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Chandrasekharan G, Unnikrishnan M. High throughput methods to study protein-protein interactions during host-pathogen interactions. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151393. [PMID: 38306772 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2024.151393] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability of a pathogen to survive and cause an infection is often determined by specific interactions between the host and pathogen proteins. Such interactions can be both intra- and extracellular and may define the outcome of an infection. There are a range of innovative biochemical, biophysical and bioinformatic techniques currently available to identify protein-protein interactions (PPI) between the host and the pathogen. However, the complexity and the diversity of host-pathogen PPIs has led to the development of several high throughput (HT) techniques that enable the study of multiple interactions at once and/or screen multiple samples at the same time, in an unbiased manner. We review here the major HT laboratory-based technologies employed for host-bacterial interaction studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meera Unnikrishnan
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.
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Khan S, Patel MP, Patni AD, Cha SJ. Targeting Plasmodium Life Cycle with Novel Parasite Ligands as Vaccine Antigens. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:484. [PMID: 38793735 PMCID: PMC11125637 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12050484] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The WHO reported an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths in 85 countries in 2022. A total of 94% of malaria deaths occurred in Africa, 80% of which were children under 5. In other words, one child dies every minute from malaria. The RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine, which uses the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (CSP) to target sporozoite infection of the liver, achieved modest efficacy. The Malaria Vaccine Implementation Program (MVIP), coordinated by the WHO and completed at the end of 2023, found that immunization reduced mortality by only 13%. To further reduce malaria death, the development of a more effective malaria vaccine is a high priority. Three malaria vaccine targets being considered are the sporozoite liver infection (pre-erythrocytic stage), the merozoite red blood cell infection (asexual erythrocytic stage), and the gamete/zygote mosquito infection (sexual/transmission stage). These targets involve specific ligand-receptor interactions. However, most current malaria vaccine candidates that target two major parasite population bottlenecks, liver infection, and mosquito midgut infection, do not focus on such parasite ligands. Here, we evaluate the potential of newly identified parasite ligands with a phage peptide-display technique as novel malaria vaccine antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sung-Jae Cha
- Department of Medical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207, USA; (S.K.); (M.P.P.); (A.D.P.)
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Tan YJ, Jin Y, Zhou J, Yang YF. Lipid droplets in pathogen infection and host immunity. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024; 45:449-464. [PMID: 37993536 PMCID: PMC10834987 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-023-01189-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
As the hub of cellular lipid metabolism, lipid droplets (LDs) have been linked to a variety of biological processes. During pathogen infection, the biogenesis, composition, and functions of LDs are tightly regulated. The accumulation of LDs has been described as a hallmark of pathogen infection and is thought to be driven by pathogens for their own benefit. Recent studies have revealed that LDs and their subsequent lipid mediators contribute to effective immunological responses to pathogen infection by promoting host stress tolerance and reducing toxicity. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the intricate roles of LDs in governing the replication and assembly of a wide spectrum of pathogens within host cells. We also discuss the regulatory function of LDs in host immunity and highlight the potential for targeting LDs for the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jie Tan
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Yi Jin
- Research Center of Translational Medicine, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250013, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology in Universities of Shandong, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.
| | - Yun-Fan Yang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China.
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Verga JBM, Graminha MAS, Jacobs-Lorena M, Cha SJ. Peptide selection via phage display to inhibit Leishmania-macrophage interactions. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1362252. [PMID: 38476939 PMCID: PMC10927855 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1362252] [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: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Leishmaniasis comprises a complex group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites from the Leishmania genus, presenting a significant threat to human health. Infection starts by the release into the skin of metacyclic promastigote (MP) form of the parasite by an infected sand fly. Soon after their release, the MPs enter a phagocytic host cell. This study focuses on finding peptides that can inhibit MP-phagocytic host cell interaction. Methods We used a phage display library to screen for peptides that bind to the surface of L. amazonensis (causative agent for cutaneous leishmaniasis) and L. infantum (causative agent for cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis) MPs. Candidate peptide binding to the MP surface and inhibition of parasite-host cell interaction were tested in vitro. Peptide Inhibition of visceral leishmaniasis development was assessed in BALB/c mice. Results The selected L. amazonensis binding peptide (La1) and the L. infantum binding peptide (Li1) inhibited 44% of parasite internalization into THP-1 macrophage-like cells in vitro. While inhibition of internalization by La1 was specific to L. amazonensis, Li1 was effective in inhibiting internalization of both parasite species. Importantly, Li1 inhibited L. infantum spleen and liver infection of BALB/c mice by 84%. Conclusion We identified one peptide that specifically inhibits L. amazonensis MP infection of host cells and another that inhibits both, L. amazonensis and L. infantum, MP infection. Our findings suggest a promising path for the development of new treatments and prevention of leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Márcia A. S. Graminha
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sung-Jae Cha
- Department of Medical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, United States
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Cha SJ, Vega-Rodriguez J, Tao D, Kudyba HM, Hanner K, Jacobs-Lorena M. Plasmodium female gamete surface HSP90 is a key determinant for fertilization. mBio 2024; 15:e0314223. [PMID: 38131664 PMCID: PMC10865824 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03142-23] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium fertilization, an essential step for the development of the malaria parasite in the mosquito, is a prime target for blocking pathogen transmission. Using phage peptide display screening, we identified MG1, a peptide that binds to male gametes and inhibits fertilization, presumably by competing with a female gamete ligand. Anti-MG1 antibodies bind to the female gamete surface and, by doing so, also inhibit fertilization. We determined that this antibody recognizes HSP90 on the surface of Plasmodium female gametes. Our findings establish Plasmodium HSP90 as a prime target for the development of a transmission-blocking vaccine.IMPORTANCEMalaria kills over half a million people every year and this number has not decreased in recent years. The development of new tools to combat this disease is urgently needed. In this article, we report the identification of a key molecule-HSP90-on the surface of the parasite's female gamete that is required for fertilization to occur and for the completion of the parasite cycle in the mosquito. HSP90 is a promising candidate for the development of a transmission-blocking vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Jae Cha
- Department of Medical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, Georgia, USA
| | - Joel Vega-Rodriguez
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Dingyin Tao
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Heather M. Kudyba
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Kelly Hanner
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Ezema CA, Okagu IU, Ezeorba TPC. Escaping the enemy's bullets: an update on how malaria parasites evade host immune response. Parasitol Res 2023:10.1007/s00436-023-07868-6. [PMID: 37219610 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07868-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to cause untold hardship to inhabitants of malaria-endemic regions, causing significant morbidity and mortality that severely impact global health and the economy. Considering the complex life cycle of malaria parasites (MPs) and malaria biology, continued research efforts are ongoing to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of the diseases. Female Anopheles mosquito injects MPs into its hosts during a blood meal, and MPs invade the host skin and the hepatocytes without causing any serious symptoms. Symptomatic infections occur only during the erythrocytic stage. In most cases, the host's innate immunity (for malaria-naïve individuals) and adaptive immunity (for pre-exposed individuals) mount severe attacks and destroy most MPs. It is increasingly understood that MPs have developed several mechanisms to escape from the host's immune destruction. This review presents recent knowledge on how the host's immune system destroys invading MPs as well as MPs survival or host immune evasion mechanisms. On the invasion of host cells, MPs release molecules that bind to cell surface receptors to reprogram the host in a way to lose the capacity to destroy them. MPs also hide from the host immune cells by inducing the clustering of both infected and uninfected erythrocytes (rosettes), as well as inducing endothelial activation. We hope this review will inspire more research to provide a complete understanding of malaria biology and promote interventions to eradicate the notorious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinonso Anthony Ezema
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
- Division of Soft Matter, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Innocent Uzochukwu Okagu
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria
| | - Timothy Prince Chidike Ezeorba
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria.
- Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Nigeria, Enugu State, 410001, Nigeria.
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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Almeida JR, Gomes A, Mendes B, Aguiar L, Ferreira M, Brioschi MBC, Duarte D, Nogueira F, Cortes S, Salazar-Valenzuela D, Miguel DC, Teixeira C, Gameiro P, Gomes P. Unlocking the potential of snake venom-based molecules against the malaria, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis triad. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 242:124745. [PMID: 37150376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124745] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are vector-borne protozoal infections with a disproportionately high impact on the most fragile societies in the world, and despite malaria-focused research gained momentum in the past two decades, both trypanosomiases and leishmaniases remain neglected tropical diseases. Affordable effective drugs remain the mainstay of tackling this burden, but toxicicty, inneficiency against later stage disease, and drug resistance issues are serious shortcomings. One strategy to overcome these hurdles is to get new therapeutics or inspiration in nature. Indeed, snake venoms have been recognized as valuable sources of biomacromolecules, like peptides and proteins, with antiprotozoal activity. This review highlights major snake venom components active against at least one of the three aforementioned diseases, which include phospholipases A2, metalloproteases, L-amino acid oxidases, lectins, and oligopeptides. The relevance of this repertoire of biomacromolecules and the bottlenecks in their clinical translation are discussed considering approaches that should increase the success rate in this arduous task. Overall, this review underlines how venom-derived biomacromolecules could lead to pioneering antiprotozoal treatments and how the drug landscape for neglected diseases may be revolutionized by a closer look at venoms. Further investigations on poorly studied venoms is needed and could add new therapeutics to the pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Rafael Almeida
- Biomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150150, Ecuador.
| | - Ana Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Bruno Mendes
- Biomolecules Discovery Group, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena 150150, Ecuador
| | - Luísa Aguiar
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Ferreira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | | | - Denise Duarte
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-862, Brazil.
| | - Fátima Nogueira
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua Junqueira 100, P-1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Sofia Cortes
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, Rua Junqueira 100, P-1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - David Salazar-Valenzuela
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Quito 170103, Ecuador.
| | - Danilo C Miguel
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Indoamérica, Quito 170103, Ecuador.
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Gameiro
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, P-4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
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Schepis A, Kumar S, Kappe SHI. Malaria parasites harness Rho GTPase signaling and host cell membrane ruffling for productive invasion of hepatocytes. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111927. [PMID: 36640315 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111927] [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: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium sporozoites are the motile forms of the malaria parasites that infect hepatocytes. The initial invasion of hepatocytes is thought to be actively driven by sporozoites, but host cell processes might also play a role. Sporozoite invasion triggers a host plasma membrane invagination that forms a vacuole around the intracellular parasite, which is critical for subsequent intracellular parasite replication. Using fast live confocal microscopy, we observed that the initial interactions between sporozoites and hepatocytes induce plasma membrane ruffles and filopodia extensions. Importantly, we find that these host cell processes facilitate invasion and that Rho GTPase signaling, which regulates membrane ruffling and filopodia extension, is critical for productive infection. Interestingly, sporozoite cell traversal stimulates these processes, suggesting that it increases hepatocyte susceptibility to productive infection. Our study identifies host cell signaling events involved in plasma membrane dynamics as a critical host component of successful malaria parasite infection of hepatocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Schepis
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Stefan H I Kappe
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 307 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
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Ngulube P. Humoral Immune Responses to P. falciparum Circumsporozoite Protein (Pfcsp) Induced by the RTS, S Vaccine - Current Update. Infect Drug Resist 2023; 16:2147-2157. [PMID: 37077252 PMCID: PMC10106824 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s401247] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria vaccines targeting the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of the P. falciparum parasite have been overall relatively promising. RTS, S is a pre-erythrocytic recombinant protein-based malaria vaccine that targets CSP. RTS, S effectiveness shows some limited success regardless of its 58% efficacy for severe disease. P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (Pfcsp) has stood to be the main candidate protein for most pre-erythrocytic stage vaccines. Studies on the structural and biophysical characteristics of antibodies specific to CSP (anti-CSP) are underway to achieve fine specificity with the CSP polymorphic regions. More recent studies have proposed the use of different kinds of monoclonal antibodies, the use of appropriate adjuvants, ideal vaccination dose and frequency, and improved targeting of particular epitopes for the robust production of functional antibodies and high complement-fixing activity as other potential methods for achieving long-lasting RTS, S. This review highlights recent findings regarding humoral immune responses to CSP elicited by RTS, S vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Ngulube
- Department of Biological Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Thyolo, Malawi
- Correspondence: Peter Ngulube, Email
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