Differential sensitivity of New World Leishmania spp. promastigotes to complement-mediated lysis: correlation with the expression of three parasite polypeptides

Intra-Specific Diversity of Leishmania major Isolates: A Key Determinant of Tunisian Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Clinical Polymorphism

The clinical expression of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) caused by Leishmania (L.) major parasites has a broad spectrum ranging from asymptomatic infection to self-limited cutaneous sores or severe disease. In concert with the host immune responses, the vector variability and the number of bites, genetic variation between L. major isolates might impact on the clinical output of the disease. We investigated herein the intra-specific variability of L. major field isolates independently of host or vector factors and then tried to correlate parasite variability to ZCL severity in corresponding patients. Several assays were applied, i.e., in vivo pathogenicity of promastigotes in a BALB/c mice model, resistance/sensibility to complement lysis, in vitro growth kinetics, and expression of different lectins on the promastigote surface. Combining all these parameters allowed us to conclude that the resistance to complement lysis and PNA/Jacalin lectins binding to parasite surfaces are important markers of parasite virulence. These factors correlate significantly with clinic polymorphism of ZCL and modestly with genetic micro-heterogeneity, a characteristic we previously revealed with a MLMT profile.

Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) as a susceptible host factor influencing Indian Visceral Leishmaniasis

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), caused by Leishmania donovani is endemic in the Indian sub-continent. Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) is a complement lectin protein that binds to the surface of Leishmania promastigotes and results in activation of the complement lectin cascade. We utilized samples of 218 VL patients and 215 healthy controls from an Indian population. MBL2 functional variants were genotyped and the circulating MBL serum levels were measured. MBL serum levels were elevated in patients compared to the healthy controls (adjusted P=0.007). The MBL2 promoter variants -78C/T and +4P/Q were significantly associated with relative protection to VL (-78C/T, OR=0.7, 95% CI=0.5-0.96, adjusted P=0.026 and +4P/Q, OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.48-0.9, adjusted P=0.012). MBL2*LYQA haplotypes occurred frequently among controls (OR=0.69, 95% CI=0.5-0.97, adjusted P=0.034). MBL recognizes Leishmania and plays a relative role in establishing L. donovani infection and subsequent disease progression. In conclusion, MBL2 functional variants were associated with VL.

Cinnamic acid derived compounds loaded into liposomes: antileishmanial activity, production standardisation and characterisation

Synthetic compounds derived from cinnamic acid were tested in cultures containing the promastigote form of Leishmania amazonensis and the dimethylsulphoxide solution of B2 compound (2.0 mg/mL) led to a 92% decrease of leishmania in 96 h of treatment. Then, different liposomal systems (diameters ∼200 nm) were prepared by the extrusion method in the presence and absence of compounds studied. DSC thermograms of the liposomes in the presence of these compounds caused changes in ΔH, Tm and ΔT1/2, compared to controls, indicating that there was an interaction of the compounds with the lipid bilayer. Assays with negatively charged liposomal systems containing these drugs in L. amazonensis cultures led to a 50-80% decrease in the number of leishmanias with a concentration to 100 times lower when compared to the B2 initial test. These liposomal systems are promoting more interaction and delivery of the compounds and proved to be an efficient, stable and promising system.

Nanobiotechnologic approach to a promising vaccine prototype for immunisation against leishmaniasis: a fast and effective method to incorporate GPI-anchored proteins of Leishmania amazonensis into liposomes

Liposomes are known to be a potent adjuvant for a wide range of antigens, as well as appropriate antigen carriers for antibody generation response in vivo. In addition, liposomes are effective vehicles for peptides and proteins, thus enhancing their immunogenicity. Considering these properties of liposomes and the antigenicity of the Leishmania membrane proteins, we evaluated if liposomes carrying glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins of Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes could induce protective immunity in BALB/c mice. To assay protective immunity, BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally injected with liposomes, GPI-protein extract (EPSGPI) as well as with the proteoliposomes carrying GPI-proteins. Mice inoculated with EPSGPI and total protein present in constitutive proteoliposomes displayed a post-infection protection of about 70% and 90%, respectively. The liposomes are able to work as adjuvant in the EPSGPI protection. These systems seem to be a promising vaccine prototype for immunisation against leishmaniasis.

Differential surface deposition of complement proteins on logarithmic and stationary phase Leishmania chagasi promastigotes

Previous works demonstrated that various species of Leishmania promastigotes exhibit differential sensitivity to complement-mediated lysis (CML) during development. Upon exposure to normal human serum (NHS), cultures of Leishmania chagasi promastigotes recently isolated from infected hamsters (fewer than 5 in vitro passages) are CML-sensitive when in the logarithmic growth phase but become CML-resistant upon transition to the stationary culture phase. Visualization by light and electron microscopy revealed dramatic morphological differences between promastigotes from the 2 culture phases following exposure to NHS. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that surface deposition of the complement components C3, C5, and C9 correlated inversely with promastigote CML-resistance. The highest levels of complement protein surface accumulation were observed for logarithmic phase promastigotes, while stationary phase promastigotes adsorbed the least amount of complement proteins. Additionally, fluorescence microscopy revealed that C3 and C5 localized in a fairly uniform pattern to the plasma membrane of promastigotes from logarithmic phase cultures, while the staining of promastigotes from stationary phase cultures was indistinguishable from background. By Western blot analysis, high levels of the complement proteins C3, C5, and C9 were detected in the total lysates of NHS-exposed logarithmic phase L. chagasi promastigotes, relative to NHS-exposed stationary phase promastigotes; this finding indicates that the low levels of C3 and C5 seen on the surface of stationary phase promastigotes were not due to protein uptake/internalization. Together, these data demonstrate the differential deposition of complement proteins on the surfaces of logarithmic and stationary phase L. chagasi promastigotes. The data support a model wherein stationary phase L. chagasi promastigotes resist CML by limiting the deposition of C3 and its derivatives, which, in turn, limit surface levels of complement proteins (including C5 and C9) that form the lytic membrane attack complex.

Lipid microspheres loaded with antigenic membrane proteins of the Leishmania amazonensis as a potential biotechnology application

Lipid microspheres (LM) are excellent drug delivery or vaccines adjuvant systems and are relatively stable. The aim of this work is to develop and characterize a system that is able to encapsulate and present antigenic membrane proteins from Leishmania amazonensis. Membrane proteins are important for vaccine's formulation because these proteins come in contact with the host cell first, triggering the cell mediated immune response. This is a useful tool to avoid or inactivate the parasite invasion. The LM are constituted by soybean oil (SO), dipalmitoylphosphatidilcholine (DPPC), cholesterol and solubilized protein extract (SPE). The particles formed presented an average diameter of 200 nm, low polydispersion and good stability for a period of 30 days, according to dynamic light scattering assays. Isopycnic density gradient centrifugation of LM-protein showed that proteins and lipids floated in the sucrose gradient (5-50%w/v) suggesting that the LM-protein preparation was homogeneous and that the proteins are interacting with the system. The results show that 85% of SPE proteins were encapsulated in the LM. Studies of cellular viability of murine peritoneal macrophages show that our system does not present cytotoxic effect for the macrophages and still stimulates their NO production (which makes its application as a vaccine adjuvant possible). LM-protein loaded with antigenic membrane proteins from L. amazonensis seems to be a promising vaccine system for immunization against leishmaniasis.

Characterization of DNA sequences that confer complement resistance in Leishmania chagasi

Serial passage of axenically cultured Leishmania chagasi promastigotes results in a progressive diminution in resistance to complement-mediated lysis (CML), whereas high CML resistance is seen in infectious metacyclic promastigotes from the sandfly vector as well as metacyclic-like promastigotes within low-passage cultures at stationary growth phase. As we previously reported, in a screen seeking to identify novel genes involved in CML resistance: (1) a genomic cosmid library derived from DNA of CML-resistant L. chagasi promastigotes was transfected into high-passage (constitutively CML-sensitive) L. chagasi promastigotes; (2) transformants were screened for acquisition of CML-resistance; (3) multiple cosmid-transfectants exhibited partial CML resistance; and (4) the sequence for one of the cosmids (Cosmid 51) was determined. This report extends the analysis of Cosmid 51, and identifies by deletion analysis a subregion of the cosmid insert that is critical to the CML-resistance phenotype of Cosmid 51 transformants. We also report the sequence determination and initial CML-resistance activity of another cosmid that also confers partial resistance to CML.

Mimetic membrane system to carry multiple antigenic proteins from Leishmania amazonensis

Liposomes have long been used as models for lipid membranes and for the reconstitution of a single or multiple proteins. Also, liposomes have adjuvant activity in vaccines against several protozoan or bacterial organisms. Thus, the main objective of the present study was to obtain a crude extract of detergent-solubilized proteins of Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes and reconstitute them into liposomes. Neutral and zwiterionic detergents were less efficient than an ionic detergent. In order to obtain efficient solubilization using only sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the effects of detergent and protein concentration and incubation time were studied. The maximum of solubilized proteins was obtained instantaneously using a ratio of 0.5 mg/ml of protein to 0.1% (w/v) detergent at 4 degrees C. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS) and cholesterol in a weight ratio of 5:1:4 were used for protein reconstitution into liposomes using the cosolubilization method, yielding 60% of incorporation. The incorporation of multiple parasite proteins results in a vesicular diameter of proteoliposomes of about 140 nm, presenting a final lipid weight ratio for DPPC, DPPS and cholesterol of 1:1:5, with high stability. The detergent-solubilized proteins of L. amazonensis amastigotes present in the proteoliposome, when analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, include a wide range of parasite-incorporated proteins. BALB/c mice inoculated with these proteoliposomes were able to produce antibodies against the proteins reconstituted in DPPC:DPPS:cholesterol liposomes and were partially resistant to infection with L. amazonensis promastigotes. These results indicate that this system can be used as a possible vaccine against L. amazonensis.

Genetic complementation to identify DNA elements that influence complement resistance in Leishmania chagasi

Past studies showed that Leishmania spp. promastigotes exhibit differential sensitivity to complement mediated lysis (CML) during development in vitro and in vivo. Leishmania chagasi promastigotes in cultures during logarithmic and stationary growth phases are CML-sensitive or CML-resistant when exposed to human serum, respectively, but only in cultures recently initiated with parasites from infected animals; serially passaged cultures become constitutively CML-sensitive regardless of growth phase. Building on these observations, a genetic screen was conducted to identify novel complement resistance factors of L. chagasi. A cosmid library containing genomic DNA was transfected into a promastigote line previously subjected to >50 serial passages. Selection with human serum for CML resistance yielded 12 transfectant clones. Cosmids isolated from 7 of these clones conferred CML resistance when transfected into an independent, high-passage promastigote culture; at 12% human serum, the mean survival of transfectants was 37% (+/- 11.6%), and that of control transfectants was about 1%. Inserts within the 7 cosmids were unique. Determination of the complete DNA sequence for 1 cosmid indicated that its 32-kilobase insert was 89% identical (overall) to a 31-kilobase region of Leishmania major chromosome 36, which is predicted to encode 6 genes, all of which encode hypothetical proteins.

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis: interaction of mannose-binding lectin with surface glycoconjugates and complement activation. An antibody-independent defence mechanism

The activation of complement on the surface of Leishmania promastigotes appears to be an important factor for parasite infectivity in the mammalian host, allowing their attachment and the invasion of macrophages via complement receptors. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a well-known complement activator and an efficient opsonine. We have investigated here whether serum and purified MBL bind to and promote lysis of live promastigotes of L. braziliensis; and evaluated the deposition of MBL, C1q, C4 and C3 on the parasite surface after interaction with non-immune normal human serum (NHS). We observed that both serum MBL and the purified MBL-MASP complex bind to the surface of L. braziliensis and that this binding occurred via the carbohydrate recognition domains of MBL. The binding of MBL, however, did not affect the lytic effect of complement on the parasites. The deposition of C1q, C4, C3 and parasite lysis was observed after incubation with NHS. EDTA but not EGTA abolished C3 deposition on the parasite surface, indicating the involvement of the alternative pathway in this process. Our results indicate that MBL binds to L. braziliensis and that this is mediated by a specific carbohydrate on the surface of parasites and provides evidence for antibody-independent mechanisms that complement activation on the parasite surface.

Leishmania chagasi/infantum: further investigations on Leishmania tropisms in atypical cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis foci in Central America

In Central America, apparently genetically identical Leishmania chagasi/infantum parasites cause cutaneous (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the latter being more frequent in young children. The present study investigated if there were pathology-related differences in virulence between Honduran CL and VL strains using Mediterranean L. infantum strains as a reference. Macrophage infectivity and serum sensitivity, properties thought to be associated with virulence, were similar between CL and VL strains from both regions. Attention focused on the genome organisation of genes for two candidate virulence factors: Leishmania mitogen activated protein kinase (LMPK) and cysteine proteinase b (Cpb). Interestingly, the Mediterranean strains exhibited restriction enzyme polymorphisms associated with tropism for both LMPK and Cpb genes whereas no differences were observed for the Honduran strains. We also report relative genetic homogeneity of the Honduran strains as compared to the Mediterranean strains and discuss it in terms of the probable origin for the Central American L. chagasi/infantum.

Complement interaction with trypanosomatid promastigotes in normal human serum

In normal human serum (NHS), axenic promastigotes of Crithidia, Phytomonas, and Leishmania trigger complement activation, and from 1.2 to 1.8 x 10(5) C3 molecules are deposited per promastigote within 2.5 min. In Leishmania, promastigote C3 binding capacity remains constant during in vitro metacyclogenesis. C3 deposition on promastigotes activated through the classical complement pathway reaches a 50% maximum after similar50 s, and represents >85% of total C3 bound. In C1q- and C2-deficient human sera, promastigotes cannot activate the classical pathway (CP) unless purified C1q or C2 factors, respectively, are supplemented, demonstrating a requirement for CP factor in promastigote C3 opsonization. NHS depleted of natural anti-Leishmania antibodies cannot trigger promastigote CP activation, but IgM addition restores C3 binding. Furthermore, Leishmania binds natural antibodies in ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA)-treated NHS; after EDTA removal, promastigote-bound IgM triggers C3 deposition in natural antibody-depleted NHS. Serum collectins and pentraxins thus do not participate significantly in NHS promastigote C3 opsonization. Real-time kinetic analysis of promastigote CP-mediated lysis indicates that between 85--95% of parasites are killed within 2.5 min of serum contact. These data indicate that successful Leishmania infection in man must immediately follow promastigote transmission, and that Leishmania evasion strategies are shaped by the selective pressure exerted by complement.