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Pak D, Kamiya T, Greischar MA. Proliferation in malaria parasites: How resource limitation can prevent evolution of greater virulence. Evolution 2024; 78:1287-1301. [PMID: 38581661 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpae057] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
For parasites, robust proliferation within hosts is crucial for establishing the infection and creating opportunities for onward transmission. While faster proliferation enhances transmission rates, it is often assumed to curtail transmission duration by killing the host (virulence), a trade-off constraining parasite evolution. Yet in many diseases, including malaria, the preponderance of infections with mild or absent symptoms suggests that host mortality is not a sufficient constraint, raising the question of what restrains evolution toward faster proliferation. In malaria infections, the maximum rate of proliferation is determined by the burst size, the number of daughter parasites produced per infected red blood cell. Larger burst sizes should expand the pool of infected red blood cells that can be used to produce the specialized transmission forms needed to infect mosquitoes. We use a within-host model parameterized for rodent malaria parasites (Plasmodium chabaudi) to project the transmission consequences of burst size, focusing on initial acute infection where resource limitation and risk of host mortality are greatest. We find that resource limitation restricts evolution toward higher burst sizes below the level predicted by host mortality alone. Our results suggest resource limitation could represent a more general constraint than virulence-transmission trade-offs, preventing evolution towards faster proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damie Pak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
| | - Tsukushi Kamiya
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, Paris, France
- HRB Clinical Research Facility, University of Galway, Ireland
| | - Megan A Greischar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, 215 Tower Rd, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
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2
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Greischar MA, Childs LM. Extraordinary parasite multiplication rates in human malaria infections. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:626-637. [PMID: 37336700 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.05.006] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
For pathogenic organisms, faster rates of multiplication promote transmission success, the potential to harm hosts, and the evolution of drug resistance. Parasite multiplication rates (PMRs) are often quantified in malaria infections, given the relative ease of sampling. Using modern and historical human infection data, we show that established methods return extraordinarily - and implausibly - large PMRs. We illustrate how inflated PMRs arise from two facets of malaria biology that are far from unique: (i) some developmental ages are easier to sample than others; (ii) the distribution of developmental ages changes over the course of infection. The difficulty of accurately quantifying PMRs demonstrates a need for robust methods and a subsequent re-evaluation of what is known even in the well-studied system of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Greischar
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
| | - Lauren M Childs
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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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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Peters MAE, Greischar MA, Mideo N. Challenges in forming inferences from limited data: a case study of malaria parasite maturation. J R Soc Interface 2021; 18:20210065. [PMID: 33906391 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2021.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Inferring biological processes from population dynamics is a common challenge in ecology, particularly when faced with incomplete data. This challenge extends to inferring parasite traits from within-host infection dynamics. We focus on rodent malaria infections (Plasmodium berghei), a system for which previous work inferred an immune-mediated extension in the length of the parasite development cycle within red blood cells. By developing a system of delay-differential equations to describe within-host infection dynamics and simulating data, we demonstrate the potential to obtain biased estimates of parasite (and host) traits when key biological processes are not considered. Despite generating infection dynamics using a fixed parasite developmental cycle length, we find that known sources of measurement bias in parasite stage and abundance data can affect estimates of parasite developmental duration, with stage misclassification driving inferences about extended cycle length. We discuss alternative protocols and statistical methods that can mitigate such misestimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline A E Peters
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario, Canada
| | - Megan A Greischar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Nicole Mideo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Toronto, Toronto Ontario, Canada
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5
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Owolabi ATY, Reece SE, Schneider P. Daily rhythms of both host and parasite affect antimalarial drug efficacy. Evol Med Public Health 2021; 9:208-219. [PMID: 34285807 PMCID: PMC8284615 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Circadian rhythms contribute to treatment efficacy in several non-communicable diseases. However, chronotherapy (administering drugs at a particular time-of-day) against infectious diseases has been overlooked. Yet, the daily rhythms of both hosts and disease-causing agents can impact the efficacy of drug treatment. We use the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi, to test whether the daily rhythms of hosts, parasites and their interactions affect sensitivity to the key antimalarial, artemisinin. METHODOLOGY Asexual malaria parasites develop rhythmically in the host's blood, in a manner timed to coordinate with host daily rhythms. Our experiments coupled or decoupled the timing of parasite and host rhythms, and we administered artemisinin at different times of day to coincide with when parasites were either at an early (ring) or later (trophozoite) developmental stage. We quantified the impacts of parasite developmental stage, and alignment of parasite and host rhythms, on drug sensitivity. RESULTS We find that rings were less sensitive to artemisinin than trophozoites, and this difference was exacerbated when parasite and host rhythms were misaligned, with little direct contribution of host time-of-day on its own. Furthermore, the blood concentration of haem at the point of treatment correlated positively with artemisinin efficacy but only when parasite and host rhythms were aligned. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Parasite rhythms influence drug sensitivity in vivo. The hitherto unknown modulation by alignment between parasite and host daily rhythms suggests that disrupting the timing of parasite development could be a novel chronotherapeutic approach. LAY SUMMARY We reveal that chronotherapy (providing medicines at a particular time-of-day) could improve treatment for malaria infections. Specifically, parasites' developmental stage at the time of treatment and the coordination of timing between parasite and host both affect how well antimalarial drug treatment works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alíz T Y Owolabi
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK,Corresponding author. Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK. Tel (office): +441316508642; E-mail:
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Petra Schneider
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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Olanlokun JO, Bodede O, Prinsloo G, Olorunsogo OO. Comparative antimalarial, toxicity and mito-protective effects of Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. ex A. DC. and Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels on Plasmodium berghei infection in mice. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 268:113585. [PMID: 33189839 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst. ex A. DC. and Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels are traditionally used in Africa for the treatment of malaria. However, scientific evidence to substantiate this folkloric claim and their effects on liver mitochondria during malaria treatment have not been reported. AIM OF THE STUDY This study investigated the efficacy of D. mespiliformis and M. whitei against chloroquine-sensitive and resistant strains of malarial parasites in mice. It also investigated the toxicity and protection against cellular organelles like mitochondria. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male Swiss mice were infected with a chloroquine resistant (ANKA) strain of Plasmodium berghei and were treated via oral gavage with methanol extracts of D. mespiliformis and M. whitei reconstituted in diluted dimethylsulfoxide as vehicle (DMSO, 5% v/v) for five consecutive days. Percentage parasite load and clearance were assessed by microscopy. The infected control was treated with the vehicle. Hematological indices were assessed using standard procedures. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined using assay kits. Hepatic mitochondria were isolated via centrifugation, and their permeability transition (mPT), ATPase (mATPase) activity and lipid peroxidation (mLPO) were determined spectroscopically. Liver tissue histology was carried out by standard laboratory procedures. Phytochemical analysis of both extracts were performed using LC-MS to identify the most prominent compounds from each of the extracts. RESULTS After treatment on day 5, D. mespiliformis and M. whitei at 400 mg/kg decreased mean values for: percentage parasitemia (5.0 ± 1.0, 2.0 ± 0.2), increased Packed Cell Volume (PCV) (36.0 ± 1.4, 36.0 ± 0.0%) and platelets (2.0 ± 1.4, 2.0 ± 2.8 × 105mm3) relative to the untreated control (20.0 ± 5.2; 30.0 ± 0.0%; 1.4 ± 1.4 × 105 mm3, respectively). At the same dose, D. mespiliformis and M. whitei decreased ALT (8.0 ± 3.8, 24.2 ± 4.0U/L), AST (6.2 ± 0.8, 8.0 ± 0.9U/L) and ALP (56.0 ± 0.7, 51.0 ± 1.0U/L) activities compared to the infected control (77.0 ± 10.9U/L, 14.0 ± 0.7U/L and 76.0 ± 6.0U/L, respectively). Both D. mespiliformis and M. whitei reversed mPT opening, decreased mATPase enhancement and mLPO, relative to the control. Histopathology of the liver showed extensive hemorrhagic lesions and severe disseminated congestion in the infected control while both D. mespiliformis and M. whitei were well tolerated at the highest dose. The LC-MS analysis of D. mespiliformis showed the presence of betulinic acid, tocopherol and kaempferol with antimalarial and antioxidant properties while the M. whitei sample contained coumarin and chlorogenic acid that have antimalarial and hepato-protective properties. CONCLUSIONS D.mespiliformis and M. whitei show antimalarial effects against resistant Plasmodium berghei infection, enhanced cell viability, mito-protection and are not toxic in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Oludele Olanlokun
- Laboratories for Biomembrane Research and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
| | - Olusola Bodede
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Gerhard Prinsloo
- Department of Agriculture and Animal Health, University of South Africa, Florida Campus, Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Olufunso Olabode Olorunsogo
- Laboratories for Biomembrane Research and Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
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De-Oliveira ACAX, Paumgartten FJR. Malaria-induced Alterations of Drug Kinetics and Metabolism in Rodents and Humans. Curr Drug Metab 2021; 22:127-138. [PMID: 33397251 DOI: 10.2174/1389200221999210101232057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infections and inflammation lead to a downregulation of drug metabolism and kinetics in experimental animals. These changes in the expression and activities of drug-metabolizing enzymes may affect the effectiveness and safety of pharmacotherapy of infections and inflammatory conditions. OBJECTIVE In this review, we addressed the available evidence on the effects of malaria on drug metabolism activity and kinetics in rodents and humans. RESULTS An extensive literature review indicated that infection by Plasmodium spp consistently decreased the activity of hepatic Cytochrome P450s and phase-2 enzymes as well as the clearance of a variety of drugs in mice (lethal and non-lethal) and rat models of malaria. Malaria-induced CYP2A5 activity in the mouse liver was an exception. Except for paracetamol, pharmacokinetic trials in patients during acute malaria and in convalescence corroborated rodent findings. Trials showed that, in acute malaria, clearance of quinine, primaquine, caffeine, metoprolol, omeprazole, and antipyrine is slower and that AUCs are greater than in convalescent individuals. CONCLUSION Notwithstanding the differences between rodent models and human malaria, studies in P. falciparum and P. vivax patients confirmed rodent data showing that CYP-mediated clearance of antimalarials and other drugs is depressed during the symptomatic disease when rises in levels of acute-phase proteins and inflammatory cytokines occur. Evidence suggests that inflammatory cytokines and the interplay between malaria-activated NF-kB-signaling and cell pathways controlling phase 1/2 enzyme genes transcription mediate drug metabolism changes. The malaria-induced decrease in drug clearance may exacerbate drug-drug interactions, and the occurrence of adverse drug events, particularly when patients are treated with narrow-margin-of-safety medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C A X De-Oliveira
- Department of Biological Sciences, National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Francisco J R Paumgartten
- Department of Biological Sciences, National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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8
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Parasite-Host Dynamics throughout Antimalarial Drug Development Stages Complicate the Translation of Parasite Clearance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.01539-20. [PMID: 33526486 PMCID: PMC8097426 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01539-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Ensuring continued success against malaria depends on a pipeline of new antimalarials. Antimalarial drug development utilizes preclinical murine and experimental human malaria infection studies to evaluate drug efficacy. Ensuring continued success against malaria depends on a pipeline of new antimalarials. Antimalarial drug development utilizes preclinical murine and experimental human malaria infection studies to evaluate drug efficacy. A sequential approach is typically adapted, with results from each stage informing the design of the next stage of development. The validity of this approach depends on confidence that results from murine malarial studies predict the outcome of clinical trials in humans. Parasite clearance rates following treatment are key parameters of drug efficacy. To investigate the validity of forward predictions, we developed a suite of mathematical models to capture parasite growth and drug clearance along the drug development pathway and estimated parasite clearance rates. When comparing the three infection experiments, we identified different relationships of parasite clearance with dose and different maximum parasite clearance rates. In Plasmodium berghei-NMRI mouse infections, we estimated a maximum parasite clearance rate of 0.2 (1/h); in Plasmodium falciparum-SCID mouse infections, 0.05 (1/h); and in human volunteer infection studies with P. falciparum, we found a maximum parasite clearance rate of 0.12 (1/h) and 0.18 (1/h) after treatment with OZ439 and MMV048, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that host-parasite driven processes account for up to 25% of variance in parasite clearance for medium-high doses of antimalarials. Although there are limitations in translating parasite clearance rates across these experiments, they provide insight into characterizing key parameters of drug action and dose response and assist in decision-making regarding dosage for further drug development.
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O'Donnell AJ, Reece SE. Ecology of asynchronous asexual replication: the intraerythrocytic development cycle of Plasmodium berghei is resistant to host rhythms. Malar J 2021; 20:105. [PMID: 33608011 PMCID: PMC7893937 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03643-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Daily periodicity in the diverse activities of parasites occurs across a broad taxonomic range. The rhythms exhibited by parasites are thought to be adaptations that allow parasites to cope with, or exploit, the consequences of host activities that follow daily rhythms. Malaria parasites (Plasmodium) are well-known for their synchronized cycles of replication within host red blood cells. Whilst most species of Plasmodium appear sensitive to the timing of the daily rhythms of hosts, and even vectors, some species present no detectable rhythms in blood-stage replication. Why the intraerythrocytic development cycle (IDC) of, for example Plasmodium chabaudi, is governed by host rhythms, yet seems completely independent of host rhythms in Plasmodium berghei, another rodent malaria species, is mysterious. METHODS This study reports a series of five experiments probing the relationships between the asynchronous IDC schedule of P. berghei and the rhythms of hosts and vectors by manipulating host time-of-day, photoperiod and feeding rhythms. RESULTS The results reveal that: (i) a lack coordination between host and parasite rhythms does not impose appreciable fitness costs on P. berghei; (ii) the IDC schedule of P. berghei is impervious to host rhythms, including altered photoperiod and host-feeding-related rhythms; (iii) there is weak evidence for daily rhythms in the density and activities of transmission stages; but (iv), these rhythms have little consequence for successful transmission to mosquitoes. CONCLUSIONS Overall, host rhythms do not affect the performance of P. berghei and its asynchronous IDC is resistant to the scheduling forces that underpin synchronous replication in closely related parasites. This suggests that natural variation in the IDC schedule across species represents different parasite strategies that maximize fitness. Thus, subtle differences in the ecological interactions between parasites and their hosts/vectors may select for the evolution of very different IDC schedules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan J O'Donnell
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK.
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Charlotte Auerbach Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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10
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Prior KF, Rijo-Ferreira F, Assis PA, Hirako IC, Weaver DR, Gazzinelli RT, Reece SE. Periodic Parasites and Daily Host Rhythms. Cell Host Microbe 2020; 27:176-187. [PMID: 32053788 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Biological rhythms appear to be an elegant solution to the challenge of coordinating activities with the consequences of the Earth's daily and seasonal rotation. The genes and molecular mechanisms underpinning circadian clocks in multicellular organisms are well understood. In contrast, the regulatory mechanisms and fitness consequences of biological rhythms exhibited by parasites remain mysterious. Here, we explore how periodicity in parasite traits is generated and why daily rhythms matter for parasite fitness. We focus on malaria (Plasmodium) parasites which exhibit developmental rhythms during replication in the mammalian host's blood and in transmission to vectors. Rhythmic in-host parasite replication is responsible for eliciting inflammatory responses, the severity of disease symptoms, and fueling transmission, as well as conferring tolerance to anti-parasite drugs. Thus, understanding both how and why the timing and synchrony of parasites are connected to the daily rhythms of hosts and vectors may make treatment more effective and less toxic to hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley F Prior
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Filipa Rijo-Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute & Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Patricia A Assis
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Isabella C Hirako
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA; Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - David R Weaver
- Department of Neurobiology & NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Ricardo T Gazzinelli
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA; Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - Minas, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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11
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O'Donnell AJ, Prior KF, Reece SE. Host circadian clocks do not set the schedule for the within-host replication of malaria parasites. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200347. [PMID: 32781954 PMCID: PMC7575513 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0347] [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] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian clocks coordinate organisms' activities with daily cycles in their environment. Parasites are subject to daily rhythms in the within-host environment, resulting from clock-control of host activities, including immune responses. Parasites also exhibit rhythms in their activities: the timing of within-host replication by malaria parasites is coordinated to host feeding rhythms. Precisely which host feeding-related rhythm(s) parasites align with and how this is achieved are unknown. Understanding rhythmic replication in malaria parasites matters because it underpins disease symptoms and fuels transmission investment. We test if rhythmicity in parasite replication is coordinated with the host's feeding-related rhythms and/or rhythms driven by the host's canonical circadian clock. We find that parasite rhythms coordinate with the time of day that hosts feed in both wild-type and clock-mutant hosts, whereas parasite rhythms become dampened in clock-mutant hosts that eat continuously. Our results hold whether infections are initiated with synchronous or with desynchronized parasites. We conclude that malaria parasite replication is coordinated to rhythmic host processes that are independent of the core-clock proteins PERIOD 1 and 2; most likely, a periodic nutrient made available when the host digests food. Thus, novel interventions could disrupt parasite rhythms to reduce their fitness, without interference by host clock-controlled homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan J O'Donnell
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kimberley F Prior
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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12
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Smith LM, Motta FC, Chopra G, Moch JK, Nerem RR, Cummins B, Roche KE, Kelliher CM, Leman AR, Harer J, Gedeon T, Waters NC, Haase SB. An intrinsic oscillator drives the blood stage cycle of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Science 2020; 368:754-759. [PMID: 32409472 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba4357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The blood stage of the infection of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum exhibits a 48-hour developmental cycle that culminates in the synchronous release of parasites from red blood cells, which triggers 48-hour fever cycles in the host. This cycle could be driven extrinsically by host circadian processes or by a parasite-intrinsic oscillator. To distinguish between these hypotheses, we examine the P. falciparum cycle in an in vitro culture system and show that the parasite has molecular signatures associated with circadian and cell cycle oscillators. Each of the four strains examined has a different period, which indicates strain-intrinsic period control. Finally, we demonstrate that parasites have low cell-to-cell variance in cycle period, on par with a circadian oscillator. We conclude that an intrinsic oscillator maintains Plasmodium's rhythmic life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francis C Motta
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Garima Chopra
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - J Kathleen Moch
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Robert R Nerem
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Bree Cummins
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Kimberly E Roche
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Adam R Leman
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - John Harer
- Department of Mathematics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tomas Gedeon
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Norman C Waters
- Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Steven B Haase
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. .,Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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13
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Rijo-Ferreira F, Acosta-Rodriguez VA, Abel JH, Kornblum I, Bento I, Kilaru G, Klerman EB, Mota MM, Takahashi JS. The malaria parasite has an intrinsic clock. Science 2020; 368:746-753. [PMID: 32409471 PMCID: PMC7409452 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba2658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Malarial rhythmic fevers are the consequence of the synchronous bursting of red blood cells (RBCs) on completion of the malaria parasite asexual cell cycle. Here, we hypothesized that an intrinsic clock in the parasite Plasmodium chabaudi underlies the 24-hour-based rhythms of RBC bursting in mice. We show that parasite rhythms are flexible and lengthen to match the rhythms of hosts with long circadian periods. We also show that malaria rhythms persist even when host food intake is evenly spread across 24 hours, suggesting that host feeding cues are not required for synchrony. Moreover, we find that the parasite population remains synchronous and rhythmic even in an arrhythmic clock mutant host. Thus, we propose that parasite rhythms are generated by the parasite, possibly to anticipate its circadian environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Rijo-Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Victoria A Acosta-Rodriguez
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - John H Abel
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Izabela Kornblum
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Ines Bento
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Gokhul Kilaru
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth B Klerman
- Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria M Mota
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joseph S Takahashi
- Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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