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Fasanya A, Mohammed N, Saleh BH, Tijani MK, Teleka A, Quintana MDP, Hviid L, Persson KEM. Anti-phosphatidylserine antibody levels are low in multigravid pregnant women in a malaria-endemic area in Nigeria, and do not correlate with anti-VAR2CSA antibodies. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1130186. [PMID: 37091678 PMCID: PMC10114609 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1130186] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Anemia is a common malaria-associated complication in pregnant women in endemic regions. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is exposed to the immune system during the massive destruction of red blood cells (RBCs) that accompany malaria, and antibodies against PS have been linked to anemia through destruction of uninfected RBCs. We determined levels of anti-PS IgG antibodies in pregnant women in Ibadan, Nigeria and correlated them to parameters of importance in development of anemia and immunity. Anti-PS correlated inversely with Packed Cell Volume (PCV), indicating that the antibodies could contribute to anemia. There was no correlation with anti-VAR2CSA IgG, haptoglobin or parasitemia, indicating that the modulation of anti-PS response is multifactorial in nature. Anti-PS levels were lowest in multigravidae compared to both primigravidae and secundigravidae and correlated inversely with age. In conclusion, lower levels of anti-PS in multigravidae could be beneficial in avoiding anemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adebimpe Fasanya
- Cellular Parasitology Programme, Cell Biology and Genetics Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Nurat Mohammed
- Cellular Parasitology Programme, Cell Biology and Genetics Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Bandar Hasan Saleh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muyideen Kolapo Tijani
- Cellular Parasitology Programme, Cell Biology and Genetics Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Muyideen Kolapo Tijani, ; ; Kristina E. M. Persson,
| | - Alexandra Teleka
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria del Pilar Quintana
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Hviid
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristina E. M. Persson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Chemistry and Pharmacology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Muyideen Kolapo Tijani, ; ; Kristina E. M. Persson,
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2
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The enemy within: lipid asymmetry in intracellular parasite-host interactions. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:67-79. [PMID: 36820809 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic pathogens with an intracellular parasitic lifestyle are shielded from extracellular threats during replication and growth. In addition to many nutrients, parasites scavenge host cell lipids to establish complex membrane structures inside their host cells. To counteract the disturbance of the host cell plasma membrane they have evolved strategies to regulate phospholipid asymmetry. In this review, the function and importance of lipid asymmetry in the interactions of intracellular protozoan parasites with the target and immune cells of the host are highlighted. The malaria parasite Plasmodium infects red blood cells and extensively refurbishes these terminally differentiated cells. Cholesterol depletion and an altered intracellular calcium ion homeostasis can lead to disruption in erythrocyte membrane asymmetry and increased exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS). Binding to the PS receptor on monocytes and macrophages results in phagocytosis and destruction of infected erythrocytes. Leishmania parasites display apoptotic mimicry by actively enhancing PS exposure on their surface to trigger increased infection of macrophages. In extracellular Toxoplasma gondii a P4-type ATPase/CDC50 co-chaperone pair functions as a flippase important for exocytosis of specialised secretory organelles. Identification and functional analysis of parasite lipid-translocating proteins, i.e. flippases, floppases, and scramblases, will be central for the recognition of the molecular mechanisms of parasite/host interactions. Ultimately, a better understanding of parasitic diseases, host immunity, and immune escape by parasites require more research on the dynamics of phospholipid bilayers of parasites and the infected host cell.
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3
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Gnangnon B, Duraisingh MT, Buckee CO. Deconstructing the parasite multiplication rate of Plasmodium falciparum. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:922-932. [PMID: 34119440 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological indicators describing population-level malaria transmission dynamics are widely used to guide policy recommendations. However, the determinants of malaria outcomes within individuals are still poorly understood. This conceptual gap partly reflects the fact that there are few indicators that robustly predict the trajectory of individual infections or clinical outcomes. The parasite multiplication rate (PMR) is a widely used indicator for the Plasmodium intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC), for example, but its relationship to clinical outcomes is complex. Here, we review its calculation and use in P. falciparum malaria research, as well as the parasite and host factors that impact it. We also provide examples of metrics that can help to link within-host dynamics to malaria clinical outcomes when used alongside the PMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bénédicte Gnangnon
- Center for Communicable Diseases Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Immunology & Infectious Diseases Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Immunology & Infectious Diseases Department, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline O Buckee
- Center for Communicable Diseases Dynamics, Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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4
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The evolution of multicellularity and cancer: views and paradigms. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 48:1505-1518. [PMID: 32677677 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Conceptually and mechanistically, the evolution of multicellularity required the integration of single cells into new functionally, reproductively and evolutionary stable multicellular individuals. As part of this process, a change in levels of selection occurred, with selection at the multicellular level overriding selection at the cell level. The stability of multicellular individuals is dependent on a combination of mechanisms that supress within-group evolution, by both reducing the occurrence of somatic mutations as well as supressing somatic selection. Nevertheless, mutations that, in a particular microenvironment, confer mutant lineages a fitness advantage relative to normal somatic cells do occur, and can result in cancer. This minireview highlights several views and paradigms that relate the evolution of multicellularity to cancer. As a phenomenon, cancer is generally understood as a failure of multicellular systems to suppress somatic evolution. However, as a disease, cancer is interpreted in different frameworks: (i) a breakdown of cooperative behaviors underlying the evolution of multicellularity, (ii) a disruption of molecular networks established during the emergence of multicellularity to impose constraints on single-celled units, or (iii) an atavistic state resulting from reactivating primitive programs that originated in the earliest unicellular species. A number of assumptions are common in all the views relating cancer as a disease to the evolution of multicellularity. For instance, cancer is considered a reversal to unicellularity, and cancer cells are thought to both resemble unicellular organisms and benefit from ancestral-like traits. Nevertheless, potential limitations of current paradigms should be acknowledged as different perspectives can provide novel insights with potential therapeutic implications.
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5
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Fraser M, Matuschewski K, Maier AG. Of membranes and malaria: phospholipid asymmetry in Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:4545-4561. [PMID: 33713154 PMCID: PMC11071739 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03799-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a vector-borne parasitic disease with a vast impact on human history, and according to the World Health Organisation, Plasmodium parasites still infect over 200 million people per year. Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest parasite species, has a remarkable ability to undermine the host immune system and cause life-threatening disease during blood infection. The parasite's host cells, red blood cells (RBCs), generally maintain an asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in the two leaflets of the plasma membrane bilayer. Alterations to this asymmetry, particularly the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) in the outer leaflet, can be recognised by phagocytes. Because of the importance of innate immune defence numerous studies have investigated PS exposure in RBCs infected with P. falciparum, but have reached different conclusions. Here we review recent advancements in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms which regulate asymmetry in RBCs, and whether infection with the P. falciparum parasite results in changes to PS exposure. On the balance of evidence, it is likely that membrane asymmetry is disrupted in parasitised RBCs, though some methodological issues need addressing. We discuss the potential causes and consequences of altered asymmetry in parasitised RBCs, particularly for in vivo interactions with the immune system, and the role of host-parasite co-evolution. We also examine the potential asymmetric state of parasite membranes and summarise current knowledge on the parasite proteins, which could regulate asymmetry in these membranes. Finally, we highlight unresolved questions at this time and the need for interdisciplinary approaches to uncover the machinery which enables P. falciparum parasites to hide in mature erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merryn Fraser
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander G Maier
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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6
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Fraser M, Jing W, Bröer S, Kurth F, Sander LE, Matuschewski K, Maier AG. Breakdown in membrane asymmetry regulation leads to monocyte recognition of P. falciparum-infected red blood cells. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009259. [PMID: 33600495 PMCID: PMC7891792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum relies on lipids to survive; this makes its lipid metabolism an attractive drug target. The lipid phosphatidylserine (PS) is usually confined to the inner leaflet of the red blood cell membrane (RBC) bilayer; however, some studies suggest that infection with the intracellular parasite results in the presence of this lipid in the RBC membrane outer leaflet, where it could act as a recognition signal to phagocytes. Here, we used fluorescent lipid analogues and probes to investigate the enzymatic reactions responsible for maintaining asymmetry between membrane leaflets, and found that in parasitised RBCs the maintenance of membrane asymmetry was partly disrupted, and PS was increased in the outer leaflet. We examined the underlying causes for the differences between uninfected and infected RBCs using fluorescent dyes and probes, and found that calcium levels increased in the infected RBC cytoplasm, whereas membrane cholesterol was depleted from the erythrocyte plasma membrane. We explored the resulting effect of PS exposure on enhanced phagocytosis by monocytes, and show that infected RBCs must expend energy to limit phagocyte recognition, and provide experimental evidence that PS exposure contributes to phagocytic recognition of P. falciparum-infected RBCs. Together, these findings underscore the pivotal role for PS exposure on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes for in vivo interactions with the host immune system, and provide a rationale for targeted antimalarial drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merryn Fraser
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Weidong Jing
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Stefan Bröer
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Florian Kurth
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Leif-Erik Sander
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander G. Maier
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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7
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Lawrence N, Philippe GJB, Harvey PJ, Condon ND, Benfield AH, Cheneval O, Craik DJ, Troeira Henriques S. Cyclic peptide scaffold with ability to stabilize and deliver a helical cell-impermeable cargo across membranes of cultured cancer cells. RSC Chem Biol 2020; 1:405-420. [PMID: 34458771 PMCID: PMC8386104 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00099j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are valuable tools for developing anticancer therapies due to their ability to access intracellular targets, including protein–protein interactions. cPF4PD is a newly described CPP designed from a transduction domain of the human defense protein platelet factor 4 (PF4), that also has antimalarial activity. The cPF4PD peptide recapitulates the helical structure of the PF4 domain and maintains activity against intracellular malaria parasites via a selective membrane-active mechanism. We hypothesized that cPF4PD and PF4-derived peptide analogues would enter cancer cells and have utility as scaffolds for delivering a peptide dual inhibitor (pDI) sequence with ability to inhibit p53:MDM2/X interactions and reactivate the p53 pathway. Here we designed and produced PF4 peptide and PF4 peptide-pDI grafted analogues with low micromolar activity toward melanoma and leukemia. Two grafted analogues achieved a stable helical structure and inhibited interaction with MDM2 and MDMX. These peptides reached the cytoplasm of cells but were unable to reactivate the p53 pathway. Instead, the cytotoxic mechanism was attributed to peptide binding to mitochondrial membranes that perturbed function within two hours of treatment. These studies of PF4-derived CPPs suggest their potential as scaffolds for delivering cell-impermeable cargoes into the cytoplasm of cells and highlight the importance of characterizing the internalization and cell death mechanism of designer peptide-based drugs. A new helix-loop-helix peptide scaffold with dual ability to transport cargo across cancer cell membranes and disrupt mitochondrial membrane function.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019
| | - Grégoire J-B Philippe
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019
| | - Peta J Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019
| | - Nicholas D Condon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019
| | - Aurélie H Benfield
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019.,Queensland University of Technology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation and Translational Research Institute Brisbane Queensland 4102 Australia
| | - Olivier Cheneval
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia +61 7 34437342 +61 7 33462014 +61 7 33462019.,Queensland University of Technology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health & Biomedical Innovation and Translational Research Institute Brisbane Queensland 4102 Australia
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8
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Barber BE, Grigg MJ, Piera K, Amante FH, William T, Boyle MJ, Minigo G, Dondorp AM, McCarthy JS, Anstey NM. Antiphosphatidylserine Immunoglobulin M and Immunoglobulin G Antibodies Are Higher in Vivax Than Falciparum Malaria, and Associated With Early Anemia in Both Species. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:1435-1443. [PMID: 31250022 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz334] [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] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anemia is a major complication of vivax malaria. Antiphosphatidylserine (PS) antibodies generated during falciparum malaria mediate phagocytosis of uninfected red blood cells that expose PS and have been linked to late malarial anemia. However, their role in anemia from non-falciparum Plasmodium species is not known, nor their role in early anemia from falciparum malaria. METHODS We measured PS immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in Malaysian patients with vivax, falciparum, knowlesi, and malariae malaria, and in healthy controls, and correlated antibody titres with hemoglobin. PS antibodies were also measured in volunteers experimentally infected with Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum. RESULTS PS IgM and IgG antibodies were elevated in patients with vivax, falciparum, knowlesi, and malariae malaria (P < .0001 for all comparisons with controls) and were highest in vivax malaria. In vivax and falciparum malaria, PS IgM and IgG on admission correlated inversely with admission and nadir hemoglobin, controlling for parasitemia and fever duration. PS IgM and IgG were also increased in volunteers infected with blood-stage P. vivax and P. falciparum, and were higher in P. vivax infection. CONCLUSIONS PS antibodies are higher in vivax than falciparum malaria, correlate inversely with hemoglobin, and may contribute to the early loss of uninfected red blood cells found in malarial anemia from both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget E Barber
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.,Infectious Diseases Society Sabah Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.,QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Matthew J Grigg
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.,Infectious Diseases Society Sabah Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Kim Piera
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Fiona H Amante
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Timothy William
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.,Gleneagles Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Michelle J Boyle
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.,QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Centre for Biomedical Research, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gabriela Minigo
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - James S McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicholas M Anstey
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.,Infectious Diseases Society Sabah Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
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9
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Anti-PfGARP activates programmed cell death of parasites and reduces severe malaria. Nature 2020; 582:104-108. [PMID: 32427965 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2220-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum remains the leading single-agent cause of mortality in children1, yet the promise of an effective vaccine has not been fulfilled. Here, using our previously described differential screening method to analyse the proteome of blood-stage P. falciparum parasites2, we identify P. falciparum glutamic-acid-rich protein (PfGARP) as a parasite antigen that is recognized by antibodies in the plasma of children who are relatively resistant-but not those who are susceptible-to malaria caused by P. falciparum. PfGARP is a parasite antigen of 80 kDa that is expressed on the exofacial surface of erythrocytes infected by early-to-late-trophozoite-stage parasites. We demonstrate that antibodies against PfGARP kill trophozoite-infected erythrocytes in culture by inducing programmed cell death in the parasites, and that vaccinating non-human primates with PfGARP partially protects against a challenge with P. falciparum. Furthermore, our longitudinal cohort studies showed that, compared to individuals who had naturally occurring anti-PfGARP antibodies, Tanzanian children without anti-PfGARP antibodies had a 2.5-fold-higher risk of severe malaria and Kenyan adolescents and adults without these antibodies had a twofold-higher parasite density. By killing trophozoite-infected erythrocytes, PfGARP could synergize with other vaccines that target parasite invasion of hepatocytes or the invasion of and egress from erythrocytes.
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10
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Correa R, Caballero Z, De León LF, Spadafora C. Extracellular Vesicles Could Carry an Evolutionary Footprint in Interkingdom Communication. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:76. [PMID: 32195195 PMCID: PMC7063102 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are minute particles secreted by the cells of living organisms. Although the functional role of EVs is not yet clear, recent work has highlighted their role in intercellular communication. Here, we expand on this view by suggesting that EVs can also mediate communication among interacting organisms such as hosts, pathogens and vectors. This inter-kingdom communication via EVs is likely to have important evolutionary consequences ranging from adaptation of parasites to specialized niches in the host, to host resistance and evolution and maintenance of parasite virulence and transmissibility. A potential system to explore these consequences is the interaction among the human host, the mosquito vector and Plasmodium parasite involved in the malaria disease. Indeed, recent studies have found that EVs derived from Plasmodium infected red blood cells in humans are likely mediating the parasite's transition from the asexual to sexual stage, which might facilitate transmission to the mosquito vector. However, more work is needed to establish the adaptive consequences of this EV signaling among different taxa. We suggest that an integrative molecular approach, including a comparative phylogenetic analysis of the molecules (e.g., proteins and nucleic acids) derived from the EVs of interacting organisms (and their closely-related species) in the malaria system will prove useful for understanding interkingdom communication. Such analyses will also shed light on the evolution and persistence of host, parasite and vector interactions, with implications for the control of vector borne infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Correa
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Panama.,Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, India
| | - Zuleima Caballero
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Panama
| | - Luis F De León
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Carmenza Spadafora
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Cientificas y Servicios de Alta Tecnologia (INDICASAT AIP), Panama, Panama
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11
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Correa R, Coronado L, Caballero Z, Faral-Tello P, Robello C, Spadafora C. Extracellular vesicles carrying lactate dehydrogenase induce suicide in increased population density of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5042. [PMID: 30911042 PMCID: PMC6434017 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41697-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Even with access to sufficient nutrients and atmosphere, Plasmodium falciparum can barely be cultured at maximum growth capacity in vitro conditions. Because of this behavior, it has been suggested that P. falciparum has self-regulatory mechanisms in response to density stress. Only recently has this process begun to be acknowledged and characteristics of a programmed cell death been assigned to the parasite at high parasitaemia in vitro cultures. In searching for death signals within the parasite community, we have found that extracellular vesicles (EVs) of P. falciparum from high parasitaemia cultures are able to induce programmed cell death processes in the population. A comparative proteomic analysis of EVs from low (EVL) and high (EVH) parasitaemia cultures was conducted, pointing to lactate dehydrogenase from P. falciparum (PfLDH) as the only parasite protein overexpressed in the later. Although the major function of P. falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH) is the conversion of pyruvate to lactate, a key process in the production of energy in most living organisms, we investigated its possible role in the mechanism of parasite density control by intercellular signaling, given that PfLDH had already been listed as a component of extracellular vesicles of P. falciparum. In this study we present evidence of the EV-associated PfLDH regulation of parasite population by inducing apoptosis in highly parasitized cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Correa
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP). City of Knowledge, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama
- Department of Biotechnology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, 522 510, A.P., India
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama
| | - Lorena Coronado
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP). City of Knowledge, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama
| | - Zuleima Caballero
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP). City of Knowledge, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama
| | | | | | - Carmenza Spadafora
- Center of Cellular and Molecular Biology of Diseases, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP). City of Knowledge, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama.
- Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Panama City, 0843-01103, Panama.
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12
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Lawrence N, Dennis ASM, Lehane AM, Ehmann A, Harvey PJ, Benfield AH, Cheneval O, Henriques ST, Craik DJ, McMorran BJ. Defense Peptides Engineered from Human Platelet Factor 4 Kill Plasmodium by Selective Membrane Disruption. Cell Chem Biol 2018; 25:1140-1150.e5. [PMID: 30033131 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a serious threat to human health and additional classes of antimalarial drugs are greatly needed. The human defense protein, platelet factor 4 (PF4), has intrinsic antiplasmodial activity but also undesirable chemokine properties. We engineered a peptide containing the isolated PF4 antiplasmodial domain, which through cyclization, retained the critical structure of the parent protein. The peptide, cPF4PD, killed cultured blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum with low micromolar potency by specific disruption of the parasite digestive vacuole. Its mechanism of action involved selective penetration and accumulation inside the intraerythrocytic parasite without damaging the host cell or parasite membranes; it did not accumulate in uninfected cells. This selective activity was accounted for by observations of the peptide's specific binding and penetration of membranes with exposed negatively charged phospholipid headgroups. Our findings highlight the tremendous potential of the cPF4PD scaffold for developing antimalarial peptide drugs with a distinct and selective mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Lawrence
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Adelaide S M Dennis
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Adele M Lehane
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Anna Ehmann
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Peta J Harvey
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Aurélie H Benfield
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Olivier Cheneval
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sónia Troeira Henriques
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Brendan J McMorran
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
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13
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Duffy S, Avery VM. Routine In Vitro Culture of Plasmodium falciparum: Experimental Consequences? Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:564-575. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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14
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Chou ES, Abidi SZ, Teye M, Leliwa-Sytek A, Rask TS, Cobbold SA, Tonkin-Hill GQ, Subramaniam KS, Sexton AE, Creek DJ, Daily JP, Duffy MF, Day KP. A high parasite density environment induces transcriptional changes and cell death in Plasmodium falciparum blood stages. FEBS J 2018; 285:848-870. [PMID: 29281179 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Transient regulation of Plasmodium numbers below the density that induces fever has been observed in chronic malaria infections in humans. This species transcending control cannot be explained by immunity alone. Using an in vitro system we have observed density dependent regulation of malaria population size as a mechanism to possibly explain these in vivo observations. Specifically, Plasmodium falciparum blood stages from a high but not low-density environment exhibited unique phenotypic changes during the late trophozoite (LT) and schizont stages of the intraerythrocytic cycle. These included in order of appearance: failure of schizonts to mature and merozoites to replicate, apoptotic-like morphological changes including shrinking, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and blebbing with eventual release of aberrant parasites from infected erythrocytes. This unique death phenotype was triggered in a stage-specific manner by sensing of a high-density culture environment. Conditions of glucose starvation, nutrient depletion, and high lactate could not induce the phenotype. A high-density culture environment induced rapid global changes in the parasite transcriptome including differential expression of genes involved in cell remodeling, clonal antigenic variation, metabolism, and cell death pathways including an apoptosis-associated metacaspase gene. This transcriptional profile was also characterized by concomitant expression of asexual and sexual stage-specific genes. The data show strong evidence to support our hypothesis that density sensing exists in P. falciparum. They indicate that an apoptotic-like mechanism may play a role in P. falciparum density regulation, which, as in yeast, has features quite distinguishable from mammalian apoptosis. DATABASE Gene expression data are available in the GEO databases under the accession number GSE91188.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn S Chou
- Bio21 Institute for Molecular Science and Biotechnology and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC., Australia
| | - Sabia Z Abidi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marian Teye
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Aleksandra Leliwa-Sytek
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Thomas S Rask
- Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Simon A Cobbold
- Bio21 Institute for Molecular Science and Biotechnology and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC., Australia
| | - Gerry Q Tonkin-Hill
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC., Australia
| | - Krishanthi S Subramaniam
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK
| | - Anna E Sexton
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC., Australia
| | - Darren J Creek
- Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC., Australia
| | - Johanna P Daily
- Department of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael F Duffy
- Bio21 Institute for Molecular Science and Biotechnology and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC., Australia
| | - Karen P Day
- Bio21 Institute for Molecular Science and Biotechnology and School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC., Australia
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