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Sharma P, Chaudhary NR, Devi S, Negi S, Tandel N, Tyagi RK. Oleuropein mediated autophagy begets antimalarial drug resistance. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1453998. [PMID: 39228384 PMCID: PMC11369837 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1453998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum presents a formidable challenge to the humanity. And, unavailability of an effective vaccine worsens the situation further. Autophagy is one of the mechanisms employed by parasite to evade drug pressure to survive. Autophagy induced by the P. falciparum in response to the oleuropein pressure may answer many questions related to the parasite survival as well as evolving drug tolerance. The survival/autophagy axis could be an important avenue to explore in order to address certain questions related to the evolution of drug resistance. In addition, humanized mouse model of P. falciparum infection could serve as an important preclinical tool to investigate the oleuropein-induced autophagy, potentially helping to dissect the mechanisms underlying the development of antimalarial drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakriti Sharma
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-Immunology Lab, CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India
| | - Neil Roy Chaudhary
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-Immunology Lab, CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India
| | - Sonia Devi
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-Immunology Lab, CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Sushmita Negi
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-Immunology Lab, CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Nikunj Tandel
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Rajeev K. Tyagi
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-Immunology Lab, CSIR Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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Sharma P, Tandel N, Kumar R, Negi S, Sharma P, Devi S, Saxena K, Chaudhary NR, Saini S, Kumar R, Chandel BS, Sijwali PS, Tyagi RK. Oleuropein activates autophagy to circumvent anti-plasmodial defense. iScience 2024; 27:109463. [PMID: 38562521 PMCID: PMC10982566 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimalarial drug resistance and unavailability of effective vaccine warrant for newer drugs and drug targets. Hence, anti-inflammatory activity of phyto-compound (oleuropein; OLP) was determined in antigen (LPS)-stimulated human THP-1 macrophages (macrophage model of inflammation; MMI). Reduction in the inflammation was controlled by the PI3K-Akt1 signaling to establish the "immune-homeostasis." Also, OLP treatment influenced the cell death/autophagy axis leading to the modulated inflammation for extended cell survival. The findings with MII prompted us to detect the antimalarial activity of OLP in the wild type (3D7), D10-expressing GFP-Atg18 parasite, and chloroquine-resistant (Dd2) parasite. OLP did not show the parasite inhibition in the routine in vitro culture of P. falciparum whereas OLP increased the antimalarial activity of artesunate. The molecular docking of autophagy-related proteins, investigations with MMI, and parasite inhibition assays indicated that the host activated the autophagy to survive OLP pressure. The challenge model of P. berghei infection showed to induce autophagy for circumventing anti-plasmodial defenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Sharma
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Nikunj Tandel
- Institute of Science, Nirma University, SG highway, Ahmedabad 382481, India
| | - Rajinder Kumar
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Sushmita Negi
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Prakriti Sharma
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Sonia Devi
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Kanika Saxena
- Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Neil Roy Chaudhary
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Sheetal Saini
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
| | - Reetesh Kumar
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Applied Sciences & Humanities, GLA University, Mathura 281406, India
| | - Bharat Singh Chandel
- Department of Animal Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Science and AH, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat 385 506, India
| | - Puran S. Sijwali
- Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Rajeev K. Tyagi
- Division of Cell Biology and Immunology, Biomedical Parasitology and Translational-immunology Lab, CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Sec-39A, Chandigarh 160036, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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Bandyopadhyay A, Ghosh SK. Role of autophagy in stress and drug-responsive cell death in Entamoeba histolytica and its cross-talk with apoptosis-inducing factor. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2023; 256:111593. [PMID: 37708914 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2023.111593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Cell death in unicellular protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica is not yet reported though it displays several features of autophagic cell death. Autophagic cell death was reported to take place in ancient protozoans under several stresses. Here we report the occurrence of autophagic cell death in the Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites under oxidative stress as well as by the treatment with metronidazole, the most-widely-used drug for amoebiasis treatment and was shown to generate oxidative stress in the trophozoites. The autophagic flux increases during nutrient deprivation and metronidazole treatment and decreases upon oxidative stress. During oxidative stress the autophagy leads to nucleophagy that is ultimately destined to be digested within the lysosomal chamber. The formation of nucleophagosome depends on the apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) that translocates to the nucleus from cytoplasm upon oxidative stress. It was experimentally proved that ATG8 (Autophagy-related protein 8) binds with the AIF in the nucleus of the trophozoites and helps in ATG8 recruitment and autophagy initiation overall suggesting that oxidative stress-driven AIF translocation to nucleus results in binding with ATG8 and initiates nucleophagy leading to cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sudip Kumar Ghosh
- Department of Biotechnology, IIT Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
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Kannan D, Joshi N, Gupta S, Pati S, Bhattacharjee S, Langsley G, Singh S. Cytoprotective autophagy as a pro-survival strategy in ART-resistant malaria parasites. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:160. [PMID: 37173329 PMCID: PMC10182036 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01401-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite several initiatives to subside the global malaria burden, the spread of artemisinin-resistant parasites poses a big threat to malaria elimination. Mutations in PfKelch13 are predictive of ART resistance, whose underpinning molecular mechanism remains obscure. Recently, endocytosis and stress response pathways such as the ubiquitin-proteasome machinery have been linked to artemisinin resistance. With Plasmodium, however, ambiguity persists regarding a role in ART resistance for another cellular stress defence mechanism called autophagy. Therefore, we investigated whether, in the absence of ART treatment, basal autophagy is augmented in PfK13-R539T mutant ART-resistant parasites and analyzed whether PfK13-R539T endowed mutant parasites with an ability to utilize autophagy as a pro-survival strategy. We report that in the absence of any ART treatment, PfK13-R539T mutant parasites exhibit increased basal autophagy compared to PfK13-WT parasites and respond aggressively through changes in autophagic flux. A clear cytoprotective role of autophagy in parasite resistance mechanism is evident by the observation that a suppression of PI3-Kinase (PI3K) activity (a master autophagy regulator) rendered difficulty in the survival of PfK13-R539T ART-resistant parasites. In conclusion, we now show that higher PI3P levels reported for mutant PfKelch13 backgrounds led to increased basal autophagy that acts as a pro-survival response to ART treatment. Our results highlight PfPI3K as a druggable target with the potential to re-sensitize ART-resistant parasites and identify autophagy as a pro-survival function that modulates ART-resistant parasite growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Kannan
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nishant Joshi
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sonal Gupta
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Soumya Pati
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Souvik Bhattacharjee
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Gordon Langsley
- Inserm U1016-CNRS UMR8104, Institut Cochin, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Biologie Comparative des Apicomplexes, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.
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Romano PS, Akematsu T, Besteiro S, Bindschedler A, Carruthers VB, Chahine Z, Coppens I, Descoteaux A, Alberto Duque TL, He CY, Heussler V, Le Roch KG, Li FJ, de Menezes JPB, Menna-Barreto RFS, Mottram JC, Schmuckli-Maurer J, Turk B, Tavares Veras PS, Salassa BN, Vanrell MC. Autophagy in protists and their hosts: When, how and why? AUTOPHAGY REPORTS 2023; 2:2149211. [PMID: 37064813 PMCID: PMC10104450 DOI: 10.1080/27694127.2022.2149211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic protists are a group of organisms responsible for causing a variety of human diseases including malaria, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis, among others. These diseases, which affect more than one billion people globally, mainly the poorest populations, are characterized by severe chronic stages and the lack of effective antiparasitic treatment. Parasitic protists display complex life-cycles and go through different cellular transformations in order to adapt to the different hosts they live in. Autophagy, a highly conserved cellular degradation process, has emerged as a key mechanism required for these differentiation processes, as well as other functions that are crucial to parasite fitness. In contrast to yeasts and mammals, protist autophagy is characterized by a modest number of conserved autophagy-related proteins (ATGs) that, even though, can drive the autophagosome formation and degradation. In addition, during their intracellular cycle, the interaction of these pathogens with the host autophagy system plays a crucial role resulting in a beneficial or harmful effect that is important for the outcome of the infection. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on autophagy and other related mechanisms in pathogenic protists and their hosts. We sought to emphasize when, how, and why this process takes place, and the effects it may have on the parasitic cycle. A better understanding of the significance of autophagy for the protist life-cycle will potentially be helpful to design novel anti-parasitic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Silvia Romano
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y de la célula hospedadora. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. (IHEM-CONICET-UNCUYO). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Av. Libertador 80 (5500), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Takahiko Akematsu
- Department of Biosciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Vern B Carruthers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zeinab Chahine
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology. Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Baltimore 21205, MD, USA
| | - Albert Descoteaux
- Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Laval, QC
| | - Thabata Lopes Alberto Duque
- Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism Center, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Cynthia Y He
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Volker Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology.University of Bern. Baltzerstr. 4 3012 Bern
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Feng-Jun Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Jeremy C Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | | | - Boris Turk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Structural Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Patricia Sampaio Tavares Veras
- Laboratory of Host-Parasite Interaction and Epidemiology, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Fiocruz-Bahia
- National Institute of Science and Technology of Tropical Diseases - National Council for Scientific Research and Development (CNPq)
| | - Betiana Nebai Salassa
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y de la célula hospedadora. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. (IHEM-CONICET-UNCUYO). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Av. Libertador 80 (5500), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - María Cristina Vanrell
- Laboratorio de Biología de Trypanosoma cruzi y de la célula hospedadora. Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. (IHEM-CONICET-UNCUYO). Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Av. Libertador 80 (5500), Mendoza, Argentina
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6
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Doan TP, Park EJ, Ryu B, Cho HM, Yoon SJ, Jung GY, Thuong PT, Oh WK. Unique guanidine-conjugated catechins from the leaves of Alchornea rugosa and their autophagy modulating activity. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2023; 206:113521. [PMID: 36435211 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Natural guanidines, molecules that contain the guanidine moiety, are structurally unique and often exhibit potent biological activities. A phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Alchornea rugosa (Lour.) Müll.Arg. by MS/MS-based molecular networking revealed eight undescribed guanidine-flavanol conjugates named rugonines A-H. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were comprehensively elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, HRESIMS, and circular dichroism (CD) analysis. All isolated compounds were tested for autophagosome formation in HEK293 cells stably expressing GFP-LC3. The results revealed that compounds rugonines D-G showed potential autophagy inhibitory activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi-Phuong Doan
- Korea Bioactive Natural Material Bank, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Eun-Jin Park
- Korea Bioactive Natural Material Bank, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeol Ryu
- Korea Bioactive Natural Material Bank, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo-Moon Cho
- Korea Bioactive Natural Material Bank, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Jun Yoon
- Korea Bioactive Natural Material Bank, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwan-Young Jung
- Korea Bioactive Natural Material Bank, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Phuong-Thien Thuong
- Division of Herbal Products, Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Hanoi, 10055, Viet Nam; School of Pharmacy, Haiphong University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ngo Quyen, Haiphong, 04212, Viet Nam
| | - Won-Keun Oh
- Korea Bioactive Natural Material Bank, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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Leleu I, Alloo J, Cazenave PA, Roland J, Pied S. Autophagy Pathways in the Genesis of Plasmodium-Derived Microvesicles: A Double-Edged Sword? Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12030415. [PMID: 35330166 PMCID: PMC8955828 DOI: 10.3390/life12030415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria, caused by Plasmodium species (spp.), is a deadly parasitic disease that results in approximately 400,000 deaths per year globally. Autophagy pathways play a fundamental role in the developmental stages of the parasite within the mammalian host. They are also involved in the production of Plasmodium-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), which play an important role in the infection process, either by providing nutrients for parasite growth or by contributing to the immunopathophysiology of the disease. For example, during the hepatic stage, Plasmodium-derived EVs contribute to parasite virulence by modulating the host immune response. EVs help in evading the different autophagy mechanisms deployed by the host for parasite clearance. During cerebral malaria, on the other hand, parasite-derived EVs promote an astrocyte-mediated inflammatory response, through the induction of a non-conventional host autophagy pathway. In this review, we will discuss the cross-talk between Plasmodium-derived microvesicles and autophagy, and how it influences the outcome of infection.
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Sena-dos-Santos C, Braga-da-Silva C, Marques D, Azevedo dos Santos Pinheiro J, Ribeiro-dos-Santos Â, Cavalcante GC. Unraveling Cell Death Pathways during Malaria Infection: What Do We Know So Far? Cells 2021; 10:479. [PMID: 33672278 PMCID: PMC7926694 DOI: 10.3390/cells10020479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease (caused by different Plasmodium species) that affects millions of people worldwide. The lack of effective malaria drugs and a vaccine contributes to this disease, continuing to cause major public health and socioeconomic problems, especially in low-income countries. Cell death is implicated in malaria immune responses by eliminating infected cells, but it can also provoke an intense inflammatory response and lead to severe malaria outcomes. The study of the pathophysiological role of cell death in malaria in mammalians is key to understanding the parasite-host interactions and design prophylactic and therapeutic strategies for malaria. In this work, we review malaria-triggered cell death pathways (apoptosis, autophagy, necrosis, pyroptosis, NETosis, and ferroptosis) and we discuss their potential role in the development of new approaches for human malaria therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Sena-dos-Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, Brazil; (C.S.-d.-S.); (C.B.-d.-S.); (D.M.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (Â.R.-d.-S.)
| | - Cíntia Braga-da-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, Brazil; (C.S.-d.-S.); (C.B.-d.-S.); (D.M.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (Â.R.-d.-S.)
| | - Diego Marques
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, Brazil; (C.S.-d.-S.); (C.B.-d.-S.); (D.M.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (Â.R.-d.-S.)
| | - Jhully Azevedo dos Santos Pinheiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, Brazil; (C.S.-d.-S.); (C.B.-d.-S.); (D.M.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (Â.R.-d.-S.)
| | - Ândrea Ribeiro-dos-Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, Brazil; (C.S.-d.-S.); (C.B.-d.-S.); (D.M.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (Â.R.-d.-S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Oncologia e Ciências Médicas, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Oncologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, Brazil
| | - Giovanna C. Cavalcante
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Laboratório de Genética Humana e Médica, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém 66.075-110, Brazil; (C.S.-d.-S.); (C.B.-d.-S.); (D.M.); (J.A.d.S.P.); (Â.R.-d.-S.)
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9
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The Riveting Cellular Structures of Apicomplexan Parasites. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:979-991. [PMID: 33011071 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic protozoa of the phylum Apicomplexa cause a range of human and animal diseases. Their complex life cycles - often heteroxenous with sexual and asexual phases in different hosts - rely on elaborate cytoskeletal structures to enable morphogenesis and motility, organize cell division, and withstand diverse environmental forces. This review primarily focuses on studies using Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp. as the best studied apicomplexans; however, many cytoskeletal adaptations are broadly conserved and predate the emergence of the parasitic phylum. After decades cataloguing the constituents of such structures, a dynamic picture is emerging of the assembly and maintenance of apicomplexan cytoskeletons, illuminating how they template and orient critical processes during infection. These observations impact our view of eukaryotic diversity and offer future challenges for cell biology.
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Anderson DC, Lapp SA, Barnwell JW, Galinski MR. A large scale Plasmodium vivax- Saimiri boliviensis trophozoite-schizont transition proteome. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182561. [PMID: 28829774 PMCID: PMC5567661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is a complex protozoan parasite with over 6,500 genes and stage-specific differential expression. Much of the unique biology of this pathogen remains unknown, including how it modifies and restructures the host reticulocyte. Using a recently published P. vivax reference genome, we report the proteome from two biological replicates of infected Saimiri boliviensis host reticulocytes undergoing transition from the late trophozoite to early schizont stages. Using five database search engines, we identified a total of 2000 P. vivax and 3487 S. boliviensis proteins, making this the most comprehensive P. vivax proteome to date. PlasmoDB GO-term enrichment analysis of proteins identified at least twice by a search engine highlighted core metabolic processes and molecular functions such as glycolysis, translation and protein folding, cell components such as ribosomes, proteasomes and the Golgi apparatus, and a number of vesicle and trafficking related clusters. Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) v6.8 enriched functional annotation clusters of S. boliviensis proteins highlighted vesicle and trafficking-related clusters, elements of the cytoskeleton, oxidative processes and response to oxidative stress, macromolecular complexes such as the proteasome and ribosome, metabolism, translation, and cell death. Host and parasite proteins potentially involved in cell adhesion were also identified. Over 25% of the P. vivax proteins have no functional annotation; this group includes 45 VIR members of the large PIR family. A number of host and pathogen proteins contained highly oxidized or nitrated residues, extending prior trophozoite-enriched stage observations from S. boliviensis infections, and supporting the possibility of oxidative stress in relation to the disease. This proteome significantly expands the size and complexity of the known P. vivax and Saimiri host iRBC proteomes, and provides in-depth data that will be valuable for ongoing research on this parasite’s biology and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. C. Anderson
- Bioscience Division, SRI International, Harrisonburg, VA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stacey A. Lapp
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - John W. Barnwell
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Mary R. Galinski
- Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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11
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Abstract
The unicellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects warm-blooded animals and humans, and it is highly prevalent throughout the world. Infection of immunocompetent hosts is usually asymptomatic or benign but leads to long-term parasite persistence mainly within neural and muscular tissues. The transition from acute primary infection towards chronic toxoplasmosis is accompanied by a developmental switch from fast replicating and metabolically highly active tachyzoites to slow replicating and largely dormant bradyzoites within tissue cysts. Such developmental differentiation is critical for T. gondii in order to complete its life cycle and for pathogenesis. Herein, we summarize accumulating evidence indicating a major impact of the host cell physiology on stage conversion between the tachyzoite and the bradyzoite stage of the parasite. Withdrawal from cell cycle progression, proinflammatory responses, reduced availability of nutrients and extracellular adenosine can indeed induce tachyzoite-to-bradyzoite differentiation and tissue cyst formation. In contrast, high glycolytic activity as indicated by increased lactate secretion can inhibit bradyzoite formation. These examples argue for the intriguing possibility that after dissemination within its host, T. gondii can sense its cellular microenvironment to initiate the developmental program towards the bradyzoite stage in distinct cells. This may also explain the predominant localization of T. gondii in neural and muscular tissues during chronic toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten G K Lüder
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Taibur Rahman
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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12
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Yu Y, Zhao N, An J, Zhang X. CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein β Mediates the Killing of Toxoplasma gondii by Inducing Autophagy in Nonhematopoietic Cells. DNA Cell Biol 2017; 36:212-218. [PMID: 28092463 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2016.3434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a main defense strategy by which infected host cells can virtually induce the killing of parasite, including Toxoplasma gondii. However, the regulatory mechanisms of autophagy in T. gondii-infected nonhematopoietic cells are still unknown. Emerging evidence indicates that CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBP β) is associated with the regulation of autophagy. Herein, we hypothesized that C/EBP β plays roles in inducing autophagy in nonhematopoietic cells. Expression of C/EBP β was aberrantly regulated in endothelial cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells challenged by T. gondii. Inhibition of C/EBP β reduced the killing of T. gondii in nonhematopoietic cells, whereas C/EBP β overexpression resulted in the enhancement of killing of T. gondii as well as the increase in autophagy in infected cells. Furthermore, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation was found to be reduced by C/EBP β overexpression, but increased by C/EBP β inhibition. The increase in T. gondii killing induced by C/EBP β overexpression was blocked by the mTOR activator phosphatidic acid and was increased by the inhibitor AZD8055. In conclusion, we demonstrate that C/EBP β expression is increased in nonhematopoietic cells infected by T. gondii, resulting in the activation of autophagy in host cells by inhibiting mTOR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Yu
- 1 College of Basic Medicine Sciences, Jilin University , Changchun, China
| | - Na Zhao
- 2 Laboratory Animal Center of North China University of Science and Technology , Tangshan, China
| | - Jiaqi An
- 3 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fourth Military Medical University , Xian, China
| | - Xichen Zhang
- 4 College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University , Changchun, China
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13
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Overexpression of Plasmodium berghei ATG8 by Liver Forms Leads to Cumulative Defects in Organelle Dynamics and to Generation of Noninfectious Merozoites. mBio 2016; 7:mBio.00682-16. [PMID: 27353755 PMCID: PMC4937212 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00682-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Plasmodium parasites undergo continuous cellular renovation to adapt to various environments in the vertebrate host and insect vector. In hepatocytes, Plasmodium berghei discards unneeded organelles for replication, such as micronemes involved in invasion. Concomitantly, intrahepatic parasites expand organelles such as the apicoplast that produce essential metabolites. We previously showed that the ATG8 conjugation system is upregulated in P. berghei liver forms and that P. berghei ATG8 (PbATG8) localizes to the membranes of the apicoplast and cytoplasmic vesicles. Here, we focus on the contribution of PbATG8 to the organellar changes that occur in intrahepatic parasites. We illustrated that micronemes colocalize with PbATG8-containing structures before expulsion from the parasite. Interference with PbATG8 function by overexpression results in poor development into late liver stages and production of small merosomes that contain immature merozoites unable to initiate a blood infection. At the cellular level, PbATG8-overexpressing P. berghei exhibits a delay in microneme compartmentalization into PbATG8-containing autophagosomes and elimination compared to parasites from the parental strain. The apicoplast, identifiable by immunostaining of the acyl carrier protein (ACP), undergoes an abnormally fast proliferation in mutant parasites. Over time, the ACP staining becomes diffuse in merosomes, indicating a collapse of the apicoplast. PbATG8 is not incorporated into the progeny of mutant parasites, in contrast to parental merozoites in which PbATG8 and ACP localize to the apicoplast. These observations reveal that Plasmodium ATG8 is a key effector in the development of merozoites by controlling microneme clearance and apicoplast proliferation and that dysregulation in ATG8 levels is detrimental for malaria infectivity. IMPORTANCE Malaria is responsible for more mortality than any other parasitic disease. Resistance to antimalarial medicines is a recurring problem; new drugs are urgently needed. A key to the parasite's successful intracellular development in the liver is the metabolic changes necessary to convert the parasite from a sporozoite to a replication-competent, metabolically active trophozoite form. Our study reinforces the burgeoning concept that organellar changes during parasite differentiation are mediated by an autophagy-like process. We have identified ATG8 in Plasmodium liver forms as an important effector that controls the development and fate of organelles, e.g., the clearance of micronemes that are required for hepatocyte invasion and the expansion of the apicoplast that produces many metabolites indispensable for parasite replication. Given the unconventional properties and the importance of ATG8 for parasite development in hepatocytes, targeting the parasite's autophagic pathway may represent a novel approach to control malarial infections.
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Shiba H, Yabu T, Sudayama M, Mano N, Arai N, Nakanishi T, Hosono K. Sequential steps of macroautophagy and chaperone-mediated autophagy are involved in the irreversible process of posterior silk gland histolysis during metamorphosis of Bombyx mori. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:1146-53. [PMID: 26944491 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.130815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
To elucidate the degradation process of the posterior silk gland during metamorphosis of the silkworm ITALIC! Bombyx mori, tissues collected on the 6th day after entering the 5th instar (V6), prior to spinning (PS), during spinning (SP) and after cocoon formation (CO) were used to analyze macroautophagy, chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent ubiquitin proteasome. Immediately after entering metamorphosis stage PS, the levels of ATP and phosphorylated p70S6 kinase protein decreased spontaneously and continued to decline at SP, followed by a notable restoration at CO. In contrast, phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) showed increases at SP and CO. Most of the Atg8 protein was converted to form II at all stages. The levels of ubiquitinated proteins were high at SP and CO, and low at PS. The proteasome activity was high at V6 and PS but low at SP and CO. In the isolated lysosome fractions, levels of Hsc70/Hsp70 protein began to increase at PS and continued to rise at SP and CO. The lysosomal cathepsin B/L activity showed a dramatic increase at CO. Our results clearly demonstrate that macroautophagy occurs before entering the metamorphosis stage and strongly suggest that the CMA pathway may play an important role in the histolysis of the posterior silk gland during metamorphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajime Shiba
- Department of Applied Biological Science, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yabu
- Department of Applied Biological Science, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Makoto Sudayama
- Department of Applied Biological Science, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Mano
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Naoto Arai
- Department of Applied Biological Science, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Nakanishi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Kuniaki Hosono
- Department of Applied Biological Science, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
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15
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Tomlins AM, Ben-Rached F, Williams RAM, Proto WR, Coppens I, Ruch U, Gilberger TW, Coombs GH, Mottram JC, Müller S, Langsley G. Plasmodium falciparumATG8 implicated in both autophagy and apicoplast formation. Autophagy 2014; 9:1540-52. [DOI: 10.4161/auto.25832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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16
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Földvári-Nagy L, Ari E, Csermely P, Korcsmáros T, Vellai T. Starvation-response may not involve Atg1-dependent autophagy induction in non-unikont parasites. Sci Rep 2014; 4:5829. [PMID: 25059978 PMCID: PMC5376053 DOI: 10.1038/srep05829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy, the lysosome-mediated self-degradation process, is implicated in survival during starvation in yeast, Dictyostelium and animals. In these eukaryotic taxa (collectively called Unikonts), autophagy is induced primarily through the Atg1/ULK1 complex in response to nutrient depletion. Autophagy has also been well-studied in non-unikont parasites, such as Trypanosoma and Plasmodium, and found important in their life-cycle transitions. However, how autophagy is induced in non-unikonts remains largely unrevealed. Using a bioinformatics approach, we examined the presence of Atg1 and of its complex in the genomes of 40 non-unikonts. We found that these genomes do not encode typical Atg1 proteins: BLAST and HMMER queries matched only with the kinase domain of Atg1, while other segments responsible for regulation and protein-binding were missing. Non-unikonts also lacked other components of the Atg1-inducing complex. Orthologs of an alternative autophagy inducer, Atg6 were found only in the half of the species, indicating that the other half may possess other inducing mechanisms. As key autophagy genes have differential expression patterns during life-cycle, we raise the possibility that autophagy in these protists is induced mainly at the post-transcriptional level. Understanding Atg1-independent autophagy induction mechanisms in these parasites may lead to novel pharmacological interventions, not affecting human Atg1-dependent autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eszter Ari
- Department of Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Csermely
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Korcsmáros
- 1] Department of Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary [2] TGAC, The Genome Analysis Centre, Norwich, UK [3] Gut Health and Food Safety Programme, Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK
| | - Tibor Vellai
- Department of Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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17
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Immune evasion strategies of pre-erythrocytic malaria parasites. Mediators Inflamm 2014; 2014:362605. [PMID: 24891764 PMCID: PMC4033516 DOI: 10.1155/2014/362605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2014] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans. It begins with a bite from an infected female Anopheles mosquito and leads to the development of the pre-erythrocytic and blood stages. Blood-stage infection is the exclusive cause of clinical symptoms of malaria. In contrast, the pre-erythrocytic stage is clinically asymptomatic and could be an excellent target for preventive therapies. Although the robust host immune responses limit the development of the liver stage, malaria parasites have also evolved strategies to suppress host defenses at the pre-erythrocytic stage. This paper reviews the immune evasion strategies of malaria parasites at the pre-erythrocytic stage, which could provide us with potential targets to design prophylactic strategies against malaria.
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18
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Jayabalasingham B, Voss C, Ehrenman K, Romano JD, Smith ME, Fidock DA, Bosch J, Coppens I. Characterization of the ATG8-conjugation system in 2 Plasmodium species with special focus on the liver stage: possible linkage between the apicoplastic and autophagic systems? Autophagy 2013; 10:269-84. [PMID: 24342964 DOI: 10.4161/auto.27166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites successfully colonize different habitats within mammals and mosquitoes, and adaptation to various environments is accompanied by changes in their organelle composition and size. Previously, we observed that during hepatocyte infection, Plasmodium discards organelles involved in invasion and expands those implicated in biosynthetic pathways. We hypothesized that this process is regulated by autophagy. Plasmodium spp. possess a rudimentary set of known autophagy-related proteins that includes the ortholog of yeast Atg8. In this study, we analyzed the activity of the ATG8-conjugation pathway over the course of the lifecycle of Plasmodium falciparum and during the liver stage of Plasmodium berghei. We engineered a transgenic P. falciparum strain expressing mCherry-PfATG8. These transgenic parasites expressed mCherry-PfATG8 in human hepatocytes and erythrocytes, and in the midgut and salivary glands of Anopheles mosquitoes. In all observed stages, mCherry-PfATG8 was localized to tubular structures. Our EM and colocalization studies done in P. berghei showed the association of PbATG8 on the limiting membranes of the endosymbiont-derived plastid-like organelle known as the apicoplast. Interestingly, during parasite replication in hepatocytes, the association of PbATG8 with the apicoplast increases as this organelle expands in size. PbATG3, PbATG7 and PbATG8 are cotranscribed in all parasitic stages. Molecular analysis of PbATG8 and PbATG3 revealed a novel mechanism of interaction compared with that observed for other orthologs. This is further supported by the inability of Plasmodium ATG8 to functionally complement atg8Δ yeast or localize to autophagosomes in starved mammalian cells. Altogether, these data suggests a unique role for the ATG8-conjugation system in Plasmodium parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bamini Jayabalasingham
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Malaria Research Institute; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical Sciences; Columbia University Medical Center; New York, NY USA
| | - Christiane Voss
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Malaria Research Institute; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Karen Ehrenman
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Malaria Research Institute; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Julia D Romano
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Malaria Research Institute; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Maria E Smith
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Malaria Research Institute; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical Sciences; Columbia University Medical Center; New York, NY USA; Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical Sciences; Columbia University Medical Center; New York, NY USA
| | - Juergen Bosch
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Malaria Research Institute; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Isabelle Coppens
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Malaria Research Institute; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Baltimore, MD USA
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19
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Cervantes S, Bunnik EM, Saraf A, Conner CM, Escalante A, Sardiu ME, Ponts N, Prudhomme J, Florens L, Le Roch KG. The multifunctional autophagy pathway in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Autophagy 2013; 10:80-92. [PMID: 24275162 PMCID: PMC4028325 DOI: 10.4161/auto.26743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a catabolic pathway typically induced by nutrient starvation to recycle amino acids, but can also function in removing damaged organelles. In addition, this pathway plays a key role in eukaryotic development. To date, not much is known about the role of autophagy in apicomplexan parasites and more specifically in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Comparative genomic analysis has uncovered some, but not all, orthologs of autophagy-related (ATG) genes in the malaria parasite genome. Here, using a genome-wide in silico analysis, we confirmed that ATG genes whose products are required for vesicle expansion and completion are present, while genes involved in induction of autophagy and cargo packaging are mostly absent. We subsequently focused on the molecular and cellular function of P. falciparum ATG8 (PfATG8), an autophagosome membrane marker and key component of the autophagy pathway, throughout the parasite asexual and sexual erythrocytic stages. In this context, we showed that PfATG8 has a distinct and atypical role in parasite development. PfATG8 localized in the apicoplast and in vesicles throughout the cytosol during parasite development. Immunofluorescence assays of PfATG8 in apicoplast-minus parasites suggest that PfATG8 is involved in apicoplast biogenesis. Furthermore, treatment of parasite cultures with bafilomycin A 1 and chloroquine, both lysosomotropic agents that inhibit autophagosome and lysosome fusion, resulted in dramatic morphological changes of the apicoplast, and parasite death. Furthermore, deep proteomic analysis of components associated with PfATG8 indicated that it may possibly be involved in ribophagy and piecemeal microautophagy of the nucleus. Collectively, our data revealed the importance and specificity of the autophagy pathway in the malaria parasite and offer potential novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Cervantes
- Graduate Program in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA; Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA
| | - Evelien M Bunnik
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA
| | - Anita Saraf
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research; Kansas City, MO USA
| | - Christopher M Conner
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA
| | - Aster Escalante
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA
| | | | - Nadia Ponts
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA
| | - Jacques Prudhomme
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA
| | | | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience; University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA USA
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20
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Hain AUP, Bosch J. Autophagy in Plasmodium, a multifunctional pathway? Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2013; 8:e201308002. [PMID: 24688742 PMCID: PMC3962217 DOI: 10.5936/csbj.201308002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a catabolic process that normally utilizes the lysosome. The far-reaching implications of this system in disease are being increasingly understood. Studying autophagy is complicated by its role in cell survival and programmed cell death and the involvement of the canonical marker of autophagy, Atg8/LC3, in numerous non-autophagic roles. The malaria parasite, Plasmodium, has conserved certain aspects of the autophagic machinery but for what purpose has long remained a mystery. Major advances have recently been gained and suggest a role for Atg8 in apicoplast maintenance, degradation of heme inside the food vacuole, and possibly trafficking of proteins or organelles outside the parasite membrane. Autophagy may also participate in programmed cell death under drug treatment or as a selective tool to limit parasite load. We review the current findings and discuss discrepancies in the field of autophagy in the Plasmodium parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adelaide U P Hain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Jürgen Bosch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
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21
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Eickel N, Kaiser G, Prado M, Burda PC, Roelli M, Stanway RR, Heussler VT. Features of autophagic cell death in Plasmodium liver-stage parasites. Autophagy 2013; 9:568-80. [PMID: 23388496 DOI: 10.4161/auto.23689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Analyzing molecular determinants of Plasmodium parasite cell death is a promising approach for exploring new avenues in the fight against malaria. Three major forms of cell death (apoptosis, necrosis and autophagic cell death) have been described in multicellular organisms but which cell death processes exist in protozoa is still a matter of debate. Here we suggest that all three types of cell death occur in Plasmodium liver-stage parasites. Whereas typical molecular markers for apoptosis and necrosis have not been found in the genome of Plasmodium parasites, we identified genes coding for putative autophagy-marker proteins and thus concentrated on autophagic cell death. We characterized the Plasmodium berghei homolog of the prominent autophagy marker protein Atg8/LC3 and found that it localized to the apicoplast. A relocalization of PbAtg8 to autophagosome-like vesicles or vacuoles that appear in dying parasites was not, however, observed. This strongly suggests that the function of this protein in liver-stage parasites is restricted to apicoplast biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Eickel
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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22
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Sinai AP, Roepe PD. Autophagy in Apicomplexa: a life sustaining death mechanism? Trends Parasitol 2012; 28:358-64. [PMID: 22819059 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2012.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2012] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Programmed cell death (PCD) pathways remain understudied in parasitic protozoa in spite of the fact that they provide potential targets for the development of new therapy. The best understood PCD pathway in higher eukaryotes is apoptosis although emerging evidence also points to autophagy as a mediator of death in certain physiological contexts. Bioinformatic analyses coupled with biochemical and cell biological studies suggest that parasitic protozoa possess the capacity for PCD including a primordial form of apoptosis. Recent work in Toxoplasma and emerging data from Plasmodium suggest that autophagy-related processes may serve as an additional death promoting pathway in Apicomplexa. Detailed mechanistic studies into the molecular basis for PCD in parasitic protozoa represent a fertile area for investigation and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Sinai
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40526, USA.
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