An enzyme-release assay for the assessment of the lytic activities of complement or antimicrobial peptides on extracellular Toxoplasma gondii

Past and present seroprevalence and disease burden estimates of Toxoplasma gondii infections in Germany: An appreciation of the role of serodiagnostics

Toxoplasmosis is one of the major foodborne parasitic diseases in Germany, with 49% of its population chronically infected with its causative agent, Toxoplasma gondii. Although the acute disease is usually benign in immunocompetent individuals, it is a threat for immunocompromised patients as well as for fetuses of seronegative mothers. As a result of infection, congenital and ocular toxoplasmosis can have serious lifelong consequences. Here I will highlight the epidemiologic situation, from its past in the two separate parts of Germany, to its unification 30 years ago and up to the present day. The main identified risk factor for infection in Germany is thought to be the consumption of undercooked or raw meat or sausages. However, the relative impact of this risky eating habit as well as that of other risk factors are changing and are discussed and compared to the situation in the Netherlands. Finally, the importance of robust and efficient high-throughput serological assays for obtaining reliable epidemiological data, on which public health decisions can be made, is highlighted. The potential of bead-based multiplex assays, which allow the incorporation of multiple antigens with different analytical properties and thus yield additional information, are described in this context. It illustrates the interdependence of new analytic assay developments and sound epidemiology, a foundation that decades-old data from Germany did not have.

Anti-parasitic activity of a chimeric peptide Cecropin A (2-8)-Melittin (6-9) (CM11) against tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii and the BALB/c mouse model of acute toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease that infects most animals, including humans. Pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine is the standard treatment for toxoplasmosis. Although this treatment has been successful, it is often associated with side effects that cannot be tolerated. Therefore, various compounds have been proposed as alternative treatments for toxoplasmosis. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) act on various pathogens, from viruses to protozoa. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of CM11 on in vitro and in vivo Toxoplasma gondii infection. For in vitro experiments, VERO cells were treated with different concentrations of CM11 (1-128 μg/ml) compared to sulfadiazine (SDZ) (0.78-100 μg/ml). MTT and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays evaluated the cell viability and plasma membrane integrity. Then, the inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were determined for treating tachyzoites of T. gondii before or on cells previously infected. Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining was used to distinguish viable and apoptotic cells. The effect of CM11, SDZ, and a combination of CM11 and SDZ was evaluated in the BALB/c mouse model of acute toxoplasmosis. CM11 was effective on tachyzoites of T. gondii and had a time and dose-dependent manner. The results of the MTT assay showed that the CC50 values of CM11 and SDZ were estimated at 17.4 µg/ml and 62.3 µg/ml after 24-h, respectively. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of CM11 and SDZ on infected cells was estimated at 1.9 µg/ml and 1.4 µg/ml after 24-h, respectively. The highest rate of apoptosis (early and late) in high concentrations of SDZ and CM11 was determined for tachyzoites (2.13 % and 13.88 %), non-infected VERO cells (6.1 % and 19.76 %), and infected VERO cells (7.45 % and 29.9 %), respectively. Treating infected mice with CM11 and a combination of CM11 and SDZ had increased survival time. Based on the mentioned results, it can be concluded that CM11 has a beneficial effect on tachyzoites of T. gondii in vitro. The result of the mouse model suggests that CM11, either alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, could be a potential therapeutic for toxoplasmosis. Hence, antimicrobial peptides could be applied as promising anti-toxoplasma agents for treating toxoplasmosis.

Bio-nano scale modifications of melittin for improving therapeutic efficacy

INTRODUCTION

Melittin (MLT), a natural membrane-active component, is the most prominent cytolytic peptide from bee venom. Remarkable biological properties of MLT, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-protozoan, and antiarthritic activities, make it an up-and-coming therapeutic candidate for a wide variety of human diseases. Therapeutic applications of MLT may be hindered due to low stability, high toxicity, and weak tissue penetration. Different bio-nano scale modifications hold promise for improving its functionality and therapeutic efficacy.

AREAS COVERED

In the current review, we aimed to provide a comprehensive insight into strategies used for MLT conjugations and modifications, cellular delivery of modified forms, and their clinical perspectives by reviewing the published literature on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. We also emphasized the MLT structure modifications, mechanism of action, and cellular toxicity.

EXPERT OPINION

Developing new analogs and conjugates of MLT as a natural drug with improved functions and fewer side effects is crucial for the clinical translation of this approach worldwide, especially where the chemicals and synthetic drugs are more expensive or unavailable in the healthcare system. MLT-nanoconjugation may be one of the best-optimized strategies for improving peptide delivery, increasing its therapeutic efficacy, and providing minimal nonspecific cellular lytic activity. [Figure: see text].

Applications and evolution of melittin, the quintessential membrane active peptide

Melittin, the main venom component of the European Honeybee, is a cationic linear peptide-amide of 26 amino acid residues with the sequence: GIGAVLKVLTTGLPALISWIKRKRQQ-NH₂. Melittin binds to lipid bilayer membranes, folds into amphipathic α-helical secondary structure and disrupts the permeability barrier. Since melittin was first described, a remarkable array of activities and potential applications in biology and medicine have been described. Melittin is also a favorite model system for biophysicists to study the structure, folding and function of peptides and proteins in membranes. Melittin has also been used as a template for the evolution of new activities in membranes. Here we overview the rich history of scientific research into the many activities of melittin and outline exciting future applications.

Melittin as a promising anti-protozoan peptide: current knowledge and future prospects

Protozoan diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness still levy a heavy toll on human lives. Deplorably, only few classes of anti-protozoan drugs have thus far been developed. The problem is further compounded by their intrinsic toxicity, emergence of drug resistance, and the lack of licensed vaccines. Thus, there is a genuine exigency to develop novel anti-protozoan medications. Over the past years, melittin, the major constituent in the venom of European honeybee Apis mellifera, has gathered the attention of researchers due to its potential therapeutic applications. Insofar as we are aware, there has been no review pertinent to anti-protozoan properties of melittin. The present review outlines the current knowledge about anti-protozoan effects of melittin and its underlying mechanisms. The peptide has proven to be efficacious in killing different protozoan parasites such as Leishmania, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, and Trypanosoma in vitro. Apart from direct membrane-disruptive activity, melittin is capable of destabilizing calcium homeostasis, reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, disorganizing kinetoplast DNA, instigating apoptotic cell death, and induction of autophagy in protozoan pathogens. Emerging evidence suggests that melittin is a promising candidate for future vaccine adjuvants. Transmission-blocking activity of melittin against vector-borne pathogens underscores its potential utility for both transgenic and paratransgenic manipulations. Nevertheless, future research should focus upon investigating anti-microbial activities of melittin, alone or in combination with the current anti-protozoan medications, against a far broader spectrum of protozoan parasites as well as pre-clinical testing of the peptide in animal models.

Antimalarial Agents as Therapeutic Tools Against Toxoplasmosis-A Short Bridge between Two Distant Illnesses

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease with paramount impact worldwide, affecting many vulnerable populations and representing a significant matter of concern. Current therapies used against toxoplasmosis are based essentially on old chemotypes, which fail in providing a definitive cure for the disease, placing the most sensitive populations at risk for irreversible damage in vital organs, culminating in death in the most serious cases. Antimalarial drugs have been shown to possess key features for drug repurposing, finding application in the treatment of other parasite-borne illnesses, including toxoplasmosis. Antimalarials provide the most effective therapeutic solutions against toxoplasmosis and make up for the majority of currently available antitoxoplasmic drugs. Additionally, other antiplasmodial drugs have been scrutinized and many promising candidates have emanated in recent developments. Available data demonstrate that it is worthwhile to explore the activity of classical and most recent antimalarial chemotypes, such as quinolines, endoperoxides, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines, and nature-derived peptide-based parasiticidal agents, in the context of toxoplasmosis chemotherapy, in the quest for encountering more effective and safer tools for toxoplasmosis control or eradication.

Serum IgG Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Antibody Concentrations Do Not Correlate Nested PCR Results in Blood Donors

Background:Toxoplasma gondii infects millions of individuals worldwide. This protozoan is food and water-borne transmitted but blood transfusion and organ transplantation constitute alternative forms for transmission. However, the influence of IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies in molecular analysis carried out in peripheral blood still remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the serum IgG anti-T. gondii antibody concentrations correlate Nested PCR results in blood donors.

Methods: 750 blood donors were enrolled. IgM and IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies were assessed by ELISA (DiaSorin, Italy). Nested PCR was performed with primers JW62/JW63 (288 bp) and B22/B23 (115 bp) of the T. gondii B1 gene. The mean values of IgG concentration were compared for PCR positive and PCR Negative blood donors using the t-test or Mann-Whitney according to the normal distribution (p-value ≤ 0.05).

Results: 361 (48.1%) blood donors presented positive serology as follow: IgM⁺/IgG⁻: 5 (0.6%); IgM⁺/IgG⁺: 21 (2.8%); IgM⁻/IgG⁺: 335 (44.7%) and 389 (51.9%), negative serology. From 353 blood donors with positive serology tested, the Nested PCR was positive in 38 (10.8%) and negative in 315 (89.2%). There were no differences statistically significant between the mean values of serum IgG anti-T. gondii antibody concentrations and the Nested PCR results.

Conclusions: In conclusion, our data show that variations in the serum IgG anti-T. gondii antibody concentrations do not correlate T. gondii parasitemia detected by Nested PCR in chronically infected healthy blood donors.

The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase vector as a tool for stable tagging of Neospora caninum

Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular Apicomplexa, a phylum where one of the current methods for functional studies relies on molecular genetic tools. For Toxoplasma gondii, the first method described, in 1993, was based on resistance against chloramphenicol. As in T. gondii, we developed a vector constituted of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (CAT) flanked by the N. caninum dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) 5' coding sequence flanking region. Five weeks after transfection and under the selection of chloramphenicol the expression of CAT increased compared to the wild type and the resistance was retained for more than one year. Between the stop codon of CAT and the 3' UTR of DHFR, a Lac-Z gene controlled by the N. caninum tubulin 5' coding sequence flanking region was ligated, resulting in a vector with a reporter gene (Ncdhfr-CAT/NcTub-tetO/Lac-Z). The stability was maintained through an episomal pattern for 14 months when the tachyzoites succumbed, which was an unexpected phenomenon compared to T. gondii. Stable parasites expressing the Lac-Z gene allowed the detection of tachyzoites after invasion by enzymatic reaction (CPRG) and were visualised macro- and microscopically by X-Gal precipitation and fluorescence. This work developed the first vector for stable expression of proteins based on chloramphenicol resistance and controlled exclusively by N. caninum promoters.

A transgenic Neospora caninum strain based on mutations of the dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase gene

Neospora caninum is an Apicomplexa parasite related to abortion and losses of fertility in cattle. The amenability of Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium to genetic manipulation offers several tools to determine the invasion and replication processes, which support posterior strategies related to the combat of these diseases. For Plasmodium the use of pyrimethamine as an auxiliary drug on malaria treatment has been affected by the rise of resistant strains and the analyses on Dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) gene indicated several point mutations. In this work we developed a method for stable insertion of genes based on resistance to pyrimethamine. For that, the coding sequence of NcDHFR-TS (Dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase) was point mutated in two amino acids, generating DHFRM2M3. The DHFRM2M3 flanked by the promoter and 3'UTR of Ncdhfr-ts (Ncdhfr-DHFRM2M3) conferred resistance to pyrimethamine after transfection. For illustration of stability and expression, the cassette Ncdhfr-DHFRM2M3 was ligated to the reporter gene Lac-Z (β-galactosidase enzyme) controlled by the N. caninum tubulin promoter and was transfected and selected in N. caninum. The cassette was integrated into the genome and the selected tachyzoites expressed Lac-Z, allowing the detection of tachyzoites by the CPRG reaction and X-gal precipitation. The obtainment of transgenic N. caninum resistant to pyrimethamine confirms the effects on DHFR-TS among the Apicomplexa members and will support future approaches on pholate inhibitors for N. caninum prophylaxis. The construction of stable tachyzoites based on vectors with N. caninum promoters initiates the molecular manipulation of this parasite independently of T. gondii.

Melittin peptide kills Trypanosoma cruzi parasites by inducing different cell death pathways

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are components of the innate immune response that represent desirable alternatives to conventional pharmaceuticals, as they have a fast mode of action, a low likelihood of resistance development and can act in conjunction with existing drug regimens. AMPs exhibit strong inhibitory activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, viruses, metazoans and other parasites, such as the protozoan Leishmania. Melittin is a naturally occurring AMP, which comprises 40-50% of the dry weight of Apis mellifera venom. Our group has recently shown that crude A. mellifera venom is lethal to Trypanosoma cruzi, the Chagas disease etiologic agent, and generates a variety of cell death phenotypes among treated parasites. Here, we demonstrate that the melittin affected all of T. cruzi developmental forms, including the intracellular amastigotes. The ultrastructural changes induced by melittin suggested the occurrence of different programmed cell death pathways, as was observed in A. mellifera-treated parasites. Autophagic cell death appeared to be the main death mechanism in epimastigotes. In contrast, melittin-treated trypomastigotes appeared to be dying via an apoptotic mechanism. Our findings confirm the great potential of AMPs, including melittin, as a potential source of new drugs for the treatment of neglected diseases, such as Chagas disease.