft. Detrick, MD, USA.
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18
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Novel chloroquine loaded curcumin based anionic linear globular dendrimer G2: a metabolomics study on Plasmodium falciparum in vitro using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Parasitology 2020; 147:747-759. [PMID: 32102701 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020000372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Due to side-effects and inefficiency of the drugs used in malaria treatment, finding alternative medicine with less side-effects has attracted much attention. In this regard, in the present study, nanocomposite synthesized and its effects on the metabolites of P. falciparum were investigated. Subsequent to synthesis of nanocomposites, characterization was carried out using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and Fourier-transform infrared tests. Solubility and drug release were measured and its toxicity on Vero cell was assessed using the MTT assay. The antiparasitic effect of the nanocomposite on the metabolites of P. falciparum was investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Among synthesized nanocomposites, the average size of 239 nm showed suitable solubility in water as well as slow drug release. The MTT assay showed no toxicity for Vero cell lines. Concentrations of 2.5 μg mL-1 of nanocomposite eliminated 82.6% of the total parasites. The most effected metabolic cycles were glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. In this study, 1H NMR spectroscopy was used with untargeted metabolomics to study the effect of the nanocomposite on P. falciparum. Playing an essential role in understanding drug-target interactions and characterization of mechanism of action or resistance exhibited by novel antiprotozoal drugs, can be achieved by targeting metabolic using LC-MS.
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Silvestre R, Torrado E. Metabolomic-Based Methods in Diagnosis and Monitoring Infection Progression. EXPERIENTIA SUPPLEMENTUM (2012) 2019; 109:283-315. [PMID: 30535603 PMCID: PMC7124096 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-74932-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A robust biomarker screening and validation is crucial for overcoming the current limits in the clinical management of infectious diseases. In this chapter, a general workflow for metabolomics is summarized. Subsequently, an overview of the major contributions of this omics science to the field of biomarkers of infectious diseases is discussed. Different approaches using a variety of analytical platforms can be distinguished to unveil the key metabolites for the diagnosis, prognosis, response to treatment and susceptibility for infectious diseases. To allow the implementation of such biomarkers into the clinics, the performance of large-scale studies employing solid validation criteria becomes essential. Focusing on the etiological agents and after an extensive review of the field, we present a comprehensive revision of the main metabolic biomarkers of viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases. Finally, we discussed several articles which show the strongest validation criteria. Following these research avenues, precious clinical resources will be revealed, allowing for reduced misdiagnosis, more efficient therapies, and affordable costs, ultimately leading to a better patient management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Silvestre
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Egídio Torrado
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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20
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Shivapurkar R, Hingamire T, Kulkarni AS, Rajamohanan PR, Reddy DS, Shanmugam D. Evaluating antimalarial efficacy by tracking glycolysis in Plasmodium falciparum using NMR spectroscopy. Sci Rep 2018; 8:18076. [PMID: 30584241 PMCID: PMC6305384 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36197-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucose is an essential nutrient for Plasmodium falciparum and robust glycolytic activity is indicative of viable parasites. Using NMR spectroscopy, we show that P. falciparum infected erythrocytes consume ~20 times more glucose, and trophozoites metabolize ~6 times more glucose than ring stage parasites. The glycolytic activity, and hence parasite viability, can be measured within a period of 2 h to 5 h, using this method. This facilitates antimalarial bioactivity screening on ring and trophozoite stage parasites, exclusively. We demonstrate this using potent and mechanistically distinct antimalarial compounds such as chloroquine, atovaquone, cladosporin, DDD107498 and artemisinin. Our findings indicate that ring stage parasites are inherently more tolerant to antimalarial inhibitors, a feature which may facilitate emergence of drug resistance. Thus, there is a need to discover novel antimalarial compounds, which are potent and fast acting against ring stage parasites. The NMR method reported here can facilitate the identification of such molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupali Shivapurkar
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - Tejashri Hingamire
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
| | - Akshay S Kulkarni
- Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - P R Rajamohanan
- Central NMR facility, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - D Srinivasa Reddy
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India.,Organic Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - Dhanasekaran Shanmugam
- Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India. .,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India.
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Abstract
Sickness behaviors are a conserved set of stereotypic responses to inflammatory diseases. We recently demonstrated that interfering with inflammation-induced anorexia led to metabolic changes that had profound effects on survival of acute inflammatory conditions. We found that different inflammatory states needed to be coordinated with corresponding metabolic programs to actuate tissue-protective mechanisms. Survival of viral inflammation required intact glucose utilization pathways, whereas survival of bacterial inflammation required alternative fuel substrates and ketogenic programs. We thus hypothesized that organismal metabolism would be important in other classes of infectious inflammation and sought to understand its role in the prototypic parasitic disease malaria. Utilizing the cerebral malaria model, Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection in C57BL/6J male mice, we unexpectedly found that inhibition of glycolysis using 2-deoxy glucose (2DG) conferred protection from cerebral malaria. Unlike vehicle-treated animals, 2DG-treated animals did not develop cerebral malaria and survived until ultimately succumbing to fatal anemia. We did not find any differences in parasitemia or pathogen load in affected tissues. There were no differences in the kinetics of anemia. We also did not detect differences in immune infiltration in the brain or in blood-brain barrier permeability. Rather, on pathological analyses performed on the entire brain, we found that 2DG prevented the formation of thrombi and thrombotic complications. Using thromboelastography (TEG), we found that 2DG-treated animals formed clots that were significantly less strong and stable. Together, these data suggest that glucose metabolism is involved in inflammation-induced hemostasis and provide a potential therapeutic target in treatment of cerebral malaria.
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22
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Lunev S, Butzloff S, Romero AR, Linzke M, Batista FA, Meissner KA, Müller IB, Adawy A, Wrenger C, Groves MR. Oligomeric interfaces as a tool in drug discovery: Specific interference with activity of malate dehydrogenase of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195011. [PMID: 29694407 PMCID: PMC5919072 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria remains a major threat to human health, as strains resistant to current therapeutics are discovered. Efforts in finding new drug targets are hampered by the lack of sufficiently specific tools to provide target validation prior to initiating expensive drug discovery projects. Thus, new approaches that can rapidly enable drug target validation are of significant interest. In this manuscript we present the crystal structure of malate dehydrogenase from Plasmodium falciparum (PfMDH) at 2.4 Å resolution and structure-based mutagenic experiments interfering with the inter-oligomeric interactions of the enzyme. We report decreased thermal stability, significantly decreased specific activity and kinetic parameters of PfMDH mutants upon mutagenic disruption of either oligomeric interface. In contrast, stabilization of one of the interfaces resulted in increased thermal stability, increased substrate/cofactor affinity and hyperactivity of the enzyme towards malate production at sub-millimolar substrate concentrations. Furthermore, the presented data show that our designed PfMDH mutant could be used as specific inhibitor of the wild type PfMDH activity, as mutated PfMDH copies were shown to be able to self-incorporate into the native assembly upon introduction in vitro, yielding deactivated mutant:wild-type species. These data provide an insight into the role of oligomeric assembly in regulation of PfMDH activity and reveal that recombinant mutants could be used as probe tool for specific modification of the wild type PfMDH activity, thus offering the potential to validate its druggability in vivo without recourse to complex genetics or initial tool compounds. Such tool compounds often lack specificity between host or pathogen proteins (or are toxic in in vivo trials) and result in difficulties in assessing cause and effect-particularly in cases when the enzymes of interest possess close homologs within the human host. Furthermore, our oligomeric interference approach could be used in the future in order to assess druggability of other challenging human pathogen drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Lunev
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sabine Butzloff
- LG Müller, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Atilio R. Romero
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marleen Linzke
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Saõ Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando A. Batista
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kamila A. Meissner
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Saõ Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ingrid B. Müller
- LG Müller, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alaa Adawy
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten Wrenger
- Unit for Drug Discovery, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Saõ Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail: (MRG); (CW)
| | - Matthew R. Groves
- Structural Biology Unit, XB20 Drug Design, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (MRG); (CW)
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23
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Bonneaud C, Sepil I, Wilfert L, Calsbeek R. Plasmodium Infections in Natural Populations of Anolis sagrei Reflect Tolerance Rather Than Susceptibility. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 57:352-361. [PMID: 28859403 PMCID: PMC5886326 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites can represent formidable selection pressures for hosts, but the cost of infection is sometimes difficult to demonstrate in natural populations. While parasite exploitation strategies may, in some instances, actually inflict low costs on their hosts, the response of hosts to infection is also likely to determine whether or not these costs can be detected. Indeed, costs of infection may be obscured if infected individuals in the wild are those that are the most tolerant, rather than the most susceptible, to infection. Here we test this hypothesis in two natural populations of Anolis sagrei, one of the most common anole lizard of the Bahamas. Plasmodium parasites were detected in > 7% of individuals and belonged to two distinct clades: P. mexicanum and P. floriensis. Infected individuals displayed greater body condition than non-infected ones and we found no association between infection status, stamina, and survival to the end of the breeding season. Furthermore, we found no significant difference in the immuno-competence (measured as a response to phytohemagglutinin challenge) of infected versus non-infected individuals. Taken together, our results suggest that the infected individuals that are caught in the wild are those most able to withstand the cost of the infection and that susceptible, infected individuals have been removed from the population (i.e., through disease-induced mortality). This study highlights the need for caution when interpreting estimates of infection costs in natural populations, as costs may appear low either when parasites exploitation strategies truly inflict low costs on their hosts or when those costs are so high that susceptible hosts are removed from the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Bonneaud
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10?9EF, UK
| | - Irem Sepil
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1?3PS, UK
| | - Lena Wilfert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10?9EF, UK
| | - Ryan Calsbeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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Moog D, Przyborski JM, Maier UG. Genomic and Proteomic Evidence for the Presence of a Peroxisome in the Apicomplexan Parasite Toxoplasma gondii and Other Coccidia. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 9:3108-3121. [PMID: 29126146 PMCID: PMC5737649 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexans are successful parasites responsible for severe human diseases including malaria, toxoplasmosis, and cryptosporidiosis. For many years, it has been discussed whether these parasites are in possession of peroxisomes, highly variable eukaryotic organelles usually involved in fatty acid degradation and cellular detoxification. Conflicting experimental data has been published. With the age of genomics, ever more high quality apicomplexan genomes have become available, that now allow a new assessment of the dispute. Here, we provide bioinformatic evidence for the presence of peroxisomes in Toxoplasma gondii and other coccidians. For these organisms, we have identified a complete set of peroxins, probably responsible for peroxisome biogenesis, division, and protein import. Moreover, via a global screening for peroxisomal targeting signals, we were able to show that a complete set of fatty acid β-oxidation enzymes is equipped with either PTS1 or PTS2 sequences, most likely mediating transport of these factors to putative peroxisomes in all investigated Coccidia. Our results further imply a life cycle stage-specific presence of peroxisomes in T. gondii and suggest several independent losses of peroxisomes during the evolution of apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Moog
- Laboratory for Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - Jude M Przyborski
- Laboratory for Parasitology, Philipps University Marburg, Germany.,Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Medical School, INF324, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uwe G Maier
- Laboratory for Cell Biology, Philipps University Marburg, Germany.,LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
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26
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Burns JA, Zhang H, Hill E, Kim E, Kerney R. Transcriptome analysis illuminates the nature of the intracellular interaction in a vertebrate-algal symbiosis. eLife 2017; 6:e22054. [PMID: 28462779 PMCID: PMC5413350 DOI: 10.7554/elife.22054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, cells of the green alga Oophila amblystomatis enter cells of the salamander Ambystoma maculatum forming an endosymbiosis. Here, using de novo dual-RNA seq, we compared the host salamander cells that harbored intracellular algae to those without algae and the algae inside the animal cells to those in the egg capsule. This two-by-two-way analysis revealed that intracellular algae exhibit hallmarks of cellular stress and undergo a striking metabolic shift from oxidative metabolism to fermentation. Culturing experiments with the alga showed that host glutamine may be utilized by the algal endosymbiont as a primary nitrogen source. Transcriptional changes in salamander cells suggest an innate immune response to the alga, with potential attenuation of NF-κB, and metabolic alterations indicative of modulation of insulin sensitivity. In stark contrast to its algal endosymbiont, the salamander cells did not exhibit major stress responses, suggesting that the host cell experience is neutral or beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Burns
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
| | - Huanjia Zhang
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, United States
| | - Elizabeth Hill
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, United States
| | - Eunsoo Kim
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
| | - Ryan Kerney
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, United States
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Stage-Specific Changes in Plasmodium Metabolism Required for Differentiation and Adaptation to Different Host and Vector Environments. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1006094. [PMID: 28027318 PMCID: PMC5189940 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) encounter markedly different (nutritional) environments during their complex life cycles in the mosquito and human hosts. Adaptation to these different host niches is associated with a dramatic rewiring of metabolism, from a highly glycolytic metabolism in the asexual blood stages to increased dependence on tricarboxylic acid (TCA) metabolism in mosquito stages. Here we have used stable isotope labelling, targeted metabolomics and reverse genetics to map stage-specific changes in Plasmodium berghei carbon metabolism and determine the functional significance of these changes on parasite survival in the blood and mosquito stages. We show that glutamine serves as the predominant input into TCA metabolism in both asexual and sexual blood stages and is important for complete male gametogenesis. Glutamine catabolism, as well as key reactions in intermediary metabolism and CoA synthesis are also essential for ookinete to oocyst transition in the mosquito. These data extend our knowledge of Plasmodium metabolism and point towards possible targets for transmission-blocking intervention strategies. Furthermore, they highlight significant metabolic differences between Plasmodium species which are not easily anticipated based on genomics or transcriptomics studies and underline the importance of integration of metabolomics data with other platforms in order to better inform drug discovery and design. Malaria kills almost half a million people worldwide every year and more than two hundred million people are diagnosed with this deadly disease annually. It is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium spp., mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia and is transmitted by bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Due to an increase in resistance to existing drugs and lack of an effective vaccine, new intervention strategies which target development of parasite in human host and transmission through the mosquito vector are urgently needed. In this study, we explored the metabolic capacity of different developmental stages of the malaria parasite to determine carbon source utilization in different host niches and whether any stage-specific switches in metabolism could be exploited in new therapies aimed at eradicating malaria. Using stable isotope labelling and metabolomics, we have identified considerable nutritional adaptability of malaria parasites between the mammalian host and the mosquito vector. Gene disruption in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei was used to identify the metabolic pathways which are crucial to the survival and development of the parasite. Our data also point at key metabolic differences in different Plasmodium species highlighting the importance of integrating metabolomics analyses with molecular tools and identifies possible transmission blocking candidates for malaria intervention.
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A Novel Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer-Based Screen in High-Throughput Format To Identify Inhibitors of Malarial and Human Glucose Transporters. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:7407-7414. [PMID: 27736766 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00218-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The glucose transporter PfHT is essential to the survival of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and has been shown to be a druggable target with high potential for pharmacological intervention. Identification of compounds against novel drug targets is crucial to combating resistance against current therapeutics. Here, we describe the development of a cell-based assay system readily adaptable to high-throughput screening that directly measures compound effects on PfHT-mediated glucose transport. Intracellular glucose concentrations are detected using a genetically encoded fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based glucose sensor. This allows assessment of the ability of small molecules to inhibit glucose uptake with high accuracy (Z' factor of >0.8), thereby eliminating the need for radiolabeled substrates. Furthermore, we have adapted this assay to counterscreen PfHT hits against the human orthologues GLUT1, -2, -3, and -4. We report the identification of several hits after screening the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) Malaria Box, a library of 400 compounds known to inhibit erythrocytic development of P. falciparum Hit compounds were characterized by determining the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for the uptake of radiolabeled glucose into isolated P. falciparum parasites. One of our hits, compound MMV009085, shows high potency and orthologue selectivity, thereby successfully validating our assay for antimalarial screening.
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Metabolomic Profiling of the Malaria Box Reveals Antimalarial Target Pathways. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:6635-6649. [PMID: 27572391 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01224-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The threat of widespread drug resistance to frontline antimalarials has renewed the urgency for identifying inexpensive chemotherapeutic compounds that are effective against Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite species responsible for the greatest number of malaria-related deaths worldwide. To aid in the fight against malaria, a recent extensive screening campaign has generated thousands of lead compounds with low micromolar activity against blood stage parasites. A subset of these leads has been compiled by the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) into a collection of structurally diverse compounds known as the MMV Malaria Box. Currently, little is known regarding the activity of these Malaria Box compounds on parasite metabolism during intraerythrocytic development, and a majority of the targets for these drugs have yet to be defined. Here we interrogated the in vitro metabolic effects of 189 drugs (including 169 of the drug-like compounds from the Malaria Box) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). The resulting metabolic fingerprints provide information on the parasite biochemical pathways affected by pharmacologic intervention and offer a critical blueprint for selecting and advancing lead compounds as next-generation antimalarial drugs. Our results reveal several major classes of metabolic disruption, which allow us to predict the mode of action (MoA) for many of the Malaria Box compounds. We anticipate that future combination therapies will be greatly informed by these results, allowing for the selection of appropriate drug combinations that simultaneously target multiple metabolic pathways, with the aim of eliminating malaria and forestalling the expansion of drug-resistant parasites in the field.
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Ghosh S, Sengupta A, Sharma S, Sonawat HM. Early prediction of cerebral malaria by (1)H NMR based metabolomics. Malar J 2016; 15:198. [PMID: 27066781 PMCID: PMC4828763 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1256-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral malaria (CM) is a life-threatening disease, caused mainly by Plasmodium falciparum in humans. In adults only 1-2% of P. falciparum-infected hosts transit to the cerebral form of the disease while most exhibit non-cerebral malaria (NCM). The perturbed metabolic pathways of CM and NCM have been reported. Early marker(s) of CM is(are) not known and by the time a patient exhibits the pathological symptoms of CM, the disease has progressed. Murine CM, like the human disease, is difficult to assign to specific animals at early stage and hence the challenge to treat CM at pre-clinical stage of the disease. This is the first report of prediction of CM in mice using a novel strategy based on (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics. METHODS Mice were infected with malarial parasites, and serum was collected from all the animals (CM/NCM) before CM symptoms were apparent. The assignment of mice as NCM/CM at an early time point is based on their symptoms at days 8-9 post-infection (pi). The serum samples were subjected to (1)H NMR-based metabolomics. (1)H NMR spectra of the serum samples, collected at various time points (pi) in multiple sets of experiments, were subjected to multivariate analyses. RESULTS The results from orthogonal partial least square discriminant analyses (OPLS-DA) suggest that the animals with CM start to diverge out in metabolic profile and were distinct on day 4 pi, although by physical observation they were indistinguishable from the NCM. The metabolites that appeared to contribute to this distinction were serum lipids and lipoproteins, and 14-19% enhancement was observed in mice afflicted with CM. A cut-off of 14% change of total lipoproteins in serum predicts 54-71% CM in different experiments at day 4 pi. CONCLUSION This study clearly demonstrates the possibility of differentiating and identifying animals with CM at an early, pre-clinical stage. The strategy, based on metabolite profile of serum, tested with different batches of animals in both the sex and across different times of the year, is found to be robust. This is the first such study of pre-clinical prognosis of CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumita Ghosh
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1-Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Arjun Sengupta
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1-Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India
| | - Shobhona Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1-Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India.
| | - Haripalsingh M Sonawat
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1-Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400 005, India.
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Fonseca ALD, Nunes RR, Braga VML, Comar M, Alves RJ, Varotti FDP, Taranto AG. Docking, QM/MM, and molecular dynamics simulations of the hexose transporter from Plasmodium falciparum (PfHT). J Mol Graph Model 2016; 66:174-86. [PMID: 27131282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2016.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Revised: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is the most prevalent parasitic disease in the world. Currently, an effective vaccine for malaria does not exist, and chemotherapy must be used to treat the disease. Because of increasing resistance to current antimalarial drugs, new treatments must be developed. Among the many potential molecular targets, the hexose transporter of Plasmodium falciparum (PfHT) is particularly promising because it plays a vital role in glucose transport for the parasite. Thus, this study aims to determine the three-dimensional structure of PfHT and to describe the intermolecular interactions between active glycoside derivatives and PfHT. Such information should aid in the development of new antimalarial drugs. The receptor PfHT was constructed from primary sequences deposited in the SWISS MODEL database. Next, molecular docking simulations between O-(undec-10-en)-l-D-glucose and the constructed active site models were performed using Autodock Vina. The glycoside derivative-PfHT complexes were then refined using the hybrid QM/MM (PM3/ff03) method within the AMBER package. The models were then evaluated using Ramachandran plots, which indicated that 93.2% of the residues in the refined PfHT models (P5) were present in favorable regions. Furthermore, graphical plots using ANOLEA showed that the potential energies of interaction for atoms unbonded to P5 were negative. Finally, the O-(undec-10-en)-l-D-glucose-PfHT complex was evaluated using 20-ns Molecular Dynamics simulations with an ff03 force field. Docking and QM/MM studies revealed the amino acids essential for molecular recognition of and activity on glycosides. Inhibition of glucose transporters may prevent the development and metabolism of P. falciparum, so a description of the receptor's structure is a critical step towards rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Luisa da Fonseca
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Química Biológica, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil; Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil; Laboratório de Química Medicinal Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil
| | - Renata Rachide Nunes
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil
| | - Vanildo Martins Lima Braga
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil
| | - Moacyr Comar
- Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil
| | - Ricardo José Alves
- Laboratório de Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fernando de Pilla Varotti
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Química Biológica, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil
| | - Alex Gutterres Taranto
- Laboratório de Química Medicinal Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Divinópolis, MG, Brazil.
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Artemisinin activity-based probes identify multiple molecular targets within the asexual stage of the malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum 3D7. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:2080-5. [PMID: 26858419 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1600459113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The artemisinin (ART)-based antimalarials have contributed significantly to reducing global malaria deaths over the past decade, but we still do not know how they kill parasites. To gain greater insight into the potential mechanisms of ART drug action, we developed a suite of ART activity-based protein profiling probes to identify parasite protein drug targets in situ. Probes were designed to retain biological activity and alkylate the molecular target(s) of Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 parasites in situ. Proteins tagged with the ART probe can then be isolated using click chemistry before identification by liquid chromatography-MS/MS. Using these probes, we define an ART proteome that shows alkylated targets in the glycolytic, hemoglobin degradation, antioxidant defense, and protein synthesis pathways, processes essential for parasite survival. This work reveals the pleiotropic nature of the biological functions targeted by this important class of antimalarial drugs.
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Cova M, Rodrigues JA, Smith TK, Izquierdo L. Sugar activation and glycosylation in Plasmodium. Malar J 2015; 14:427. [PMID: 26520586 PMCID: PMC4628283 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-015-0949-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycoconjugates are important mediators of host-pathogen interactions and are usually very abundant in the surface of many protozoan parasites. However, in the particular case of Plasmodium species, previous works show that glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor modifications, and to an unknown extent, a severely truncated N-glycosylation are the only glycosylation processes taking place in the parasite. Nevertheless, a detailed analysis of the parasite genome and the recent identification of the sugar nucleotide precursors biosynthesized by Plasmodium falciparum support a picture in which several overlooked, albeit not very prominent glycosylations may be occurring during the parasite life cycle. In this work,
the authors review recent developments in the characterization of the biosynthesis of glycosylation precursors in the parasite, focusing on the outline of the possible fates of these precursors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cova
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - João A Rodrigues
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Edificio Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Terry K Smith
- Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK.
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Jacot D, Waller RF, Soldati-Favre D, MacPherson DA, MacRae JI. Apicomplexan Energy Metabolism: Carbon Source Promiscuity and the Quiescence Hyperbole. Trends Parasitol 2015; 32:56-70. [PMID: 26472327 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Revised: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The nature of energy metabolism in apicomplexan parasites has been closely investigated in the recent years. Studies in Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii in particular have revealed that these parasites are able to employ enzymes in non-traditional ways, while utilizing multiple anaplerotic routes into a canonical tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle to satisfy their energy requirements. Importantly, some life stages of these parasites previously considered to be metabolically quiescent are, in fact, active and able to adapt their carbon source utilization to survive. We compare energy metabolism across the life cycle of malaria parasites and consider how this varies in other apicomplexans and related organisms, while discussing how this can be exploited for therapeutic intervention in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Jacot
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ross F Waller
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, UK
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - James I MacRae
- The Francis Crick Institute, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK.
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The role of previously unmeasured organic acids in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. CRITICAL CARE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CRITICAL CARE FORUM 2015; 19:317. [PMID: 26343146 PMCID: PMC4561438 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-015-1023-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Severe falciparum malaria is commonly complicated by metabolic acidosis. Together with lactic acid (LA), other previously unmeasured acids have been implicated in the pathogenesis of falciparum malaria. Methods In this prospective study, we characterised organic acids in adults with severe falciparum malaria in India and Bangladesh. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure organic acids in plasma and urine. Patients were followed until recovery or death. Results Patients with severe malaria (n=138), uncomplicated malaria (n=102), sepsis (n=32) and febrile encephalopathy (n=35) were included. Strong ion gap (mean±SD) was elevated in severe malaria (8.2 mEq/L±4.5) and severe sepsis (8.6 mEq/L±7.7) compared with uncomplicated malaria (6.0 mEq/L±5.1) and encephalopathy (6.6 mEq/L±4.7). Compared with uncomplicated malaria, severe malaria was characterised by elevated plasma LA, hydroxyphenyllactic acid (HPLA), α-hydroxybutyric acid and β-hydroxybutyric acid (all P<0.05). In urine, concentrations of methylmalonic, ethylmalonic and α-ketoglutaric acids were also elevated. Multivariate logistic regression showed that plasma HPLA was a strong independent predictor of death (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.6–7.5, P=0.001), comparable to LA (OR 3.5, 95 % CI 1.5–7.8, P=0.003) (combined area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.81). Conclusions Newly identified acids, in addition to LA, are elevated in patients with severe malaria and are highly predictive of fatal outcome. Further characterisation of their sources and metabolic pathways is now needed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13054-015-1023-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Fang X, Reifman J, Wallqvist A. Modeling metabolism and stage-specific growth of Plasmodium falciparum HB3 during the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2015; 10:2526-37. [PMID: 25001103 DOI: 10.1039/c4mb00115j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum goes through a complex life cycle, including a roughly 48-hour-long intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC) in human red blood cells. A better understanding of the metabolic processes required during the asexual blood-stage reproduction will enhance our basic knowledge of P. falciparum and help identify critical metabolic reactions and pathways associated with blood-stage malaria. We developed a metabolic network model that mechanistically links time-dependent gene expression, metabolism, and stage-specific growth, allowing us to predict the metabolic fluxes, the biomass production rates, and the timing of production of the different biomass components during the IDC. We predicted time- and stage-specific production of precursors and macromolecules for P. falciparum (strain HB3), allowing us to link specific metabolites to specific physiological functions. For example, we hypothesized that coenzyme A might be involved in late-IDC DNA replication and cell division. Moreover, the predicted ATP metabolism indicated that energy was mainly produced from glycolysis and utilized for non-metabolic processes. Finally, we used the model to classify the entire tricarboxylic acid cycle into segments, each with a distinct function, such as superoxide detoxification, glutamate/glutamine processing, and metabolism of fumarate as a byproduct of purine biosynthesis. By capturing the normal metabolic and growth progression in P. falciparum during the IDC, our model provides a starting point for further elucidation of strain-specific metabolic activity, host-parasite interactions, stress-induced metabolic responses, and metabolic responses to antimalarial drugs and drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Fang
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Ft. Detrick, MD 21702, USA.
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Penkler G, du Toit F, Adams W, Rautenbach M, Palm DC, van Niekerk DD, Snoep JL. Construction and validation of a detailed kinetic model of glycolysis in Plasmodium falciparum. FEBS J 2015; 282:1481-511. [PMID: 25693925 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Revised: 02/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The enzymes in the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway of Plasmodium falciparum trophozoites were kinetically characterized and their integrated activities analyzed in a mathematical model. For validation of the model, we compared model predictions for steady-state fluxes and metabolite concentrations of the hexose phosphates with experimental values for intact parasites. The model, which is completely based on kinetic parameters that were measured for the individual enzymes, gives an accurate prediction of the steady-state fluxes and intermediate concentrations. This is the first detailed kinetic model for glucose metabolism in P. falciparum, one of the most prolific malaria-causing protozoa, and the high predictive power of the model makes it a strong tool for future drug target identification studies. The modelling workflow is transparent and reproducible, and completely documented in the SEEK platform, where all experimental data and model files are available for download. DATABASE The mathematical models described in the present study have been submitted to the JWS Online Cellular Systems Modelling Database (http://jjj.bio.vu.nl/database/penkler). The investigation and complete experimental data set is available on SEEK (10.15490/seek.1. INVESTIGATION 56).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Penkler
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa; Molecular Cell Physiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Guggisberg AM, Amthor RE, Odom AR. Isoprenoid biosynthesis in Plasmodium falciparum. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2014; 13:1348-59. [PMID: 25217461 PMCID: PMC4248697 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00160-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malaria kills nearly 1 million people each year, and the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum has become increasingly resistant to current therapies. Isoprenoid synthesis via the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway represents an attractive target for the development of new antimalarials. The phosphonic acid antibiotic fosmidomycin is a specific inhibitor of isoprenoid synthesis and has been a helpful tool to outline the essential functions of isoprenoid biosynthesis in P. falciparum. Isoprenoids are a large, diverse class of hydrocarbons that function in a variety of essential cellular processes in eukaryotes. In P. falciparum, isoprenoids are used for tRNA isopentenylation and protein prenylation, as well as the synthesis of vitamin E, carotenoids, ubiquinone, and dolichols. Recently, isoprenoid synthesis in P. falciparum has been shown to be regulated by a sugar phosphatase. We outline what is known about isoprenoid function and the regulation of isoprenoid synthesis in P. falciparum, in order to identify valuable directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Guggisberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Rachel E Amthor
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Audrey R Odom
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Wisecaver JH, Brosnahan ML, Hackett JD. Horizontal gene transfer is a significant driver of gene innovation in dinoflagellates. Genome Biol Evol 2014; 5:2368-81. [PMID: 24259313 PMCID: PMC3879968 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evt179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The dinoflagellates are an evolutionarily and ecologically important group of microbial eukaryotes. Previous work suggests that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is an important source of gene innovation in these organisms. However, dinoflagellate genomes are notoriously large and complex, making genomic investigation of this phenomenon impractical with currently available sequencing technology. Fortunately, de novo transcriptome sequencing and assembly provides an alternative approach for investigating HGT. We sequenced the transcriptome of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense Group IV to investigate how HGT has contributed to gene innovation in this group. Our comprehensive A. tamarense Group IV gene set was compared with those of 16 other eukaryotic genomes. Ancestral gene content reconstruction of ortholog groups shows that A. tamarense Group IV has the largest number of gene families gained (314-1,563 depending on inference method) relative to all other organisms in the analysis (0-782). Phylogenomic analysis indicates that genes horizontally acquired from bacteria are a significant proportion of this gene influx, as are genes transferred from other eukaryotes either through HGT or endosymbiosis. The dinoflagellates also display curious cases of gene loss associated with mitochondrial metabolism including the entire Complex I of oxidative phosphorylation. Some of these missing genes have been functionally replaced by bacterial and eukaryotic xenologs. The transcriptome of A. tamarense Group IV lends strong support to a growing body of evidence that dinoflagellate genomes are extraordinarily impacted by HGT.
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A sugar phosphatase regulates the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in malaria parasites. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4467. [PMID: 25058848 PMCID: PMC4112465 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Isoprenoid biosynthesis through the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway generates commercially important products and is a target for antimicrobial drug development. MEP pathway regulation is poorly understood in microorganisms. Here we employ a forward genetics approach to understand MEP pathway regulation in the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The antimalarial fosmidomycin inhibits the MEP pathway enzyme deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR). Fosmidomycin-resistant P. falciparum are enriched for changes in the PF3D7_1033400 locus (hereafter referred to as PfHAD1), encoding a homologue of haloacid dehalogenase (HAD)-like sugar phosphatases. We describe the structural basis for loss-of-function PfHAD1 alleles and find that PfHAD1 dephosphorylates a variety of sugar phosphates, including glycolytic intermediates. Loss of PfHAD1 is required for fosmidomycin resistance. Parasites lacking PfHAD1 have increased MEP pathway metabolites, particularly the DXR substrate, deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate. PfHAD1 therefore controls substrate availability to the MEP pathway. Because PfHAD1 has homologues in plants and bacteria, other HAD proteins may be MEP pathway regulators.
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Jain P, Chakma B, Patra S, Goswami P. Potential biomarkers and their applications for rapid and reliable detection of malaria. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:852645. [PMID: 24804253 PMCID: PMC3996934 DOI: 10.1155/2014/852645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Malaria has been responsible for the highest mortality in most malaria endemic countries. Even after decades of malaria control campaigns, it still persists as a disease of high mortality due to improper diagnosis and rapidly evolving drug resistant malarial parasites. For efficient and economical malaria management, WHO recommends that all malaria suspected patients should receive proper diagnosis before administering drugs. It is thus imperative to develop fast, economical, and accurate techniques for diagnosis of malaria. In this regard an in-depth knowledge on malaria biomarkers is important to identify an appropriate biorecognition element and utilize it prudently to develop a reliable detection technique for diagnosis of the disease. Among the various biomarkers, plasmodial lactate dehydrogenase and histidine-rich protein II (HRP II) have received increasing attention for developing rapid and reliable detection techniques for malaria. The widely used rapid detection tests (RDTs) for malaria succumb to many drawbacks which promotes exploration of more efficient economical detection techniques. This paper provides an overview on the current status of malaria biomarkers, along with their potential utilization for developing different malaria diagnostic techniques and advanced biosensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyamvada Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Babina Chakma
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Sanjukta Patra
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
| | - Pranab Goswami
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, Assam 781039, India
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Subudhi AK, Boopathi PA, Garg S, Middha S, Acharya J, Pakalapati D, Saxena V, Aiyaz M, Orekondy HB, Mugasimangalam RC, Sirohi P, Kochar SK, Kochar DK, Das A. Natural antisense transcripts in Plasmodium falciparum isolates from patients with complicated malaria. Exp Parasitol 2014; 141:39-54. [PMID: 24657575 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms regulating gene expression in malaria parasites are not well understood. Little is known about how the parasite regulates its gene expression during transition from one developmental stage to another and in response to various environmental conditions. Parasites in a diseased host face environments which differ from the static, well adapted in vitro conditions. Parasites thus need to adapt quickly and effectively to these conditions by establishing transcriptional states which are best suited for better survival. With the discovery of natural antisense transcripts (NATs) in this parasite and considering the various proposed mechanisms by which NATs might regulate gene expression, it has been speculated that these might be playing a critical role in gene regulation. We report here the diversity of NATs in this parasite, using isolates taken directly from patients with differing clinical symptoms caused by malaria infection. Using a custom designed strand specific whole genome microarray, a total of 797 NATs targeted against annotated loci have been detected. Out of these, 545 NATs are unique to this study. The majority of NATs were positively correlated with the expression pattern of the sense transcript. However, 96 genes showed a change in sense/antisense ratio on comparison between uncomplicated and complicated disease conditions. The antisense transcripts map to a broad range of biochemical/metabolic pathways, especially pathways pertaining to the central carbon metabolism and stress related pathways. Our data strongly suggests that a large group of NATs detected here are unannotated transcription units antisense to annotated gene models. The results reveal a previously unknown set of NATs that prevails in this parasite, their differential regulation in disease conditions and mapping to functionally well annotated genes. The results detailed here call for studies to deduce the possible mechanism of action of NATs, which would further help in understanding the in vivo pathological adaptations of these parasites.
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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.
| | - Shilpi Garg
- 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.
| | - Deepak Pakalapati
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Vishal Saxena
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, 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.
| | - 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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Storm J, Sethia S, Blackburn GJ, Chokkathukalam A, Watson DG, Breitling R, Coombs GH, Müller S. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase identified as a key enzyme in erythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum carbon metabolism. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1003876. [PMID: 24453970 PMCID: PMC3894211 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Phospoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) is absent from humans but encoded in the Plasmodium falciparum genome, suggesting that PEPC has a parasite-specific function. To investigate its importance in P. falciparum, we generated a pepc null mutant (D10Δpepc), which was only achievable when malate, a reduction product of oxaloacetate, was added to the growth medium. D10Δpepc had a severe growth defect in vitro, which was partially reversed by addition of malate or fumarate, suggesting that pepc may be essential in vivo. Targeted metabolomics using 13C-U-D-glucose and 13C-bicarbonate showed that the conversion of glycolytically-derived PEP into malate, fumarate, aspartate and citrate was abolished in D10Δpepc and that pentose phosphate pathway metabolites and glycerol 3-phosphate were present at increased levels. In contrast, metabolism of the carbon skeleton of 13C,15N-U-glutamine was similar in both parasite lines, although the flux was lower in D10Δpepc; it also confirmed the operation of a complete forward TCA cycle in the wild type parasite. Overall, these data confirm the CO2 fixing activity of PEPC and suggest that it provides metabolites essential for TCA cycle anaplerosis and the maintenance of cytosolic and mitochondrial redox balance. Moreover, these findings imply that PEPC may be an exploitable target for future drug discovery. The genome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum encodes a protein called phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) absent from the human host. PEPC is known to fix CO2 to generate metabolites used for energy metabolism in plants and bacteria, but its function in malaria parasites remained an enigma. Our study aimed to elucidate the role and importance of PEPC in P. falciparum in its host red blood cell by generating a gene deletion mutant in P. falciparum. This was only achievable in the presence of high concentrations of malate were added to the culture medium. The mutant generated (D10Δpepc) had a severe growth defect, which was rescued partially by malate or fumarate (but not any other downstream metabolites), suggesting that they feed into the same metabolic pathway. Using heavy isotope labelled 13C-U-D-glucose and 13C-bicarbonate we showed that PECP has an important role in intermediary carbon metabolism and is vital for the maintenance of cytosolic and mitochondrial redox balance. Together these findings imply that PEPC may be an exploitable target for future drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Storm
- Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Sonal Sethia
- Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin J. Blackburn
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences; University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | | | - David G. Watson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences; University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Rainer Breitling
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Graham H. Coombs
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences; University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Sylke Müller
- Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Boopathi P, Subudhi AK, Garg S, Middha S, Acharya J, Pakalapati D, Saxena V, Aiyaz M, Chand B, Mugasimangalam RC, Kochar SK, Sirohi P, Kochar DK, Das A. Revealing natural antisense transcripts from Plasmodium vivax isolates: Evidence of genome regulation in complicated malaria. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2013; 20:428-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Revised: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 09/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Cobbold SA, Vaughan AM, Lewis IA, Painter HJ, Camargo N, Perlman DH, Fishbaugher M, Healer J, Cowman AF, Kappe SHI, Llinás M. Kinetic flux profiling elucidates two independent acetyl-CoA biosynthetic pathways in Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:36338-50. [PMID: 24163372 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.503557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum depends on glucose to meet its energy requirements during blood-stage development. Although glycolysis is one of the best understood pathways in the parasite, it is unclear if glucose metabolism appreciably contributes to the acetyl-CoA pools required for tricarboxylic acid metabolism (TCA) cycle and fatty acid biosynthesis. P. falciparum possesses a pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex that is localized to the apicoplast, a specialized quadruple membrane organelle, suggesting that separate acetyl-CoA pools are likely. Herein, we analyze PDH-deficient parasites using rapid stable-isotope labeling and show that PDH does not appreciably contribute to acetyl-CoA synthesis, tricarboxylic acid metabolism, or fatty acid synthesis in blood stage parasites. Rather, we find that acetyl-CoA demands are supplied through a "PDH-like" enzyme and provide evidence that the branched-chain keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex is performing this function. We also show that acetyl-CoA synthetase can be a significant contributor to acetyl-CoA biosynthesis. Interestingly, the PDH-like pathway contributes glucose-derived acetyl-CoA to the TCA cycle in a stage-independent process, whereas anapleurotic carbon enters the TCA cycle via a stage-dependent phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase/phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase process that decreases as the parasite matures. Although PDH-deficient parasites have no blood-stage growth defect, they are unable to progress beyond the oocyst phase of the parasite mosquito stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon A Cobbold
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania 16802
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Reduced glycerol incorporation into phospholipids contributes to impaired intra-erythrocytic growth of glycerol kinase knockout Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2013; 1830:5326-34. [PMID: 23954205 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2013] [Revised: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria is a devastating disease and Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal parasite infecting humans. Understanding the biology of this parasite is vital in identifying potential novel drug targets. During every 48-hour intra-erythrocytic asexual replication cycle, a single parasite can produce up to 32 progeny. This extensive proliferation implies that parasites require substantial amounts of lipid precursors for membrane biogenesis. Glycerol kinase is a highly conserved enzyme that functions at the interface of lipid synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. P. falciparum glycerol kinase catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate, a major phospholipid precursor. METHODS The P. falciparum glycerol kinase gene was disrupted using double crossover homologous DNA recombination to generate a knockout parasite line. Southern hybridization and mRNA analysis were used to verify gene disruption. Parasite growth rates were monitored by flow cytometry. Radiolabelling studies were used to assess incorporation of glycerol into parasite phospholipids. RESULTS Disruption of the P. falciparum glycerol kinase gene produced viable parasites, but their growth was significantly reduced to 56.5±1.8% when compared to wild type parasites. (14)C-glycerol incorporation into the major phospholipids of the parasite membrane, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, was 48.4±10.8% and 53.1±5.7% relative to an equivalent number of wild type parasites. CONCLUSIONS P. falciparum glycerol kinase is required for optimal intra-erythrocytic asexual parasite development. Exogenous glycerol may be used as an alternative carbon source for P. falciparum phospholipid biogenesis, despite the lack of glycerol kinase to generate glycerol-3-phosphate. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE These studies provide new insight into glycerolipid metabolism in P. falciparum.
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Miao J, Lawrence M, Jeffers V, Zhao F, Parker D, Ge Y, Sullivan WJ, Cui L. Extensive lysine acetylation occurs in evolutionarily conserved metabolic pathways and parasite-specific functions during Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic development. Mol Microbiol 2013; 89:660-75. [PMID: 23796209 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Lysine acetylation has emerged as a major post-translational modification involved in diverse cellular functions. Using a combination of immunoisolation and liquid chromatography coupled to accurate mass spectrometry, we determined the first acetylome of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum during its active proliferation in erythrocytes with 421 acetylation sites identified in 230 proteins. Lysine-acetylated proteins are distributed in the nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondrion and apicoplast. Whereas occurrence of lysine acetylation in a similarly wide range of cellular functions suggests conservation of lysine acetylation through evolution, the Plasmodium acetylome also revealed significant divergence from those of other eukaryotes and even the closely related parasite Toxoplasma. This divergence is reflected in the acetylation of a large number of Plasmodium-specific proteins and different acetylation sites in evolutionarily conserved acetylated proteins. A prominent example is the abundant acetylation of proteins in the glycolysis pathway but relatively deficient acetylation of enzymes in the citrate cycle. Using specific transgenic lines and inhibitors, we determined that the acetyltransferase PfMYST and lysine deacetylases play important roles in regulating the dynamics of cytoplasmic protein acetylation. The Plasmodium acetylome provides an exciting start point for further exploration of functions of acetylation in the biology of malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Miao
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, 501 ASI Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Sanz S, Bandini G, Ospina D, Bernabeu M, Mariño K, Fernández-Becerra C, Izquierdo L. Biosynthesis of GDP-fucose and other sugar nucleotides in the blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:16506-16517. [PMID: 23615908 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.439828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Carbohydrate structures play important roles in many biological processes, including cell adhesion, cell-cell communication, and host-pathogen interactions. Sugar nucleotides are activated forms of sugars used by the cell as donors for most glycosylation reactions. Using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based method, we identified and quantified the pools of UDP-glucose, UDP-galactose, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, GDP-mannose, and GDP-fucose in Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic life stages. We assembled these data with the in silico functional reconstruction of the parasite metabolic pathways obtained from the P. falciparum annotated genome, exposing new active biosynthetic routes crucial for further glycosylation reactions. Fucose is a sugar present in glycoconjugates often associated with recognition and adhesion events. Thus, the GDP-fucose precursor is essential in a wide variety of organisms. P. falciparum presents homologues of GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase and GDP-L-fucose synthase enzymes that are active in vitro, indicating that most GDP-fucose is formed by a de novo pathway that involves the bioconversion of GDP-mannose. Homologues for enzymes involved in a fucose salvage pathway are apparently absent in the P. falciparum genome. This is in agreement with in vivo metabolic labeling experiments showing that fucose is not significantly incorporated by the parasite. Fluorescence microscopy of epitope-tagged versions of P. falciparum GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase and GDP-L-fucose synthase expressed in transgenic 3D7 parasites shows that these enzymes localize in the cytoplasm of P. falciparum during the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle. Although the function of fucose in the parasite is not known, the presence of GDP-fucose suggests that the metabolite may be used for further fucosylation reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sílvia Sanz
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, CEK, 1a Planta, Rosselló 149-153, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giulia Bandini
- College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, Dundee DD15EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Diego Ospina
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, CEK, 1a Planta, Rosselló 149-153, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Bernabeu
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, CEK, 1a Planta, Rosselló 149-153, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Karina Mariño
- College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, Dundee DD15EH, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Fernández-Becerra
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, CEK, 1a Planta, Rosselló 149-153, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- Barcelona Centre for International Health Research, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, CEK, 1a Planta, Rosselló 149-153, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
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Sana TR, Gordon DB, Fischer SM, Tichy SE, Kitagawa N, Lai C, Gosnell WL, Chang SP. Global mass spectrometry based metabolomics profiling of erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60840. [PMID: 23593322 PMCID: PMC3621881 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a global infectious disease that threatens the lives of millions of people. Transcriptomics, proteomics and functional genomics studies, as well as sequencing of the Plasmodium falciparum and Homo sapiens genomes, have shed new light on this host-parasite relationship. Recent advances in accurate mass measurement mass spectrometry, sophisticated data analysis software, and availability of biological pathway databases, have converged to facilitate our global, untargeted biochemical profiling study of in vitro P. falciparum-infected (IRBC) and uninfected (NRBC) erythrocytes. In order to expand the number of detectable metabolites, several key analytical steps in our workflows were optimized. Untargeted and targeted data mining resulted in detection of over one thousand features or chemical entities. Untargeted features were annotated via matching to the METLIN metabolite database. For targeted data mining, we queried the data using a compound database derived from a metabolic reconstruction of the P. falciparum genome. In total, over one hundred and fifty differential annotated metabolites were observed. To corroborate the representation of known biochemical pathways from our data, an inferential pathway analysis strategy was used to map annotated metabolites onto the BioCyc pathway collection. This hypothesis-generating approach resulted in over-representation of many metabolites onto several IRBC pathways, most prominently glycolysis. In addition, components of the “branched” TCA cycle, partial urea cycle, and nucleotide, amino acid, chorismate, sphingolipid and fatty acid metabolism were found to be altered in IRBCs. Interestingly, we detected and confirmed elevated levels for cyclic ADP ribose and phosphoribosyl AMP in IRBCs, a novel observation. These metabolites may play a role in regulating the release of intracellular Ca2+ during P. falciparum infection. Our results support a strategy of global metabolite profiling by untargeted data acquisition. Untargeted and targeted data mining workflows, when used together to perform pathway-inferred metabolomics, have the benefit of obviating MS/MS confirmation for every detected compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore R. Sana
- Life Sciences Group, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, United States of America
| | - D. Benjamin Gordon
- Life Sciences Group, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, United States of America
| | - Steven M. Fischer
- Life Sciences Group, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, United States of America
| | - Shane E. Tichy
- Life Sciences Group, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, United States of America
| | - Norton Kitagawa
- Life Sciences Group, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, United States of America
| | - Cindy Lai
- Life Sciences Group, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California, United States of America
| | - William L. Gosnell
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Sandra P. Chang
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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50
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Witschi M, Xia D, Sanderson S, Baumgartner M, Wastling J, Dobbelaere D. Proteomic analysis of the Theileria annulata schizont. Int J Parasitol 2013; 43:173-80. [PMID: 23178997 PMCID: PMC3572392 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2012] [Revised: 10/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The apicomplexan parasite, Theileria annulata, is the causative agent of tropical theileriosis, a devastating lymphoproliferative disease of cattle. The schizont stage transforms bovine leukocytes and provides an intriguing model to study host/pathogen interactions. The genome of T. annulata has been sequenced and transcriptomic data are rapidly accumulating. In contrast, little is known about the proteome of the schizont, the pathogenic, transforming life cycle stage of the parasite. Using one-dimensional (1-D) gel LC-MS/MS, a proteomic analysis of purified T. annulata schizonts was carried out. In whole parasite lysates, 645 proteins were identified. Proteins with transmembrane domains (TMDs) were under-represented and no proteins with more than four TMDs could be detected. To tackle this problem, Triton X-114 treatment was applied, which facilitates the extraction of membrane proteins, followed by 1-D gel LC-MS/MS. This resulted in the identification of an additional 153 proteins. Half of those had one or more TMD and 30 proteins with more than four TMDs were identified. This demonstrates that Triton X-114 treatment can provide a valuable additional tool for the identification of new membrane proteins in proteomic studies. With two exceptions, all proteins involved in glycolysis and the citric acid cycle were identified. For at least 29% of identified proteins, the corresponding transcripts were not present in the existing expressed sequence tag databases. The proteomics data were integrated into the publicly accessible database resource at EuPathDB (www.eupathdb.org) so that mass spectrometry-based protein expression evidence for T. annulata can be queried alongside transcriptional and other genomics data available for these parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Witschi
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, DCR-VPH, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - D. Xia
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health & School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZJ, UK
| | - S. Sanderson
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health & School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZJ, UK
| | - M. Baumgartner
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, DCR-VPH, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - J.M. Wastling
- Department of Infection Biology, Institute of Infection and Global Health & School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZJ, UK
| | - D.A.E. Dobbelaere
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, DCR-VPH, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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