1
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Blanken SL, Barry A, Lanke K, Guelbeogo M, Ouedraogo A, Soulama I, Coulibaly SA, Teelen K, Graumans W, Dumont E, Stone W, Ramjith J, Marti M, Andrade CM, Drakeley C, Collins K, Tiono A, Bousema T. Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte production correlates with genetic markers of parasite replication but is not influenced by experimental exposure to mosquito biting. EBioMedicine 2024; 105:105190. [PMID: 38901148 PMCID: PMC11239461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105190] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium blood-stage parasites balance asexual multiplication with gametocyte development. Few studies link these dynamics with parasite genetic markers in vivo; even fewer in longitudinally monitored infections. Environmental influences on gametocyte formation, such as mosquito exposure, may influence the parasite's investment in gametocyte production. METHODS We investigated gametocyte production and asexual multiplication in two Plasmodium falciparum infected populations; a controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) study and a 28-day observational study in naturally infected individuals in Burkina Faso with controlled mosquito exposure. We measured gene transcript levels previously related to gametocyte formation (ap2-g, surfin1.2, surfin13.1, gexp-2) or inhibition of asexual multiplication (sir2a) and compared transcript levels to ring-stage parasite and mature gametocyte densities. FINDINGS Three of the five markers (ap2-g, surfin1.2, surfin13.1) predicted peak gametocytaemia in the CHMI study. An increase in all five markers in natural infections was associated with an increase in mature gametocytes 14 days later; the effect of sir2a on future gametocytes was strongest (fold change = 1.65, IQR = 1.22-2.24, P = 0.004). Mosquito exposure was not associated with markers of gametocyte formation (ap2-g P = 0.277; sir2a P = 0.499) or carriage of mature gametocytes (P = 0.379). INTERPRETATION All five parasite genetic markers predicted gametocyte formation over a single cycle of gametocyte formation and maturation in vivo; sir2a and ap2-g were most closely associated with gametocyte growth dynamics. We observed no evidence to support the hypothesis that exposure to Anopheles mosquito bites stimulates gametocyte formation. FUNDING This work was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (INDIE OPP1173572), the European Research Council fellowship (ERC-CoG 864180) and UKRI Medical Research Council (MR/T016272/1) and Wellcome Center (218676/Z/19/Z).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Lynn Blanken
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Aissata Barry
- Groupe de Recherche Action en Santé (GRAS), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Kjerstin Lanke
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Moussa Guelbeogo
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Alphonse Ouedraogo
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Issiaka Soulama
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Sam Aboubacar Coulibaly
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Karina Teelen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter Graumans
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Elin Dumont
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Will Stone
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jordache Ramjith
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Carolina M Andrade
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Chris Drakeley
- MRC International Statistics and Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Katharine Collins
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Alfred Tiono
- Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso
| | - Teun Bousema
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
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2
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Voss TS, Brancucci NM. Regulation of sexual commitment in malaria parasites - a complex affair. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 79:102469. [PMID: 38574448 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Malaria blood stage parasites commit to either one of two distinct cellular fates while developing within erythrocytes of their mammalian host: they either undergo another round of asexual replication or they differentiate into nonreplicative transmissible gametocytes. Depending on the state of infection, either path may support or impair the ultimate goal of human-to-human transmission via the mosquito vector. Malaria parasites therefore evolved strategies to control investments into asexual proliferation versus gametocyte formation. Recent work provided fascinating molecular insight into shared and unique mechanisms underlying the control and environmental modulation of sexual commitment in the two most widely studied malaria parasite species, Plasmodium falciparum and P. berghei. With this review, we aim at placing these findings into a comparative mechanistic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till S Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Nicolas Mb Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland.
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3
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Soremekun S, Conteh B, Nyassi A, Soumare HM, Etoketim B, Ndiath MO, Bradley J, D'Alessandro U, Bousema T, Erhart A, Moreno M, Drakeley C. Household-level effects of seasonal malaria chemoprevention in the Gambia. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:97. [PMID: 38778226 PMCID: PMC11111771 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00503-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2022 the WHO recommended the discretionary expansion of the eligible age range for seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) to children older than 4 years. Older children are at lower risk of clinical disease and severe malaria so there has been uncertainty about the cost-benefit for national control programmes. However, emerging evidence from laboratory studies suggests protecting school-age children reduces the infectious reservoir for malaria and may significantly impact on transmission. This study aimed to assess whether these effects were detectable in the context of a routinely delivered SMC programme. METHODS In 2021 the Gambia extended the maximum eligible age for SMC from 4 to 9 years. We conducted a prospective population cohort study over the 2021 malaria transmission season covering 2210 inhabitants of 10 communities in the Upper River Region, and used a household-level mixed modelling approach to quantify impacts of SMC on malaria transmission. RESULTS We demonstrate that the hazard of clinical malaria in older participants aged 10+ years ineligible for SMC decreases by 20% for each additional SMC round per child 0-9 years in the same household. Older inhabitants also benefit from reduced risk of asymptomatic infections in high SMC coverage households. Spatial autoregression tests show impacts are highly localised, with no detectable spillover from nearby households. CONCLUSIONS Evidence for the transmission-reducing effects of extended-age SMC from routine programmes implemented at scale has been previously limited. Here we demonstrate benefits to the entire household, indicating such programmes may be more cost-effective than previously estimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyi Soremekun
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK.
| | - Bakary Conteh
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Abdoullah Nyassi
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Harouna M Soumare
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Blessed Etoketim
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Mamadou Ousmane Ndiath
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - John Bradley
- Medical Research Council International Statistics and Epidemiology Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
| | - Umberto D'Alessandro
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Teun Bousema
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Annette Erhart
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Marta Moreno
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK
| | - Chris Drakeley
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, UK.
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Dogga SK, Rop JC, Cudini J, Farr E, Dara A, Ouologuem D, Djimdé AA, Talman AM, Lawniczak MKN. A single cell atlas of sexual development in Plasmodium falciparum. Science 2024; 384:eadj4088. [PMID: 38696552 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj4088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
The developmental decision made by malaria parasites to become sexual underlies all malaria transmission. Here, we describe a rich atlas of short- and long-read single-cell transcriptomes of over 37,000 Plasmodium falciparum cells across intraerythrocytic asexual and sexual development. We used the atlas to explore transcriptional modules and exon usage along sexual development and expanded it to include malaria parasites collected from four Malian individuals naturally infected with multiple P. falciparum strains. We investigated genotypic and transcriptional heterogeneity within and among these wild strains at the single-cell level, finding differential expression between different strains even within the same host. These data are a key addition to the Malaria Cell Atlas interactive data resource, enabling a deeper understanding of the biology and diversity of transmission stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesse C Rop
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, UK
| | | | - Elias Farr
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, UK
- Institute for Computational Biomedicine, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 130.3, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antoine Dara
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Pharmacy, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Point G, P.O. Box, 1805 Bamako, Mali
| | - Dinkorma Ouologuem
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Pharmacy, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Point G, P.O. Box, 1805 Bamako, Mali
| | - Abdoulaye A Djimdé
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), Faculty of Pharmacy, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako (USTTB), Point G, P.O. Box, 1805 Bamako, Mali
| | - Arthur M Talman
- MIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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Ngotho P, Press KD, Peedell M, Muasya W, Omondi BR, Otoboh SE, Seydel KB, Kapulu M, Laufer M, Taylor T, Bousema T, Marti M. Reversible host cell surface remodelling limits immune recognition and maximizes transmission of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.30.591837. [PMID: 38746342 PMCID: PMC11092622 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.30.591837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Reducing malaria transmission has been a major pillar of control programmes and is considered crucial for achieving malaria elimination. Gametocytes, the transmissible forms of the P. falciparum parasite, arise during the blood stage of the parasite and develop through 5 morphologically distinct stages. Immature gametocytes (stage I-IV) sequester and develop in the extravascular niche of the bone marrow and possibly spleen. Only mature stage V gametocytes re-enter peripheral circulation to be taken up by mosquitoes for successful onward transmission. We have recently shown that immature, but not mature gametocytes are targets of host immune responses and identified putative target surface antigens. We hypothesize that these antigens play a role in gametocyte sequestration and contribute to acquired transmission-reducing immunity. Here we demonstrate that surface antigen expression, serum reactivity by human IgG, and opsonic phagocytosis by macrophages all show similar dynamics during gametocyte maturation, i.e., on in immature and off in mature gametocytes. Moreover, the switch in surface reactivity coincides with reversal in phosphatidylserine (PS) surface exposure, a marker for red blood cell age and clearance. PS is exposed on the surface of immature gametocytes (as well as in late asexual stages) but is removed from the surface in later gametocyte stages (IV-V). Using parasite reverse genetics and drug perturbations, we confirm that parasite protein export into the host cell and phospholipid scramblase activity are required for the observed surface modifications in asexual and sexual P. falciparum stages. These findings suggest that the dynamic surface remodelling allows (i) immature gametocyte sequestration in bone marrow and (ii) mature gametocyte release into peripheral circulation and immune evasion, therefore contributing to mature gametocyte survival in vivo and onward transmission to mosquitoes. Importantly, blocking scramblase activity during gametocyte maturation results in efficient clearance of mature gametocytes, revealing a potential path for transmission blocking interventions. Our studies have important implications for our understanding of parasite biology and form a starting point for novel intervention strategies to simultaneously reduce parasite burden and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Ngotho
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Megan Peedell
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - William Muasya
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Roy Omondi
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stanley E. Otoboh
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Karl B. Seydel
- Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
- Blantyre Malaria Project, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Miriam Laufer
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Terrie Taylor
- Department of Osteopathic Medical Specialties, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
- Blantyre Malaria Project, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Teun Bousema
- Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Thiele PJ, Mela-Lopez R, Blandin SA, Klug D. Let it glow: genetically encoded fluorescent reporters in Plasmodium. Malar J 2024; 23:114. [PMID: 38643106 PMCID: PMC11032601 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04936-9] [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: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of fluorescent proteins (FPs) in Plasmodium parasites has been key to understand the biology of this obligate intracellular protozoon. FPs like the green fluorescent protein (GFP) enabled to explore protein localization, promoter activity as well as dynamic processes like protein export and endocytosis. Furthermore, FP biosensors have provided detailed information on physiological parameters at the subcellular level, and fluorescent reporter lines greatly extended the malariology toolbox. Still, in order to achieve optimal results, it is crucial to know exactly the properties of the FP of choice and the genetic scenario in which it will be used. This review highlights advantages and disadvantages of available landing sites and promoters that have been successfully applied for the ectopic expression of FPs in Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum. Furthermore, the properties of newly developed FPs beyond DsRed and EGFP, in the visualization of cells and cellular structures as well as in the sensing of small molecules are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia J Thiele
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Raquel Mela-Lopez
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphanie A Blandin
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dennis Klug
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France.
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, Philipps University Marburg, 35037, Marburg, Germany.
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7
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Fonte M, Rôla C, Santana S, Avalos-Padilla Y, Fernàndez-Busquets X, Prudêncio M, Gomes P, Teixeira C. Disclosure of cinnamic acid/4,9-diaminoacridine conjugates as multi-stage antiplasmodial hits. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 104:117714. [PMID: 38582046 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117714] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
4,9-diaminoacridines with reported antiplasmodial activity were coupled to different trans-cinnamic acids, delivering a new series of conjugates inspired by the covalent bitherapy concept. The new compounds were more potent than primaquine against hepatic stages of Plasmodium berghei, although this was accompanied by cytotoxic effects on Huh-7 hepatocytes. Relevantly, the conjugates displayed nanomolar activities against blood stage P. falciparum parasites, with no evidence of hemolytic effects below 100 µM. Moreover, the new compounds were at least 25-fold more potent than primaquine against P. falciparum gametocytes. Thus, the new antiplasmodial hits disclosed herein emerge as valuable templates for the development of multi-stage antiplasmodial drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Fonte
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Catarina Rôla
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sofia Santana
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Yunuen Avalos-Padilla
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Spain; Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Spain
| | - Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Spain; Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Spain; Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Prudêncio
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
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8
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Crispim M, Verdaguer IB, Hernández A, Kronenberger T, Fenollar À, Yamaguchi LF, Alberione MP, Ramirez M, de Oliveira SS, Katzin AM, Izquierdo L. Beyond the MEP Pathway: A novel kinase required for prenol utilization by malaria parasites. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011557. [PMID: 38277417 PMCID: PMC10849223 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A proposed treatment for malaria is a combination of fosmidomycin and clindamycin. Both compounds inhibit the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway, the parasitic source of farnesyl and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (FPP and GGPP, respectively). Both FPP and GGPP are crucial for the biosynthesis of several essential metabolites such as ubiquinone and dolichol, as well as for protein prenylation. Dietary prenols, such as farnesol (FOH) and geranylgeraniol (GGOH), can rescue parasites from MEP inhibitors, suggesting the existence of a missing pathway for prenol salvage via phosphorylation. In this study, we identified a gene in the genome of P. falciparum, encoding a transmembrane prenol kinase (PolK) involved in the salvage of FOH and GGOH. The enzyme was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and its FOH/GGOH kinase activities were experimentally validated. Furthermore, conditional knockout parasites (Δ-PolK) were created to investigate the biological importance of the FOH/GGOH salvage pathway. Δ-PolK parasites were viable but displayed increased susceptibility to fosmidomycin. Their sensitivity to MEP inhibitors could not be rescued by adding prenols. Additionally, Δ-PolK parasites lost their capability to utilize prenols for protein prenylation. Experiments using culture medium supplemented with whole/delipidated human plasma in transgenic parasites revealed that human plasma has components that can diminish the effectiveness of fosmidomycin. Mass spectrometry tests indicated that both bovine supplements used in culture and human plasma contain GGOH. These findings suggest that the FOH/GGOH salvage pathway might offer an alternate source of isoprenoids for malaria parasites when de novo biosynthesis is inhibited. This study also identifies a novel kind of enzyme related to isoprenoid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcell Crispim
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignasi Bofill Verdaguer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Agustín Hernández
- Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Integrated Unit for Research in Biodiversity (BIOTROP-CCBS), Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Thales Kronenberger
- Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry and Tuebingen Center for Academic Drug Discovery, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Excellence Cluster "Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections" (CMFI), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Àngel Fenollar
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - María Pía Alberione
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Ramirez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Alejandro Miguel Katzin
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Varijakshi G, Divya M, Ware AP, Paul B, Saadi AV. Transcriptomic approaches for identifying potential transmission blocking vaccine candidates in Plasmodium falciparum: a review of current knowledge and future directions. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:344. [PMID: 37711230 PMCID: PMC10497465 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03752-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Utilizing transcriptomics, promising methods for identifying unique genes associated with Plasmodium gametocyte development offer a potential avenue for novel candidate targets in transmission blocking vaccine development. In this review, we identified 40 publicly available transcriptomic datasets related to parasite factors linked with sexual stage transmission, from which we analyzed two RNA-Seq datasets to identify potential genes crucial for the transmission of P. falciparum from humans to mosquito vectors. Differential expression analysis revealed 3500 (2489 upregulated and 1011 downregulated) common genes differentially expressed throughout sexual stage development of P. falciparum occurring in both humans (gametocyte stage II, V) and mosquitoes (ookinete). Among which 1283 (914 upregulated and 369 downregulated) and 826 (719 upregulated and 107 downregulated) genes were specific to female and male gametocytes, respectively. Also, 830 potential transition associated genes were identified that may be involved in the adaptation and survival of the parasite in between human and mosquito stages. Additionally, we reviewed the functional aspects of important genes highly expressed throughout the sexual stage pathway and evaluated their suitability as vaccine candidates. The review provides researchers with insight into the importance of publicly available transcriptomic datasets for identifying critical and novel gametocyte markers that may aid in the development of rational transmission blocking strategies. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03752-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gutthedhar Varijakshi
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104 India
| | - Mallya Divya
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104 India
| | - Akshay Pramod Ware
- Department of Bioinformatics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104 India
| | - Bobby Paul
- Department of Bioinformatics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104 India
| | - Abdul Vahab Saadi
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104 India
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10
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Miyazaki Y, Vos MW, Geurten FJA, Bigeard P, Kroeze H, Yoshioka S, Arisawa M, Inaoka DK, Soulard V, Dechering KJ, Franke-Fayard B, Miyazaki S. A versatile Plasmodium falciparum reporter line expressing NanoLuc enables highly sensitive multi-stage drug assays. Commun Biol 2023; 6:713. [PMID: 37438491 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05078-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Transgenic luciferase-expressing Plasmodium falciparum parasites have been widely used for the evaluation of anti-malarial compounds. Here, to screen for anti-malarial drugs effective against multiple stages of the parasite, we generate a P. falciparum reporter parasite that constitutively expresses NanoLuciferase (NanoLuc) throughout its whole life cycle. The NanoLuc-expressing P. falciparum reporter parasite shows a quantitative NanoLuc signal in the asexual blood, gametocyte, mosquito, and liver stages. We also establish assay systems to evaluate the anti-malarial activity of compounds at the asexual blood, gametocyte, and liver stages, and then determine the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of several anti-malarial compounds. Through the development of this robust high-throughput screening system, we identify an anti-malarial compound that kills the asexual blood stage parasites. Our study highlights the utility of the NanoLuc reporter line, which may advance anti-malarial drug development through the improved screening of compounds targeting the human malarial parasite at multiple stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Miyazaki
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 852-8523, Nagasaki, Japan.
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
| | - Martijn W Vos
- TropIQ Health Sciences, Transistorweg 5, 6534 AT, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Fiona J A Geurten
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pierre Bigeard
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Hans Kroeze
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Shohei Yoshioka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Arisawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daniel Ken Inaoka
- Department of Molecular Infection Dynamics, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 852-8523, Nagasaki, Japan
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 852-8523, Japan
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Valerie Soulard
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Koen J Dechering
- TropIQ Health Sciences, Transistorweg 5, 6534 AT, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Blandine Franke-Fayard
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Shinya Miyazaki
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Department of Cellular Architecture Studies, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 852-8523, Nagasaki, Japan.
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11
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Fonte M, Fontinha D, Moita D, Caño-Prades O, Avalos-Padilla Y, Fernàndez-Busquets X, Prudêncio M, Gomes P, Teixeira C. New 4-(N-cinnamoylbutyl)aminoacridines as potential multi-stage antiplasmodial leads. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 258:115575. [PMID: 37390511 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115575] [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: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
A novel family of 4-aminoacridine derivatives was obtained by linking this heteroaromatic core to different trans-cinnamic acids. The 4-(N-cinnamoylbutyl)aminoacridines obtained exhibited in vitro activity in the low- or sub-micromolar range against (i) hepatic stages of Plasmodium berghei, (ii) erythrocytic forms of Plasmodium falciparum, and (iii) early and mature gametocytes of Plasmodium falciparum. The most active compound, having a meta-fluorocinnamoyl group linked to the acridine core, was 20- and 120-fold more potent, respectively, against the hepatic and gametocyte stages of Plasmodium infection than the reference drug, primaquine. Moreover, no cytotoxicity towards mammalian and red blood cells at the concentrations tested was observed for any of the compounds under investigation. These novel conjugates represent promising leads for the development of new multi-target antiplasmodials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Fonte
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
| | - Diana Fontinha
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diana Moita
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Omar Caño-Prades
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yunuen Avalos-Padilla
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernàndez-Busquets
- Nanomalaria Group, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain; Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona), Spain; Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Prudêncio
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paula Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cátia Teixeira
- LAQV-REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Gyros Protein Technologies Inc., Tucson, AZ, USA
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12
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Nourani L, Mehrizi AA, Pirahmadi S, Pourhashem Z, Asadollahi E, Jahangiri B. CRISPR/Cas advancements for genome editing, diagnosis, therapeutics, and vaccine development for Plasmodium parasites, and genetic engineering of Anopheles mosquito vector. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 109:105419. [PMID: 36842543 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Malaria as vector-borne disease remains important health concern with over 200 million cases globally. Novel antimalarial medicines and more effective vaccines must be developed to eliminate and eradicate malaria. Appraisal of preceding genome editing approaches confirmed the CRISPR/Cas nuclease system as a novel proficient genome editing system and a tool for species-specific diagnosis, and drug resistance researches for Plasmodium species, and gene drive to control Anopheles population. CRISPR/Cas technology, as a handy tool for genome editing can be justified for the production of transgenic malaria parasites like Plasmodium transgenic lines expressing Cas9, chimeric Plasmodium transgenic lines, knockdown and knockout transgenic parasites, and transgenic parasites expressing alternative alleles, and also mutant strains of Anopheles such as only male mosquito populations, generation of wingless mosquitoes, and creation of knock-out/ knock-in mutants. Though, the incorporation of traditional methods and novel molecular techniques could noticeably enhance the quality of results. The striking development of a CRISPR/Cas-based diagnostic kit that can specifically diagnose the Plasmodium species or drug resistance markers is highly required in malaria settings with affordable cost and high-speed detection. Furthermore, the advancement of genome modifications by CRISPR/Cas technologies resolves contemporary restrictions to culturing, maintaining, and analyzing these parasites, and the aptitude to investigate parasite genome functions opens up new vistas in the better understanding of pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Nourani
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akram Abouie Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sakineh Pirahmadi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Pourhashem
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elahe Asadollahi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Babak Jahangiri
- Malaria and Vector Research Group (MVRG), Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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13
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Cruz Camacho A, Kiper E, Oren S, Zaharoni N, Nir N, Soffer N, Noy Y, Ben David B, Rivkin A, Rotkopf R, Michael D, Carvalho TG, Regev-Rudzki N. High-throughput analysis of the transcriptional patterns of sexual genes in malaria. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:14. [PMID: 36639683 PMCID: PMC9838061 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05624-w] [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: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) is the leading protozoan causing malaria, the most devastating parasitic disease. To ensure transmission, a small subset of Pf parasites differentiate into the sexual forms (gametocytes). Since the abundance of these essential parasitic forms is extremely low within the human host, little is currently known about the molecular regulation of their sexual differentiation, highlighting the need to develop tools to investigate Pf gene expression during this fundamental mechanism. METHODS We developed a high-throughput quantitative Reverse-Transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) platform to robustly monitor Pf transcriptional patterns, in particular, systematically profiling the transcriptional pattern of a large panel of gametocyte-related genes (GRG). Initially, we evaluated the technical performance of the systematic RT-qPCR platform to ensure it complies with the accepted quality standards for: (i) RNA extraction, (ii) cDNA synthesis and (iii) evaluation of gene expression through RT-qPCR. We then used this approach to monitor alterations in gene expression of a panel of GRG upon treatment with gametocytogenesis regulators. RESULTS We thoroughly elucidated GRG expression profiles under treatment with the antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin (DHA) or the metabolite choline over the course of a Pf blood cycle (48 h). We demonstrate that both significantly alter the expression pattern of PfAP2-G, the gametocytogenesis master regulator. However, they also markedly modify the developmental rate of the parasites and thus might bias the mRNA expression. Additionally, we screened the effect of the metabolites lactate and kynurenic acid, abundant in severe malaria, as potential regulators of gametocytogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that the high-throughput RT-qPCR method enables studying the immediate transcriptional response initiating gametocytogenesis of the parasites from a very low volume of malaria-infected RBC samples. The obtained data expand the current knowledge of the initial alterations in mRNA profiles of GRG upon treatment with reported regulators. In addition, using this method emphasizes that asexual parasite stage composition is a crucial element that must be considered when interpreting changes in GRG expression by RT-qPCR, specifically when screening for novel compounds that could regulate Pf sexual differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abel Cruz Camacho
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Edo Kiper
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sonia Oren
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Nir Zaharoni
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Netta Nir
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Noam Soffer
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yael Noy
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Bar Ben David
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Anna Rivkin
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ron Rotkopf
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Dan Michael
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Feinberg Graduate School, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
| | - Teresa G. Carvalho
- grid.1018.80000 0001 2342 0938Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086 Australia
| | - Neta Regev-Rudzki
- grid.13992.300000 0004 0604 7563Faculty of Biochemistry, Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, 7610001 Rehovot, Israel
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14
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Stewart LB, Freville A, Voss TS, Baker DA, Awandare GA, Conway DJ. Plasmodium falciparum Sexual Commitment Rate Variation among Clinical Isolates and Diverse Laboratory-Adapted Lines. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0223422. [PMID: 36409095 PMCID: PMC9769538 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02234-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Asexual blood-stage malaria parasites must produce sexual progeny to infect mosquitoes. It is important to understand the scope and causes of intraspecific variation in sexual commitment rates, particularly for the major human parasite P. falciparum. First, two alternative assay methods of measuring sexual commitment were compared to test a genetically modified P. falciparum line with elevated commitment rates inducible by overexpression of GDV1. The methods yielded correlated measurements with higher sensitivity and precision being achieved by one employing detection of the early gametocyte differentiation marker Pfs16. Thus, this was used to survey a diverse range of parasite lines and test each in multiple biological replicate assays in a serum-free medium supplemented with Albumax. There were differences among six recent clinical isolates from Ghana in their mean rates of sexual commitment per cycle, ranging from 3.3% to 12.2%. Among 13 diverse long-term laboratory-adapted lines, mean sexual commitment rates for most ranged from 4.7% to 13.4%, a few had lower rates with means from 0.3 to 1.6%, and one with a nonfunctional ap2-g gene always showed zero commitment. Among a subset of lines tested for the effects of exogenous choline to suppress commitment, there were significant differences. As expected, there was no effect in a line that had lost the gdv1 gene and that had generally low commitment, whereas the others showed quantitatively variable but significant responses to choline, suggesting potential trait variation. The results indicated the value of performing multiple replicate assays for understanding the variation of this key reproductive trait that likely affects transmission. IMPORTANCE Only sexual-stage malaria parasites are transmitted from human blood to mosquitoes. Thus, it is vital to understand variations in sexual commitment rates because these may be modifiable or susceptible to blocking. Two different methods of commitment rate measurement were first compared, demonstrating higher sensitivity and precision by the detection of an early differentiation marker, which was subsequently used to survey diverse lines. Clinical isolates from Ghana showed significant variation in mean per-cycle commitment rates and variation among biological replicates. Laboratory-adapted lines of diverse origins had a wider range with most being within the range observed for the clinical isolates, while a minority consistently had lower or zero rates. There was quantitative variation in the effects when adding choline to suppress commitment, indicating differing responsiveness of parasites to this environmental modification. Performing multiple assay replicates and comparisons of diverse isolates was important to understand this trait and its potential effects on transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay B. Stewart
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aline Freville
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Till S. Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basal, Switzerland
| | - David A. Baker
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon A. Awandare
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - David J. Conway
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Hoshizaki J, Jagoe H, Lee MCS. Efficient generation of mNeonGreen Plasmodium falciparum reporter lines enables quantitative fitness analysis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:981432. [PMID: 36189342 PMCID: PMC9523114 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.981432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR editing has enabled the rapid creation of fluorescent Plasmodium transgenic lines, facilitating a deeper understanding of parasite biology. The impact of genetic perturbations such as gene disruption or the introduction of drug resistance alleles on parasite fitness is typically quantified in competitive growth assays between the query line and a wild type reference. Although fluorescent reporter lines offer a facile and frequently used method to measure relative growth, this approach is limited by the strain background of the existing reporter, which may not match the growth characteristics of the query strains, particularly if these are slower-growing field isolates. Here, we demonstrate an efficient CRISPR-based approach to generate fluorescently labelled parasite lines using mNeonGreen derived from the LanYFP protein in Branchiostoma lanceolatum, which is one of the brightest monomeric green fluorescent proteins identified. Using a positive-selection approach by insertion of an in-frame blasticidin S deaminase marker, we generated a Dd2 reporter line expressing mNeonGreen under the control of the pfpare (P. falciparum Prodrug Activation and Resistance Esterase) locus. We selected the pfpare locus as an integration site because it is highly conserved across P. falciparum strains, expressed throughout the intraerythrocytic cycle, not essential, and offers the potential for negative selection to further enrich for integrants. The mNeonGreen@pare line demonstrates strong fluorescence with a negligible fitness defect. In addition, the construct developed can serve as a tool to fluorescently tag other P. falciparum strains for in vitro experimentation.
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16
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Portugaliza HP, Natama HM, Guetens P, Rovira-Vallbona E, Somé AM, Millogo A, Ouédraogo DF, Valéa I, Sorgho H, Tinto H, van Hong N, Sitoe A, Varo R, Bassat Q, Cortés A, Rosanas-Urgell A. Plasmodium falciparum sexual conversion rates can be affected by artemisinin-based treatment in naturally infected malaria patients. EBioMedicine 2022; 83:104198. [PMID: 35961203 PMCID: PMC9385555 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Thommen BT, Passecker A, Buser T, Hitz E, Voss TS, Brancucci NMB. Revisiting the Effect of Pharmaceuticals on Transmission Stage Formation in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:802341. [PMID: 35223540 PMCID: PMC8873190 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.802341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites rely on specialized stages, called gametocytes, to ensure human-to-human transmission. The formation of these sexual precursor cells is initiated by commitment of blood stage parasites to the sexual differentiation pathway. Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent of six parasite species infecting humans, employs nutrient sensing to control the rate at which sexual commitment is initiated, and the presence of stress-inducing factors, including antimalarial drugs, has been linked to increased gametocyte production in vitro and in vivo. These observations suggest that therapeutic interventions may promote gametocytogenesis and malaria transmission. Here, we engineered a P. falciparum reporter line to quantify sexual commitment rates after exposure to antimalarials and other pharmaceuticals commonly prescribed in malaria-endemic regions. Our data reveal that some of the tested drugs indeed have the capacity to elevate sexual commitment rates in vitro. Importantly, however, these effects are only observed at drug concentrations that inhibit parasite survival and only rarely result in a net increase of gametocyte production. Using a drug-resistant parasite reporter line, we further show that the gametocytogenesis-promoting effect of drugs is linked to general stress responses rather than to compound-specific activities. Altogether, we did not observe evidence for mechanistic links between the regulation of sexual commitment and the activity of commonly used pharmaceuticals in vitro. Our data hence does not support scenarios in which currently applied therapeutic interventions would promote the spread of drug-resistant parasites or malaria transmission in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basil T. Thommen
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Armin Passecker
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Buser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eva Hitz
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Till S. Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Till S. Voss, ; Nicolas M. B. Brancucci,
| | - Nicolas M. B. Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Till S. Voss, ; Nicolas M. B. Brancucci,
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18
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A transcriptional switch controls sex determination in Plasmodium falciparum. Nature 2022; 612:528-533. [PMID: 36477538 PMCID: PMC9750867 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05509-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction and meiotic sex are deeply rooted in the eukaryotic tree of life, but mechanisms determining sex or mating types are extremely varied and are only well characterized in a few model organisms1. In malaria parasites, sexual reproduction coincides with transmission to the vector host. Sex determination is non-genetic, with each haploid parasite capable of producing either a male or a female gametocyte in the human host2. The hierarchy of events and molecular mechanisms that trigger sex determination and maintenance of sexual identity are yet to be elucidated. Here we show that the male development 1 (md1) gene is both necessary and sufficient for male fate determination in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We show that Md1 has a dual function stemming from two separate domains: in sex determination through its N terminus and in male development from its conserved C-terminal LOTUS/OST-HTH domain. We further identify a bistable switch at the md1 locus, which is coupled with sex determination and ensures that the male-determining gene is not expressed in the female lineage. We describe one of only a few known non-genetic mechanisms of sex determination in a eukaryote and highlight Md1 as a potential target for interventions that block malaria transmission.
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19
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CRISPR/Cas9-engineered inducible gametocyte producer lines as a valuable tool for Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission research. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4806. [PMID: 34376675 PMCID: PMC8355313 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24954-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum replicates inside erythrocytes in the blood of infected humans. During each replication cycle, a small proportion of parasites commits to sexual development and differentiates into gametocytes, which are essential for parasite transmission via the mosquito vector. Detailed molecular investigation of gametocyte biology and transmission has been hampered by difficulties in generating large numbers of these highly specialised cells. Here, we engineer P. falciparum NF54 inducible gametocyte producer (iGP) lines for the routine mass production of synchronous gametocytes via conditional overexpression of the sexual commitment factor GDV1. NF54/iGP lines consistently achieve sexual commitment rates of 75% and produce viable gametocytes that are transmissible by mosquitoes. We also demonstrate that further genetic engineering of NF54/iGP parasites is a valuable tool for the targeted exploration of gametocyte biology. In summary, we believe the iGP approach developed here will greatly expedite basic and applied malaria transmission stage research.
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20
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Schneider P, Reece SE. The private life of malaria parasites: Strategies for sexual reproduction. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 244:111375. [PMID: 34023299 PMCID: PMC8346949 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Malaria parasites exhibit a complex lifecycle, requiring extensive asexual replication in the liver and blood of the vertebrate host, and in the haemocoel of the insect vector. Yet, they must also undergo a single round of sexual reproduction, which occurs in the vector's midgut upon uptake of a blood meal. Sexual reproduction is obligate for infection of the vector and thus, is essential for onwards transmission to new hosts. Sex in malaria parasites involves several bottlenecks in parasite number, making the stages involved attractive targets for blocking disease transmission. Malaria parasites have evolved a suite of adaptations ("strategies") to maximise the success of sexual reproduction and transmission, which could undermine transmission-blocking interventions. Yet, understanding parasite strategies may also reveal novel opportunities for such interventions. Here, we outline how evolutionary and ecological theories, developed to explain reproductive strategies in multicellular taxa, can be applied to explain two reproductive strategies (conversion rate and sex ratio) expressed by malaria parasites within the vertebrate host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Schneider
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Sarah E Reece
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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21
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Abstract
Malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites, remains a significant global health concern. For decades, genetic intractability and limited tools hindered our ability to study essential proteins and pathways in Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite associated with the most severe malaria cases. However, recent years have seen major leaps forward in the ability to genetically manipulate P. falciparum parasites and conditionally control protein expression/function. The conditional knockdown systems used in P. falciparum target all 3 components of the central dogma, allowing researchers to conditionally control gene expression, translation, and protein function. Here, we review some of the common knockdown systems that have been adapted or developed for use in P. falciparum. Much of the work done using conditional knockdown approaches has been performed in asexual, blood-stage parasites, but we also highlight their uses in other parts of the life cycle and discuss new ways of applying these systems outside of the intraerythrocytic stages. With the use of these tools, the field’s understanding of parasite biology is ever increasing, and promising new pathways for antimalarial drug development are being discovered.
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22
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Prajapati SK, Ayanful-Torgby R, Pava Z, Barbeau MC, Acquah FK, Cudjoe E, Kakaney C, Amponsah JA, Obboh E, Ahmed AE, Abuaku BK, McCarthy JS, Amoah LE, Williamson KC. The transcriptome of circulating sexually committed Plasmodium falciparum ring stage parasites forecasts malaria transmission potential. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6159. [PMID: 33268801 PMCID: PMC7710746 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19988-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is spread by the transmission of sexual stage parasites, called gametocytes. However, with Plasmodium falciparum, gametocytes can only be detected in peripheral blood when they are mature and transmissible to a mosquito, which complicates control efforts. Here, we identify the set of genes overexpressed in patient blood samples with high levels of gametocyte-committed ring stage parasites. Expression of all 18 genes is regulated by transcription factor AP2-G, which is required for gametocytogenesis. We select three genes, not expressed in mature gametocytes, to develop as biomarkers. All three biomarkers we validate in vitro using 6 different parasite lines and develop an algorithm that predicts gametocyte production in ex vivo samples and volunteer infection studies. The biomarkers are also sensitive enough to monitor gametocyte production in asymptomatic P. falciparum carriers allowing early detection and treatment of infectious reservoirs, as well as the in vivo analysis of factors that modulate sexual conversion. Malaria gametocytes are sexual-stage parasites transmitted from mammalian host’s blood back to their insect vector. Here, Prajapati et al. identify gametocyte-committed ring-stage biomarkers allowing to forecast malaria transmission potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surendra K Prajapati
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Ruth Ayanful-Torgby
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Zuleima Pava
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michelle C Barbeau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.,University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Festus K Acquah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Elizabeth Cudjoe
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Courage Kakaney
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jones A Amponsah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Anwar E Ahmed
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin K Abuaku
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - James S McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Linda E Amoah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kim C Williamson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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23
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Portugaliza HP, Miyazaki S, Geurten FJ, Pell C, Rosanas-Urgell A, Janse CJ, Cortés A. Artemisinin exposure at the ring or trophozoite stage impacts Plasmodium falciparum sexual conversion differently. eLife 2020; 9:60058. [PMID: 33084568 PMCID: PMC7577739 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria transmission is dependent on the formation of gametocytes in the human blood. The sexual conversion rate, the proportion of asexual parasites that convert into gametocytes at each multiplication cycle, is variable and reflects the relative parasite investment between transmission and maintaining the infection. The impact of environmental factors such as drugs on sexual conversion rates is not well understood. We developed a robust assay using gametocyte-reporter parasite lines to accurately measure the impact of drugs on sexual conversion rates, independently from their gametocytocidal activity. We found that exposure to subcurative doses of the frontline antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin (DHA) at the trophozoite stage resulted in a ~ fourfold increase in sexual conversion. In contrast, no increase was observed when ring stages were exposed or in cultures in which sexual conversion was stimulated by choline depletion. Our results reveal a complex relationship between antimalarial drugs and sexual conversion, with potential public health implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harvie P Portugaliza
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clinic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Global Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Shinya Miyazaki
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Fiona Ja Geurten
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Christopher Pell
- Department of Global Health, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anna Rosanas-Urgell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Chris J Janse
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Alfred Cortés
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clinic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
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24
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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: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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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25
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Miyazaki S, Yang ASP, Geurten FJA, Marin-Mogollon C, Miyazaki Y, Imai T, Kolli SK, Ramesar J, Chevalley-Maurel S, Salman AM, van Gemert GJA, van Waardenburg YM, Franke-Fayard B, Hill AVS, Sauerwein RW, Janse CJ, Khan SM. Generation of Novel Plasmodium falciparum NF135 and NF54 Lines Expressing Fluorescent Reporter Proteins Under the Control of Strong and Constitutive Promoters. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:270. [PMID: 32587831 PMCID: PMC7298075 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic reporter lines of malaria parasites that express fluorescent or luminescent proteins are valuable tools for drug and vaccine screening assays as well as to interrogate parasite gene function. Different Plasmodium falciparum (Pf ) reporter lines exist, however nearly all have been created in the African NF54/3D7 laboratory strain. Here we describe the generation of novel reporter lines, using CRISPR/Cas9 gene modification, both in the standard Pf NF54 background and in a recently described Cambodian P. falciparum NF135.C10 line. Sporozoites of this line show more effective hepatocyte invasion and enhanced liver merozoite development compared to Pf NF54. We first generated Pf NF54 reporter parasites to analyze two novel promoters for constitutive and high expression of mCherry-luciferase and GFP in blood and mosquito stages. The promoter sequences were selected based on available transcriptome data and are derived from two housekeeping genes, i.e., translation initiation factor SUI1, putative (sui1, PF3D7_1243600) and 40S ribosomal protein S30 (40s, PF3D7_0219200). We then generated and characterized reporter lines in the Pf NF135.C10 line which express GFP driven by the sui1 and 40s promoters as well as by the previously used ef1α promoter (GFP@ef1α, GFP@sui1, GFP@40s). The GFP@40s reporter line showed strongest GFP expression in liver stages as compared to the other two lines. The strength of reporter expression by the 40s promoter throughout the complete life cycle, including liver stages, makes transgenic lines expressing reporters by the 40s promoter valuable novel tools for analyses of P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Miyazaki
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Annie S P Yang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Fiona J A Geurten
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Yukiko Miyazaki
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Takashi Imai
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan
| | - Surendra Kumar Kolli
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jai Ramesar
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Ahmed M Salman
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Geert-Jan A van Gemert
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Youri M van Waardenburg
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Adrian V S Hill
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Robert W Sauerwein
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,TropIQ Health Sciences, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Chris J Janse
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Shahid M Khan
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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26
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Llorà-Batlle O, Michel-Todó L, Witmer K, Toda H, Fernández-Becerra C, Baum J, Cortés A. Conditional expression of PfAP2-G for controlled massive sexual conversion in Plasmodium falciparum. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaaz5057. [PMID: 32577509 PMCID: PMC7286680 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz5057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Malaria transmission requires that some asexual parasites convert into sexual forms termed gametocytes. The initial stages of sexual development, including sexually committed schizonts and sexual rings, remain poorly characterized, mainly because they are morphologically identical to their asexual counterparts and only a small subset of parasites undergo sexual development. Here, we describe a system for controlled sexual conversion in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, based on conditional expression of the PfAP2-G transcription factor. Using this system, ~90 percent of the parasites converted into sexual forms upon induction, enabling the characterization of committed and early sexual stages without further purification. We characterized sexually committed schizonts and sexual rings at the transcriptomic and phenotypic levels, which revealed down-regulation of genes involved in solute transport upon sexual commitment, among other findings. The new inducible lines will facilitate the study of early sexual stages at additional levels, including multiomic characterization and drug susceptibility assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Llorà-Batlle
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clinic–Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lucas Michel-Todó
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clinic–Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Kathrin Witmer
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Haruka Toda
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clinic–Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Carmen Fernández-Becerra
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clinic–Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Catalonia, Spain
- IGTP Institut d’Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona 08916, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alfred Cortés
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clinic–Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Catalonia, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona 08010, Catalonia, Spain
- Corresponding author.
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27
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Dissecting the role of PfAP2-G in malaria gametocytogenesis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1503. [PMID: 32198457 PMCID: PMC7083873 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15026-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the switch from asexual multiplication to sexual differentiation into gametocytes is essential for transmission to mosquitos. The transcription factor PfAP2-G is a key determinant of sexual commitment that orchestrates this crucial cell fate decision. Here we identify the direct targets of PfAP2-G and demonstrate that it dynamically binds hundreds of sites across the genome. We find that PfAP2-G is a transcriptional activator of early gametocyte genes, and identify differences in PfAP2-G occupancy between gametocytes derived via next-cycle and same-cycle conversion. Our data implicate PfAP2-G not only as a transcriptional activator of gametocyte genes, but also as a potential regulator of genes important for red blood cell invasion. We also find that regulation by PfAP2-G requires interaction with a second transcription factor, PfAP2-I. These results clarify the functional role of PfAP2-G during sexual commitment and early gametocytogenesis. The transcription factor PfAP2-G is a key determinant of sexual commitment in Plasmodium falciparum. Here, Josling et al. define the transcriptional regulatory network of PfAP2-G by identifying its DNA binding sites genome-wide, which vary depending on the route of sexual conversion and rely on interactions with the PfAP2-I transcription factor.
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