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Lee J, Matuschewski K, van Dooren G, Maier AG, Rug M. Lipid droplet dynamics are essential for the development of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. J Cell Sci 2024; 137:jcs262162. [PMID: 38962997 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.262162] [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: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Lipid droplets (LDs) are organelles that are central to lipid and energy homeostasis across all eukaryotes. In the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum the roles of LDs in lipid acquisition from its host cells and their metabolism are poorly understood, despite the high demand for lipids in parasite membrane synthesis. We systematically characterised LD size, composition and dynamics across the disease-causing blood infection. Applying split fluorescence emission analysis and three-dimensional (3D) focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), we observed a decrease in LD size in late schizont stages. LD contraction likely signifies a switch from lipid accumulation to lipid utilisation in preparation for parasite egress from host red blood cells. We demonstrate connections between LDs and several parasite organelles, pointing to potential functional interactions. Chemical inhibition of triacylglyerol (TAG) synthesis or breakdown revealed essential LD functions for schizogony and in counteracting lipid toxicity. The dynamics of lipid synthesis, storage and utilisation in P. falciparum LDs might provide a target for new anti-malarial intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Lee
- Centre for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 2601, Australia
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Molecular Parasitology, Humboldt University, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Giel van Dooren
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Alexander G Maier
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Melanie Rug
- Centre for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 2601, Australia
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2
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Platon L, Ménard D. Plasmodium falciparum ring-stage plasticity and drug resistance. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:118-130. [PMID: 38104024 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, of which Plasmodium falciparum is the most lethal. Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle, with stages occurring in both the Anopheles mosquito vector and human host. Ring stages are the youngest form of the parasite in the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle and are associated with evasion of spleen clearance, temporary growth arrest (TGA), and drug resistance. This formidable ability to survive and develop into mature, sexual, or growth-arrested forms demonstrates the inherent population heterogeneity. Here we highlight the role of the ring stage as a crossroads in parasite development and as a reservoir of surviving cells in the human host via TGA survival mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucien Platon
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, F-75015 Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, Collège Doctoral ED 515 Complexité du Vivant, F-75015 Paris, France; Université de Strasbourg, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Didier Ménard
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, F-75015 Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, F-75015 Paris, France; Université de Strasbourg, Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292 Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; CHU Strasbourg, Laboratory of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, F-67000 Strasbourg, France.
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3
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Zeeshan M, Rea E, Abel S, Vukušić K, Markus R, Brady D, Eze A, Rashpa R, Balestra AC, Bottrill AR, Brochet M, Guttery DS, Tolić IM, Holder AA, Le Roch KG, Tromer EC, Tewari R. Plasmodium ARK2 and EB1 drive unconventional spindle dynamics, during chromosome segregation in sexual transmission stages. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5652. [PMID: 37704606 PMCID: PMC10499817 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41395-3] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The Aurora family of kinases orchestrates chromosome segregation and cytokinesis during cell division, with precise spatiotemporal regulation of its catalytic activities by distinct protein scaffolds. Plasmodium spp., the causative agents of malaria, are unicellular eukaryotes with three unique and highly divergent aurora-related kinases (ARK1-3) that are essential for asexual cellular proliferation but lack most canonical scaffolds/activators. Here we investigate the role of ARK2 during sexual proliferation of the rodent malaria Plasmodium berghei, using a combination of super-resolution microscopy, mass spectrometry, and live-cell fluorescence imaging. We find that ARK2 is primarily located at spindle microtubules in the vicinity of kinetochores during both mitosis and meiosis. Interactomic and co-localisation studies reveal several putative ARK2-associated interactors including the microtubule-interacting protein EB1, together with MISFIT and Myosin-K, but no conserved eukaryotic scaffold proteins. Gene function studies indicate that ARK2 and EB1 are complementary in driving endomitotic division and thereby parasite transmission through the mosquito. This discovery underlines the flexibility of molecular networks to rewire and drive unconventional mechanisms of chromosome segregation in the malaria parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zeeshan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Edward Rea
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Kruno Vukušić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Robert Markus
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Declan Brady
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Antonius Eze
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Enugu, Nigeria
| | - Ravish Rashpa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Andrew R Bottrill
- School of Life Sciences, Gibbet Hill Campus, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Mathieu Brochet
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David S Guttery
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Iva M Tolić
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Eelco C Tromer
- Cell Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Rita Tewari
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
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4
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Singh R, Singh R, Srihari V, Makde RD. In Vitro Investigation Unveiling New Insights into the Antimalarial Mechanism of Chloroquine: Role in Perturbing Nucleation Events during Heme to β-Hematin Transformation. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1647-1657. [PMID: 37471056 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Malaria parasites generate toxic heme during hemoglobin digestion, which is neutralized by crystallizing into inert hemozoin (β-hematin). Chloroquine blocks this detoxification process, resulting in heme-mediated toxicity in malaria parasites. However, the exact mechanism of chloroquine's action remains unknown. This study investigates the impact of chloroquine on the transformation of heme into β-hematin. The results show that chloroquine does not completely halt the transformation process but rather slows it down. Additionally, chloroquine complexation with free heme does not affect substrate availability or inhibit β-hematin formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) studies indicate that the size of β-hematin crystal particles and crystallites increases in the presence of chloroquine, suggesting that chloroquine does not impede crystal growth. These findings suggest that chloroquine delays hemozoin production by perturbing the nucleation events of crystals and/or the stability of crystal nuclei. Thus, contrary to prevailing beliefs, this study provides a new perspective on the working mechanism of chloroquine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Singh
- Beamline Development and Application Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - Rashmi Singh
- Laser & Functional Materials Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013, India
| | - Velaga Srihari
- High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 40008, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ravindra D Makde
- Beamline Development and Application Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400085, India
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5
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Cripowellins Pause Plasmodium falciparum Intraerythrocytic Development at the Ring Stage. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28062600. [PMID: 36985570 PMCID: PMC10056369 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cripowellins from Crinum erubescens are known pesticidal and have potent antiplasmodial activity. To gain mechanistic insights to this class of natural products, studies to determine the timing of action of cripowellins within the asexual intraerythrocytic cycle of Plasmodium falciparum were performed and led to the observation that this class of natural products induced reversible cytostasis in the ring stage within the first 24 h of treatment. The transcriptional program necessary for P. falciparum to progress through the asexual intraerythrocytic life cycle is well characterized. Whole transcriptome abundance analysis showed that cripowellin B “pauses” the transcriptional program necessary to progress through the intraerythrocytic life cycle coinciding with the lack of morphological progression of drug treated parasites. In addition, cripowellin B-treated parasites re-enter transcriptional progression after treatment was removed. This study highlights the use of cripowellins as chemical probes to reveal new aspects of cell cycle progression of the asexual ring stage of P. falciparum which could be leveraged for the generation of future antimalarial therapeutics.
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Abstract
Malaria remains a significant threat to global health, and despite concerted efforts to curb the disease, malaria-related morbidity and mortality increased in recent years. Malaria is caused by unicellular eukaryotes of the genus Plasmodium, and all clinical manifestations occur during asexual proliferation of the parasite inside host erythrocytes. In the blood stage, Plasmodium proliferates through an unusual cell cycle mode called schizogony. Contrary to most studied eukaryotes, which divide by binary fission, the parasite undergoes several rounds of DNA replication and nuclear division that are not directly followed by cytokinesis, resulting in multinucleated cells. Moreover, despite sharing a common cytoplasm, these nuclei multiply asynchronously. Schizogony challenges our current models of cell cycle regulation and, at the same time, offers targets for therapeutic interventions. Over the recent years, the adaptation of advanced molecular and cell biological techniques have given us deeper insight how DNA replication, nuclear division, and cytokinesis are coordinated. Here, we review our current understanding of the chronological events that characterize the unusual cell division cycle of P. falciparum in the clinically relevant blood stage of infection.
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7
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Kamiya T, Paton DG, Catteruccia F, Reece SE. Targeting malaria parasites inside mosquitoes: ecoevolutionary consequences. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:1031-1040. [PMID: 36209032 PMCID: PMC9815470 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Proof-of-concept studies demonstrate that antimalarial drugs designed for human treatment can also be applied to mosquitoes to interrupt malaria transmission. Deploying a new control tool is ideally undertaken within a stewardship programme that maximises a drug's lifespan by minimising the risk of resistance evolution and slowing its spread once emerged. We ask: what are the epidemiological and evolutionary consequences of targeting parasites within mosquitoes? Our synthesis argues that targeting parasites inside mosquitoes (i) can be modelled by readily expanding existing epidemiological frameworks; (ii) provides a functionally novel control method that has potential to be more robust to resistance evolution than targeting parasites in humans; and (iii) could extend the lifespan and clinical benefit of antimalarials used exclusively to treat humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsukushi Kamiya
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, Paris, France; HRB Clinical Research Facility, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland; Institute of Ecology and Evolution, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Douglas G Paton
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Flaminia Catteruccia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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8
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Reader J, van der Watt ME, Birkholtz LM. Streamlined and Robust Stage-Specific Profiling of Gametocytocidal Compounds Against Plasmodium falciparum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:926460. [PMID: 35846744 PMCID: PMC9282888 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.926460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria elimination is dependent on the ability to target both the pathogenic and transmissible stages of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. These forms of the parasite are differentiated by unique developmental stages, each with their own biological mechanisms and processes. These individual stages therefore also respond differently to inhibitory compounds, and this complicates the discovery of multistage active antimalarial agents. The search for compounds with transmission-blocking activity has focused on screening for activity on mature gametocytes, with only limited descriptions available for the activity of such compounds on immature stage gametocytes. This therefore poses a gap in the profiling of antimalarial agents for pan-reactive, multistage activity to antimalarial leads. Here, we optimized an effective and robust strategy for the simple and cost-effective description of the stage-specific action of gametocytocidal antimalarial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janette Reader
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Mariette E. van der Watt
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lyn-Marié Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- *Correspondence: Lyn-Marié Birkholtz,
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9
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van der Watt ME, Reader J, Birkholtz LM. Adapt or Die: Targeting Unique Transmission-Stage Biology for Malaria Elimination. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:901971. [PMID: 35755845 PMCID: PMC9218253 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.901971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites have a complex life cycle that includes development in the human host as well as the Anopheles vector. Successful transmission of the parasite between its host and vector therefore requires the parasite to balance its investments in asexual replication and sexual reproduction, varying the frequency of sexual commitment to persist within the human host and generate future opportunities for transmission. The transmission window is extended further by the ability of stage V gametocytes to circulate in peripheral blood for weeks, whereas immature stage I to IV gametocytes sequester in the bone marrow and spleen until final maturation. Due to the low gametocyte numbers in blood circulation and with the ease of targeting such life cycle bottlenecks, transmission represents an efficient target for therapeutic intervention. The biological process of Plasmodium transmission is a multistage, multifaceted process and the past decade has seen a much deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms and regulators involved. Clearly, specific and divergent processes are used during transmission compared to asexual proliferation, which both poses challenges but also opportunities for discovery of transmission-blocking antimalarials. This review therefore presents an update of our molecular understanding of gametocyte and gamete biology as well as the status of transmission-blocking activities of current antimalarials and lead development compounds. By defining the biological components associated with transmission, considerations for the development of new transmission-blocking drugs to target such untapped but unique biology is suggested as an important, main driver for transmission-blocking drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariëtte E van der Watt
- Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Janette Reader
- Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lyn-Marié Birkholtz
- Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, School of Health Systems and Public Health, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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10
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Zhang H, Guo J, Li H, Guan Y. Machine learning for artemisinin resistance in malaria treatment across in vivo-in vitro platforms. iScience 2022; 25:103910. [PMID: 35243261 PMCID: PMC8873607 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance has been rapidly evolving with regard to the first-line malaria treatment, artemisinin-based combination therapies. It has been an open question whether predictive models for this drug resistance status can be generalized across in vivo-in vitro transcriptomic measurements. In this study, we present a model that predicts artemisinin treatment resistance developed with transcriptomic information of Plasmodium falciparum. We demonstrated the robustness of this model across in vivo clearance rate and in vitro IC50 measurement and based on different microarray and data processing modalities. The validity of the algorithm is further supported by its first placement in the DREAM Malaria challenge. We identified transcription biomarkers to artemisinin treatment resistance that can predict artemisinin resistance and are conserved in their expression modules. This is a critical step in the research of malaria treatment, as it demonstrated the potential of a platform-robust, personalized model for artemisinin resistance using molecular biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanrui Zhang
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jiantao Guo
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Hongyang Li
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yuanfang Guan
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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11
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de Carvalho LP, Groeger-Otero S, Kreidenweiss A, Kremsner PG, Mordmüller B, Held J. Boromycin has Rapid-Onset Antibiotic Activity Against Asexual and Sexual Blood Stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:802294. [PMID: 35096650 PMCID: PMC8795978 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.802294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Boromycin is a boron-containing macrolide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces antibioticus with potent activity against certain viruses, Gram-positive bacteria and protozoan parasites. Most antimalarial antibiotics affect plasmodial organelles of prokaryotic origin and have a relatively slow onset of action. They are used for malaria prophylaxis and for the treatment of malaria when combined to a fast-acting drug. Despite the success of artemisinin combination therapies, the current gold standard treatment, new alternatives are constantly needed due to the ability of malaria parasites to become resistant to almost all drugs that are in heavy clinical use. In vitro antiplasmodial activity screens of tetracyclines (omadacycline, sarecycline, methacycline, demeclocycline, lymecycline, meclocycline), macrolides (oleandomycin, boromycin, josamycin, troleandomycin), and control drugs (chloroquine, clindamycin, doxycycline, minocycline, eravacycline) revealed boromycin as highly potent against Plasmodium falciparum and the zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi. In contrast to tetracyclines, boromycin rapidly killed asexual stages of both Plasmodium species already at low concentrations (~ 1 nM) including multidrug resistant P. falciparum strains (Dd2, K1, 7G8). In addition, boromycin was active against P. falciparum stage V gametocytes at a low nanomolar range (IC50: 8.5 ± 3.6 nM). Assessment of the mode of action excluded the apicoplast as the main target. Although there was an ionophoric activity on potassium channels, the effect was too low to explain the drug´s antiplasmodial activity. Boromycin is a promising antimalarial candidate with activity against multiple life cycle stages of the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Groeger-Otero
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Kreidenweiss
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter G. Kremsner
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Mordmüller
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jana Held
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Jana Held, ;
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12
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Niemand J, van Biljon R, van der Watt M, van Heerden A, Reader J, van Wyk R, Orchard L, Chibale K, Llinás M, Birkholtz LM. Chemogenomic Fingerprints Associated with Stage-Specific Gametocytocidal Compound Action against Human Malaria Parasites. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:2904-2916. [PMID: 34569223 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Kinase-focused inhibitors previously revealed compounds with differential activity against different stages of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes. MMV666810, a 2-aminopyrazine, is more active on late-stage gametocytes, while a pyrazolopyridine, MMV674850, preferentially targets early-stage gametocytes. Here, we probe the biological mechanisms underpinning this differential stage-specific killing using in-depth transcriptome fingerprinting. Compound-specific chemogenomic profiles were observed with MMV674850 treatment associated with biological processes shared between asexual blood stage parasites and early-stage gametocytes but not late-stage gametocytes. MMV666810 has a distinct profile with clustered gene sets associated primarily with late-stage gametocyte development, including Ca2+-dependent protein kinases (CDPK1 and 5) and serine/threonine protein kinases (FIKK). Chemogenomic profiling therefore highlights essential processes in late-stage gametocytes, on a transcriptional level. This information is important to prioritize compounds that preferentially compromise late-stage gametocytes for further development as transmission-blocking antimalarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jandeli Niemand
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
- Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Riëtte van Biljon
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Mariëtte van der Watt
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Ashleigh van Heerden
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Janette Reader
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Roelof van Wyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
| | - Lindsey Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Huck Centre for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7701, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council, Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Huck Centre for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Lyn-Marié Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
- Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
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13
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Wicht KJ, Mok S, Fidock DA. Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 74:431-454. [PMID: 32905757 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-020518-115546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Understanding and controlling the spread of antimalarial resistance, particularly to artemisinin and its partner drugs, is a top priority. Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to chloroquine, amodiaquine, or piperaquine harbor mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT), a transporter resident on the digestive vacuole membrane that in its variant forms can transport these weak-base 4-aminoquinoline drugs out of this acidic organelle, thus preventing these drugs from binding heme and inhibiting its detoxification. The structure of PfCRT, solved by cryogenic electron microscopy, shows mutations surrounding an electronegative central drug-binding cavity where they presumably interact with drugs and natural substrates to control transport. P. falciparum susceptibility to heme-binding antimalarials is also modulated by overexpression or mutations in the digestive vacuole membrane-bound ABC transporter PfMDR1 (P. falciparum multidrug resistance 1 transporter). Artemisinin resistance is primarily mediated by mutations in P. falciparum Kelch13 protein (K13), a protein involved in multiple intracellular processes including endocytosis of hemoglobin, which is required for parasite growth and artemisinin activation. Combating drug-resistant malaria urgently requires the development of new antimalarial drugs with novel modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn J Wicht
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , ,
| | - Sachel Mok
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , ,
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA; , , .,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA
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14
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van Wyk R, van Biljon R, Birkholtz LM. MALBoost: a web-based application for gene regulatory network analysis in Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2021; 20:317. [PMID: 34261498 PMCID: PMC8278594 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03848-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gene Regulatory Networks (GRN) produce powerful insights into transcriptional regulation in cells. The power of GRNs has been underutilized in malaria research. The Arboreto library was incorporated into a user-friendly web-based application for malaria researchers (http://malboost.bi.up.ac.za). This application will assist researchers with gaining an in depth understanding of transcriptomic datasets. Methods The web application for MALBoost was built in Python-Flask with Redis and Celery workers for queue submission handling, which execute the Arboreto suite algorithms. A submission of 5–50 regulators and total expression set of 5200 genes is permitted. The program runs in a point-and-click web user interface built using Bootstrap4 templates. Post-analysis submission, users are redirected to a status page with run time estimates and ultimately a download button upon completion. Result updates or failure updates will be emailed to the users. Results A web-based application with an easy-to-use interface is presented with a use case validation of AP2-G and AP2-I. The validation set incorporates cross-referencing with ChIP-seq and transcriptome datasets. For AP2-G, 5 ChIP-seq targets were significantly enriched with seven more targets presenting with strong evidence of validated targets. Conclusion The MALBoost application provides the first tool for easy interfacing and efficiently allows gene regulatory network construction for Plasmodium. Additionally, access is provided to a pre-compiled network for use as reference framework. Validation for sexually committed ring-stage parasite targets of AP2-G, suggests the algorithm was effective in resolving “traditionally” low-level signatures even in bulk RNA datasets. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-03848-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roelof van Wyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology and the Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
| | - Riëtte van Biljon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Huck Centre for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology and the Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa.
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15
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Simon CS, Stürmer VS, Guizetti J. How Many Is Enough? - Challenges of Multinucleated Cell Division in Malaria Parasites. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:658616. [PMID: 34026661 PMCID: PMC8137892 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.658616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulating the number of progeny generated by replicative cell cycles is critical for any organism to best adapt to its environment. Classically, the decision whether to divide further is made after cell division is completed by cytokinesis and can be triggered by intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Contrarily, cell cycles of some species, such as the malaria-causing parasites, go through multinucleated cell stages. Hence, their number of progeny is determined prior to the completion of cell division. This should fundamentally affect how the process is regulated and raises questions about advantages and challenges of multinucleation in eukaryotes. Throughout their life cycle Plasmodium spp. parasites undergo four phases of extensive proliferation, which differ over three orders of magnitude in the amount of daughter cells that are produced by a single progenitor. Even during the asexual blood stage proliferation parasites can produce very variable numbers of progeny within one replicative cycle. Here, we review the few factors that have been shown to affect those numbers. We further provide a comparative quantification of merozoite numbers in several P. knowlesi and P. falciparum parasite strains, and we discuss the general processes that may regulate progeny number in the context of host-parasite interactions. Finally, we provide a perspective of the critical knowledge gaps hindering our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying this exciting and atypical mode of parasite multiplication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julien Guizetti
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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16
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Pessanha de Carvalho L, Kreidenweiss A, Held J. Drug Repurposing: A Review of Old and New Antibiotics for the Treatment of Malaria: Identifying Antibiotics with a Fast Onset of Antiplasmodial Action. Molecules 2021; 26:2304. [PMID: 33921170 PMCID: PMC8071546 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most life-threatening infectious diseases and constitutes a major health problem, especially in Africa. Although artemisinin combination therapies remain efficacious to treat malaria, the emergence of resistant parasites emphasizes the urgent need of new alternative chemotherapies. One strategy is the repurposing of existing drugs. Herein, we reviewed the antimalarial effects of marketed antibiotics, and described in detail the fast-acting antibiotics that showed activity in nanomolar concentrations. Antibiotics have been used for prophylaxis and treatment of malaria for many years and are of particular interest because they might exert a different mode of action than current antimalarials, and can be used simultaneously to treat concomitant bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lais Pessanha de Carvalho
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany; (L.P.d.C.); (A.K.)
| | - Andrea Kreidenweiss
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany; (L.P.d.C.); (A.K.)
- Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné BP 242, Gabon
| | - Jana Held
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tuebingen, 72074 Tuebingen, Germany; (L.P.d.C.); (A.K.)
- Centre de Recherches Medicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), Lambaréné BP 242, Gabon
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17
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Connacher J, Josling GA, Orchard LM, Reader J, Llinás M, Birkholtz LM. H3K36 methylation reprograms gene expression to drive early gametocyte development in Plasmodium falciparum. Epigenetics Chromatin 2021; 14:19. [PMID: 33794978 PMCID: PMC8017609 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-021-00393-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Plasmodium sexual gametocyte stages are the only transmissible form of the malaria parasite and are thus responsible for the continued transmission of the disease. Gametocytes undergo extensive functional and morphological changes from commitment to maturity, directed by an equally extensive control program. However, the processes that drive the differentiation and development of the gametocyte post-commitment, remain largely unexplored. A previous study reported enrichment of H3K36 di- and tri-methylated (H3K36me2&3) histones in early-stage gametocytes. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing, we identify a stage-specific association between these repressive histone modifications and transcriptional reprogramming that define a stage II gametocyte transition point. Results Here, we show that H3K36me2 and H3K36me3 from stage II gametocytes are associated with repression of genes involved in asexual proliferation and sexual commitment, indicating that H3K36me2&3-mediated repression of such genes is essential to the transition from early gametocyte differentiation to intermediate development. Importantly, we show that the gene encoding the transcription factor AP2-G as commitment master regulator is enriched with H3K36me2&3 and actively repressed in stage II gametocytes, providing the first evidence of ap2-g gene repression in post-commitment gametocytes. Lastly, we associate the enhanced potency of the pan-selective Jumonji inhibitor JIB-04 in gametocytes with the inhibition of histone demethylation including H3K36me2&3 and a disruption of normal transcriptional programs. Conclusions Taken together, our results provide the first description of an association between global gene expression reprogramming and histone post-translational modifications during P. falciparum early sexual development. The stage II gametocyte-specific abundance of H3K36me2&3 manifests predominantly as an independent regulatory mechanism targeted towards genes that are repressed post-commitment. H3K36me2&3-associated repression of genes is therefore involved in key transcriptional shifts that accompany the transition from early gametocyte differentiation to intermediate development. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13072-021-00393-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Connacher
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Gabrielle A Josling
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Lindsey M Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Janette Reader
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Lyn-Marié Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa.
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18
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Morahan BJ, Abrie C, Al-Hasani K, Batty MB, Corey V, Cowell AN, Niemand J, Winzeler EA, Birkholtz LM, Doerig C, Garcia-Bustos JF. Human Aurora kinase inhibitor Hesperadin reveals epistatic interaction between Plasmodium falciparum PfArk1 and PfNek1 kinases. Commun Biol 2020; 3:701. [PMID: 33219324 PMCID: PMC7679417 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01424-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitosis has been validated by numerous anti-cancer drugs as being a druggable process, and selective inhibition of parasite proliferation provides an obvious opportunity for therapeutic intervention against malaria. Mitosis is controlled through the interplay between several protein kinases and phosphatases. We show here that inhibitors of human mitotic kinases belonging to the Aurora family inhibit P. falciparum proliferation in vitro with various potencies, and that a genetic selection for mutant parasites resistant to one of the drugs, Hesperadin, identifies a resistance mechanism mediated by a member of a different kinase family, PfNek1 (PF3D7_1228300). Intriguingly, loss of PfNek1 catalytic activity provides protection against drug action. This points to an undescribed functional interaction between Ark and Nek kinases and shows that existing inhibitors can be used to validate additional essential and druggable kinase functions in the parasite. Morahan et al. investigate inhibitors of human mitotic kinases in P. falciparum and show a resistance mechanism to the drug Hesperadin through an epistatic interaction between the PfArk1 and PfNek1 kinases. This study demonstrates that existing inhibitors can be used to validate additional essential and druggable kinase functions in the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda J Morahan
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Clarissa Abrie
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Keith Al-Hasani
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Diabetes, Monash University Central Clinical School, Alfred Centre, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Mitchell B Batty
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.,Department of Diabetes, Monash University Central Clinical School, Alfred Centre, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Victoria Corey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0760, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0760, USA.,Illumina, 5200 Illumina Way, San Diego, CA, 92122, USA
| | - Anne N Cowell
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0760, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0760, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9444 Medical Center Drive, MC 0879, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0879, USA
| | - Jandeli Niemand
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth A Winzeler
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0760, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0760, USA
| | - Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Christian Doerig
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia. .,School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, PO Box 71, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
| | - Jose F Garcia-Bustos
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia.
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19
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Rapid and quantitative antimalarial drug efficacy testing via the magneto-optical detection of hemozoin. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14025. [PMID: 32820190 PMCID: PMC7441145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70860-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergence of resistant Plasmodium species makes drug efficacy testing a crucial part of malaria control. Here we describe a novel assay for sensitive, fast and simple drug screening via the magneto-optical detection of hemozoin, a natural biomarker formed during the hemoglobin metabolism of Plasmodium species. By quantifying hemozoin production over the intraerythrocytic cycle, we reveal that hemozoin formation is already initiated by ~ 6–12 h old ring-stage parasites. We demonstrate that the new assay is capable of drug efficacy testing with incubation times as short as 6–10 h, using synchronized P. falciparum 3D7 cultures incubated with chloroquine, piperaquine and dihydroartemisinin. The determined 50% inhibitory concentrations agree well with values established by standard assays requiring significantly longer testing time. Accordingly, we conclude that magneto-optical hemozoin detection provides a practical approach for the quick assessment of drug effect with short incubation times, which may also facilitate stage-specific assessment of drug inhibitory effects.
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20
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Ressurreição M, Thomas JA, Nofal SD, Flueck C, Moon RW, Baker DA, van Ooij C. Use of a highly specific kinase inhibitor for rapid, simple and precise synchronization of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi asexual blood-stage parasites. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235798. [PMID: 32673324 PMCID: PMC7365400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During the course of the asexual erythrocytic stage of development, Plasmodium spp. parasites undergo a series of morphological changes and induce alterations in the host cell. At the end of this stage, the parasites egress from the infected cell, after which the progeny invade a new host cell. These processes are rapid and occur in a time-dependent manner. Of particular importance, egress and invasion of erythrocytes by the parasite are difficult to capture in an unsynchronized culture, or even a culture that has been synchronized within a window of one to several hours. Therefore, precise synchronization of parasite cultures is of paramount importance for the investigation of these processes. Here we describe a method for synchronizing Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi asexual blood stage parasites with ML10, a highly specific inhibitor of the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) that arrests parasite growth approximately 15 minutes prior to egress. This inhibitor allows parasite cultures to be synchronized so that all parasites are within a window of development of several minutes, with a simple wash step. Furthermore, we show that parasites remain viable for several hours after becoming arrested by the compound and that ML10 has advantages, owing to its high specificity and low EC50, over the previously used PKG inhibitor Compound 2. Here, we demonstrate that ML10 is an invaluable tool for the study of Plasmodium spp. asexual blood stage biology and for the routine synchronization of P. falciparum and P. knowlesi cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Ressurreição
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - James A. Thomas
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie D. Nofal
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Flueck
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert W. Moon
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - David A. Baker
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christiaan van Ooij
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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21
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Zhang ZQ, Yao WJ, Qiao LL, Yang X, Shi J, Zhao MX. A Lysosome-Targetable Fluorescence Probe Based on L-Cysteine-Polyamine-Morpholine-Modified Quantum Dots for Imaging in Living Cells. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:1611-1622. [PMID: 32210555 PMCID: PMC7069590 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s234927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Quantum dots (QDs) are used as fluorescent probes due to their high fluorescence intensity, longevity of fluorescence, strong light-resistant bleaching ability and high light stability. Therefore, we explore a more precise probe that can target an organelle. METHODS In the current study, a new class of fluorescence probes were developed using QDs capped with 4 different L-cysteine-polyamine-morpholine linked by mercapto groups. Ligands were characterised by Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Modified QDs were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), and fluorescence microscopy. And the biological activity of modified QDs was explored by using MTT assay with HeLa, SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells. The fluorescence imaging of modified QDs was obtained by confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscopy (CLSM). RESULTS Synthesized QDs ranged between 4 to 5 nm and had strong optical emission properties. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra demonstrated that the cysteine-polyamine-morpholine were successfully incorporated into QD nanoparticles. The MTT results demonstrated that modified QDs had lesser cytotoxicity when compared to unmodified QDs. In addition, modified QDs had strong fluorescence intensity in HeLa cells and targeted lysosomes of HeLa cells. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the modified QDs efficiently entered cells and could be used as a potential lysosome-targeting fluorescent probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Qiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immune Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng475004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen-Jing Yao
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immune Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng475004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu-Lu Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immune Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng475004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaojing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immune Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng475004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiahua Shi
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immune Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng475004, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mei-Xia Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine and Immune Engineering, Henan University, Kaifeng475004, People’s Republic of China
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22
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Jankowska-Döllken M, Sanchez CP, Cyrklaff M, Lanzer M. Overexpression of the HECT ubiquitin ligase PfUT prolongs the intraerythrocytic cycle and reduces invasion efficiency of Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18333. [PMID: 31797898 PMCID: PMC6893019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54854-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The glms ribozyme system has been used as an amenable tool to conditionally control expression of genes of interest. It is generally assumed that insertion of the ribozyme sequence does not affect expression of the targeted gene in the absence of the inducer glucosamine-6-phosphate, although experimental support for this assumption is scarce. Here, we report the unexpected finding that integration of the glms ribozyme sequence in the 3′ untranslated region of a gene encoding a HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase, termed Plasmodium falciparum ubiquitin transferase (PfUT), increased steady state RNA and protein levels 2.5-fold in the human malaria parasite P. falciparum. Overexpression of pfut resulted in an S/M phase-associated lengthening of the parasite’s intraerythrocytic developmental cycle and a reduced merozoite invasion efficiency. The addition of glucosamine partially restored the wild type phenotype. Our study suggests a role of PfUT in controlling cell cycle progression and merozoite invasion. Our study further raises awareness regarding unexpected effects on gene expression when inserting the glms ribozyme sequence into a gene locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Jankowska-Döllken
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cecilia P Sanchez
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marek Cyrklaff
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Lanzer
- Center of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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23
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van Biljon R, van Wyk R, Painter HJ, Orchard L, Reader J, Niemand J, Llinás M, Birkholtz LM. Hierarchical transcriptional control regulates Plasmodium falciparum sexual differentiation. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:920. [PMID: 31795940 PMCID: PMC6889441 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6322-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria pathogenesis relies on sexual gametocyte forms of the malaria parasite to be transmitted between the infected human and the mosquito host but the molecular mechanisms controlling gametocytogenesis remains poorly understood. Here we provide a high-resolution transcriptome of Plasmodium falciparum as it commits to and develops through gametocytogenesis. RESULTS The gametocyte-associated transcriptome is significantly different from that of the asexual parasites, with dynamic gene expression shifts characterizing early, intermediate and late-stage gametocyte development and results in differential timing for sex-specific transcripts. The transcriptional dynamics suggest strict transcriptional control during gametocytogenesis in P. falciparum, which we propose is mediated by putative regulators including epigenetic mechanisms (driving active repression of proliferation-associated processes) and a cascade-like expression of ApiAP2 transcription factors. CONCLUSIONS The gametocyte transcriptome serves as the blueprint for sexual differentiation and will be a rich resource for future functional studies on this critical stage of Plasmodium development, as the intraerythrocytic transcriptome has been for our understanding of the asexual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riëtte van Biljon
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and the Huck Center for Malaria Research, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Roelof van Wyk
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Heather J Painter
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, the Huck Center for Malaria Research, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Division of Bacterial, Parasitic, and Allergenic Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Review, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Lindsey Orchard
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, the Huck Center for Malaria Research, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Janette Reader
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Jandeli Niemand
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa
| | - Manuel Llinás
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, the Huck Center for Malaria Research, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Lyn-Marie Birkholtz
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x20, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa.
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24
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Barrett MP, Kyle DE, Sibley LD, Radke JB, Tarleton RL. Protozoan persister-like cells and drug treatment failure. Nat Rev Microbiol 2019; 17:607-620. [PMID: 31444481 PMCID: PMC7024564 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-019-0238-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial treatment failure threatens our ability to control infections. In addition to antimicrobial resistance, treatment failures are increasingly understood to derive from cells that survive drug treatment without selection of genetically heritable mutations. Parasitic protozoa, such as Plasmodium species that cause malaria, Toxoplasma gondii and kinetoplastid protozoa, including Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp., cause millions of deaths globally. These organisms can evolve drug resistance and they also exhibit phenotypic diversity, including the formation of quiescent or dormant forms that contribute to the establishment of long-term infections that are refractory to drug treatment, which we refer to as 'persister-like cells'. In this Review, we discuss protozoan persister-like cells that have been linked to persistent infections and discuss their impact on therapeutic outcomes following drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Dennis E Kyle
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - L David Sibley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua B Radke
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Rick L Tarleton
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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Greischar MA, Reece SE, Savill NJ, Mideo N. The Challenge of Quantifying Synchrony in Malaria Parasites. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:341-355. [PMID: 30952484 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Malaria infection is often accompanied by periodic fevers, triggered by synchronous cycles of parasite replication within the host. The degree of synchrony in parasite development influences the efficacy of drugs and immune defenses and is therefore relevant to host health and infectiousness. Synchrony is thought to vary over the course of infection and across different host-parasite genotype or species combinations, but the evolutionary significance - if any - of this diversity remains elusive. Standardized methods are lacking, but the most common metric for quantifying synchrony is the percentage of parasites in a particular developmental stage. We use a heuristic model to show that this metric is often unacceptably biased. Methodological challenges must be addressed to characterize diverse patterns of synchrony and their consequences for disease severity and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Greischar
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nicholas J Savill
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nicole Mideo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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ApiAP2 Transcription Factors in Apicomplexan Parasites. Pathogens 2019; 8:pathogens8020047. [PMID: 30959972 PMCID: PMC6631176 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8020047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites are protozoan organisms that are characterised by complex life cycles and they include medically important species, such as the malaria parasite Plasmodium and the causative agents of toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii) and cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium spp.). Apicomplexan parasites can infect one or more hosts, in which they differentiate into several morphologically and metabolically distinct life cycle stages. These developmental transitions rely on changes in gene expression. In the last few years, the important roles of different members of the ApiAP2 transcription factor family in regulating life cycle transitions and other aspects of parasite biology have become apparent. Here, we review recent progress in our understanding of the different members of the ApiAP2 transcription factor family in apicomplexan parasites.
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Jalovecka M, Sojka D, Ascencio M, Schnittger L. Babesia Life Cycle - When Phylogeny Meets Biology. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:356-368. [PMID: 30733093 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Although Babesia represents an important worldwide veterinary threat and an emerging risk to humans, this parasite has been poorly studied as compared to Plasmodium, its malaria-causing relative. In fact, Babesia employs highly specific survival strategies during its intraerythrocytic development and its intricate journey through the tick vector. This review introduces a substantially extended molecular phylogeny of the order Piroplasmida, challenging previous taxonomic classifications. The intriguing developmental proficiencies of Babesia are highlighted and compared with those of other haemoparasitic Apicomplexa. Molecular mechanisms associated with distinctive events in the Babesia life cycle are emphasized as potential targets for the development of Babesia-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Jalovecka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, CZ-370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Daniel Sojka
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Mariano Ascencio
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas (CICVyA), INTA-Castelar, Los Reseros y Nicolas Repetto s/n, Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - Leonhard Schnittger
- Instituto de Patobiología Veterinaria, Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas (CICVyA), INTA-Castelar, Los Reseros y Nicolas Repetto s/n, Hurlingham 1686, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technological Research (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1033AAJ, Argentina
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