1
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Giuliano CJ, Wei KJ, Harling FM, Waldman BS, Farringer MA, Boydston EA, Lan TCT, Thomas RW, Herneisen AL, Sanderlin AG, Coppens I, Dvorin JD, Lourido S. CRISPR-based functional profiling of the Toxoplasma gondii genome during acute murine infection. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:2323-2343. [PMID: 38977907 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01754-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Examining host-pathogen interactions in animals can capture aspects of infection that are obscured in cell culture. Using CRISPR-based screens, we functionally profile the entire genome of the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii during murine infection. Barcoded gRNAs enabled bottleneck detection and mapping of population structures within parasite lineages. Over 300 genes with previously unknown roles in infection were found to modulate parasite fitness in mice. Candidates span multiple axes of host-parasite interaction. Rhoptry Apical Surface Protein 1 was characterized as a mediator of host-cell tropism that facilitates repeated invasion attempts. GTP cyclohydrolase I was also required for fitness in mice and druggable through a repurposed compound, 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine. This compound synergized with pyrimethamine against T. gondii and malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum parasites. This work represents a complete survey of an apicomplexan genome during infection of an animal host and points to novel interfaces of host-parasite interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth J Wei
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Benjamin S Waldman
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Madeline A Farringer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Biological Sciences in Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Raina W Thomas
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alice L Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Liu Q, Guan XA, Li DF, Zheng YX, Wang S, Xuan XN, Zhao JL, He L. Babesia gibsoni Whole-Genome Sequencing, Assembling, Annotation, and Comparative Analysis. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0072123. [PMID: 37432130 PMCID: PMC10434002 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00721-23] [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: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular protozoan parasite Babesia gibsoni infects canine erythrocytes and causes babesiosis. The hazards to animal health have increased due to the rise of B. gibsoni infections and medication resistance. However, the lack of high-quality full-genome sequencing sets has expanded the obstacles to the development of pathogeneses, drugs, and vaccines. In this study, the whole genome of B. gibsoni was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. The genomic size of B. gibsoni was 7.94 Mbp in total. Four chromosomes with the size of 0.69 Mb, 2.10 Mb, 2.77 Mb, and 2.38 Mb, respectively, 1 apicoplast (28.4 Kb), and 1 mitochondrion (5.9 Kb) were confirmed. KEGG analysis revealed 2,641 putative proteins enriched on 316 pathways, and GO analysis showed 7,571 annotations of the nuclear genome in total. Synteny analysis showed a high correlation between B. gibsoni and B. bovis. A new divergent point of B. gibsoni occurred around 297.7 million years ago, which was earlier than that of B. bovis, B. ovata, and B. bigemina. Orthology analysis revealed 22 and 32 unique genes compared to several Babesia spp. and apicomplexan species. The metabolic pathways of B.gibsoni were characterized, pointing to a minimal size of the genome. A species-specific secretory protein SA1 and 19 homologous genes were identified. Selected specific proteins, including apetala 2 (AP2) factor, invasion-related proteins BgAMA-1 and BgRON2, and rhoptry function proteins BgWH_04g00700 were predicted, visualized, and modeled. Overall, whole-genome sequencing provided molecular-level support for the diagnosis, prevention, clinical treatment, and further research of B. gibsoni. IMPORTANCE The whole genome of B. gibsoni was first sequenced, annotated, and disclosed. The key part of genome composition, four chromosomes, was comparatively analyzed for the first time. A full-scale phylogeny evolution analysis based on the whole-genome-wide data of B. gibsoni was performed, and a new divergent point on the evolutionary path was revealed. In previous reports, molecular studies were often limited by incomplete genomic data, especially in key areas like life cycle regulation, metabolism, and host-pathogen interaction. With the whole-genome sequencing of B. gibsoni, we provide useful genetic data to encourage the exploration of new terrain and make it feasible to resolve the theoretical and practical problems of babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xing-Ai Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dong-Fang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ya-Xin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xue-Nan Xuan
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Jun-Long Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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3
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Subudhi AK, Green JL, Satyam R, Lenz T, Salunke RP, Shuaib M, Isaioglou I, Abel S, Gupta M, Esau L, Mourier T, Nugmanova R, Mfarrej S, Sivapurkar R, Stead Z, Rached FB, Otswal Y, Sougrat R, Dada A, Kadamany AF, Fischle W, Merzaban J, Knuepfer E, Ferguson DJP, Gupta I, Le Roch KG, Holder AA, Pain A. PfAP2-MRP DNA-binding protein is a master regulator of parasite pathogenesis during malaria parasite blood stages. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.23.541898. [PMID: 37293082 PMCID: PMC10245809 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.23.541898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Malaria pathogenicity results from the parasite's ability to invade, multiply within and then egress from the host red blood cell (RBC). Infected RBCs are remodeled, expressing antigenic variant proteins (such as PfEMP1, coded by the var gene family) for immune evasion and survival. These processes require the concerted actions of many proteins, but the molecular regulation is poorly understood. We have characterized an essential Plasmodium specific Apicomplexan AP2 (ApiAP2) transcription factor in Plasmodium falciparum (PfAP2-MRP; Master Regulator of Pathogenesis) during the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC). An inducible gene knockout approach showed that PfAP2-MRP is essential for development during the trophozoite stage, and critical for var gene regulation, merozoite development and parasite egress. ChIP-seq experiments performed at 16 hour post invasion (h.p.i.) and 40 h.p.i. matching the two peaks of PfAP2-MRP expression, demonstrate binding of PfAP2-MRP to the promoters of genes controlling trophozoite development and host cell remodeling at 16 h.p.i. and antigenic variation and pathogenicity at 40 h.p.i. Using single-cell RNA-seq and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, we show de-repression of most var genes in Δpfap2-mrp parasites that express multiple PfEMP1 proteins on the surface of infected RBCs. In addition, the Δpfap2-mrp parasites overexpress several early gametocyte marker genes at both 16 and 40 h.p.i., indicating a regulatory role in the sexual stage conversion. Using the Chromosomes Conformation Capture experiment (Hi-C), we demonstrate that deletion of PfAP2-MRP results in significant reduction of both intra-chromosomal and inter-chromosomal interactions in heterochromatin clusters. We conclude that PfAP2-MRP is a vital upstream transcriptional regulator controlling essential processes in two distinct developmental stages during the IDC that include parasite growth, chromatin structure and var gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Subudhi
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Judith L Green
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Rohit Satyam
- Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, Okhla, New Delhi, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Todd Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Rahul P Salunke
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Shuaib
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ioannis Isaioglou
- Cell Migration and Signaling Laboratory, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Mohit Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Luke Esau
- KAUST Core Labs, KAUST, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Raushan Nugmanova
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara Mfarrej
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Rupali Sivapurkar
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Zenaida Stead
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Fathia Ben Rached
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Yogesh Otswal
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Rachid Sougrat
- KAUST Core Labs, KAUST, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashraf Dada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Fuaad Kadamany
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Wolfgang Fischle
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Jasmeen Merzaban
- Cell Migration and Signaling Laboratory, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ellen Knuepfer
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX1 2JD, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ishaan Gupta
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control; Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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4
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Giuliano CJ, Wei KJ, Harling FM, Waldman BS, Farringer MA, Boydston EA, Lan TCT, Thomas RW, Herneisen AL, Sanderlin AG, Coppens I, Dvorin JD, Lourido S. Functional profiling of the Toxoplasma genome during acute mouse infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.05.531216. [PMID: 36945434 PMCID: PMC10028831 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.05.531216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Within a host, pathogens encounter a diverse and changing landscape of cell types, nutrients, and immune responses. Examining host-pathogen interactions in animal models can therefore reveal aspects of infection absent from cell culture. We use CRISPR-based screens to functionally profile the entire genome of the model apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii during mouse infection. Barcoded gRNAs were used to track mutant parasite lineages, enabling detection of bottlenecks and mapping of population structures. We uncovered over 300 genes that modulate parasite fitness in mice with previously unknown roles in infection. These candidates span multiple axes of host-parasite interaction, including determinants of tropism, host organelle remodeling, and metabolic rewiring. We mechanistically characterized three novel candidates, including GTP cyclohydrolase I, against which a small-molecule inhibitor could be repurposed as an antiparasitic compound. This compound exhibited antiparasitic activity against T. gondii and Plasmodium falciparum, the most lethal agent of malaria. Taken together, we present the first complete survey of an apicomplexan genome during infection of an animal host, and point to novel interfaces of host-parasite interaction that may offer new avenues for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kenneth J. Wei
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | - Faye M. Harling
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Madeline A. Farringer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Biological Sciences in Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Raina W. Thomas
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | - Alice L. Herneisen
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
| | | | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jeffrey D. Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sebastian Lourido
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA
- Biology Department, MIT, Cambridge, MA
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5
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Munjal A, Kannan D, Singh S. A C2 domain containing plasma membrane protein of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites mediates calcium-dependent binding and invasion to host erythrocytes. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2023; 56:139-149. [PMID: 35995671 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Invasion of red blood cells by Plasmodium falciparum merozoites is governed by multiple receptor-ligand interactions which are critical for bridging the two cells together. The critical function of these ligands for invasion and their direct exposure to the host immune system makes them lucrative vaccine candidates. This necessitates the discovery of new adhesins with less redundancy that mediates the binding of merozoite to the red cell, and furthermore invasion into it. Here we have identified a novel membrane associated antigen (PfC2DMA) that is conserved throughout the Plasmodium species and has a membrane targeting C2 domain at its extreme N-terminal region. METHODS Recombinant C2dom was expressed heterologously in bacteria and purified to homogeneity. Mice antisera against C2dom was raised and used to check the expression and intraparasitic localization of the protein. RBC and Ca2+ ion binding activity of C2dom was also checked. RESULTS C2dom exhibited specific binding to Ca2+ ions and not to Mg2+ ions. PfC2DMA localized to the surface of merozoite and recombinant C2dom bound to the surface of human RBCs. RBC receptor modification by treatment with different enzymes showed that binding of C2dom to RBC surface is neuraminidase sensitive. Mice antisera raised against C2dom of Pf C2DMA showed invasion inhibitory effects. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that C2dom of PfC2DMA binds to surface of red cell in a Ca2+-dependent manner, advocating a plausible role in invasion and can serve as a potential novel blood stage vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Munjal
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepika Kannan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India; The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
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6
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Balbin JM, Heinemann GK, Yeoh LM, Gilberger TW, Armstrong M, Duffy MF, Gilson PR, Wilson DW. Characterisation of PfCZIF1 and PfCZIF2 in Plasmodium falciparum asexual stages. Int J Parasitol 2023; 53:27-41. [PMID: 36400305 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum exerts strong temporal control of gene expression across its lifecycle. Proteins expressed exclusively during late schizogony of blood stages, for example, often have a role in facilitating merozoite invasion of the host red blood cell (RBC), through merozoite development, egress, invasion or early establishment of infection in the RBC. Here, we characterise P. falciparum C3H1 zinc finger 1 (PfCZIF1, Pf3D7_1468400) and P. falciparum C3H1 zinc finger 2 (PfCZIF2, Pf3D7_0818100) which we identified as the only C3H1-type zinc finger proteins with peak expression at schizogony. Previous studies reported that antibodies against PfCZIF1 inhibit merozoite invasion, suggesting this protein may have a potential role during RBC invasion. We show using C-terminal truncations and gene knockouts of each of Pfczif1 and Pfczif2 that neither are essential for blood stage growth. However, they could not both be knocked out simultaneously, suggesting that at least one is needed for parasite growth in vitro. Immunofluorescence localisation of PfCZIF1 and PfCZIF2 indicated that both proteins occur in discrete foci on the periphery of the parasite's cytosol and biochemical assays suggest they are peripherally associated to a membrane. Transcriptomic analyses for the C-terminal truncation mutants reveal no significant expression perturbations with PfCZIF1 truncation. However, modification of PfCZIF2 appears to modify the expression for some exported proteins including PfKAHRP. This study does not support a role for PfCZIF1 or PfCZIF2 in merozoite invasion of the RBC and suggests that these proteins may help regulate the expression of proteins exported into the RBC cytosol after merozoite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Balbin
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia. https://twitter.com/jmiguel_balbin
| | - Gary K Heinemann
- Experimental Therapeutics Laboratory, Clinical and Health Science Unit, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Lee M Yeoh
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, 22607 Hamburg, Germany; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Michael F Duffy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul R Gilson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Danny W Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia; Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS), University of Adelaide, 5005 SA, Australia.
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7
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Barnes CBG, Dans MG, Jonsdottir TK, Crabb BS, Gilson PR. PfATP4 inhibitors in the Medicines for Malaria Venture Malaria Box and Pathogen Box block the schizont-to-ring transition by inhibiting egress rather than invasion. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1060202. [PMID: 36530423 PMCID: PMC9747762 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1060202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The cation efflux pump Plasmodium falciparum ATPase 4 (PfATP4) maintains Na+ homeostasis in malaria parasites and has been implicated in the mechanism of action of many structurally diverse antimalarial agents, including >7% of the antimalarial compounds in the Medicines for Malaria Venture's 'Malaria Box' and 'Pathogen Box'. Recent screens of the 'Malaria Box' and 'Pathogen Box' revealed that many PfATP4 inhibitors prevent parasites from exiting their host red blood cell (egress) or entering new host cells (invasion), suggesting that these compounds may have additional molecular targets involved in egress or invasion. Here, we demonstrate that five PfATP4 inhibitors reduce egress but not invasion. These compounds appear to inhibit egress by blocking the activation of protein kinase G, an enzyme that, once stimulated, rapidly activates parasite egress. We establish a direct link between egress and PfATP4 function by showing that the inhibition of egress is attenuated in a Na+-depleted environment and in parasites with a mutation in pfatp4. Finally, we show that PfATP4 inhibitors induce host cell lysis when administered prior to the completion of parasite replication. Since host cell lysis mimics egress but is not followed by invasion, this phenomenon likely explains why several PfATP4 inhibitors were previously classified as invasion inhibitors. Collectively, our results confirm that PfATP4-mediated Na+ efflux is critical to the regulation of parasite egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia B. G. Barnes
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Madeline G. Dans
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Thorey K. Jonsdottir
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Brendan S. Crabb
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul R. Gilson
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: Paul R. Gilson,
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8
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Martinez M, Chen WD, Cova MM, Molnár P, Mageswaran SK, Guérin A, John ARO, Lebrun M, Chang YW. Rhoptry secretion system structure and priming in Plasmodium falciparum revealed using in situ cryo-electron tomography. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:1230-1238. [PMID: 35817892 PMCID: PMC7613239 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01171-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites secrete contents of the rhoptries, club-shaped organelles in the apical region, into host cells to permit their invasion and establishment of infection. The rhoptry secretory apparatus (RSA), which is critical for rhoptry secretion, was recently discovered in Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium. It is unknown whether a similar molecular machinery exists in the malaria parasite Plasmodium. In this study, we use in situ cryo-electron tomography to investigate the rhoptry secretion system in P. falciparum merozoites. We identify the presence of an RSA at the cell apex and a morphologically distinct apical vesicle docking the tips of the two rhoptries to the RSA. We also discover two additional rhoptry organizations that lack the apical vesicle. Using subtomogram averaging, we reveal different conformations of the RSA structure corresponding to different rhoptry organizations. Our results highlight previously unknown steps in the process of rhoptry secretion and indicate a regulatory role for the conserved apical vesicle in host invasion by apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Martinez
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William David Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Petra Molnár
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shrawan Kumar Mageswaran
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amandine Guérin
- Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Audrey R Odom John
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Maryse Lebrun
- LPHI, UMR 5235 CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Cova MM, Lamarque MH, Lebrun M. How Apicomplexa Parasites Secrete and Build Their Invasion Machinery. Annu Rev Microbiol 2022; 76:619-640. [PMID: 35671531 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-041320-021425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexa are obligatory intracellular parasites that sense and actively invade host cells. Invasion is a conserved process that relies on the timely and spatially controlled exocytosis of unique specialized secretory organelles termed micronemes and rhoptries. Microneme exocytosis starts first and likely controls the intricate mechanism of rhoptry secretion. To assemble the invasion machinery, micronemal proteins-associated with the surface of the parasite-interact and form complexes with rhoptry proteins, which in turn are targeted into the host cell. This review covers the molecular advances regarding microneme and rhoptry exocytosis and focuses on how the proteins discharged from these two compartments work in synergy to drive a successful invasion event. Particular emphasis is given to the structure and molecular components of the rhoptry secretion apparatus, and to the current conceptual framework of rhoptry exocytosis that may constitute an unconventional eukaryotic secretory machinery closely related to the one described in ciliates. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 76 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Mendonça Cova
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions (LPHI), CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France;
| | - Mauld H Lamarque
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions (LPHI), CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France;
| | - Maryse Lebrun
- Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions (LPHI), CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France;
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A Phosphoinositide-Binding Protein Acts in the Trafficking Pathway of Hemoglobin in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. mBio 2022; 13:e0323921. [PMID: 35038916 PMCID: PMC8764524 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03239-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphoinositide lipids play key roles in a variety of processes in eukaryotic cells, but our understanding of their functions in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum is still very much limited. To gain a deeper comprehension of the roles of phosphoinositides in this important pathogen, we attempted gene inactivation for 24 putative effectors of phosphoinositide metabolism. Our results reveal that 79% of the candidates are refractory to genetic deletion and are therefore potentially essential for parasite growth. Inactivation of the gene coding for a Plasmodium-specific putative phosphoinositide-binding protein, which we named PfPX1, results in a severe growth defect. We show that PfPX1 likely binds phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate and that it localizes to the membrane of the digestive vacuole of the parasite and to vesicles filled with host cell cytosol and labeled with endocytic markers. Critically, we provide evidence that it is important in the trafficking pathway of hemoglobin from the host erythrocyte to the digestive vacuole. Finally, inactivation of PfPX1 renders parasites resistant to artemisinin, the frontline antimalarial drug. Globally, the minimal redundancy in the putative phosphoinositide proteins uncovered in our work supports that targeting this pathway has potential for antimalarial drug development. Moreover, our identification of a phosphoinositide-binding protein critical for the trafficking of hemoglobin provides key insight into this essential process. IMPORTANCE Malaria represents an enormous burden for a significant proportion of humanity, and the lack of vaccines and problems with drug resistance to all antimalarials demonstrate the need to develop new therapeutics. Inhibitors of phosphoinositide metabolism are currently being developed as antimalarials but our understanding of this biological pathway is incomplete. The malaria parasite lives inside human red blood cells where it imports hemoglobin to cover some of its nutritional needs. In this work, we have identified a phosphoinositide-binding protein that is important for the transport of hemoglobin in the parasite. Inactivation of this protein decreases the ability of the parasite to proliferate. Our results have therefore identified a potential new target for antimalarial development.
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11
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Cell biological analysis reveals an essential role for Pfcerli2 in erythrocyte invasion by malaria parasites. Commun Biol 2022; 5:121. [PMID: 35140336 PMCID: PMC8828742 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Merozoite invasion of host red blood cells (RBCs) is essential for survival of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Proteins involved with RBC binding and invasion are secreted from dual-club shaped organelles at the apical tip of the merozoite called the rhoptries. Here we characterise P. falciparum Cytosolically Exposed Rhoptry Leaflet Interacting protein 2 (PfCERLI2), as a rhoptry bulb protein that is essential for merozoite invasion. Phylogenetic analyses show that cerli2 arose through an ancestral gene duplication of cerli1. We show that PfCERLI2 is essential for blood-stage growth and localises to the cytosolic face of the rhoptry bulb. Inducible knockdown of PfCERLI2 led to a proportion of merozoites failing to invade and was associated with elongation of the rhoptry organelle during merozoite development and inhibition of rhoptry antigen processing. These findings identify PfCERLI2 as a protein that has key roles in rhoptry biology during merozoite invasion. Benjamin Liffner and Miguel Balbin et al. report that the Plasmodium falciparum protein, PfCERLI2, localises to the cytosolic face of the parasite’s rhoptry bulb and is essential for invasion and growth within human red blood cells.
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12
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Molecular mechanisms of hematological and biochemical alterations in malaria: A review. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 247:111446. [PMID: 34953384 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111446] [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: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a dangerous disease that contributes to millions of hospital visits and hundreds of thousands of deaths, especially in children residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Although several interventions such as vector control, case detection, and treatment are already in place, there is no substantive reduction in the disease burden. Several studies in the past have reported the emergence of resistant strains of malaria parasites (MPs) and mosquitoes, and poor adherence and inaccessibility to effective antimalarial drugs as the major factors for this persistent menace of malaria infections. Moreover, victory against MP infections for many years has been hampered by an incomplete understanding of the complex nature of malaria pathogenesis. Very recent studies have identified different complex interactions and hematological alterations induced by malaria parasites. However, no studies have hybridized these alterations for a better understanding of Malaria pathogenesis. Hence, this review thoroughly discusses the molecular mechanisms of all reported hematological and biochemical alterations induced by MPs infections. Specifically, the mechanisms in which MP-infection induces anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, dyslipidemia, hypoglycemia, oxidative stress, and liver and kidney malfunctions were presented. The study also discussed how MPs evade the host's immune response and suggested strategies to limit evasion of the host's immune response to combat malaria and its complications.
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Wang S, Zeng W, Zhao W, Xiang Z, Zhao H, Yang Q, Li X, Duan M, Li X, Wang X, Si Y, Rosenthal BM, Yang Z. Comparison of in vitro transformation efficiency methods for Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 247:111432. [PMID: 34826523 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Poor efficiency plagues conventional methods to transfect Plasmodium falciparum with genetic modifications, impeding research aimed at limiting the damage wrought by this agent of severe malaria. Here, we sought and documented improvements, using fluoresce imaging, cell sorting, and drug selection as means to measure efficiency. Through the transfection of EGFP plasmid, the transfection efficiency of the three methods used in this study was as high as 10-3. A method that pre-loaded uninfected erythrocytes with plasmids using the Bio-Rad Gene Pulser Xcell achieved the highest efficiency (0.48%±0.06%), twice the efficiency of a method using nuclear transfection of ring stages employing the 4D-NucleofectorTM X Kit L. We also evaluated an approach using the Nucleofactor system to transform schizont stages. We considered efficiency and the time required to complete drug screening experiments when evaluating transfection methods. Fluorescence measurements confirmed greater efficiencies for the Pre-load method (52.4% vs. 25%; P < 0.0001), but the Nuc-Ring method required less time to complete drug selection experiments following CRISPR/Cas9 editing. These data should benefit future studies seeking to remove or modify genes of P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China; National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese Center for Tropical Diseases Research), NHC Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology (National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Weilin Zeng
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Wei Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Zheng Xiang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Mengxi Duan
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Xiaosong Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Xun Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Yu Si
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China
| | - Benjamin M Rosenthal
- Animal Parasitic Disease Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Zhaoqing Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province 650500, China.
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Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies RACK1 as a critical host factor for flavivirus replication. J Virol 2021; 95:e0059621. [PMID: 34586867 PMCID: PMC8610583 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00596-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular factors have important roles in all facets of the flavivirus replication cycle. Deciphering viral-host protein interactions is essential for understanding the flavivirus lifecycle as well as development of effective antiviral strategies. To uncover novel host factors that are co-opted by multiple flaviviruses, a CRISPR/Cas9 genome wide knockout (KO) screen was employed to identify genes required for replication of Zika virus (ZIKV). Receptor for Activated Protein C Kinase 1 (RACK1) was identified as a novel host factor required for ZIKV replication, which was confirmed via complementary experiments. Depletion of RACK1 via siRNA demonstrated that RACK1 is important for replication of a wide range of mosquito- and tick-borne flaviviruses, including West Nile Virus (WNV), Dengue Virus (DENV), Powassan Virus (POWV) and Langat Virus (LGTV) as well as the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, but not for YFV, EBOV, VSV or HSV. Notably, flavivirus replication was only abrogated when RACK1 expression was dampened prior to infection. Utilising a non-replicative flavivirus model, we show altered morphology of viral replication factories and reduced formation of vesicle packets (VPs) in cells lacking RACK1 expression. In addition, RACK1 interacted with NS1 protein from multiple flaviviruses; a key protein for replication complex formation. Overall, these findings reveal RACK1's crucial role to the biogenesis of pan-flavivirus replication organelles. Importance Cellular factors are critical in all facets of viral lifecycles, where overlapping interactions between the virus and host can be exploited as possible avenues for the development of antiviral therapeutics. Using a genome-wide CRISPR knock-out screening approach to identify novel cellular factors important for flavivirus replication we identified RACK1 as a pro-viral host factor for both mosquito- and tick-borne flaviviruses in addition to SARS-CoV-2. Using an innovative flavivirus protein expression system, we demonstrate for the first time the impact of the loss of RACK1 on the formation of viral replication factories known as 'vesicle packets' (VPs). In addition, we show that RACK1 can interact with numerous flavivirus NS1 proteins as a potential mechanism by which VP formation can be induced by the former.
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Sparvoli D, Lebrun M. Unraveling the Elusive Rhoptry Exocytic Mechanism of Apicomplexa. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:622-637. [PMID: 34045149 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are unicellular eukaryotes that invade the cells in which they proliferate. The development of genetic tools in Toxoplasma, and then in Plasmodium, in the 1990s allowed the first description of the molecular machinery used for motility and invasion, revealing a crucial role for two different secretory organelles, micronemes and rhoptries. Rhoptry proteins are injected directly into the host cytoplasm not only to promote invasion but also to manipulate host functions. Nonetheless, the injection machinery has remained mysterious, a major conundrum in the field. Here we review recent progress in uncovering structural components and proteins implicated in rhoptry exocytosis and explain how revisiting early findings and considering the evolutionary origins of Apicomplexa contributed to some of these discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Sparvoli
- LPHI UMR5235, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Maryse Lebrun
- LPHI UMR5235, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France.
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Liffner B, Balbin JM, Wichers JS, Gilberger TW, Wilson DW. The Ins and Outs of Plasmodium Rhoptries, Focusing on the Cytosolic Side. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:638-650. [PMID: 33941492 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Plasmodium cause human and animal malaria, leading to significant health and economic impacts. A key aspect of the complex life cycle of Plasmodium parasites is the invasion of the parasite into its host cell, which is mediated by secretory organelles. The largest of these organelles, the rhoptry, undergoes rapid and profound physiological changes when it secretes its contents during merozoite and sporozoite invasion of the host erythrocyte and hepatocyte, respectively. Here we discuss recent advancements in our understanding of the dynamic rhoptry biology during the parasite's invasive stages, with a focus on the roles of cytosolically exposed rhoptry-interacting proteins (C-RIPs). We explore potential similarities between the molecular mechanisms driving merozoite and sporozoite rhoptry function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Liffner
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Juan Miguel Balbin
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Jan Stephan Wichers
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, 22607, Hamburg, Germany; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, 22607, Hamburg, Germany; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, 20359 Hamburg, Germany; Biology Department, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Danny W Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia; Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia.
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17
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Abstract
Malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites, remains a significant global health concern. For decades, genetic intractability and limited tools hindered our ability to study essential proteins and pathways in Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite associated with the most severe malaria cases. However, recent years have seen major leaps forward in the ability to genetically manipulate P. falciparum parasites and conditionally control protein expression/function. The conditional knockdown systems used in P. falciparum target all 3 components of the central dogma, allowing researchers to conditionally control gene expression, translation, and protein function. Here, we review some of the common knockdown systems that have been adapted or developed for use in P. falciparum. Much of the work done using conditional knockdown approaches has been performed in asexual, blood-stage parasites, but we also highlight their uses in other parts of the life cycle and discuss new ways of applying these systems outside of the intraerythrocytic stages. With the use of these tools, the field’s understanding of parasite biology is ever increasing, and promising new pathways for antimalarial drug development are being discovered.
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18
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Ben Chaabene R, Lentini G, Soldati-Favre D. Biogenesis and discharge of the rhoptries: Key organelles for entry and hijack of host cells by the Apicomplexa. Mol Microbiol 2021; 115:453-465. [PMID: 33368727 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rhoptries are specialized secretory organelles found in the Apicomplexa phylum, playing a central role in the establishment of parasitism. The rhoptry content includes membranous as well as proteinaceous materials that are discharged into the host cell in a regulated fashion during parasite entry. A set of rhoptry neck proteins form a RON complex that critically participates in the moving junction formation during invasion. Some of the rhoptry bulb proteins are associated with the membranous materials and contribute to the formation of the parasitophorous vacuole membrane while others are targeted into the host cell including the nucleus to subvert cellular functions. Here, we review the recent studies on Toxoplasma and Plasmodium parasites that shed light on the key steps leading to rhoptry biogenesis, trafficking, and discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouaa Ben Chaabene
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gaëlle Lentini
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, CMU, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Hamada S, Pionneau C, Parizot C, Silvie O, Chardonnet S, Marinach C. In-depth proteomic analysis of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites using trapped ion mobility spectrometry with parallel accumulation-serial fragmentation. Proteomics 2021; 21:e2000305. [PMID: 33452840 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202000305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Sporozoites of the malaria parasite Plasmodium are transmitted by mosquitoes and infect the liver for an initial and obligatory round of replication, before exponential multiplication in the blood and onset of the disease. Sporozoites and liver stages provide attractive targets for malaria vaccines and prophylactic drugs. In this context, defining the parasite proteome is important to explore the parasite biology and to identify potential targets for antimalarial strategies. Previous studies have determined the total proteome of sporozoites from the two main human malaria parasites, P. falciparum and P. vivax, as well as P. yoelii, which infects rodents. Another murine malaria parasite, P. berghei, is widely used to investigate the parasite biology. However, a deep view of the proteome of P. berghei sporozoites is still missing. To fill this gap, we took advantage of the highly sensitive timsTOF PRO mass spectrometer, combined with three alternative methods for sporozoite purification, to identify the proteome of P. berghei sporozoites using low numbers of parasites. This study provides a reference proteome for P. berghei sporozoites, identifying a core set of proteins expressed across species, and illustrates how the unprecedented sensitivity of the timsTOF PRO system enables deep proteomic analysis from limited sample amounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumia Hamada
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMS PASS, Plateforme Post-génomique de la Pitié Salpêtrière (P3S), Paris, France.,Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Cédric Pionneau
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMS PASS, Plateforme Post-génomique de la Pitié Salpêtrière (P3S), Paris, France
| | - Christophe Parizot
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Silvie
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Solenne Chardonnet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, UMS PASS, Plateforme Post-génomique de la Pitié Salpêtrière (P3S), Paris, France
| | - Carine Marinach
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
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Parasitravaganza 2020: Insights into a Virtual Parasitology Conference. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:867-875. [PMID: 33039283 PMCID: PMC7540217 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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