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Prajapati SK, Ayanful-Torgby R, Pava Z, Barbeau MC, Acquah FK, Cudjoe E, Kakaney C, Amponsah JA, Obboh E, Ahmed AE, Abuaku BK, McCarthy JS, Amoah LE, Williamson KC. The transcriptome of circulating sexually committed Plasmodium falciparum ring stage parasites forecasts malaria transmission potential. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6159. [PMID: 33268801 PMCID: PMC7710746 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19988-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is spread by the transmission of sexual stage parasites, called gametocytes. However, with Plasmodium falciparum, gametocytes can only be detected in peripheral blood when they are mature and transmissible to a mosquito, which complicates control efforts. Here, we identify the set of genes overexpressed in patient blood samples with high levels of gametocyte-committed ring stage parasites. Expression of all 18 genes is regulated by transcription factor AP2-G, which is required for gametocytogenesis. We select three genes, not expressed in mature gametocytes, to develop as biomarkers. All three biomarkers we validate in vitro using 6 different parasite lines and develop an algorithm that predicts gametocyte production in ex vivo samples and volunteer infection studies. The biomarkers are also sensitive enough to monitor gametocyte production in asymptomatic P. falciparum carriers allowing early detection and treatment of infectious reservoirs, as well as the in vivo analysis of factors that modulate sexual conversion. Malaria gametocytes are sexual-stage parasites transmitted from mammalian host’s blood back to their insect vector. Here, Prajapati et al. identify gametocyte-committed ring-stage biomarkers allowing to forecast malaria transmission potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra K Prajapati
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Ruth Ayanful-Torgby
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Zuleima Pava
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michelle C Barbeau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Festus K Acquah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Elizabeth Cudjoe
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Courage Kakaney
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jones A Amponsah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Anwar E Ahmed
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin K Abuaku
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - James S McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Linda E Amoah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kim C Williamson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Kagaya W, Miyazaki S, Yahata K, Ohta N, Kaneko O. The Cytoplasmic Region of Plasmodium falciparum SURFIN4.2 Is Required for Transport from Maurer's Clefts to the Red Blood Cell Surface. Trop Med Health 2015; 43:265-72. [PMID: 26865830 PMCID: PMC4689606 DOI: 10.2149/tmh.2015-38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, exports many proteins to the surface of the infected red blood cell (iRBC) in order to modify it toward a structure more suitable for parasite development and survival. One such exported protein, SURFIN4.2, from the parasite of human malignant malaria, P. falciparum, was identified in the trypsin-cleaved protein fraction from the iRBC surface, and is thereby inferred to be exposed on the iRBC surface. SURFIN4.2 also localize to Maurer’s clefts—parasite-derived membranous structures established in the RBC cytoplasm and tethered to the RBC membrane—and their role in trafficking suggests that they are a pathway for SURFIN4.2 transport to the iRBC surface. It has not been determined the participation of protein domains and motifs within SURFIN4.2 in transport from Maurer’s clefts to the iRBC surface; and herein we examined if the SURFIN4.2 intracellular region containing tryptophan-rich (WR) domain is required for its exposure on the iRBC surface. Results: We generated two transgenic parasite lines which express modified SURFIN4.2, with or without a part of the intracellular region. Both recombinant SURFIN4.2 proteins were exported to Maurer’s clefts. However, only SURFIN4.2 possessing the intracellular region was efficiently cleaved by surface treatment of iRBC with proteinase K. Conclusions: These results indicate that SURFIN4.2 is exposed on the iRBC surface and that the intracellular region containing WR domain plays a role on the transport from Maurer’s clefts to the iRBC membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Kagaya
- Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0034, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Shinya Miyazaki
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University , Nagasaki, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Kazuhide Yahata
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University , Nagasaki, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Nobuo Ohta
- Section of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University , 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0034, Japan
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University , Nagasaki, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
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