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Omar M, Abdelal HO. Nitric oxide in parasitic infections: a friend or foe? J Parasit Dis 2022; 46:1147-1163. [PMID: 36457767 PMCID: PMC9606182 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-022-01518-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex interaction between the host and the parasite remains a puzzling question. Control of parasitic infections requires an efficient immune response that must be balanced against destructive pathological consequences. Nitric oxide is a nitrogenous free radical which has many molecular targets and serves diverse functions. Apart from being a signaling messenger, nitric oxide is critical for controlling numerous infections. There is still controversy surrounding the exact role of nitric oxide in the immune response against different parasitic species. It proved protective against intracellular protozoa, as well as extracellular helminths. At the same time, it plays a pivotal role in stimulating detrimental pathological changes in the infected hosts. Several reports have discussed the anti-parasitic and immunoregulatory functions of nitric oxide, which could directly influence the control of the infection. Nevertheless, there is scarce literature addressing the harmful cytotoxic impacts of this mediator. Thus, this review provides insights into the most updated concepts and controversies regarding the dual nature and opposing sides of nitric oxide during the course of different parasitic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Omar
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Gameyet Almohafza St. 1, Menya Al-Kamh, City of Zagazig, 44511 Sharkia Governorate Egypt
| | - Heba O. Abdelal
- LIS: Cross-National Data Center, Maison des Sciences Humaines - 5e étage, 11- porte des Sciences, L-4366 Esch-Belval, Luxembourg
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2
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Draft genome of the bluefin tuna blood fluke, Cardicola forsteri. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276287. [PMID: 36240154 PMCID: PMC9565688 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood fluke Cardicola forsteri (Trematoda: Aporocotylidae) is a pathogen of ranched bluefin tuna in Japan and Australia. Genomics of Cardicola spp. have thus far been limited to molecular phylogenetics of select gene sequences. In this study, sequencing of the C. forsteri genome was performed using Illumina short-read and Oxford Nanopore long-read technologies. The sequences were assembled de novo using a hybrid of short and long reads, which produced a high-quality contig-level assembly (N50 > 430 kb and L50 = 138). The assembly was also relatively complete and unfragmented, comprising 66% and 7.2% complete and fragmented metazoan Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCOs), respectively. A large portion (> 55%) of the genome was made up of intergenic repetitive elements, primarily long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs), while protein-coding regions cover > 6%. Gene prediction identified 8,564 hypothetical polypeptides, > 77% of which are homologous to published sequences of other species. The identification of select putative proteins, including cathepsins, calpains, tetraspanins, and glycosyltransferases is discussed. This is the first genome assembly of any aporocotylid, a major step toward understanding of the biology of this family of fish blood flukes and their interactions within hosts.
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Neves LX, Wilson RA, Brownridge P, Harman VM, Holman SW, Beynon RJ, Eyers CE, DeMarco R, Castro-Borges W. Quantitative Proteomics of Enriched Esophageal and Gut Tissues from the Human Blood Fluke Schistosoma mansoni Pinpoints Secreted Proteins for Vaccine Development. J Proteome Res 2019; 19:314-326. [PMID: 31729880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.9b00531] [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] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Schistosomes are blood-dwelling helminth parasites that cause schistosomiasis, a debilitating disease resulting in inflammation and, in extreme cases, multiple organ damage. Major challenges to control the transmission persist, and the discovery of protective antigens remains of critical importance for vaccine development. Rhesus macaques can self-cure following schistosome infection, generating antibodies that target proteins from the tegument, gut, and esophagus, the last of which is the least investigated. We developed a dissection technique that permitted increased sensitivity in a comparative proteomics profiling of schistosome esophagus and gut. Proteome analysis of the male schistosome esophagus identified 13 proteins encoded by microexon genes (MEGs), 11 of which were uniquely located in the esophageal glands. Based on this and transcriptome information, a QconCAT was designed for the absolute quantification of selected targets. MEGs 12, 4.2, and 4.1 and venom allergen-like protein 7 were the most abundant, spanning over 245 million to 6 million copies per cell, while aspartyl protease, palmitoyl thioesterase, and galactosyl transferase were present at <1 million copies. Antigenic variation by alternative splicing of MEG proteins was confirmed together with a specialized machinery for protein glycosylation/secretion in the esophagus. Moreover, some gastrodermal secretions were highly enriched in the gut, while others were more uniformly distributed throughout the parasite, potentially indicating lysosomal activity. Collectively, our findings provide a more rational, better-oriented selection of schistosome vaccine candidates in the context of a proven model of protective immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro X Neves
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas , Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto , Campus Morro do Cruzeiro , Ouro Preto 35400-000 , Minas Gerais , Brazil
| | - R Alan Wilson
- Centre for Immunology and Infection, Department of Biology , University of York , Heslington, York YO10 5DD , United Kingdom
| | - Philip Brownridge
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology , University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZB , United Kingdom
| | - Victoria M Harman
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology , University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZB , United Kingdom
| | - Stephen W Holman
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology , University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZB , United Kingdom
| | - Robert J Beynon
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology , University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZB , United Kingdom
| | - Claire E Eyers
- Centre for Proteome Research, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Integrative Biology , University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZB , United Kingdom
| | - Ricardo DeMarco
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos , Universidade de São Paulo , São Carlos 13566-590 , Brazil
| | - William Castro-Borges
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas , Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto , Campus Morro do Cruzeiro , Ouro Preto 35400-000 , Minas Gerais , Brazil
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Xu X, Cui X, Zhu L, Li Z, Zhang Y, Ma L, Pan W. Effects of Polymorphisms in the SjSP-13 Gene of Schistosoma japonicum on Its Diagnostic Efficacy and Immunogenicity. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1695. [PMID: 30140260 PMCID: PMC6094988 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis japonica is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in China. The scarcity of effective diagnostic tools is a major factor that contributes to the high prevalence of schistosomiasis japonica. SjSP-13 is a promising serological diagnostic biomarker of the disease. However, it is unclear whether polymorphisms in SjSP-13 affect its diagnostic efficacy and immunogenicity. Here, we found the SjSP-13 gene was highly polymorphic, and all the alleles of the gene were clustered into two clades, clade A and B. SjSP-13.6 and SjSP-13.25, the representative alleles of clade A and B, were produced in Escherichia coli. The diagnostic value of SjSP-13.6 (AUC = 0.983 ± 0.006), was found to be similar to the SjSP-13.25 (AUC = 0.973 ± 0.009) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. SjSP-13.6 and SjSP-13.25 have the same specificity (96.7%), while the sensitivity of SjSP-13.6 (90.4%) is slightly but not significantly higher than SjSP-13.25 (85.2%). The combination use of the two alleles (SjSP-13.6/25) didn’t increase the diagnostic performance of SjSP-13 as the AUC value of SjSP-13.6/25 is 0.977 ± 0.009, lower than individual SjSP-13.6 (AUC = 0.983 ± 0.006). In addition, we found the immunogenicity of clade A alleles is significantly higher than clade B in Schistosoma japonicum naturally infected animals and patients, as the mean antibody levels of SjSP-13.6 was significantly higher than SjSP-13.25. We conclude that polymorphisms of the SjSP-13 gene should not affect its diagnostic efficacy, and it is not necessary to combine the alleles of the two clades for diagnosis of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xindong Xu
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaobing Cui
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liufang Zhu
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengli Li
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanbin Zhang
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Ma
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqing Pan
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Development, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Exploring molecular variation in Schistosoma japonicum in China. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17345. [PMID: 26621075 PMCID: PMC4664899 DOI: 10.1038/srep17345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects more than 200 million people worldwide. The main disease-causing agents, Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium, are blood flukes that have complex life cycles involving a snail intermediate host. In Asia, S. japonicum causes hepatointestinal disease (schistosomiasis japonica) and is challenging to control due to a broad distribution of its snail hosts and range of animal reservoir hosts. In China, extensive efforts have been underway to control this parasite, but genetic variability in S. japonicum populations could represent an obstacle to eliminating schistosomiasis japonica. Although a draft genome sequence is available for S. japonicum, there has been no previous study of molecular variation in this parasite on a genome-wide scale. In this study, we conducted the first deep genomic exploration of seven S. japonicum populations from mainland China, constructed phylogenies using mitochondrial and nuclear genomic data sets, and established considerable variation between some of the populations in genes inferred to be linked to key cellular processes and/or pathogen-host interactions. Based on the findings from this study, we propose that verifying intraspecific conservation in vaccine or drug target candidates is an important first step toward developing effective vaccines and chemotherapies against schistosomiasis.
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Liu J, Pan T, You X, Xu Y, Liang J, Limpanont Y, Sun X, Okanurak K, Zheng H, Wu Z, Lv Z. SjCa8, a calcium-binding protein from Schistosoma japonicum, inhibits cell migration and suppresses nitric oxide release of RAW264.7 macrophages. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:513. [PMID: 26445908 PMCID: PMC4597762 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1119-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Schistosomiasis is considered second only to malaria as the most devastating parasitic disease in tropical countries. Schistosome cercariae invade the host by penetrating the skin and migrate though the lungs and portal circulation to their final destination in the hepatic portal system and eventually the mesenteric veins. Previous studies have shown that the cytotoxic pathways that target schistosomulum in the lung-stage involve nitric oxide (NO) produced by macrophages. By contrast, skin-stage schistosomulas can evade clearance, indicating that they might be freed from macrophage NO-mediated cytotoxicity to achieve immune evasion; however, the critical molecules and mechanisms involved remain unknown. Methods Recombinant SjCa8 (rSjCa8), an 8-kDa calcium-binding protein that is stage-specifically expressed in cercaria and early skin-stage schistosomulas of Schistosoma japonicum, was incubated with mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. Effects on macrophage proliferation were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8. Next, transwell assay was carried out to further investigate the role of rSjCa8 in macrophage migration. The effects of rSjCa8 on macrophage apoptosis were evaluated using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Additional impacts of rSjCa8 on NO release by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages as well as the underlying mechanisms were explored using fluorescent probe, nitric oxide signaling pathway microarray, quantitative real-time PCR, mutagenesis, and neutralizing antibody approaches. Results rSjCa8 exhibited a striking inhibitory effect on macrophage migration, but did not markedly increase cell proliferation or apoptosis. Additionally, rSjCa8 potently inhibited NO release by LPS-stimulated macrophages in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the inhibitory mechanism was closely associated with intracellular Ca2+ levels, the up-regulation of catalase expression, and the down-regulation of the expression of 47 genes, including Myc, Gadd45a, Txnip, Fas, Sod2, Nos2, and Hmgb1. Vaccination with rSjCa8 increased NO concentration in the challenging skin area of infected mice and reduced the number of migrated schistosomula after skin penetration by cercariae. Conclusions Our findings indicate that SjCa8 might be a novel molecule that plays a critical role in immune evasion by S. japonicum cercaria during the process of skin penetration. The inhibitory impacts of rSjCa8 on macrophage migration and [Ca2+]i-dependent NO release suggest it might represent a novel vaccine candidate and chemotherapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of schistosomiasis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-1119-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Liu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Tong Pan
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Xu You
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Yiyue Xu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Jinyi Liang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Yanin Limpanont
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
| | - Xi Sun
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Kamolnetr Okanurak
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
| | - Huanqin Zheng
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Zhongdao Wu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Zhiyue Lv
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 2nd Zhongshan Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. .,Key Laboratory for Tropical Diseases Control of Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Driguez P, Li Y, Gaze S, Pearson MS, Nakajima R, Trieu A, Doolan DL, Felgner PL, Hou X, Cardoso FC, Jasinskas A, Gobert GN, Loukas A, McManus DP. Antibody Signatures Reflect Different Disease Pathologies in Patients With Schistosomiasis Due to Schistosoma japonicum. J Infect Dis 2015; 213:122-30. [PMID: 26150545 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection with Schistosoma japonicum causes high levels of pathology that is predominantly determined by the cellular and humoral response of the host. However, the specific antibody response that arises during the development of disease is largely undescribed in Asian schistosomiasis-endemic populations. A schistosome protein microarray was used to compare the antibody profiles of subjects with acute infection, with early or advanced disease associated with severe pathology, with chronic infection, and subjects exposed but stool negative for S. japonicum eggs to the antibody profiles of nonexposed controls. Twenty-five immunodominant antigens were identified, including vaccine candidates, tetraspanin-related proteins, transporter molecules, and unannotated proteins. Additionally, individuals with severe pathology had a limited specific antibody response, suggesting that individuals with mild disease may use a broad and strong antibody response, particularly against surface-exposed proteins, to control pathology and/or infection. Our study has identified specific antigens that can discriminate between S. japonicum-exposed groups with different pathologies and may also allow the host to control disease pathology and provide resistance to parasite infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuesheng Li
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane Hunan Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Yueyang, China
| | - Soraya Gaze
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Queensland Tropical Health Alliance Laboratory, James Cook University, Cairns Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mark S Pearson
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Queensland Tropical Health Alliance Laboratory, James Cook University, Cairns
| | | | - Angela Trieu
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane
| | | | | | - Xunya Hou
- Hunan Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Yueyang, China
| | - Fernanda C Cardoso
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane Institute for Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Australia
| | | | | | - Alex Loukas
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, Queensland Tropical Health Alliance Laboratory, James Cook University, Cairns
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Extremely reduced levels of heterozygosity in the vertebrate pathogen Encephalitozoon cuniculi. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2013; 12:496-502. [PMID: 23376943 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00307-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The genomes of microsporidia in the genus Encephalitozoon have been extensively studied for their minimalistic features, but they have seldom been used to investigate basic characteristics of the biology of these organisms, such as their ploidy or their mode of reproduction. In the present study, we aimed to tackle this issue by mapping Illumina sequence reads against the genomes of four strains of E. cuniculi. This approach, combined with more conventional molecular biology techniques, resulted in the identification of heterozygosity in all strains investigated, a typical signature of a diploid nuclear state. In sharp contrast with similar studies recently performed on a distant microsporidian lineage (Nematocida spp.), the level of heterozygosity that we identified across the E. cuniculi genomes was found to be extremely low. This reductive intraindividual genetic variation could result from the long-term propagation of these strains under laboratory conditions, but we propose that it could also reflect an intrinsic capacity of these vertebrate pathogens to self-reproduce.
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