1
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Day CJ, Favuzza P, Bielfeld S, Haselhorst T, Seefeldt L, Hauser J, Shewell LK, Flueck C, Poole J, Jen FEC, Schäfer A, Dangy JP, Gilberger TW, França CT, Duraisingh MT, Tamborrini M, Brancucci NMB, Grüring C, Filarsky M, Jennings MP, Pluschke G. The essential malaria protein PfCyRPA targets glycans to invade erythrocytes. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114012. [PMID: 38573856 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114012] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is a human-adapted apicomplexan parasite that causes the most dangerous form of malaria. P. falciparum cysteine-rich protective antigen (PfCyRPA) is an invasion complex protein essential for erythrocyte invasion. The precise role of PfCyRPA in this process has not been resolved. Here, we show that PfCyRPA is a lectin targeting glycans terminating with α2-6-linked N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). PfCyRPA has a >50-fold binding preference for human, α2-6-linked Neu5Ac over non-human, α2-6-linked N-glycolylneuraminic acid. PfCyRPA lectin sites were predicted by molecular modeling and validated by mutagenesis studies. Transgenic parasite lines expressing endogenous PfCyRPA with single amino acid exchange mutants indicated that the lectin activity of PfCyRPA has an important role in parasite invasion. Blocking PfCyRPA lectin activity with small molecules or with lectin-site-specific monoclonal antibodies can inhibit blood-stage parasite multiplication. Therefore, targeting PfCyRPA lectin activity with drugs, immunotherapy, or a vaccine-primed immune response is a promising strategy to prevent and treat malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Day
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Paola Favuzza
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sabrina Bielfeld
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Haselhorst
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Leonie Seefeldt
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Julia Hauser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lucy K Shewell
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Christian Flueck
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Poole
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Freda E-C Jen
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Anja Schäfer
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Pierre Dangy
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tim-W Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Cellular Parasitology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Camila Tenorio França
- Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Manoj T Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology & Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco Tamborrini
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas M B Brancucci
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christof Grüring
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Filarsky
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), Hamburg, Germany; Department of Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael P Jennings
- Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
| | - Gerd Pluschke
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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2
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Farrell B, Alam N, Hart MN, Jamwal A, Ragotte RJ, Walters-Morgan H, Draper SJ, Knuepfer E, Higgins MK. The PfRCR complex bridges malaria parasite and erythrocyte during invasion. Nature 2024; 625:578-584. [PMID: 38123677 PMCID: PMC10794152 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06856-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The symptoms of malaria occur during the blood stage of infection, when parasites invade and replicate within human erythrocytes. The PfPCRCR complex1, containing PfRH5 (refs. 2,3), PfCyRPA, PfRIPR, PfCSS and PfPTRAMP, is essential for erythrocyte invasion by the deadliest human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Invasion can be prevented by antibodies3-6 or nanobodies1 against each of these conserved proteins, making them the leading blood-stage malaria vaccine candidates. However, little is known about how PfPCRCR functions during invasion. Here we present the structure of the PfRCR complex7,8, containing PfRH5, PfCyRPA and PfRIPR, determined by cryogenic-electron microscopy. We test the hypothesis that PfRH5 opens to insert into the membrane9, instead showing that a rigid, disulfide-locked PfRH5 can mediate efficient erythrocyte invasion. We show, through modelling and an erythrocyte-binding assay, that PfCyRPA-binding antibodies5 neutralize invasion through a steric mechanism. We determine the structure of PfRIPR, showing that it consists of an ordered, multidomain core flexibly linked to an elongated tail. We also show that the elongated tail of PfRIPR, which is the target of growth-neutralizing antibodies6, binds to the PfCSS-PfPTRAMP complex on the parasite membrane. A modular PfRIPR is therefore linked to the merozoite membrane through an elongated tail, and its structured core presents PfCyRPA and PfRH5 to interact with erythrocyte receptors. This provides fresh insight into the molecular mechanism of erythrocyte invasion and opens the way to new approaches in rational vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Farrell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nawsad Alam
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Abhishek Jamwal
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Robert J Ragotte
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hannah Walters-Morgan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simon J Draper
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Matthew K Higgins
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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3
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Pietsch E, Ramaprasad A, Bielfeld S, Wohlfarter Y, Maco B, Niedermüller K, Wilcke L, Kloehn J, Keller MA, Soldati-Favre D, Blackman MJ, Gilberger TW, Burda PC. A patatin-like phospholipase is important for mitochondrial function in malaria parasites. mBio 2023; 14:e0171823. [PMID: 37882543 PMCID: PMC10746288 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01718-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE For their proliferation within red blood cells, malaria parasites depend on a functional electron transport chain (ETC) within their mitochondrion, which is the target of several antimalarial drugs. Here, we have used gene disruption to identify a patatin-like phospholipase, PfPNPLA2, as important for parasite replication and mitochondrial function in Plasmodium falciparum. Parasites lacking PfPNPLA2 show defects in their ETC and become hypersensitive to mitochondrion-targeting drugs. Furthermore, PfPNPLA2-deficient parasites show differences in the composition of their cardiolipins, a unique class of phospholipids with key roles in mitochondrial functions. Finally, we demonstrate that parasites devoid of PfPNPLA2 have a defect in gametocyte maturation, underlining the importance of a functional ETC for parasite transmission to the mosquito vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pietsch
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sabrina Bielfeld
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yvonne Wohlfarter
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bohumil Maco
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Korbinian Niedermüller
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louisa Wilcke
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Kloehn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Markus A. Keller
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michael J. Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Paul-Christian Burda
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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4
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Thommen BT, Dziekan JM, Achcar F, Tjia S, Passecker A, Buczak K, Gumpp C, Schmidt A, Rottmann M, Grüring C, Marti M, Bozdech Z, Brancucci NMB. Genetic validation of PfFKBP35 as an antimalarial drug target. eLife 2023; 12:RP86975. [PMID: 37934560 PMCID: PMC10629825 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86975] [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] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum accounts for the majority of over 600,000 malaria-associated deaths annually. Parasites resistant to nearly all antimalarials have emerged and the need for drugs with alternative modes of action is thus undoubted. The FK506-binding protein PfFKBP35 has gained attention as a promising drug target due to its high affinity to the macrolide compound FK506 (tacrolimus). Whilst there is considerable interest in targeting PfFKBP35 with small molecules, a genetic validation of this factor as a drug target is missing and its function in parasite biology remains elusive. Here, we show that limiting PfFKBP35 levels are lethal to P. falciparum and result in a delayed death-like phenotype that is characterized by defective ribosome homeostasis and stalled protein synthesis. Our data furthermore suggest that FK506, unlike the action of this drug in model organisms, exerts its antiproliferative activity in a PfFKBP35-independent manner and, using cellular thermal shift assays, we identify putative FK506-targets beyond PfFKBP35. In addition to revealing first insights into the function of PfFKBP35, our results show that FKBP-binding drugs can adopt non-canonical modes of action - with major implications for the development of FK506-derived molecules active against Plasmodium parasites and other eukaryotic pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basil T Thommen
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Jerzy M Dziekan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Fiona Achcar
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Parasitology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Seth Tjia
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Armin Passecker
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Christin Gumpp
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | | | - Matthias Rottmann
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Christof Grüring
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Matthias Marti
- Wellcome Center for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of GlasgowGlasgowUnited Kingdom
- Institute for Parasitology, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Nicolas MB Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health InstituteAllschwilSwitzerland
- University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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5
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Subudhi AK, Green JL, Satyam R, Salunke RP, Lenz T, Shuaib M, Isaioglou I, Abel S, Gupta M, Esau L, Mourier T, Nugmanova R, Mfarrej S, Shivapurkar R, Stead Z, Rached FB, Ostwal Y, Sougrat R, Dada A, Kadamany AF, Fischle W, Merzaban J, Knuepfer E, Ferguson DJP, Gupta I, Le Roch KG, Holder AA, Pain A. DNA-binding protein PfAP2-P regulates parasite pathogenesis during malaria parasite blood stages. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:2154-2169. [PMID: 37884813 PMCID: PMC10627835 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01497-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Malaria-associated pathogenesis such as parasite invasion, egress, host cell remodelling and antigenic variation requires concerted action by many proteins, but the molecular regulation is poorly understood. Here we have characterized an essential Plasmodium-specific Apicomplexan AP2 transcription factor in Plasmodium falciparum (PfAP2-P; pathogenesis) during the blood-stage development with two peaks of expression. An inducible knockout of gene function showed that PfAP2-P is essential for trophozoite development, and critical for var gene regulation, merozoite development and parasite egress. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data collected at timepoints matching the two peaks of pfap2-p expression demonstrate PfAP2-P binding to promoters of genes controlling trophozoite development, host cell remodelling, antigenic variation and pathogenicity. Single-cell RNA sequencing and fluorescence-activated cell sorting revealed de-repression of most var genes in Δpfap2-p parasites. Δpfap2-p parasites also overexpress early gametocyte marker genes, indicating a regulatory role in sexual stage conversion. We conclude that PfAP2-P is an essential upstream transcriptional regulator at two distinct stages of the intra-erythrocytic development cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Subudhi
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Judith L Green
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Rohit Satyam
- Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Rahul P Salunke
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Todd Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Muhammad Shuaib
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ioannis Isaioglou
- Cell Migration and Signaling Laboratory, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Mohit Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Luke Esau
- KAUST Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Raushan Nugmanova
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara Mfarrej
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Rupali Shivapurkar
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Zenaida Stead
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Fathia Ben Rached
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Yogesh Ostwal
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Rachid Sougrat
- KAUST Core Labs, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashraf Dada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Al Faisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Fuaad Kadamany
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Wolfgang Fischle
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Jasmeen Merzaban
- Cell Migration and Signaling Laboratory, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ellen Knuepfer
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Molecular and Cellular Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Ishaan Gupta
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
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6
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Cepeda Diaz AK, Rudlaff RM, Farringer M, Dvorin JD. Essential function of alveolin PfIMC1g in the Plasmodium falciparum asexual blood stage. mBio 2023; 14:e0150723. [PMID: 37712738 PMCID: PMC10653860 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01507-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Infection by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite is responsible for the most severe form of human malaria. The asexual blood stage of the parasite, which occurs inside human red blood cells, is responsible for the symptoms of malaria and is the target of most antimalarial drugs. Plasmodium spp. rely on their highly divergent cytoskeletal structures to scaffold their cell division, sustain the mechanical stress of invasion, and survive in both the human bloodstream and the mosquito. We investigate the function of a class of divergent intermediate filament-like proteins called alveolins in the clinically important blood stage. The functional role of individual alveolins in Plasmodium remains poorly understood due to pleiotropic effects of gene knockouts and redundancy among alveolins. We evaluate the localization and essentiality of the four asexual-stage alveolins and find that PfIMC1g and PfIMC1c are essential. Furthermore, we demonstrate that PfIMC1g is critical for survival of the parasite post-invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel M. Rudlaff
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Madeline Farringer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Biological Sciences in Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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7
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Davies H, Belda H, Broncel M, Dalimot J, Treeck M. PerTurboID, a targeted in situ method reveals the impact of kinase deletion on its local protein environment in the cytoadhesion complex of malaria-causing parasites. eLife 2023; 12:e86367. [PMID: 37737226 PMCID: PMC10564455 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86367] [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: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse genetics is key to understanding protein function, but the mechanistic connection between a gene of interest and the observed phenotype is not always clear. Here we describe the use of proximity labeling using TurboID and site-specific quantification of biotinylated peptides to measure changes to the local protein environment of selected targets upon perturbation. We apply this technique, which we call PerTurboID, to understand how the Plasmodium falciparum-exported kinase, FIKK4.1, regulates the function of the major virulence factor of the malaria-causing parasite, PfEMP1. We generated independent TurboID fusions of two proteins that are predicted substrates of FIKK4.1 in a FIKK4.1 conditional KO parasite line. Comparing the abundance of site-specific biotinylated peptides between wildtype and kinase deletion lines reveals the differential accessibility of proteins to biotinylation, indicating changes to localization, protein-protein interactions, or protein structure which are mediated by FIKK4.1 activity. We further show that FIKK4.1 is likely the only FIKK kinase that controls surface levels of PfEMP1, but not other surface antigens, on the infected red blood cell under standard culture conditions. We believe PerTurboID is broadly applicable to study the impact of genetic or environmental perturbation on a selected cellular niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heledd Davies
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Hugo Belda
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jill Dalimot
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
- Cell Biology of Host-Pathogen Interaction Laboratory, Gulbenkian Institute of ScienceOeirasPortugal
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8
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Burda PC, Ramaprasad A, Bielfeld S, Pietsch E, Woitalla A, Söhnchen C, Singh MN, Strauss J, Sait A, Collinson LM, Schwudke D, Blackman MJ, Gilberger TW. Global analysis of putative phospholipases in Plasmodium falciparum reveals an essential role of the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in parasite maturation. mBio 2023; 14:e0141323. [PMID: 37489900 PMCID: PMC10470789 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01413-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
For its replication within red blood cells, the malaria parasite depends on a highly active and regulated lipid metabolism. Enzymes involved in lipid metabolic processes such as phospholipases are, therefore, potential drug targets. Here, using reverse genetics approaches, we show that only 1 out of the 19 putative phospholipases expressed in asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum is essential for proliferation in vitro, pointing toward a high level of redundancy among members of this enzyme family. Using conditional mislocalization and gene disruption techniques, we show that this essential phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC, PF3D7_1013500) has a previously unrecognized essential role during intracellular parasite maturation, long before its previously perceived role in parasite egress and invasion. Subsequent lipidomic analysis suggests that PI-PLC mediates cleavage of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2) in schizont-stage parasites, underlining its critical role in regulating phosphoinositide levels in the parasite. IMPORTANCE The clinical symptoms of malaria arise due to repeated rounds of replication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells (RBCs). Central to this is an intense period of membrane biogenesis. Generation of membranes not only requires de novo synthesis and acquisition but also the degradation of phospholipids, a function that is performed by phospholipases. In this study, we investigate the essentiality of the 19 putative phospholipase enzymes that the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum expresses during its replication within RBCs. We not only show that a high level of functional redundancy exists among these enzymes but, at the same time, also identify an essential role for the phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in parasite development and cleavage of the phospholipid phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul-Christian Burda
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sabrina Bielfeld
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Emma Pietsch
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Woitalla
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Christoph Söhnchen
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mehar Nihal Singh
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Strauss
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Aaron Sait
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy M. Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dominik Schwudke
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, Thematic Translational Unit Tuberculosis, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Borstel, Germany
- German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Airway Research Center North (ARCN), Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Michael J. Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim-Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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9
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Davies H, Bergmann B, Walloch P, Nerlich C, Hansen C, Wittlin S, Spielmann T, Treeck M, Beitz E. The Plasmodium Lactate/H + Transporter PfFNT Is Essential and Druggable In Vivo. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0035623. [PMID: 37428074 PMCID: PMC10433847 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00356-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites in the blood stage express a single transmembrane transport protein for the release of the glycolytic end product l-lactate/H+ from the cell. This transporter is a member of the strictly microbial formate-nitrite transporter (FNT) family and a novel putative drug target. Small, drug-like FNT inhibitors potently block lactate transport and kill Plasmodium falciparum parasites in culture. The protein structure of Plasmodium falciparum FNT (PfFNT) in complex with the inhibitor has been resolved and confirms its previously predicted binding site and its mode of action as a substrate analog. Here, we investigated the mutational plasticity and essentiality of the PfFNT target on a genetic level, and established its in vivo druggability using mouse malaria models. We found that, besides a previously identified PfFNT G107S resistance mutation, selection of parasites at 3 × IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration) gave rise to two new point mutations affecting inhibitor binding: G21E and V196L. Conditional knockout and mutation of the PfFNT gene showed essentiality in the blood stage, whereas no phenotypic defects in sexual development were observed. PfFNT inhibitors mainly targeted the trophozoite stage and exhibited high potency in P. berghei- and P. falciparum-infected mice. Their in vivo activity profiles were comparable to that of artesunate, demonstrating strong potential for the further development of PfFNT inhibitors as novel antimalarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heledd Davies
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bärbel Bergmann
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Walloch
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Cornelius Nerlich
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Hansen
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Spielmann
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Eric Beitz
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
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10
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Fierro MA, Hussain T, Campin LJ, Beck JR. Knock-sideways by inducible ER retrieval enables a unique approach for studying Plasmodium-secreted proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2308676120. [PMID: 37552754 PMCID: PMC10433460 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308676120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites uniquely depend on protein secretion for their obligate intracellular lifestyle but approaches for dissecting Plasmodium-secreted protein functions are limited. We report knockER, a unique DiCre-mediated knock-sideways approach to sequester secreted proteins in the ER by inducible fusion with a KDEL ER-retrieval sequence. We show conditional ER sequestration of diverse proteins is not generally toxic, enabling loss-of-function studies. We employed knockER in multiple Plasmodium species to interrogate the trafficking, topology, and function of an assortment of proteins that traverse the secretory pathway to diverse compartments including the apicoplast (ClpB1), rhoptries (RON6), dense granules, and parasitophorous vacuole (EXP2, PTEX150, HSP101). Taking advantage of the unique ability to redistribute secreted proteins from their terminal destination to the ER, we reveal that vacuolar levels of the PTEX translocon component HSP101 but not PTEX150 are maintained in excess of what is required to sustain effector protein export into the erythrocyte. Intriguingly, vacuole depletion of HSP101 hypersensitized parasites to a destabilization tag that inhibits HSP101-PTEX complex formation but not to translational knockdown of the entire HSP101 pool, illustrating how redistribution of a target protein by knockER can be used to query function in a compartment-specific manner. Collectively, our results establish knockER as a unique tool for dissecting secreted protein function with subcompartmental resolution that should be widely amenable to genetically tractable eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel A. Fierro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Tahir Hussain
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Liam J. Campin
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
| | - Josh R. Beck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA50011
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11
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Subudhi AK, Green JL, Satyam R, Lenz T, Salunke RP, Shuaib M, Isaioglou I, Abel S, Gupta M, Esau L, Mourier T, Nugmanova R, Mfarrej S, Sivapurkar R, Stead Z, Rached FB, Otswal Y, Sougrat R, Dada A, Kadamany AF, Fischle W, Merzaban J, Knuepfer E, Ferguson DJP, Gupta I, Le Roch KG, Holder AA, Pain A. PfAP2-MRP DNA-binding protein is a master regulator of parasite pathogenesis during malaria parasite blood stages. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.23.541898. [PMID: 37293082 PMCID: PMC10245809 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.23.541898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Malaria pathogenicity results from the parasite's ability to invade, multiply within and then egress from the host red blood cell (RBC). Infected RBCs are remodeled, expressing antigenic variant proteins (such as PfEMP1, coded by the var gene family) for immune evasion and survival. These processes require the concerted actions of many proteins, but the molecular regulation is poorly understood. We have characterized an essential Plasmodium specific Apicomplexan AP2 (ApiAP2) transcription factor in Plasmodium falciparum (PfAP2-MRP; Master Regulator of Pathogenesis) during the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC). An inducible gene knockout approach showed that PfAP2-MRP is essential for development during the trophozoite stage, and critical for var gene regulation, merozoite development and parasite egress. ChIP-seq experiments performed at 16 hour post invasion (h.p.i.) and 40 h.p.i. matching the two peaks of PfAP2-MRP expression, demonstrate binding of PfAP2-MRP to the promoters of genes controlling trophozoite development and host cell remodeling at 16 h.p.i. and antigenic variation and pathogenicity at 40 h.p.i. Using single-cell RNA-seq and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, we show de-repression of most var genes in Δpfap2-mrp parasites that express multiple PfEMP1 proteins on the surface of infected RBCs. In addition, the Δpfap2-mrp parasites overexpress several early gametocyte marker genes at both 16 and 40 h.p.i., indicating a regulatory role in the sexual stage conversion. Using the Chromosomes Conformation Capture experiment (Hi-C), we demonstrate that deletion of PfAP2-MRP results in significant reduction of both intra-chromosomal and inter-chromosomal interactions in heterochromatin clusters. We conclude that PfAP2-MRP is a vital upstream transcriptional regulator controlling essential processes in two distinct developmental stages during the IDC that include parasite growth, chromatin structure and var gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Subudhi
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Judith L Green
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Rohit Satyam
- Department of Computer Science, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, Okhla, New Delhi, Delhi 110025, India
| | - Todd Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Rahul P Salunke
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Shuaib
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ioannis Isaioglou
- Cell Migration and Signaling Laboratory, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Mohit Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Luke Esau
- KAUST Core Labs, KAUST, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Tobias Mourier
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Raushan Nugmanova
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara Mfarrej
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Rupali Sivapurkar
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Zenaida Stead
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Fathia Ben Rached
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Yogesh Otswal
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Rachid Sougrat
- KAUST Core Labs, KAUST, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ashraf Dada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Fuaad Kadamany
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Wolfgang Fischle
- Laboratory of Chromatin Biochemistry, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Jasmeen Merzaban
- Cell Migration and Signaling Laboratory, Bioscience Program, BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ellen Knuepfer
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - David J P Ferguson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX1 2JD, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ishaan Gupta
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Arnab Pain
- Pathogen Genomics Group, Bioscience Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control; Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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12
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Mukherjee S, Nasamu AS, Rubiano KC, Goldberg DE. Activation of the Plasmodium Egress Effector Subtilisin-Like Protease 1 Is Mediated by Plasmepsin X Destruction of the Prodomain. mBio 2023; 14:e0067323. [PMID: 37036362 PMCID: PMC10128010 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00673-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Following each round of replication, daughter merozoites of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum escape (egress) from the infected host red blood cell (RBC) by rupturing the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) and the RBC membrane (RBCM). A proteolytic cascade orchestrated by a parasite serine protease, subtilisin-like protease 1 (SUB1), regulates the membrane breakdown. SUB1 activation involves primary autoprocessing of the 82-kDa zymogen to a 54-kDa (p54) intermediate that remains bound to its inhibitory propiece (p31) postcleavage. A second processing step converts p54 to the terminal 47-kDa (p47) form of SUB1. Although the aspartic protease plasmepsin X (PM X) has been implicated in the activation of SUB1, the mechanism remains unknown. Here, we show that upon knockdown of PM X, the inhibitory p31-p54 complex of SUB1 accumulates in the parasites. Using recombinant PM X and SUB1, we show that PM X can directly cleave both p31 and p54. We have mapped the cleavage sites on recombinant p31. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the conversion of p54 to p47 can be effected by cleavage at either SUB1 or PM X cleavage sites that are adjacent to one another. Importantly, once the p31 is removed, p54 is fully functional inside the parasites, suggesting that the conversion to p47 is dispensable for SUB1 activity. Relief of propiece inhibition via a heterologous protease is a novel mechanism for subtilisin activation. IMPORTANCE Malaria parasites replicate inside a parasitophorous vacuole within the host red blood cells. The exit of mature progeny from the infected host cells is essential for further dissemination. Parasite exit is a highly regulated, explosive process that involves membrane breakdown. To do this, the parasite utilizes a serine protease called SUB1 that proteolytically activates various effector proteins. SUB1 activity is dependent on an upstream protease called PM X, although the mechanism was unknown. Here, we describe the molecular basis for PM X-mediated SUB1 activation. PM X proteolytically degrades the inhibitory segment of SUB1, thereby activating it. The involvement of a heterologous protease is a novel mechanism for subtilisin activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Mukherjee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Armiyaw S. Nasamu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Kelly C. Rubiano
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Daniel E. Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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13
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Mukherjee S, Nasamu AS, Rubiano K, Goldberg DE. Activation of the Plasmodium egress effector subtilisin-like protease 1 is achieved by plasmepsin X destruction of the propiece. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.13.524002. [PMID: 36712005 PMCID: PMC9882241 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.13.524002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Following each round of replication, daughter merozoites of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum escape (egress) from the infected host red blood cell (RBC) by rupturing the parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) and the RBC membrane (RBCM). A proteolytic cascade orchestrated by the parasite’s serine protease, subtilisin-like protease 1 (SUB1) regulates the membrane breakdown. SUB1 activation involves primary auto-processing of the 82 kDa zymogen to a 54 kDa (p54) intermediate that remains bound to its inhibitory propiece (p31) post cleavage. A second processing step converts p54 to the terminal 47 kDa (p47) form of SUB1. Although the aspartic protease plasmepsin X (PM X) has been implicated in the activation of SUB1, the mechanism remains unknown. Here, we show that upon knockdown of PM X the inhibitory p31/p54 complex of SUB1 accumulates in the parasites. Using recombinant PM X and SUB1, we show that PM X can directly cleave both p31 and p54. We have mapped the cleavage sites on recombinant p31. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the conversion of p54 to p47 can be effected by cleavage at either a SUB1 or PM X cleavage site that are adjacent to one another. Importantly once the p31 is removed, p54 is fully functional inside the parasites suggesting that the conversion to p47 is dispensable for SUB1 activity. Relief of propiece inhibition via a heterologous protease is a novel mechanism for subtilisin activation. Significance Statement Malaria parasites replicate inside a parasitophorous vacuole within the host red blood cells. Exit of mature progeny from the infected host cells is essential for further dissemination. Parasite exit is a highly regulated, explosive process that involves membrane breakdown. To do this, the parasite utilizes a serine protease, called the subtilisin-like protease 1 or SUB1 that proteolytically activates various effector proteins. SUB1 activity is dependent on an upstream protease, called plasmepsin X (PM X), although the mechanism was unknown. Here we describe the molecular basis for PM X mediated SUB1 activation. PM X proteolytically degrades the inhibitory segment of SUB1, thereby activating it. Involvement of a heterologous protease is a novel mechanism for subtilisin activation.
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14
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Singer M, Simon K, Forné I, Meissner M. A central CRMP complex essential for invasion in Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001937. [PMID: 36602948 PMCID: PMC9815656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexa are obligate intracellular parasites. While most species are restricted to specific hosts and cell types, Toxoplasma gondii can invade every nucleated cell derived from warm-blooded animals. This broad host range suggests that this parasite can recognize multiple host cell ligands or structures, leading to the activation of a central protein complex, which should be conserved in all apicomplexans. During invasion, the unique secretory organelles (micronemes and rhoptries) are sequentially released and several micronemal proteins have been suggested to be required for host cell recognition and invasion. However, to date, only few micronemal proteins have been demonstrated to be essential for invasion, suggesting functional redundancy that might allow such a broad host range. Cysteine Repeat Modular Proteins (CRMPs) are a family of apicomplexan-specific proteins. In T. gondii, two CRMPs are present in the genome, CRMPA (TGGT1_261080) and CRMPB (TGGT1_292020). Here, we demonstrate that both proteins form a complex that contains the additional proteins MIC15 and the thrombospondin type 1 domain-containing protein (TSP1). Disruption of this complex results in a block of rhoptry secretion and parasites being unable to invade the host cell. In conclusion, this complex is a central invasion complex conserved in all apicomplexans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Singer
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Experimental Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
- Integrative Parasitology, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- * E-mail: (MS); (MM)
| | - Kathrin Simon
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Experimental Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
| | - Ignasi Forné
- Faculty of Medicine, Protein Analysis Unit, Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Markus Meissner
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Experimental Parasitology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany
- * E-mail: (MS); (MM)
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15
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CDC50 Orthologues in Plasmodium falciparum Have Distinct Roles in Merozoite Egress and Trophozoite Maturation. mBio 2022; 13:e0163522. [PMID: 35862778 PMCID: PMC9426505 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01635-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In model organisms, type IV ATPases (P4-ATPases) require cell division control protein 50 (CDC50) chaperones for their phospholipid flipping activity. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, guanylyl cyclase alpha (GCα) is an integral membrane protein that is essential for release (egress) of merozoites from their host erythrocytes. GCα is unusual in that it contains both a C-terminal cyclase domain and an N-terminal P4-ATPase domain of unknown function. We sought to investigate whether any of the three CDC50 orthologues (termed A, B, and C) encoded by P. falciparum are required for GCα function. Using gene tagging and conditional gene disruption, we demonstrate that CDC50B and CDC50C but not CDC50A are expressed in the clinically important asexual blood stages and that CDC50B is a binding partner of GCα whereas CDC50C is the binding partner of another putative P4-ATPase, phospholipid-transporting ATPase 2 (ATP2). Our findings indicate that CDC50B has no essential role for intraerythrocytic parasite maturation but modulates the rate of parasite egress by interacting with GCα for optimal cGMP synthesis. In contrast, CDC50C is essential for blood stage trophozoite maturation. Additionally, we find that the CDC50C-ATP2 complex may influence parasite endocytosis of host cell hemoglobin and consequently hemozoin formation.
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16
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Sethumadhavan DV, Tiburcio M, Kanyal A, Jabeena CA, Govindaraju G, Karmodiya K, Rajavelu A. Chromodomain Protein Interacts with H3K9me3 and Controls RBC Rosette Formation by Regulating the Expression of a Subset of RIFINs in the Malaria Parasite. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167601. [PMID: 35460670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum expresses clonally variant proteins on the surface of infected erythrocytes to evade the host immune system. The clonally variant multigene families include var, rifin, and stevor, which express Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (EMP1), Repetitive Interspersed Families of polypeptides (RIFINs), and Sub-telomeric Variable Open Reading frame (STEVOR) proteins, respectively. The rifins are the largest multigene family and are essentially involved in the RBC rosetting, the hallmark of severe malaria. The molecular regulators that control the RIFINs expression in Plasmodium spp. have not been reported so far. This study reports a chromodomain-containing protein (PfCDP) that binds to H3K9me3 modification on P. falciparum chromatin. Conditional deletion of the chromodomain (CD) gene in P. falciparum using an inducible DiCre-LoxP system leads to selective up-regulation of a subset of virulence genes, including rifins, a few var, and stevor genes. Further, we show that PfCDP conditional knockout (PfΔCDP) promotes RBC rosette formation. This study provides the first evidence of an epigenetic regulator mediated control on a subset of RIFINs expression and RBC rosetting by P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devadathan Valiyamangalath Sethumadhavan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Ph.D registered with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Tiger Circle Road, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India
| | - Marta Tiburcio
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Abhishek Kanyal
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411 008, Maharashtra, India. https://twitter.com/AbhishekKanyal7
| | - C A Jabeena
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Ph.D registered with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Tiger Circle Road, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India
| | - Gayathri Govindaraju
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Ph.D registered with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Tiger Circle Road, Madhav Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka 576 104, India
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune 411 008, Maharashtra, India. https://twitter.com/Krishanpal_K
| | - Arumugam Rajavelu
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 036, India; Pathogen Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thycaud PO, Thiruvananthapuram 695 014, Kerala, India.
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17
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Liang X, Boonhok R, Siddiqui FA, Xiao B, Li X, Qin J, Min H, Jiang L, Cui L, Miao J. A Leak-Free Inducible CRISPRi/a System for Gene Functional Studies in Plasmodium falciparum. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0278221. [PMID: 35510853 PMCID: PMC9241666 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02782-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
By fusing catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) to active domains of histone deacetylase (Sir2a) or acetyltransferase (GCN5), this CRISPR interference/activation (CRISPRi/a) system allows gene regulation at the transcriptional level without causing permanent changes in the parasite genome. However, the constitutive expression of dCas9 poses a challenge for studying essential genes, which may lead to adaptive changes in the parasite, masking the true phenotypes. Here, we developed a leak-free inducible CRISPRi/a system by integrating the DiCre/loxP regulon to allow the expression of dCas9-GCN5/-Sir2a upon transient induction with rapamycin, which allows convenient transcriptional regulation of a gene of interest by introducing a guide RNA targeting its transcription start region. Using eight genes that are either silent or expressed from low to high levels during asexual erythrocytic development, we evaluated the robustness and versatility of this system in the asexual parasites. For most genes analyzed, this inducible CRISPRi/a system led to 1.5- to 3-fold up-or downregulation of the target genes at the mRNA level. Alteration in the expression of PfK13 and PfMYST resulted in altered sensitivities to artemisinin. For autophagy-related protein 18, an essential gene related to artemisinin resistance, a >2-fold up- or downregulation was obtained by inducible CRISPRi/a, leading to growth retardation. For the master regulator of gametocytogenesis, PfAP2-G, a >10-fold increase of the PfAP2-G transcripts was obtained by CRISPRa, resulting in >4-fold higher gametocytemia in the induced parasites. Additionally, inducible CRISPRi/a could also regulate gene expression in gametocytes. This inducible epigenetic regulation system offers a fast way of studying gene functions in Plasmodium falciparum. IMPORTANCE Understanding the fundamental biology of malaria parasites through functional genetic/genomic studies is critical for identifying novel targets for antimalarial development. Conditional knockout/knockdown systems are required to study essential genes in the haploid blood stages of the parasite. In this study, we developed an inducible CRISPRi/a system via the integration of DiCre/loxP. We evaluated the robustness and versatility of this system by activating or repressing eight selected genes and achieved up- and downregulation of the targeted genes located in both the euchromatin and heterochromatin regions. This system offers the malaria research community another tool for functional genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Liang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Rachasak Boonhok
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Faiza Amber Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Bo Xiao
- Unit of Human Parasite Molecular and Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaolian Li
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Junling Qin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Hui Min
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Lubin Jiang
- Unit of Human Parasite Molecular and Cell Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Pasteur Institute of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
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18
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Cárdenas P, Esherick LY, Chambonnier G, Dey S, Turlo CV, Nasamu AS, Niles JC. GeneTargeter: Automated In Silico Design for Genome Editing in the Malaria Parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. CRISPR J 2022; 5:155-164. [PMID: 35191751 PMCID: PMC8892962 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional characterization of the multitude of poorly described proteins in the human malarial pathogen, Plasmodium falciparum, requires tools to enable genome-scale perturbation studies. Here, we present GeneTargeter (genetargeter.mit.edu), a software tool for automating the design of homology-directed repair donor vectors to achieve gene knockouts, conditional knockdowns, and epitope tagging of P. falciparum genes. We demonstrate GeneTargeter-facilitated genome-scale design of six different types of knockout and conditional knockdown constructs for the P. falciparum genome and validate the computational design process experimentally with successful donor vector assembly and transfection. The software's modular nature accommodates arbitrary destination vectors and allows customizable designs that extend the genome manipulation outcomes attainable in Plasmodium and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Cárdenas
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lisl Y. Esherick
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gaël Chambonnier
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sumanta Dey
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christopher V. Turlo
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Armiyaw Sebastian Nasamu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jacquin C. Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Address correspondence to: Jacquin C. Niles, MD, PhD, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Room 56-341, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA,
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19
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Ramaprasad A, Burda PC, Calvani E, Sait AJ, Palma-Duran SA, Withers-Martinez C, Hackett F, Macrae J, Collinson L, Gilberger TW, Blackman MJ. A choline-releasing glycerophosphodiesterase essential for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis and blood stage development in the malaria parasite. eLife 2022; 11:82207. [PMID: 36576255 PMCID: PMC9886279 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum synthesizes significant amounts of phospholipids to meet the demands of replication within red blood cells. De novo phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis via the Kennedy pathway is essential, requiring choline that is primarily sourced from host serum lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC). LysoPC also acts as an environmental sensor to regulate parasite sexual differentiation. Despite these critical roles for host lysoPC, the enzyme(s) involved in its breakdown to free choline for PC synthesis are unknown. Here, we show that a parasite glycerophosphodiesterase (PfGDPD) is indispensable for blood stage parasite proliferation. Exogenous choline rescues growth of PfGDPD-null parasites, directly linking PfGDPD function to choline incorporation. Genetic ablation of PfGDPD reduces choline uptake from lysoPC, resulting in depletion of several PC species in the parasite, whilst purified PfGDPD releases choline from glycerophosphocholine in vitro. Our results identify PfGDPD as a choline-releasing glycerophosphodiesterase that mediates a critical step in PC biosynthesis and parasite survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinay Ramaprasad
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Paul-Christian Burda
- Centre for Structural Systems BiologyHamburgGermany,Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical MedicineHamburgGermany,University of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Enrica Calvani
- Metabolomics Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Aaron J Sait
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | | | | | - Fiona Hackett
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - James Macrae
- Metabolomics Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Lucy Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Tim Wolf Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems BiologyHamburgGermany,Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical MedicineHamburgGermany,University of HamburgHamburgGermany
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom,Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
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20
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Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the Apicomplexan parasite that causes the most severe form of human malaria, divides via schizogony during the asexual blood stage of its life cycle. In this method of cell division, multiple daughter cells are generated from a single schizont by segmentation. During segmentation, the basal complex forms at the basal end of the nascent daughter parasites and likely facilitates cell shape and cytokinesis. The requirement and function for each of the individual protein components within the basal complex remain largely unknown in P. falciparum. In this work, we demonstrate that the P. falciparum membrane occupation and recognition nexus repeat-containing protein 1 (PfMORN1) is not required for asexual replication. Following inducible knockout of PfMORN1, we find no detectable defect in asexual parasite morphology or replicative fitness. IMPORTANCEPlasmodium falciparum parasites cause the most severe form of human malaria. During the clinically relevant blood stage of its life cycle, the parasites divide via schizogony. In this divergent method of cell division, the components for multiple daughter cells are generated within a common cytoplasm. At the end of schizogony, segmentation partitions the organelles into invasive daughter parasites. The basal complex is a ring-shaped molecular machine that is critical for segmentation. The requirement for individual proteins within the basal complex is incompletely understood. We demonstrate that the PfMORN1 protein is dispensable for blood stage replication of P. falciparum. This result highlights important differences between Plasmodium parasites and Toxoplasma gondii, where the ortholog T. gondii MORN1 (TgMORN1) is required for asexual replication.
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21
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Hitz E, Wiedemar N, Passecker A, Graça BAS, Scheurer C, Wittlin S, Brancucci NMB, Vakonakis I, Mäser P, Voss TS. The 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 is an essential upstream activator of protein kinase A in malaria parasites. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001483. [PMID: 34879056 PMCID: PMC8687544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signalling is essential for the proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria blood stage parasites. The mechanisms regulating the activity of the catalytic subunit PfPKAc, however, are only partially understood, and PfPKAc function has not been investigated in gametocytes, the sexual blood stage forms that are essential for malaria transmission. By studying a conditional PfPKAc knockdown (cKD) mutant, we confirm the essential role for PfPKAc in erythrocyte invasion by merozoites and show that PfPKAc is involved in regulating gametocyte deformability. We furthermore demonstrate that overexpression of PfPKAc is lethal and kills parasites at the early phase of schizogony. Strikingly, whole genome sequencing (WGS) of parasite mutants selected to tolerate increased PfPKAc expression levels identified missense mutations exclusively in the gene encoding the parasite orthologue of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PfPDK1). Using targeted mutagenesis, we demonstrate that PfPDK1 is required to activate PfPKAc and that T189 in the PfPKAc activation loop is the crucial target residue in this process. In summary, our results corroborate the importance of tight regulation of PfPKA signalling for parasite survival and imply that PfPDK1 acts as a crucial upstream regulator in this pathway and potential new drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Hitz
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natalie Wiedemar
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Armin Passecker
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Beatriz A. S. Graça
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Scheurer
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas M. B. Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ioannis Vakonakis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Till S. Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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22
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Abstract
Plasmodium malaria parasites use a unique substrate-dependent locomotion, termed gliding motility, to migrate through tissues and invade cells. Previously, it was thought that the small labile invasive stages that invade erythrocytes, merozoites, use this motility solely to penetrate target erythrocytes. Here we reveal that merozoites use gliding motility for translocation across host cells prior to invasion. This forms an important preinvasion step that is powered by a conserved actomyosin motor and is regulated by a complex signaling pathway. This work broadens our understanding of the role of gliding motility and invasion in the blood and will have a significant impact on our understanding of blood stage host–pathogen interactions and parasite biology, with implications for interventions targeting erythrocyte invasion. Plasmodium malaria parasites are obligate intracellular protozoans that use a unique form of locomotion, termed gliding motility, to move through host tissues and invade cells. The process is substrate dependent and powered by an actomyosin motor that drives the posterior translocation of extracellular adhesins which, in turn, propel the parasite forward. Gliding motility is essential for tissue translocation in the sporozoite and ookinete stages; however, the short-lived erythrocyte-invading merozoite stage has never been observed to undergo gliding movement. Here we show Plasmodium merozoites possess the ability to undergo gliding motility in vitro and that this mechanism is likely an important precursor step for successful parasite invasion. We demonstrate that two human infective species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi, have distinct merozoite motility profiles which may reflect distinct invasion strategies. Additionally, we develop and validate a higher throughput assay to evaluate the effects of genetic and pharmacological perturbations on both the molecular motor and the complex signaling cascade that regulates motility in merozoites. The discovery of merozoite motility provides a model to study the glideosome and adds a dimension for work aiming to develop treatments targeting the blood stage invasion pathways.
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23
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Maneekesorn S, Knuepfer E, Green JL, Prommana P, Uthaipibull C, Srichairatanakool S, Holder AA. Deletion of Plasmodium falciparum ubc13 increases parasite sensitivity to the mutagen, methyl methanesulfonate and dihydroartemisinin. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21791. [PMID: 34750454 PMCID: PMC8575778 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01267-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The inducible Di-Cre system was used to delete the putative ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 13 gene (ubc13) of Plasmodium falciparum to study its role in ubiquitylation and the functional consequence during the parasite asexual blood stage. Deletion resulted in a significant reduction of parasite growth in vitro, reduced ubiquitylation of the Lys63 residue of ubiquitin attached to protein substrates, and an increased sensitivity of the parasite to both the mutagen, methyl methanesulfonate and the antimalarial drug dihydroartemisinin (DHA), but not chloroquine. The parasite was also sensitive to the UBC13 inhibitor NSC697923. The data suggest that this gene does code for an ubiquitin conjugating enzyme responsible for K63 ubiquitylation, which is important in DNA repair pathways as was previously demonstrated in other organisms. The increased parasite sensitivity to DHA in the absence of ubc13 function indicates that DHA may act primarily through this pathway and that inhibitors of UBC13 may both enhance the efficacy of this antimalarial drug and directly inhibit parasite growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supawadee Maneekesorn
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ellen Knuepfer
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Molecular and Cellular Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Judith L Green
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Parichat Prommana
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, 12120, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chairat Uthaipibull
- Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), 113 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, 12120, Pathum Thani, Thailand
- Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), Phayathai, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Somdet Srichairatanakool
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50200, Thailand
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
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24
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Abstract
Malaria parasites need to cope with changing environmental conditions that require strong countermeasures to ensure pathogen survival in the human and mosquito hosts. The molecular mechanisms that protect Plasmodium falciparum homeostasis during the complex life cycle remain unknown. Here, we identify cytosine methylation of tRNAAsp (GTC) as being critical to maintain stable protein synthesis. Using conditional knockout (KO) of a member of the DNA methyltransferase family, called Pf-DNMT2, RNA bisulfite sequencing demonstrated the selective cytosine methylation of this enzyme of tRNAAsp (GTC) at position C38. Although no growth defect on parasite proliferation was observed, Pf-DNMT2KO parasites showed a selective downregulation of proteins with a GAC codon bias. This resulted in a significant shift in parasite metabolism, priming KO parasites for being more sensitive to various types of stress. Importantly, nutritional stress made tRNAAsp (GTC) sensitive to cleavage by an unknown nuclease and increased gametocyte production (>6-fold). Our study uncovers an epitranscriptomic mechanism that safeguards protein translation and homeostasis of sexual commitment in malaria parasites. IMPORTANCE P. falciparum is the most virulent malaria parasite species, accounting for the majority of the disease mortality and morbidity. Understanding how this pathogen is able to adapt to different cellular and environmental stressors during its complex life cycle is crucial in order to develop new strategies to tackle the disease. In this study, we identified the writer of a specific tRNA cytosine methylation site as a new layer of epitranscriptomic regulation in malaria parasites that regulates the translation of a subset of parasite proteins (>400) involved in different metabolic pathways. Our findings give insight into a novel molecular mechanism that regulates P. falciparum response to drug treatment and sexual commitment.
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25
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Chaiyawong N, Ishizaki T, Hakimi H, Asada M, Yahata K, Kaneko O. Distinct effects on the secretion of MTRAP and AMA1 in Plasmodium yoelii following deletion of acylated pleckstrin homology domain-containing protein. Parasitol Int 2021; 86:102479. [PMID: 34628068 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium, the causative agents of malaria, are obligate intracellular organisms. In humans, pathogenesis is caused by the blood stage parasite, which multiplies within erythrocytes, thus erythrocyte invasion is an essential developmental step. Merozoite form parasites released into the blood stream coordinately secrets a panel of proteins from the microneme secretory organelles for gliding motility, establishment of a tight junction with a target naive erythrocyte, and subsequent internalization. A protein identified in Toxoplasma gondii facilitates microneme fusion with the plasma membrane for exocytosis; namely, acylated pleckstrin homology domain-containing protein (APH). To obtain insight into the differential microneme discharge by malaria parasites, in this study we analyzed the consequences of APH deletion in the rodent malaria model, Plasmodium yoelii, using a DiCre-based inducible knockout method. We found that APH deletion resulted in a reduction in parasite asexual growth and erythrocyte invasion, with some parasites retaining the ability to invade and grow without APH. APH deletion impaired the secretion of microneme proteins, MTRAP and AMA1, and upon contact with erythrocytes the secretion of MTRAP, but not AMA1, was observed. APH-deleted merozoites were able to attach to and deform erythrocytes, consistent with the observed MTRAP secretion. Tight junctions were formed, but echinocytosis after merozoite internalization into erythrocytes was significantly reduced, consistent with the observed absence of AMA1 secretion. Together with our observation that APH largely colocalized with MTRAP, but less with AMA1, we propose that APH is directly involved in MTRAP secretion; whereas any role of APH in AMA1 secretion is indirect in Plasmodium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nattawat Chaiyawong
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Takahiro Ishizaki
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden, Department of Molecular Biology, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden.
| | - Hassan Hakimi
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Masahito Asada
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nishi 2-11, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-0834, Japan.
| | - Kazuhide Yahata
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- Program for Nurturing Global Leaders in Tropical and Emerging Communicable Diseases, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan; Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
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26
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Bahl V, Chaddha K, Mian SY, Holder AA, Knuepfer E, Gaur D. Genetic disruption of Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite surface antigen 180 (PfMSA180) suggests an essential role during parasite egress from erythrocytes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19183. [PMID: 34584166 PMCID: PMC8479079 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98707-0] [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: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for severe malaria, develops within erythrocytes. Merozoite invasion and subsequent egress of intraerythrocytic parasites are essential for this erythrocytic cycle, parasite survival and pathogenesis. In the present study, we report the essential role of a novel protein, P. falciparum Merozoite Surface Antigen 180 (PfMSA180), which is conserved across Plasmodium species and recently shown to be associated with the P. vivax merozoite surface. Here, we studied MSA180 expression, processing, localization and function in P. falciparum blood stages. Initially we examined its role in invasion, a process mediated by multiple ligand-receptor interactions and an attractive step for targeting with inhibitory antibodies through the development of a malaria vaccine. Using antibodies specific for different regions of PfMSA180, together with a parasite containing a conditional pfmsa180-gene knockout generated using CRISPR/Cas9 and DiCre recombinase technology, we demonstrate that this protein is unlikely to play a crucial role in erythrocyte invasion. However, deletion of the pfmsa180 gene resulted in a severe egress defect, preventing schizont rupture and blocking the erythrocytic cycle. Our study highlights an essential role of PfMSA180 in parasite egress, which could be targeted through the development of a novel malaria intervention strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanndita Bahl
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vaccine Research, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Kritika Chaddha
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vaccine Research, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Syed Yusuf Mian
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vaccine Research, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ellen Knuepfer
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK. .,The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, Hertfordshire, UK.
| | - Deepak Gaur
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vaccine Research, School of Biotechnology, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
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27
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Fernandes P, Loubens M, Silvie O, Briquet S. Conditional Gene Deletion in Mammalian and Mosquito Stages of Plasmodium berghei Using Dimerizable Cre Recombinase. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2369:101-120. [PMID: 34313986 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1681-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Genome editing in the malaria parasite Plasmodium relies on homologous recombination and requires parasite transfection in asexual blood stages. Therefore, conditional genetic approaches are needed to delete genes that are essential during blood stage replication. Among these, the dimerizable Cre (DiCre) recombinase system has emerged as a powerful approach for conditional gene knockout in Plasmodium parasites. In this system, the Cre recombinase is expressed in the form of two separate, enzymatically inactive polypeptides. Rapamycin-induced heterodimerization of the two components restores recombinase activity, leading to site-specific excision of floxed DNA sequences. Here, we describe methods to generate genetically modified DiCre-expressing Plasmodium berghei mutants by introducing Lox sites upstream and downstream of a gene of interest and to induce conditional excision of the floxed gene in different stages of the parasite life cycle. Administration of rapamycin to P. berghei-infected mice allows conditional gene deletion in the asexual erythrocytic stages. Rapamycin-induced gene excision can also be achieved in P. berghei sexual blood stages prior to transmission to mosquitoes, or during sporogony by treating P. berghei-infected mosquitoes, both methods allowing functional studies in P. berghei mosquito stages. Finally, rapamycin can be administered to in vitro cell cultures in order to induce gene excision in P. berghei liver stages. Subsequent phenotyping allows for the analysis of essential gene function across the parasite life cycle stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Fernandes
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Manon Loubens
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Silvie
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Briquet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI-Paris, Paris, France.
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28
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Okombo J, Kanai M, Deni I, Fidock DA. Genomic and Genetic Approaches to Studying Antimalarial Drug Resistance and Plasmodium Biology. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:476-492. [PMID: 33715941 PMCID: PMC8162148 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in genomics and molecular genetics has empowered novel approaches to study gene functions in disease-causing pathogens. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the application of genome-based analyses, site-directed genome editing, and genetic systems that allow for temporal and quantitative regulation of gene and protein expression have been invaluable in defining the genetic basis of antimalarial resistance and elucidating candidate targets to accelerate drug discovery efforts. Using examples from recent studies, we review applications of some of these approaches in advancing our understanding of Plasmodium biology and illustrate their contributions and limitations in characterizing parasite genomic loci associated with antimalarial drug responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Okombo
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariko Kanai
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ioanna Deni
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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29
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Lasonder E, More K, Singh S, Haidar M, Bertinetti D, Kennedy EJ, Herberg FW, Holder AA, Langsley G, Chitnis CE. cAMP-Dependent Signaling Pathways as Potential Targets for Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum Blood Stages. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:684005. [PMID: 34108954 PMCID: PMC8183823 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.684005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the role of signaling pathways in regulation of the key processes of merozoite egress and red blood cell invasion by Plasmodium falciparum and, in particular, the importance of the second messengers, cAMP and Ca2+, and cyclic nucleotide dependent kinases. cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is comprised of cAMP-binding regulatory, and catalytic subunits. The less well conserved cAMP-binding pockets should make cAMP analogs attractive drug leads, but this approach is compromised by the poor membrane permeability of cyclic nucleotides. We discuss how the conserved nature of ATP-binding pockets makes ATP analogs inherently prone to off-target effects and how ATP analogs and genetic manipulation can be useful research tools to examine this. We suggest that targeting PKA interaction partners as well as substrates, or developing inhibitors based on PKA interaction sites or phosphorylation sites in PKA substrates, may provide viable alternative approaches for the development of anti-malarial drugs. Proximity of PKA to a substrate is necessary for substrate phosphorylation, but the P. falciparum genome encodes few recognizable A-kinase anchor proteins (AKAPs), suggesting the importance of PKA-regulatory subunit myristylation and membrane association in determining substrate preference. We also discuss how Pf14-3-3 assembles a phosphorylation-dependent signaling complex that includes PKA and calcium dependent protein kinase 1 (CDPK1) and how this complex may be critical for merozoite invasion, and a target to block parasite growth. We compare altered phosphorylation levels in intracellular and egressed merozoites to identify potential PKA substrates. Finally, as host PKA may have a critical role in supporting intracellular parasite development, we discuss its role at other stages of the life cycle, as well as in other apicomplexan infections. Throughout our review we propose possible new directions for the therapeutic exploitation of cAMP-PKA-signaling in malaria and other diseases caused by apicomplexan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Lasonder
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Kunal More
- Unité de Biologie de Plasmodium et Vaccins, Département de Parasites et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Malak Haidar
- Laboratoire de Biologie Comparative des Apicomplexes, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Cochin Institute, Paris, France
| | | | - Eileen J Kennedy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | | | - Anthony A Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon Langsley
- Laboratoire de Biologie Comparative des Apicomplexes, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France.,INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR 8104, Cochin Institute, Paris, France
| | - Chetan E Chitnis
- Unité de Biologie de Plasmodium et Vaccins, Département de Parasites et Insectes Vecteurs, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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30
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Tan MSY, Koussis K, Withers-Martinez C, Howell SA, Thomas JA, Hackett F, Knuepfer E, Shen M, Hall MD, Snijders AP, Blackman MJ. Autocatalytic activation of a malarial egress protease is druggable and requires a protein cofactor. EMBO J 2021; 40:e107226. [PMID: 33932049 PMCID: PMC8167364 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020107226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasite egress from host erythrocytes (RBCs) is regulated by discharge of a parasite serine protease called SUB1 into the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). There, SUB1 activates a PV‐resident cysteine protease called SERA6, enabling host RBC rupture through SERA6‐mediated degradation of the RBC cytoskeleton protein β‐spectrin. Here, we show that the activation of Plasmodium falciparum SERA6 involves a second, autocatalytic step that is triggered by SUB1 cleavage. Unexpectedly, autoproteolytic maturation of SERA6 requires interaction in multimolecular complexes with a distinct PV‐located protein cofactor, MSA180, that is itself a SUB1 substrate. Genetic ablation of MSA180 mimics SERA6 disruption, producing a fatal block in β‐spectrin cleavage and RBC rupture. Drug‐like inhibitors of SERA6 autoprocessing similarly prevent β‐spectrin cleavage and egress in both P. falciparum and the emerging zoonotic pathogen P. knowlesi. Our results elucidate the egress pathway and identify SERA6 as a target for a new class of antimalarial drugs designed to prevent disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele S Y Tan
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | | | - Steven A Howell
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - James A Thomas
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Fiona Hackett
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Ellen Knuepfer
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Min Shen
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Matthew D Hall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Ambrosius P Snijders
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.,Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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31
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Haase S, Condron M, Miller D, Cherkaoui D, Jordan S, Gulbis JM, Baum J. Identification and characterisation of a phospholipid scramblase in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 243:111374. [PMID: 33974939 PMCID: PMC8202325 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies highlight the emerging role of lipids as important messengers in malaria parasite biology. In an attempt to identify interacting proteins and regulators of these dynamic and versatile molecules, we hypothesised the involvement of phospholipid translocases and their substrates in the infection of the host erythrocyte by the malaria parasite Plasmodium spp. Here, using a data base searching approach of the Plasmodium Genomics Resources (www.plasmodb.org), we have identified a putative phospholipid (PL) scramblase in P. falciparum (PfPLSCR) that is conserved across the genus and in closely related unicellular algae. By reconstituting recombinant PfPLSCR into liposomes, we demonstrate metal ion dependent PL translocase activity and substrate preference, confirming PfPLSCR as a bona fide scramblase. We show that PfPLSCR is expressed during asexual and sexual parasite development, localising to different membranous compartments of the parasite throughout the intra-erythrocytic life cycle. Two different gene knockout approaches, however, suggest that PfPLSCR is not essential for erythrocyte invasion and asexual parasite development, pointing towards a possible role in other stages of the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Haase
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK.
| | - Melanie Condron
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Miller
- Division of Structural Biology, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dounia Cherkaoui
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Sarah Jordan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline M Gulbis
- Division of Structural Biology, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK.
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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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Hitz E, Grüninger O, Passecker A, Wyss M, Scheurer C, Wittlin S, Beck HP, Brancucci NMB, Voss TS. The catalytic subunit of Plasmodium falciparum casein kinase 2 is essential for gametocytogenesis. Commun Biol 2021; 4:336. [PMID: 33712726 PMCID: PMC7954856 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01873-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Casein kinase 2 (CK2) is a pleiotropic kinase phosphorylating substrates in different cellular compartments in eukaryotes. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, PfCK2 is vital for asexual proliferation of blood-stage parasites. Here, we applied CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing to investigate the function of the PfCK2α catalytic subunit in gametocytes, the sexual forms of the parasite that are essential for malaria transmission. We show that PfCK2α localizes to the nucleus and cytoplasm in asexual and sexual parasites alike. Conditional knockdown of PfCK2α expression prevented the transition of stage IV into transmission-competent stage V gametocytes, whereas the conditional knockout of pfck2a completely blocked gametocyte maturation already at an earlier stage of sexual differentiation. In summary, our results demonstrate that PfCK2α is not only essential for asexual but also sexual development of P. falciparum blood-stage parasites and encourage studies exploring PfCK2α as a potential target for dual-active antimalarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Hitz
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Grüninger
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Armin Passecker
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Wyss
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Scheurer
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Beck
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas M. B. Brancucci
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Till S. Voss
- grid.416786.a0000 0004 0587 0574Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland ,grid.6612.30000 0004 1937 0642University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
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34
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Perrin AJ, Bisson C, Faull PA, Renshaw MJ, Lees RA, Fleck RA, Saibil HR, Snijders AP, Baker DA, Blackman MJ. Malaria Parasite Schizont Egress Antigen-1 Plays an Essential Role in Nuclear Segregation during Schizogony. mBio 2021; 12:e03377-20. [PMID: 33688001 PMCID: PMC8092294 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03377-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites cause disease through repeated cycles of intraerythrocytic proliferation. Within each cycle, several rounds of DNA replication produce multinucleated forms, called schizonts, that undergo segmentation to form daughter merozoites. Upon rupture of the infected cell, the merozoites egress to invade new erythrocytes and repeat the cycle. In human malarial infections, an antibody response specific for the Plasmodium falciparum protein PF3D7_1021800 was previously associated with protection against malaria, leading to an interest in PF3D7_1021800 as a candidate vaccine antigen. Antibodies to the protein were reported to inhibit egress, resulting in it being named schizont egress antigen-1 (SEA1). A separate study found that SEA1 undergoes phosphorylation in a manner dependent upon the parasite cGMP-dependent protein kinase PKG, which triggers egress. While these findings imply a role for SEA1 in merozoite egress, this protein has also been implicated in kinetochore function during schizont development. Therefore, the function of SEA1 remains unclear. Here, we show that P. falciparum SEA1 localizes in proximity to centromeres within dividing nuclei and that conditional disruption of SEA1 expression severely impacts the distribution of DNA and formation of merozoites during schizont development, with a proportion of SEA1-null merozoites completely lacking nuclei. SEA1-null schizonts rupture, albeit with low efficiency, suggesting that neither SEA1 function nor normal segmentation is a prerequisite for egress. We conclude that SEA1 does not play a direct mechanistic role in egress but instead acts upstream of egress as an essential regulator required to ensure the correct packaging of nuclei within merozoites.IMPORTANCE Malaria is a deadly infectious disease. Rationally designed novel therapeutics will be essential for its control and eradication. The Plasmodium falciparum protein PF3D7_1021800, annotated as SEA1, is under investigation as a prospective component of a malaria vaccine, based on previous indications that antibodies to SEA1 interfere with parasite egress from infected erythrocytes. However, a consensus on the function of SEA1 is lacking. Here, we demonstrate that SEA1 localizes to dividing parasite nuclei and is necessary for the correct segregation of replicated DNA into individual daughter merozoites. In the absence of SEA1, merozoites develop defectively, often completely lacking a nucleus, and, consequently, egress is impaired and/or aberrant. Our findings provide insights into the divergent mechanisms by which intraerythrocytic malaria parasites develop and divide. Our conclusions regarding the localization and function of SEA1 are not consistent with the hypothesis that antibodies against it confer protective immunity to malaria by blocking merozoite egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail J Perrin
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudine Bisson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural & Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter A Faull
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Renshaw
- Advanced Light Microscopy, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca A Lees
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural & Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Roland A Fleck
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen R Saibil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural & Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ambrosius P Snijders
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - David A Baker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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35
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Bui HTN, Passecker A, Brancucci NMB, Voss TS. Investigation of Heterochromatin Protein 1 Function in the Malaria Parasite Plasmodium falciparum Using a Conditional Domain Deletion and Swapping Approach. mSphere 2021; 6:e01220-20. [PMID: 33536327 PMCID: PMC7860992 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01220-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum encodes a single ortholog of heterochromatin protein 1 (PfHP1) that plays a crucial role in the epigenetic regulation of various survival-related processes. PfHP1 is essential for parasite proliferation and the heritable silencing of genes linked to antigenic variation, host cell invasion, and sexual conversion. Here, we employed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing combined with the DiCre/loxP system to investigate how the PfHP1 chromodomain (CD), hinge domain, and chromoshadow domain (CSD) contribute to overall PfHP1 function. We show that the 76 C-terminal residues are responsible for targeting PfHP1 to the nucleus. Furthermore, we reveal that each of the three functional domains of PfHP1 are required for heterochromatin formation, gene silencing, and mitotic parasite proliferation. Finally, we discovered that the hinge domain and CSD of HP1 are functionally conserved between P. falciparum and P. berghei, a related malaria parasite infecting rodents. In summary, our study provides new insights into PfHP1 function and offers a tool for further studies on epigenetic regulation and life cycle decision in malaria parasites.IMPORTANCE Malaria is caused by unicellular Plasmodium species parasites that repeatedly invade and replicate inside red blood cells. Some blood-stage parasites exit the cell cycle and differentiate into gametocytes that are essential for malaria transmission via the mosquito vector. Epigenetic control mechanisms allow the parasites to alter the expression of surface antigens and to balance the switch between parasite multiplication and gametocyte production. These processes are crucial to establish chronic infection and optimize parasite transmission. Here, we performed a mutational analysis of heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) in P. falciparum We demonstrate that all three domains of this protein are indispensable for the proper function of HP1 in parasite multiplication, heterochromatin formation, and gene silencing. Moreover, expression of chimeric proteins revealed the functional conservation of HP1 proteins between different Plasmodium species. These results provide new insight into the function and evolution of HP1 as an essential epigenetic regulator of parasite survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai T N Bui
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Armin Passecker
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas M B Brancucci
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Till S Voss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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36
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Voorberg-van der Wel A, Kocken CHM, Zeeman AM. Modeling Relapsing Malaria: Emerging Technologies to Study Parasite-Host Interactions in the Liver. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:606033. [PMID: 33585277 PMCID: PMC7878928 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.606033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies of liver stage malaria parasite-host interactions have provided exciting new insights on the cross-talk between parasite and its mammalian (predominantly rodent) host. We review the latest state of the art and and zoom in on new technologies that will provide the tools necessary to investigate host-parasite interactions of relapsing parasites. Interactions between hypnozoites and hepatocytes are particularly interesting because the parasite can remain in a quiescent state for prolonged periods of time and triggers for reactivation have not been irrefutably identified. If we learn more about the cross-talk between hypnozoite and host we may be able to identify factors that encourage waking up these dormant parasite reservoirs and help to achieve the total eradication of malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clemens H M Kocken
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Center, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Anne-Marie Zeeman
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Center, Rijswijk, Netherlands
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37
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Nofal SD, Patel A, Blackman MJ, Flueck C, Baker DA. Plasmodium falciparum Guanylyl Cyclase-Alpha and the Activity of Its Appended P4-ATPase Domain Are Essential for cGMP Synthesis and Blood-Stage Egress. mBio 2021; 12:e02694-20. [PMID: 33500341 PMCID: PMC7858053 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02694-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Guanylyl cyclases (GCs) synthesize cyclic GMP (cGMP) and, together with cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases, are responsible for regulating levels of this intracellular messenger which mediates myriad functions across eukaryotes. In malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp), as well as their apicomplexan and ciliate relatives, GCs are associated with a P4-ATPase-like domain in a unique bifunctional configuration. P4-ATPases generate membrane bilayer lipid asymmetry by translocating phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet. Here, we investigate the role of Plasmodium falciparum guanylyl cyclase alpha (GCα) and its associated P4-ATPase module, showing that asexual blood-stage parasites lacking both the cyclase and P4-ATPase domains are unable to egress from host erythrocytes. GCα-null parasites cannot synthesize cGMP or mobilize calcium, a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG)-driven requirement for egress. Using chemical complementation with a cGMP analogue and point mutagenesis of a crucial conserved residue within the P4-ATPase domain, we show that P4-ATPase activity is upstream of and linked to cGMP synthesis. Collectively, our results demonstrate that GCα is a critical regulator of PKG and that its associated P4-ATPase domain plays a primary role in generating cGMP for merozoite egress.IMPORTANCE The clinical manifestations of malaria arise due to successive rounds of replication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells. Once mature, daughter merozoites are released from infected erythrocytes to invade new cells in a tightly regulated process termed egress. Previous studies have shown that the activation of cyclic GMP (cGMP) signaling is critical for initiating egress. Here, we demonstrate that GCα, a unique bifunctional enzyme, is the sole enzyme responsible for cGMP production during the asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum and is required for the cellular events leading up to merozoite egress. We further demonstrate that in addition to the GC domain, the appended ATPase-like domain of GCα is also involved in cGMP production. Our results highlight the critical role of GCα in cGMP signaling required for orchestrating malaria parasite egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie D Nofal
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Avnish Patel
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Flueck
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - David A Baker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Nasamu AS, Falla A, Pasaje CFA, Wall BA, Wagner JC, Ganesan SM, Goldfless SJ, Niles JC. An integrated platform for genome engineering and gene expression perturbation in Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2021; 11:342. [PMID: 33431920 PMCID: PMC7801740 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77644-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing robust genome engineering methods in the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has the potential to substantially improve the efficiency with which we gain understanding of this pathogen's biology to propel treatment and elimination efforts. Methods for manipulating gene expression and engineering the P. falciparum genome have been validated. However, a significant barrier to fully leveraging these advances is the difficulty associated with assembling the extremely high AT content DNA constructs required for modifying the P. falciparum genome. These are frequently unstable in commonly-used circular plasmids. We address this bottleneck by devising a DNA assembly framework leveraging the improved reliability with which large AT-rich regions can be efficiently manipulated in linear plasmids. This framework integrates several key functional genetics outcomes via CRISPR/Cas9 and other methods from a common, validated framework. Overall, this molecular toolkit enables P. falciparum genetics broadly and facilitates deeper interrogation of parasite genes involved in diverse biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armiyaw S Nasamu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Alejandra Falla
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Charisse Flerida A Pasaje
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Bridget A Wall
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jeffrey C Wagner
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Suresh M Ganesan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Stephen J Goldfless
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jacquin C Niles
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 56-341B, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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Plasmodium falciparum Apicomplexan-Specific Glucosamine-6-Phosphate N-Acetyltransferase Is Key for Amino Sugar Metabolism and Asexual Blood Stage Development. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02045-20. [PMID: 33082260 PMCID: PMC7587441 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02045-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites cause a major burden on global health and economy. The absence of treatments, the emergence of resistances against available therapies, and the parasite’s ability to manipulate host cells and evade immune systems highlight the urgent need to characterize new drug targets to treat infections caused by these parasites. We demonstrate that glucosamine-6-phosphate N-acetyltransferase (GNA1), required for the biosynthesis of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), is essential for P. falciparum asexual blood stage development and that the disruption of the gene encoding this enzyme quickly causes the death of the parasite within a life cycle. The high-resolution crystal structure of the GNA1 ortholog from the apicomplexan parasite C. parvum, used here as a surrogate, highlights significant differences from human GNA1. These divergences can be exploited for the design of specific inhibitors against the malaria parasite. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), the main product of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway, is an important metabolite in protozoan parasites since its sugar moiety is incorporated into glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycolipids and N- and O-linked glycans. Apicomplexan parasites have a hexosamine pathway comparable to other eukaryotic organisms, with the exception of the glucosamine-phosphate N-acetyltransferase (GNA1) enzymatic step that has an independent evolutionary origin and significant differences from nonapicomplexan GNA1s. By using conditional genetic engineering, we demonstrate the requirement of GNA1 for the generation of a pool of UDP-GlcNAc and for the development of intraerythrocytic asexual Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Furthermore, we present the 1.95 Å resolution structure of the GNA1 ortholog from Cryptosporidium parvum, an apicomplexan parasite which is a leading cause of diarrhea in developing countries, as a surrogate for P. falciparum GNA1. The in-depth analysis of the crystal shows the presence of specific residues relevant for GNA1 enzymatic activity that are further investigated by the creation of site-specific mutants. The experiments reveal distinct features in apicomplexan GNA1 enzymes that could be exploitable for the generation of selective inhibitors against these parasites, by targeting the hexosamine pathway. This work underscores the potential of apicomplexan GNA1 as a drug target against malaria.
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Moussaoui D, Robblee JP, Auguin D, Krementsova EB, Haase S, Blake TCA, Baum J, Robert-Paganin J, Trybus KM, Houdusse A. Full-length Plasmodium falciparum myosin A and essential light chain PfELC structures provide new anti-malarial targets. eLife 2020; 9:e60581. [PMID: 33046215 PMCID: PMC7553781 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites from the genus Plasmodium are the causative agents of malaria. The mobility, infectivity, and ultimately pathogenesis of Plasmodium falciparum rely on a macromolecular complex, called the glideosome. At the core of the glideosome is an essential and divergent Myosin A motor (PfMyoA), a first order drug target against malaria. Here, we present the full-length structure of PfMyoA in two states of its motor cycle. We report novel interactions that are essential for motor priming and the mode of recognition of its two light chains (PfELC and MTIP) by two degenerate IQ motifs. Kinetic and motility assays using PfMyoA variants, along with molecular dynamics, demonstrate how specific priming and atypical sequence adaptations tune the motor's mechano-chemical properties. Supported by evidence for an essential role of the PfELC in malaria pathogenesis, these structures provide a blueprint for the design of future anti-malarials targeting both the glideosome motor and its regulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dihia Moussaoui
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Paris Université Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR144ParisFrance
| | - James P Robblee
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of VermontBurlingtonUnited States
| | - Daniel Auguin
- Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures (LBLGC), Université d’Orléans, INRAE, USC1328OrléansFrance
| | - Elena B Krementsova
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of VermontBurlingtonUnited States
| | - Silvia Haase
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas CA Blake
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South KensingtonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Julien Robert-Paganin
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Paris Université Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR144ParisFrance
| | - Kathleen M Trybus
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of VermontBurlingtonUnited States
| | - Anne Houdusse
- Structural Motility, Institut Curie, Paris Université Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR144ParisFrance
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Fernandes P, Briquet S, Patarot D, Loubens M, Hoareau-Coudert B, Silvie O. The dimerisable Cre recombinase allows conditional genome editing in the mosquito stages of Plasmodium berghei. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236616. [PMID: 33044964 PMCID: PMC7549836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Asexual blood stages of the malaria parasite are readily amenable to genetic modification via homologous recombination, allowing functional studies of parasite genes that are not essential in this part of the life cycle. However, conventional reverse genetics cannot be applied for the functional analysis of genes that are essential during asexual blood-stage replication. Various strategies have been developed for conditional mutagenesis of Plasmodium, including recombinase-based gene deletion, regulatable promoters, and mRNA or protein destabilization systems. Among these, the dimerisable Cre (DiCre) recombinase system has emerged as a powerful approach for conditional gene deletion in P. falciparum. In this system, the bacteriophage Cre is expressed in the form of two separate, enzymatically inactive polypeptides, each fused to a different rapamycin-binding protein. Rapamycin-induced heterodimerization of the two components restores recombinase activity. We have implemented the DiCre system in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei, and show that rapamycin-induced excision of floxed DNA sequences can be achieved with very high efficiency in both mammalian and mosquito parasite stages. This tool can be used to investigate the function of essential genes not only in asexual blood stages, but also in other parts of the malaria parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Fernandes
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI-Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Briquet
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI-Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Patarot
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI-Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Manon Loubens
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI-Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Bénédicte Hoareau-Coudert
- UMS PASS, Plateforme de Cytométrie de la Pitié-Salpêtrière (CyPS), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Silvie
- Centre d’Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, INSERM, CNRS, CIMI-Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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Perrin AJ, Patel A, Flueck C, Blackman MJ, Baker DA. cAMP signalling and its role in host cell invasion by malaria parasites. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 58:69-74. [PMID: 33032143 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is an important signalling molecule across evolution, but until recently there was little information on its role in malaria parasites. Advances in gene editing - in particular conditional genetic approaches and mass spectrometry have paved the way for characterisation of the key components of the cAMP signalling pathway in malaria parasites. This has revealed that cAMP signalling plays a critical role in invasion of host red blood cells by Plasmodium falciparum merozoites through regulating the phosphorylation of key parasite proteins by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). These insights will help us to investigate parasite cAMP signalling as a target for novel antimalarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail J Perrin
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Avnish Patel
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Flueck
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - David A Baker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
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Blake TCA, Haase S, Baum J. Actomyosin forces and the energetics of red blood cell invasion by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1009007. [PMID: 33104759 PMCID: PMC7644091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
All symptoms of malaria disease are associated with the asexual blood stages of development, involving cycles of red blood cell (RBC) invasion and egress by the Plasmodium spp. merozoite. Merozoite invasion is rapid and is actively powered by a parasite actomyosin motor. The current accepted model for actomyosin force generation envisages arrays of parasite myosins, pushing against short actin filaments connected to the external milieu that drive the merozoite forwards into the RBC. In Plasmodium falciparum, the most virulent human malaria species, Myosin A (PfMyoA) is critical for parasite replication. However, the precise function of PfMyoA in invasion, its regulation, the role of other myosins and overall energetics of invasion remain unclear. Here, we developed a conditional mutagenesis strategy combined with live video microscopy to probe PfMyoA function and that of the auxiliary motor PfMyoB in invasion. By imaging conditional mutants with increasing defects in force production, based on disruption to a key PfMyoA phospho-regulation site, the absence of the PfMyoA essential light chain, or complete motor absence, we define three distinct stages of incomplete RBC invasion. These three defects reveal three energetic barriers to successful entry: RBC deformation (pre-entry), mid-invasion initiation, and completion of internalisation, each requiring an active parasite motor. In defining distinct energetic barriers to invasion, these data illuminate the mechanical challenges faced in this remarkable process of protozoan parasitism, highlighting distinct myosin functions and identifying potential targets for preventing malaria pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C. A. Blake
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Haase
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
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Matz JM, Drepper B, Blum TB, van Genderen E, Burrell A, Martin P, Stach T, Collinson LM, Abrahams JP, Matuschewski K, Blackman MJ. A lipocalin mediates unidirectional heme biomineralization in malaria parasites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:16546-16556. [PMID: 32601225 PMCID: PMC7368307 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001153117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
During blood-stage development, malaria parasites are challenged with the detoxification of enormous amounts of heme released during the proteolytic catabolism of erythrocytic hemoglobin. They tackle this problem by sequestering heme into bioinert crystals known as hemozoin. The mechanisms underlying this biomineralization process remain enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that both rodent and human malaria parasite species secrete and internalize a lipocalin-like protein, PV5, to control heme crystallization. Transcriptional deregulation of PV5 in the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei results in inordinate elongation of hemozoin crystals, while conditional PV5 inactivation in the human malaria agent Plasmodium falciparum causes excessive multidirectional crystal branching. Although hemoglobin processing remains unaffected, PV5-deficient parasites generate less hemozoin. Electron diffraction analysis indicates that despite the distinct changes in crystal morphology, neither the crystalline order nor unit cell of hemozoin are affected by impaired PV5 function. Deregulation of PV5 expression renders P. berghei hypersensitive to the antimalarial drugs artesunate, chloroquine, and atovaquone, resulting in accelerated parasite clearance following drug treatment in vivo. Together, our findings demonstrate the Plasmodium-tailored role of a lipocalin family member in hemozoin formation and underscore the heme biomineralization pathway as an attractive target for therapeutic exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim M Matz
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom;
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Drepper
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thorsten B Blum
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Eric van Genderen
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Alana Burrell
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Peer Martin
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Stach
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucy M Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Pieter Abrahams
- Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
- Center for Cellular Imaging and NanoAnalytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2311 EZ Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, WC1E 7HT London, United Kingdom
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45
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A malaria parasite subtilisin propeptide-like protein is a potent inhibitor of the egress protease SUB1. Biochem J 2020; 477:525-540. [PMID: 31942933 PMCID: PMC6993865 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Subtilisin-like serine peptidases (subtilases) play important roles in the life cycle of many organisms, including the protozoan parasites that are the causative agent of malaria, Plasmodium spp. As with other peptidases, subtilase proteolytic activity has to be tightly regulated in order to prevent potentially deleterious uncontrolled protein degradation. Maturation of most subtilases requires the presence of an N-terminal propeptide that facilitates folding of the catalytic domain. Following its proteolytic cleavage, the propeptide acts as a transient, tightly bound inhibitor until its eventual complete removal to generate active protease. Here we report the identification of a stand-alone malaria parasite propeptide-like protein, called SUB1-ProM, encoded by a conserved gene that lies in a highly syntenic locus adjacent to three of the four subtilisin-like genes in the Plasmodium genome. Template-based modelling and ab initio structure prediction showed that the SUB1-ProM core structure is most similar to the X-ray crystal structure of the propeptide of SUB1, an essential parasite subtilase that is discharged into the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) to trigger parasite release (egress) from infected host cells. Recombinant Plasmodium falciparum SUB1-ProM was found to be a fast-binding, potent inhibitor of P. falciparum SUB1, but not of the only other essential blood-stage parasite subtilase, SUB2, or of other proteases examined. Mass-spectrometry and immunofluorescence showed that SUB1-ProM is expressed in the PV of blood stage P. falciparum, where it may act as an endogenous inhibitor to regulate SUB1 activity in the parasite.
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Green JL, Wu Y, Encheva V, Lasonder E, Prommaban A, Kunzelmann S, Christodoulou E, Grainger M, Truongvan N, Bothe S, Sharma V, Song W, Pinzuti I, Uthaipibull C, Srichairatanakool S, Birault V, Langsley G, Schindelin H, Stieglitz B, Snijders AP, Holder AA. Ubiquitin activation is essential for schizont maturation in Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage development. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008640. [PMID: 32569299 PMCID: PMC7332102 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008640] [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: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitylation is a common post translational modification of eukaryotic proteins and in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) overall ubiquitylation increases in the transition from intracellular schizont to extracellular merozoite stages in the asexual blood stage cycle. Here, we identify specific ubiquitylation sites of protein substrates in three intraerythrocytic parasite stages and extracellular merozoites; a total of 1464 sites in 546 proteins were identified (data available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD014998). 469 ubiquitylated proteins were identified in merozoites compared with only 160 in the preceding intracellular schizont stage, suggesting a large increase in protein ubiquitylation associated with merozoite maturation. Following merozoite invasion of erythrocytes, few ubiquitylated proteins were detected in the first intracellular ring stage but as parasites matured through trophozoite to schizont stages the apparent extent of ubiquitylation increased. We identified commonly used ubiquitylation motifs and groups of ubiquitylated proteins in specific areas of cellular function, for example merozoite pellicle proteins involved in erythrocyte invasion, exported proteins, and histones. To investigate the importance of ubiquitylation we screened ubiquitin pathway inhibitors in a parasite growth assay and identified the ubiquitin activating enzyme (UBA1 or E1) inhibitor MLN7243 (TAK-243) to be particularly effective. This small molecule was shown to be a potent inhibitor of recombinant PfUBA1, and a structural homology model of MLN7243 bound to the parasite enzyme highlights avenues for the development of P. falciparum specific inhibitors. We created a genetically modified parasite with a rapamycin-inducible functional deletion of uba1; addition of either MLN7243 or rapamycin to the recombinant parasite line resulted in the same phenotype, with parasite development blocked at the schizont stage. Nuclear division and formation of intracellular structures was interrupted. These results indicate that the intracellular target of MLN7243 is UBA1, and this activity is essential for the final differentiation of schizonts to merozoites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith L. Green
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yang Wu
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Vesela Encheva
- Mass Spectrometry Proteomics, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edwin Lasonder
- School of Biomedical Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Adchara Prommaban
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Simone Kunzelmann
- Structural Biology Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Evangelos Christodoulou
- Structural Biology Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Munira Grainger
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ngoc Truongvan
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bothe
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Vikram Sharma
- School of Biomedical Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Wei Song
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Pinzuti
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chairat Uthaipibull
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Khlong Luang, Thailand
| | | | | | - Gordon Langsley
- Laboratoire de Biologie Cellulaire Comparative des Apicomplexes, Institut Cochin, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Hermann Schindelin
- Rudolf Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine, Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Stieglitz
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Anthony A. Holder
- Malaria Parasitology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Davies H, Belda H, Broncel M, Ye X, Bisson C, Introini V, Dorin-Semblat D, Semblat JP, Tibúrcio M, Gamain B, Kaforou M, Treeck M. An exported kinase family mediates species-specific erythrocyte remodelling and virulence in human malaria. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:848-863. [PMID: 32284562 PMCID: PMC7116245 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0702-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The most severe form of human malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Its virulence is closely linked to the increase in rigidity of infected erythrocytes and their adhesion to endothelial receptors, obstructing blood flow to vital organs. Unlike other human-infecting Plasmodium species, P. falciparum exports a family of 18 FIKK serine/threonine kinases into the host cell, suggesting that phosphorylation may modulate erythrocyte modifications. We reveal substantial species-specific phosphorylation of erythrocyte proteins by P. falciparum but not by Plasmodium knowlesi, which does not export FIKK kinases. By conditionally deleting all FIKK kinases combined with large-scale quantitative phosphoproteomics we identified unique phosphorylation fingerprints for each kinase, including phosphosites on parasite virulence factors and host erythrocyte proteins. Despite their non-overlapping target sites, a network analysis revealed that some FIKKs may act in the same pathways. Only the deletion of the non-exported kinase FIKK8 resulted in reduced parasite growth, suggesting the exported FIKKs may instead support functions important for survival in the host. We show that one kinase, FIKK4.1, mediates both rigidification of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton and trafficking of the adhesin and key virulence factor PfEMP1 to the host cell surface. This establishes the FIKK family as important drivers of parasite evolution and malaria pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heledd Davies
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Hugo Belda
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Malgorzata Broncel
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Xingda Ye
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Claudine Bisson
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck College, University of London, London, UK
| | - Viola Introini
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dominique Dorin-Semblat
- Université de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, BIGR, INSERM, Paris, France
- Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Semblat
- Université de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, BIGR, INSERM, Paris, France
- Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France
| | - Marta Tibúrcio
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Benoit Gamain
- Université de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, BIGR, INSERM, Paris, France
- Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France
| | - Myrsini Kaforou
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Moritz Treeck
- Signalling in Apicomplexan Parasites Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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Koussis K, Withers-Martinez C, Baker DA, Blackman MJ. Simultaneous multiple allelic replacement in the malaria parasite enables dissection of PKG function. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 3:e201900626. [PMID: 32179592 PMCID: PMC7081069 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Over recent years, a plethora of new genetic tools has transformed conditional engineering of the malaria parasite genome, allowing functional dissection of essential genes in the asexual and sexual blood stages that cause pathology or are required for disease transmission, respectively. Important challenges remain, including the desirability to complement conditional mutants with a correctly regulated second gene copy to confirm that observed phenotypes are due solely to loss of gene function and to analyse structure-function relationships. To meet this challenge, here we combine the dimerisable Cre (DiCre) system with the use of multiple lox sites to simultaneously generate multiple recombination events of the same gene. We focused on the Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), creating in parallel conditional disruption of the gene plus up to two allelic replacements. We use the approach to demonstrate that PKG has no scaffolding or adaptor role in intraerythrocytic development, acting solely at merozoite egress. We also show that a phosphorylation-deficient PKG is functionally incompetent. Our method provides valuable new tools for analysis of gene function in the malaria parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David A Baker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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The Plasmodium falciparum Artemisinin Susceptibility-Associated AP-2 Adaptin μ Subunit is Clathrin Independent and Essential for Schizont Maturation. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02918-19. [PMID: 32098816 PMCID: PMC7042695 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02918-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The efficacy of current antimalarial drugs is threatened by reduced susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinin, associated with mutations in pfkelch13 Another gene with variants known to modulate the response to artemisinin encodes the μ subunit of the AP-2 adaptin trafficking complex. To elucidate the cellular role of AP-2μ in P. falciparum, we performed a conditional gene knockout, which severely disrupted schizont organization and maturation, leading to mislocalization of key merozoite proteins. AP-2μ is thus essential for blood-stage replication. We generated transgenic P. falciparum parasites expressing hemagglutinin-tagged AP-2μ and examined cellular localization by fluorescence and electron microscopy. Together with mass spectrometry analysis of coimmunoprecipitating proteins, these studies identified AP-2μ-interacting partners, including other AP-2 subunits, the K10 kelch-domain protein, and PfEHD, an effector of endocytosis and lipid mobilization, but no evidence was found of interaction with clathrin, the expected coat protein for AP-2 vesicles. In reverse immunoprecipitation experiments with a clathrin nanobody, other heterotetrameric AP-complexes were shown to interact with clathrin, but AP-2 complex subunits were absent.IMPORTANCE We examine in detail the AP-2 adaptin complex from the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum In most studied organisms, AP-2 is involved in bringing material into the cell from outside, a process called endocytosis. Previous work shows that changes to the μ subunit of AP-2 can contribute to drug resistance. Our experiments show that AP-2 is essential for parasite development in blood but does not have any role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. This suggests that a specialized function for AP-2 has developed in malaria parasites, and this may be important for understanding its impact on drug resistance.
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Mapping and functional analysis of heterochromatin protein 1 phosphorylation in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16720. [PMID: 31723180 PMCID: PMC6853920 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53325-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies in model eukaryotes have demonstrated that phosphorylation of heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) is important for dynamically regulating its various functions. However, in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum both the function of HP1 phosphorylation and the identity of the protein kinases targeting HP1 are still elusive. In order to functionally analyze phosphorylation of P. falciparum HP1 (PfHP1), we first mapped PfHP1 phosphorylation sites by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of native PfHP1, which identified motifs from which potential kinases could be predicted; in particular, several phosphorylated residues were embedded in motifs rich in acidic residues, reminiscent of targets for P. falciparum casein kinase 2 (PfCK2). Secondly, we tested recombinant PfCK2 and a number of additional protein kinases for their ability to phosphorylate PfHP1 in in vitro kinase assays. These experiments validated our prediction that PfHP1 acts as a substrate for PfCK2. Furthermore, LC-MS/MS analysis showed that PfCK2 phosphorylates three clustered serine residues in an acidic motif within the central hinge region of PfHP1. To study the role of PfHP1 phosphorylation in live parasites we used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to generate a number of conditional PfHP1 phosphomutants based on the DiCre/LoxP system. Our studies revealed that neither PfCK2-dependent phosphorylation of PfHP1, nor phosphorylation of the hinge domain in general, affect PfHP1's ability to localize to heterochromatin, and that PfHP1 phosphorylation in this region is dispensable for the proliferation of P. falciparum blood stage parasites.
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