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Mahanta PJ, Lhouvum K. Expression and biochemical characterization of the putative insulinase enzyme PF11_0189 found in the Plasmodium falciparum genome. Protein Expr Purif 2024; 222:106539. [PMID: 38960013 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2024.106539] [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: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
PF11_0189 is a putative insulin degrading enzyme present in Plasmodium falciparum genome. The catalytic domain of PF11_0189 is about 27 kDa. Substrate specificity study shows PF11_0189 acts upon different types of proteins. The substrate specificity is found to be highest when insulin is used as a substrate. Metal dependency study shows highest dependency of PF11_0189 towards zinc metal for its proteolytic activity. Chelation of zinc metal with EDTA shows complete absence of PF11_0189 activity. Peptide inhibitors, P-70 and P-121 from combinatorial peptide library prepared against PF11_0189 show inhibition with an IC50 value of 4.8 μM and 7.5 μM respectively. A proven natural anti-malarial peptide cyclosporin A shows complete inhibition against PF11_0189 with an IC50 value of 0.75 μM suggesting PF11_0189 as a potential target for peptide inhibitors. The study implicates that PF11_0189 is a zinc metalloprotease involved in catalysis of insulin. The study gives a preliminary insight into the mechanism of complications arising from glucose abnormalities during severe malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhash Jyoti Mahanta
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
| | - Kimjolly Lhouvum
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh, India
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2
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Mahanta PJ, Lhouvum K. Plasmodium falciparum proteases as new drug targets with special focus on metalloproteases. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2024; 258:111617. [PMID: 38554736 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2024.111617] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Malaria poses a significant global health threat particularly due to the prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum infection. With the emergence of parasite resistance to existing drugs including the recently discovered artemisinin, ongoing research seeks novel therapeutic avenues within the malaria parasite. Proteases are promising drug targets due to their essential roles in parasite biology, including hemoglobin digestion, merozoite invasion, and egress. While exploring the genomic landscape of Plasmodium falciparum, it has been revealed that there are 92 predicted proteases, with only approximately 14 of them having been characterized. These proteases are further distributed among 26 families grouped into five clans: aspartic proteases, cysteine proteases, metalloproteases, serine proteases, and threonine proteases. Focus on metalloprotease class shows further role in organelle processing for mitochondria and apicoplasts suggesting the potential of metalloproteases as viable drug targets. Holistic understanding of the parasite intricate life cycle and identification of potential drug targets are essential for developing effective therapeutic strategies against malaria and mitigating its devastating global impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kimjolly Lhouvum
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
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3
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Liffner B, Cepeda Diaz AK, Blauwkamp J, Anaguano D, Frolich S, Muralidharan V, Wilson DW, Dvorin JD, Absalon S. Atlas of Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic development using expansion microscopy. eLife 2023; 12:RP88088. [PMID: 38108809 PMCID: PMC10727503 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites exhibit tremendous diversity in much of their fundamental cell biology, but study of these organisms using light microscopy is often hindered by their small size. Ultrastructural expansion microscopy (U-ExM) is a microscopy preparation method that physically expands the sample by ~4.5×. Here, we apply U-ExM to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum during the asexual blood stage of its lifecycle to understand how this parasite is organized in three dimensions. Using a combination of dye-conjugated reagents and immunostaining, we have cataloged 13 different P. falciparum structures or organelles across the intraerythrocytic development of this parasite and made multiple observations about fundamental parasite cell biology. We describe that the outer centriolar plaque and its associated proteins anchor the nucleus to the parasite plasma membrane during mitosis. Furthermore, the rhoptries, Golgi, basal complex, and inner membrane complex, which form around this anchoring site while nuclei are still dividing, are concurrently segregated and maintain an association to the outer centriolar plaque until the start of segmentation. We also show that the mitochondrion and apicoplast undergo sequential fission events while maintaining an association with the outer centriolar plaque during cytokinesis. Collectively, this study represents the most detailed ultrastructural analysis of P. falciparum during its intraerythrocytic development to date and sheds light on multiple poorly understood aspects of its organelle biogenesis and fundamental cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Liffner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisUnited States
| | - Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - James Blauwkamp
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisUnited States
| | - David Anaguano
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
- Department of Cellular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - Sonja Frolich
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
| | - Vasant Muralidharan
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
- Department of Cellular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of GeorgiaAthensUnited States
| | - Danny W Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, University of AdelaideAdelaideAustralia
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial RoadMelbourneAustralia
| | - Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s HospitalBostonUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Sabrina Absalon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolisUnited States
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4
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Liffner B, Cepeda Diaz AK, Blauwkamp J, Anaguano D, Frölich S, Muralidharan V, Wilson DW, Dvorin J, Absalon S. Atlas of Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic development using expansion microscopy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.22.533773. [PMID: 36993606 PMCID: PMC10055389 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.22.533773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites exhibit tremendous diversity in much of their fundamental cell biology, but study of these organisms using light microscopy is often hindered by their small size. Ultrastructural expansion microscopy (U-ExM) is a microscopy preparation method that physically expands the sample ~4.5x. Here, we apply U-ExM to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum during the asexual blood stage of its lifecycle to understand how this parasite is organized in three-dimensions. Using a combination of dye-conjugated reagents and immunostaining, we have catalogued 13 different P. falciparum structures or organelles across the intraerythrocytic development of this parasite and made multiple observations about fundamental parasite cell biology. We describe that the outer centriolar plaque and its associated proteins anchor the nucleus to the parasite plasma membrane during mitosis. Furthermore, the rhoptries, Golgi, basal complex, and inner membrane complex, which form around this anchoring site while nuclei are still dividing, are concurrently segregated and maintain an association to the outer centriolar plaque until the start of segmentation. We also show that the mitochondrion and apicoplast undergo sequential fission events while maintaining an association with the outer centriolar plaque during cytokinesis. Collectively, this study represents the most detailed ultrastructural analysis of P. falciparum during its intraerythrocytic development to date, and sheds light on multiple poorly understood aspects of its organelle biogenesis and fundamental cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Liffner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Ana Karla Cepeda Diaz
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston MA, USA
| | - James Blauwkamp
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - David Anaguano
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Sonja Frölich
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Vasant Muralidharan
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Cellular Biology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Danny W. Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabrina Absalon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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5
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Basco LK. Cultivation of Asexual Intraerythrocytic Stages of Plasmodium falciparum. Pathogens 2023; 12:900. [PMID: 37513747 PMCID: PMC10384318 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Successfully developed in 1976, the continuous in vitro culture of Plasmodium falciparum has many applications in the field of malaria research. It has become an important experimental model that directly uses a human pathogen responsible for a high prevalence of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world and is a major source of biological material for immunological, biochemical, molecular, and pharmacological studies. Until present, the basic techniques described by Trager and Jensen and Haynes et al. remain unchanged in many malaria research laboratories. Nonetheless, different factors, including culture media, buffers, serum substitutes and supplements, sources of erythrocytes, and conditions of incubation (especially oxygen concentration), have been modified by different investigators to adapt the original technique in their laboratories or enhance the in vitro growth of the parasites. The possible effects and benefits of these modifications for the continuous cultivation of asexual intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum, as well as future challenges in developing a serum-free cultivation system and axenic cultures, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo K Basco
- Aix-Marseille Université, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP-HM), Service de Santé des Armées (SSA), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) Vecteurs-Infections Tropicales et Méditerranéennes (VITROME), 13005 Marseille, France
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire-Méditerranée Infection, 19-21 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France
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6
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Ferreira JL, Pražák V, Vasishtan D, Siggel M, Hentzschel F, Binder AM, Pietsch E, Kosinski J, Frischknecht F, Gilberger TW, Grünewald K. Variable microtubule architecture in the malaria parasite. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1216. [PMID: 36869034 PMCID: PMC9984467 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36627-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Microtubules are a ubiquitous eukaryotic cytoskeletal element typically consisting of 13 protofilaments arranged in a hollow cylinder. This arrangement is considered the canonical form and is adopted by most organisms, with rare exceptions. Here, we use in situ electron cryo-tomography and subvolume averaging to analyse the changing microtubule cytoskeleton of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, throughout its life cycle. Unexpectedly, different parasite forms have distinct microtubule structures coordinated by unique organising centres. In merozoites, the most widely studied form, we observe canonical microtubules. In migrating mosquito forms, the 13 protofilament structure is further reinforced by interrupted luminal helices. Surprisingly, gametocytes contain a wide distribution of microtubule structures ranging from 13 to 18 protofilaments, doublets and triplets. Such a diversity of microtubule structures has not been observed in any other organism to date and is likely evidence of a distinct role in each life cycle form. This data provides a unique view into an unusual microtubule cytoskeleton of a relevant human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie L Ferreira
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Vojtěch Pražák
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daven Vasishtan
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marc Siggel
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Hentzschel
- Integrative Parasitology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, DZIF Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Annika M Binder
- Integrative Parasitology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emma Pietsch
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Kosinski
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg, Germany
- Structural and Computational Biology Unit, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Integrative Parasitology, Centre for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, DZIF Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tim W Gilberger
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kay Grünewald
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology, Hamburg, Germany.
- Leibniz Institute for Virology (LIV), Hamburg, Germany.
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
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7
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Barnes CBG, Dans MG, Jonsdottir TK, Crabb BS, Gilson PR. PfATP4 inhibitors in the Medicines for Malaria Venture Malaria Box and Pathogen Box block the schizont-to-ring transition by inhibiting egress rather than invasion. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1060202. [PMID: 36530423 PMCID: PMC9747762 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1060202] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The cation efflux pump Plasmodium falciparum ATPase 4 (PfATP4) maintains Na+ homeostasis in malaria parasites and has been implicated in the mechanism of action of many structurally diverse antimalarial agents, including >7% of the antimalarial compounds in the Medicines for Malaria Venture's 'Malaria Box' and 'Pathogen Box'. Recent screens of the 'Malaria Box' and 'Pathogen Box' revealed that many PfATP4 inhibitors prevent parasites from exiting their host red blood cell (egress) or entering new host cells (invasion), suggesting that these compounds may have additional molecular targets involved in egress or invasion. Here, we demonstrate that five PfATP4 inhibitors reduce egress but not invasion. These compounds appear to inhibit egress by blocking the activation of protein kinase G, an enzyme that, once stimulated, rapidly activates parasite egress. We establish a direct link between egress and PfATP4 function by showing that the inhibition of egress is attenuated in a Na+-depleted environment and in parasites with a mutation in pfatp4. Finally, we show that PfATP4 inhibitors induce host cell lysis when administered prior to the completion of parasite replication. Since host cell lysis mimics egress but is not followed by invasion, this phenomenon likely explains why several PfATP4 inhibitors were previously classified as invasion inhibitors. Collectively, our results confirm that PfATP4-mediated Na+ efflux is critical to the regulation of parasite egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia B. G. Barnes
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Madeline G. Dans
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Thorey K. Jonsdottir
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Brendan S. Crabb
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia,Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul R. Gilson
- Life Sciences, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: Paul R. Gilson,
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8
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Abstract
Human malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites, remains one of the most important global public health problems, with the World Health Organization reporting more than 240 million cases and 600,000 deaths annually as of 2020 (World malaria report 2021). Our understanding of the biology of these parasites is critical for development of effective therapeutics and prophylactics, including both antimalarials and vaccines. Plasmodium is a protozoan organism that is intracellular for most of its life cycle. However, to complete its complex life cycle and to allow for both amplification and transmission, the parasite must egress out of the host cell in a highly regulated manner. This review discusses the major pathways and proteins involved in the egress events during the Plasmodium life cycle-merozoite and gametocyte egress out of red blood cells, sporozoite egress out of the oocyst, and merozoite egress out of the hepatocyte. The similarities, as well as the differences, between the various egress pathways of the parasite highlight both novel cell biology and potential therapeutic targets to arrest its life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey D Dvorin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 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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9
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Erath J, Djuranovic S. Association of the receptor for activated C-kinase 1 with ribosomes in Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101954. [PMID: 35452681 PMCID: PMC9120242 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101954] [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: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The receptor for activated C-kinase 1 (RACK1), a highly conserved eukaryotic protein, is known to have many varying biological roles and functions. Previous work has established RACK1 as a ribosomal protein, with defined regions important for ribosome binding in eukaryotic cells. In Plasmodium falciparum, RACK1 has been shown to be required for parasite growth, however, conflicting evidence has been presented about RACK1 ribosome binding and its role in mRNA translation. Given the importance of RACK1 as a regulatory component of mRNA translation and ribosome quality control, the case could be made in parasites that RACK1 either binds or does not bind the ribosome. Here, we used bioinformatics and transcription analyses to further characterize the P. falciparum RACK1 protein. Based on homology modeling and structural analyses, we generated a model of P. falciparum RACK1. We then explored mutant and chimeric human and P. falciparum RACK1 protein binding properties to the human and P. falciparum ribosome. We found that WT, chimeric, and mutant RACK1 exhibit distinct ribosome interactions suggesting different binding characteristics for P. falciparum and human RACK1 proteins. The ribosomal binding of RACK1 variants in human and parasite cells shown here demonstrates that although RACK1 proteins have highly conserved sequences and structures across species, ribosomal binding is affected by species-specific alterations to this protein. In conclusion, we show that in the case of P. falciparum, contrary to the structural data, RACK1 is found to bind ribosomes and actively translating polysomes in parasite cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessey Erath
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Sergej Djuranovic
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
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10
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Lê HG, Kang JM, Võ TC, Yoo WG, Lee KH, Na BK. Biochemical Properties of Two Plasmodium malariae Cysteine Proteases, Malapain-2 and Malapain-4. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10010193. [PMID: 35056641 PMCID: PMC8780100 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010193] [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: 12/26/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cysteine proteases belonging to the falcipain (FP) family play a pivotal role in the biology of malaria parasites and have been extensively investigated as potential antimalarial drug targets. Three paralogous FP-family cysteine proteases of Plasmodium malariae, termed malapains 2–4 (MP2–4), were identified in PlasmoDB. The three MPs share similar structural properties with the FP-2/FP-3 subfamily enzymes and exhibit a close phylogenetic lineage with vivapains (VXs) and knowpains (KPs), FP orthologues of P. vivax and P. knowlesi. Recombinant MP-2 and MP-4 were produced in a bacterial expression system, and their biochemical properties were characterized. Both recombinant MP-2 and MP-4 showed enzyme activity across a broad range of pH values with an optimum activity at pH 5.0 and relative stability at neutral pHs. Similar to the FP-2/FP-3 subfamily enzymes in other Plasmodium species, recombinant MP-2 and MP-4 effectively hydrolyzed hemoglobin at acidic pHs. They also degraded erythrocyte cytoskeletal proteins, such as spectrin and band 3, at a neutral pH. These results imply that MP-2 and MP-4 are redundant hemoglobinases of P. malariae and may also participate in merozoite egression by degrading erythrocyte cytoskeletal proteins. However, compared with other FP-2/FP-3 enzymes, MP-2 showed a strong preference for arginine at the P2 position. Meanwhile, MP-4 showed a primary preference for leucine at the P2 position but a partial preference for phenylalanine. These different substrate preferences of MPs underscore careful consideration in the design of optimized inhibitors targeting the FP-family cysteine proteases of human malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hương Giang Lê
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Jung-Mi Kang
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Tuấn Cường Võ
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Won Gi Yoo
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Kon Ho Lee
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Microbiology, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea
| | - Byoung-Kuk Na
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea
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11
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Structural organization of erythrocyte membrane microdomains and their relation with malaria susceptibility. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1375. [PMID: 34880413 PMCID: PMC8655059 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02900-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholesterol-rich microdomains are membrane compartments characterized by specific lipid and protein composition. These dynamic assemblies are involved in several biological processes, including infection by intracellular pathogens. This work provides a comprehensive analysis of the composition of human erythrocyte membrane microdomains. Based on their floating properties, we also categorized the microdomain-associated proteins into clusters. Interestingly, erythrocyte microdomains include the vast majority of the proteins known to be involved in invasion by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We show here that the Ecto-ADP-ribosyltransferase 4 (ART4) and Aquaporin 1 (AQP1), found within one specific cluster, containing the essential host determinant CD55, are recruited to the site of parasite entry and then internalized to the newly formed parasitophorous vacuole membrane. By generating null erythroid cell lines, we showed that one of these proteins, ART4, plays a role in P. falciparum invasion. We also found that genetic variants in both ART4 and AQP1 are associated with susceptibility to the disease in a malaria-endemic population.
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12
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Liffner B, Absalon S. Expansion Microscopy Reveals Plasmodium falciparum Blood-Stage Parasites Undergo Anaphase with A Chromatin Bridge in the Absence of Mini-Chromosome Maintenance Complex Binding Protein. Microorganisms 2021; 9:2306. [PMID: 34835432 PMCID: PMC8620465 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9112306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum undergoes closed mitosis, which occurs within an intact nuclear envelope, and differs significantly from its human host. Mitosis is underpinned by the dynamics of microtubules and the nuclear envelope. To date, our ability to study P. falciparum mitosis by microscopy has been hindered by the small size of the P. falciparum nuclei. Ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM) has recently been developed for P. falciparum, allowing the visualization of mitosis at the individual nucleus level. Using U-ExM, three intranuclear microtubule structures are observed: hemispindles, mitotic spindles, and interpolar spindles. A previous study demonstrated that the mini-chromosome maintenance complex binding-protein (MCMBP) depletion caused abnormal nuclear morphology and microtubule defects. To investigate the role of microtubules following MCMBP depletion and study the nuclear envelope in these parasites, we developed the first nuclear stain enabled by U-ExM in P. falciparum. MCMBP-deficient parasites show aberrant hemispindles and mitotic spindles. Moreover, anaphase chromatin bridges and individual nuclei containing multiple microtubule structures were observed following MCMBP knockdown. Collectively, this study refines our understanding of MCMBP-deficient parasites and highlights the utility of U-ExM coupled with a nuclear envelope stain for studying mitosis in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabrina Absalon
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
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13
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Nishi T, Shinzawa N, Yuda M, Iwanaga S. Highly efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system in Plasmodium falciparum using Cas9-expressing parasites and a linear donor template. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18501. [PMID: 34531479 PMCID: PMC8445982 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97984-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful genetic engineering technology for Plasmodium falciparum. We here report further improvement of the CRISPR/Cas9 system by combining the Cas9-expressing parasite with a liner donor template DNA. The Cas9-expressing parasite was generated by inserting the cas9 gene in the genome by double crossover recombination. The site-directed mutagenesis and the fusion of fluorescence protein was achieved within two weeks with high efficiency (> 85%), by transfecting the schizonts of the Cas9-expressing parasite with the liner donor template and the plasmid carrying the sgRNAs. Notably, there were neither off-target mutations in the resultant transgenic parasites nor unexpected recombination, that are the technical problems of the current CRISPR/Cas9 system. Furthermore, with our system, two genes on different chromosomes were successfully modified in single transfection. Because of its high efficiency and robustness, our improved CRISPR/Cas9 system will become a standard technique for genetic engineering of P. falciparum, which dramatically advances future studies of this parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsubasa Nishi
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Medicine, Mie University, Mie, Japan
| | - Naoaki Shinzawa
- Department of Environmental Parasitology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masao Yuda
- Laboratory of Medical Zoology, Department of Medicine, Mie University, Mie, Japan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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14
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Djokic V, Rocha SC, Parveen N. Lessons Learned for Pathogenesis, Immunology, and Disease of Erythrocytic Parasites: Plasmodium and Babesia. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:685239. [PMID: 34414129 PMCID: PMC8369351 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.685239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria caused by Plasmodium species and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes affects large human populations, while Ixodes ticks transmit Babesia species and cause babesiosis. Babesiosis in animals has been known as an economic drain, and human disease has also emerged as a serious healthcare problem in the last 20–30 years. There is limited literature available regarding pathogenesis, immunity, and disease caused by Babesia spp. with their genomes sequenced only in the last decade. Therefore, using previous studies on Plasmodium as the foundation, we have compared similarities and differences in the pathogenesis of Babesia and host immune responses. Sexual life cycles of these two hemoparasites in their respective vectors are quite similar. An adult Anopheles female can take blood meal several times in its life such that it can both acquire and transmit Plasmodia to hosts. Since each tick stage takes blood meal only once, transstadial horizontal transmission from larva to nymph or nymph to adult is essential for the release of Babesia into the host. The initiation of the asexual cycle of these parasites is different because Plasmodium sporozoites need to infect hepatocytes before egressed merozoites can infect erythrocytes, while Babesia sporozoites are known to enter the erythrocytic cycle directly. Plasmodium metabolism, as determined by its two- to threefold larger genome than different Babesia, is more complex. Plasmodium replication occurs in parasitophorous vacuole (PV) within the host cells, and a relatively large number of merozoites are released from each infected RBC after schizogony. The Babesia erythrocytic cycle lacks both PV and schizogony. Cytoadherence that allows the sequestration of Plasmodia, primarily P. falciparum in different organs facilitated by prominent adhesins, has not been documented for Babesia yet. Inflammatory immune responses contribute to the severity of malaria and babesiosis. Antibodies appear to play only a minor role in the resolution of these diseases; however, cellular and innate immunity are critical for the clearance of both pathogens. Inflammatory immune responses affect the severity of both diseases. Macrophages facilitate the resolution of both infections and also offer cross-protection against related protozoa. Although the immunosuppression of adaptive immune responses by these parasites does not seem to affect their own clearance, it significantly exacerbates diseases caused by coinfecting bacteria during coinfections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitomir Djokic
- Department for Bacterial Zoonozes, Laboratory for Animal Health, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, UPEC, University Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sandra C Rocha
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Nikhat Parveen
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
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15
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Putrianti ED, Schmidt-Christensen A, Heussler V, Matuschewski K, Ingmundson A. A Plasmodium cysteine protease required for efficient transition from the liver infection stage. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008891. [PMID: 32956401 PMCID: PMC7529260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The transitions between developmental stages are critical points in the Plasmodium life cycle. The development of Plasmodium in the livers of their mammalian hosts bridges malaria transmission and the onset of clinical symptoms elicited by red blood cell infection. The egress of Plasmodium parasites from the liver must be a carefully orchestrated process to ensure a successful switch to the blood stage of infection. Cysteine protease activity is known to be required for liver-stage Plasmodium egress, but the crucial cysteine protease(s) remained unidentified. Here, we characterize a member of the papain-like cysteine protease family, Plasmodium berghei serine repeat antigen 4 (PbSERA4), that is required for efficient initiation of blood-stage infection. Through the generation PbSERA4-specific antisera and the creation of transgenic parasites expressing fluorescently tagged protein, we show that PbSERA4 is expressed and proteolytically processed in the liver and blood stages of infection. Targeted disruption of PbSERA4 results in viable and virulent blood-stage parasites. However, upon transmission from mosquitoes to mice, Pbsera4(-) parasites displayed a reduced capacity to initiate a new round of asexual blood-stage replication. Our results from cultured cells indicate that this defect results from an inability of the PbSERA4-deficient parasites to egress efficiently from infected cells at the culmination of liver-stage development. Protection against infection with wildtype P. berghei could be generated in animals in which Pbsera4(-) parasites failed to establish infection. Our findings confirm that liver-stage merozoite release is an active process and demonstrate that this parasite-encoded cysteine protease contributes to parasite escape from the liver. Plasmodium parasites cause over 200 million cases of malaria every year. When parasites are transmitted by mosquito bite, they initially colonize the liver before they move into the blood and cause disease. During successful transition from the liver into the blood, Plasmodium cloak themselves in host plasma membrane as they egress from the liver cells. Although some aspects of how Plasmodium exit their host hepatocytes appear unique, certain attributes are shared across diverse pathogens. For example, protease activity is required not only for multiple stages of Plasmodium exit, but is also involved in the egress of some bacteria and other protozoan. Here we characterize a protease in Plasmodium berghei that is expressed in the liver and conserved across Plasmodium species. Through gene targeting, we found PbSERA4 is required for efficient egress of Plasmodium from the liver. In the absence of this protease the transition between the liver and blood stages of growth is prolonged due to inefficient parasite release from liver cells. These findings provide new insights into the function of a conserved Plasmodium protease and into the process of Plasmodium escape from the liver.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyzana Dewi Putrianti
- Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Metabolism of Microbial Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Schmidt-Christensen
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Volker Heussler
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Kai Matuschewski
- Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alyssa Ingmundson
- Parasitology Unit, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
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16
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Schmaler M, Orlova-Fink N, Rutishauser T, Abdulla S, Daubenberger C. Human unconventional T cells in Plasmodium falciparum infection. Semin Immunopathol 2020; 42:265-277. [PMID: 32076813 PMCID: PMC7223888 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-020-00791-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is an old scourge of humankind and has a large negative impact on the economic development of affected communities. Recent success in malaria control and reduction of mortality seems to have stalled emphasizing that our current intervention tools need to be complemented by malaria vaccines. Different populations of unconventional T cells such as mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells and γδ T cells are gaining attention in the field of malaria immunology. Significant advances in our basic understanding of unconventional T cell biology in rodent malaria models have been made, however, their roles in humans during malaria are less clear. Unconventional T cells are abundant in skin, gut and liver tissues, and long-lasting expansions and functional alterations were observed upon malaria infection in malaria naïve and malaria pre-exposed volunteers. Here, we review the current understanding of involvement of unconventional T cells in anti-Plasmodium falciparum immunity and highlight potential future research avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Schmaler
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nina Orlova-Fink
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Rutishauser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Salim Abdulla
- Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo Clinical Trial Unit, Bagamoyo, Tanzania
| | - Claudia Daubenberger
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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17
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Favuzza P, de Lera Ruiz M, Thompson JK, Triglia T, Ngo A, Steel RWJ, Vavrek M, Christensen J, Healer J, Boyce C, Guo Z, Hu M, Khan T, Murgolo N, Zhao L, Penington JS, Reaksudsan K, Jarman K, Dietrich MH, Richardson L, Guo KY, Lopaticki S, Tham WH, Rottmann M, Papenfuss T, Robbins JA, Boddey JA, Sleebs BE, Sabroux HJ, McCauley JA, Olsen DB, Cowman AF. Dual Plasmepsin-Targeting Antimalarial Agents Disrupt Multiple Stages of the Malaria Parasite Life Cycle. Cell Host Microbe 2020; 27:642-658.e12. [PMID: 32109369 PMCID: PMC7146544 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Artemisin combination therapy (ACT) is the main treatment option for malaria, which is caused by the intracellular parasite Plasmodium. However, increased resistance to ACT highlights the importance of finding new drugs. Recently, the aspartic proteases Plasmepsin IX and X (PMIX and PMX) were identified as promising drug targets. In this study, we describe dual inhibitors of PMIX and PMX, including WM382, that block multiple stages of the Plasmodium life cycle. We demonstrate that PMX is a master modulator of merozoite invasion and direct maturation of proteins required for invasion, parasite development, and egress. Oral administration of WM382 cured mice of P. berghei and prevented blood infection from the liver. In addition, WM382 was efficacious against P. falciparum asexual infection in humanized mice and prevented transmission to mosquitoes. Selection of resistant P. falciparum in vitro was not achievable. Together, these show that dual PMIX and PMX inhibitors are promising candidates for malaria treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Favuzza
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Jennifer K Thompson
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Tony Triglia
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Anna Ngo
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ryan W J Steel
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Marissa Vavrek
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Janni Christensen
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Julie Healer
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Zhuyan Guo
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Mengwei Hu
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Tanweer Khan
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Nicholas Murgolo
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Lianyun Zhao
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | | | - Kitsanapong Reaksudsan
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Kate Jarman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Melanie H Dietrich
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Lachlan Richardson
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Kai-Yuan Guo
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Sash Lopaticki
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Tony Papenfuss
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | | | - Justin A Boddey
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Brad E Sleebs
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Hélène Jousset Sabroux
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - John A McCauley
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - David B Olsen
- Merck & Co., Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA.
| | - Alan F Cowman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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18
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The effects of dyslipidaemia and cholesterol modulation on erythrocyte susceptibility to malaria parasite infection. Malar J 2019; 18:381. [PMID: 31783858 PMCID: PMC6884832 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-3016-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria disease commences when blood-stage parasites, called merozoites, invade human erythrocytes. Whilst the process of invasion is traditionally seen as being entirely merozoite-driven, emerging data suggests erythrocyte biophysical properties markedly influence invasion. Cholesterol is a major determinant of cell membrane biophysical properties demanding its interrogation as a potential mediator of resistance to merozoite invasion of the erythrocyte. Methods Biophysical measurements of erythrocyte deformability by flicker spectroscopy were used to assess changes in erythrocyte bending modulus on forced integration of cholesterol and how these artificial changes affect invasion by human Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. To validate these observations in a natural context, either murine Plasmodium berghei or human Plasmodium falciparum merozoites were tested for their ability to invade erythrocytes from a hypercholesterolaemic mouse model or human clinical erythrocyte samples deriving from patients with a range of serum cholesterol concentrations, respectively. Results Erythrocyte bending modulus (a measure of deformability) was shown to be markedly affected by artificial modulation of cholesterol content and negatively correlated with merozoite invasion efficiency. In an in vitro infection context, however, erythrocytes taken from hypercholesterolaemic mice or from human clinical samples with varying serum cholesterol levels showed little difference in their susceptibility to merozoite invasion. Explaining this, membrane cholesterol levels in both mouse and human hypercholesterolaemia erythrocytes were subsequently found to be no different from matched normal serum controls. Conclusions Based on these observations, serum cholesterol does not appear to impact on erythrocyte susceptibility to merozoite entry. Indeed, no relationship between serum cholesterol and cholesterol content of the erythrocyte is apparent. This work, nonetheless, suggests that native polymorphisms which do affect membrane lipid composition would be expected to affect parasite entry. This supports investigation of erythrocyte biophysical properties in endemic settings, which may yet identify naturally protective lipid-related polymorphisms.
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19
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Yadav DK, Kumar S, Teli MK, Yadav R, Chaudhary S. Molecular Targets for Malarial Chemotherapy: A Review. Curr Top Med Chem 2019; 19:861-873. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666190603080000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The malaria parasite resistance to the existing drugs is a serious problem to the currently used
antimalarials and, thus, highlights the urgent need to develop new and effective anti-malarial molecules.
This could be achieved either by the identification of the new drugs for the validated targets or by further
refining/improving the existing antimalarials; or by combining previously effective agents with
new/existing drugs to have a synergistic effect that counters parasite resistance; or by identifying novel
targets for the malarial chemotherapy. In this review article, a comprehensive collection of some of the
novel molecular targets has been enlisted for the antimalarial drugs. The targets which could be deliberated
for developing new anti-malarial drugs could be: membrane biosynthesis, mitochondrial system,
apicoplasts, parasite transporters, shikimate pathway, hematin crystals, parasite proteases, glycolysis,
isoprenoid synthesis, cell cycle control/cycline dependent kinase, redox system, nucleic acid metabolism,
methionine cycle and the polyamines, folate metabolism, the helicases, erythrocyte G-protein, and
farnesyl transferases. Modern genomic tools approaches such as structural biology and combinatorial
chemistry, novel targets could be identified followed by drug development for drug resistant strains providing
wide ranges of novel targets in the development of new therapy. The new approaches and targets
mentioned in the manuscript provide a basis for the development of new unique strategies for antimalarial
therapy with limited off-target effects in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra K. Yadav
- College of Pharmacy, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Hambakmoeiro, 191, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-799, South Korea
| | - Surendra Kumar
- College of Pharmacy, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Hambakmoeiro, 191, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-799, South Korea
| | - Mahesh K. Teli
- College of Pharmacy, Gachon University of Medicine and Science, Hambakmoeiro, 191, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 406-799, South Korea
| | - Ravikant Yadav
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur-302017, India
| | - Sandeep Chaudhary
- Laboratory of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Jaipur-302017, India
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20
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To kill a piroplasm: genetic technologies to advance drug discovery and target identification in Babesia. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:153-163. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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21
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Glushakova S, Beck JR, Garten M, Busse BL, Nasamu AS, Tenkova-Heuser T, Heuser J, Goldberg DE, Zimmerberg J. Rounding precedes rupture and breakdown of vacuolar membranes minutes before malaria parasite egress from erythrocytes. Cell Microbiol 2018; 20:e12868. [PMID: 29900649 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Because Plasmodium falciparum replicates inside of a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) within a human erythrocyte, parasite egress requires the rupture of two limiting membranes. Parasite Ca2+ , kinases, and proteases contribute to efficient egress; their coordination in space and time is not known. Here, the kinetics of parasite egress were linked to specific steps with specific compartment markers, using live-cell microscopy of parasites expressing PV-targeted fluorescent proteins, and specific egress inhibitors. Several minutes before egress, under control of parasite [Ca2+ ]i , the PV began rounding. Then after ~1.5 min, under control of PfPKG and SUB1, there was abrupt rupture of the PV membrane and release of vacuolar contents. Over the next ~6 min, there was progressive vacuolar membrane deterioration simultaneous with erythrocyte membrane distortion, lasting until the final minute of the egress programme when newly formed parasites mobilised and erythrocyte membranes permeabilised and then ruptured-a dramatic finale to the parasite cycle of replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Glushakova
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Josh R Beck
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
| | - Matthias Garten
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Brad L Busse
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Armiyaw S Nasamu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Tatyana Tenkova-Heuser
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - John Heuser
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joshua Zimmerberg
- Section on Integrative Biophysics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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22
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Lyth O, Vizcay-Barrena G, Wright KE, Haase S, Mohring F, Najer A, Henshall IG, Ashdown GW, Bannister LH, Drew DR, Beeson JG, Fleck RA, Moon RW, Wilson DW, Baum J. Cellular dissection of malaria parasite invasion of human erythrocytes using viable Plasmodium knowlesi merozoites. Sci Rep 2018; 8:10165. [PMID: 29976932 PMCID: PMC6033891 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28457-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium knowlesi, a zoonotic parasite causing severe-to-lethal malaria disease in humans, has only recently been adapted to continuous culture with human red blood cells (RBCs). In comparison with the most virulent human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, there are, however, few cellular tools available to study its biology, in particular direct investigation of RBC invasion by blood-stage P. knowlesi merozoites. This leaves our current understanding of biological differences across pathogenic Plasmodium spp. incomplete. Here, we report a robust method for isolating viable and invasive P. knowlesi merozoites to high purity and yield. Using this approach, we present detailed comparative dissection of merozoite invasion (using a variety of microscopy platforms) and direct assessment of kinetic differences between knowlesi and falciparum merozoites. We go on to assess the inhibitory potential of molecules targeting discrete steps of invasion in either species via a quantitative invasion inhibition assay, identifying a class of polysulfonate polymer able to efficiently inhibit invasion in both, providing a foundation for pan-Plasmodium merozoite inhibitor development. Given the close evolutionary relationship between P. knowlesi and P. vivax, the second leading cause of malaria-related morbidity, this study paves the way for inter-specific dissection of invasion by all three major pathogenic malaria species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Lyth
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Gema Vizcay-Barrena
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Katherine E Wright
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Silvia Haase
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Franziska Mohring
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Adrian Najer
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Isabelle G Henshall
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - George W Ashdown
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, UK
| | - Lawrence H Bannister
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Damien R Drew
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Central Clinical School, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Roland A Fleck
- Centre for Ultrastructural Imaging, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Robert W Moon
- Department of Immunology and Infection, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Danny W Wilson
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. .,Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, 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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23
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Iyer GR, Singh S, Kaur I, Agarwal S, Siddiqui MA, Bansal A, Kumar G, Saini E, Paul G, Mohmmed A, Chitnis CE, Malhotra P. Calcium-dependent phosphorylation of Plasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen 5 triggers merozoite egress. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:9736-9746. [PMID: 29716996 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum proliferates in red blood cells following repeated cycles of invasion, multiplication, and egress. P. falciparum serine repeat antigen 5 (PfSERA5), a putative serine protease, plays an important role in merozoite egress. However, regulation of its activity leading to merozoite egress is poorly understood. In this study, we show that PfSERA5 undergoes phosphorylation prior to merozoite egress. Immunoprecipitation of parasite lysates using anti-PfSERA5 serum followed by MS analysis identified calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (PfCDPK1) as an interacting kinase. Association of PfSERA5 with PfCDPK1 was corroborated by co-sedimentation, co-immunoprecipitation, and co-immunolocalization analyses. Interestingly, PfCDPK1 phosphorylated PfSERA5 in vitro in the presence of Ca2+ and enhanced its proteolytic activity. A PfCDPK1 inhibitor, purfalcamine, blocked the phosphorylation and activation of PfSERA5 both in vitroas well as in schizonts, which, in turn, blocked merozoite egress. Together, these results suggest that phosphorylation of PfSERA5 by PfCDPK1 following a rise in cytosolic Ca2+ levels activates its proteolytic activity to trigger merozoite egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayatri R Iyer
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Shailja Singh
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and.,the Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Doctor Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Inderjeet Kaur
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Shalini Agarwal
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Mansoor A Siddiqui
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Abhisheka Bansal
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Gautam Kumar
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Ekta Saini
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Gourab Paul
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Asif Mohmmed
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
| | - Chetan E Chitnis
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and .,the Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du Doctor Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Pawan Malhotra
- From the Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110 067, India and
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Sherling ES, van Ooij C. Host cell remodeling by pathogens: the exomembrane system in Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2017; 40:701-21. [PMID: 27587718 PMCID: PMC5007283 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is caused by infection of erythrocytes by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. To survive inside erythrocytes, these parasites induce sweeping changes within the host cell, one of the most dramatic of which is the formation of multiple membranous compartments, collectively referred to as the exomembrane system. As an uninfected mammalian erythrocyte is devoid of internal membranes, the parasite must be the force and the source behind the formation of these compartments. Even though the first evidence of the presence these of internal compartments was obtained over a century ago, their functions remain mostly unclear, and in some cases completely unknown, and the mechanisms underlying their formation are still mysterious. In this review, we provide an overview of the different parts of the exomembrane system, describing the parasitophorous vacuole, the tubovesicular network, Maurer's clefts, the caveola-vesicle complex, J dots and other mobile compartments, and the small vesicles that have been observed in Plasmodium-infected cells. Finally, we combine the data into a simplified view of the exomembrane system and its relation to the alterations of the host erythrocyte. Plasmodium parasites remodel the host erythrocyte in various ways, including the formation of several membranous compartments, together referred to as the exomembrane system, within the erythrocyte cytosol that together are key to the sweeping changes in the host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma S Sherling
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Christiaan van Ooij
- The Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
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Molecular mechanisms that mediate invasion and egress of malaria parasites from red blood cells. Curr Opin Hematol 2017; 24:208-214. [PMID: 28306665 DOI: 10.1097/moh.0000000000000334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Malaria parasites invade and multiply in diverse host cells during their complex life cycle. Some blood stage parasites transform into male and female gametocytes that are transmitted by female anopheline mosquitoes. The gametocytes are activated in the mosquito midgut to form male and female gametes, which egress from RBCs to mate and form a zygote. Here, we will review our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms that mediate invasion and egress by malaria parasites at different life cycle stages. RECENT FINDINGS A number of key effector molecules such as parasite protein ligands for receptor-engagement during invasion as well as proteases and perforin-like proteins that mediate egress have been identified. Interestingly, these parasite-encoded effectors are located in internal, vesicular organelles and are secreted in a highly regulated manner during invasion and egress. Here, we will review our current understanding of the functional roles of these effectors as well as the signaling pathways that regulate their timely secretion with accurate spatiotemporal coordinates. SUMMARY Understanding the molecular basis of key processes such as host cell invasion and egress by malaria parasites could provide novel targets for development of inhibitors to block parasite growth and transmission.
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Singh S, Chitnis CE. Molecular Signaling Involved in Entry and Exit of Malaria Parasites from Host Erythrocytes. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2017; 7:cshperspect.a026815. [PMID: 28507195 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a026815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
During the blood stage, Plasmodium spp. merozoites invade host red blood cells (RBCs), multiply, exit, and reinvade uninfected RBCs in a continuing cycle that is responsible for all the clinical symptoms associated with malaria. Entry into (invasion) and exit from (egress) RBCs are highly regulated processes that are mediated by an array of parasite proteins with specific functional roles. Many of these parasite proteins are stored in specialized apical secretory vesicles, and their timely release is critical for successful invasion and egress. For example, the discharge of parasite protein ligands to the apical surface of merozoites is required for interaction with host receptors to mediate invasion, and the timely discharge of proteases and pore-forming proteins helps in permeabilization and dismantling of limiting membranes during egress. This review focuses on our understanding of the signaling mechanisms that regulate apical organelle secretion during host cell invasion and egress by malaria parasites. The review also explores how understanding key signaling mechanisms in the parasite can open opportunities to develop novel strategies to target Plasmodium parasites and eliminate malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailja Singh
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France.,Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh 201314, India
| | - Chetan E Chitnis
- Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France.,Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi 110067, India
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27
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Bhattacharyya A, Babu C. Caesalpinia bonduc serine proteinase inhibitor CbTI–2: Exploring the conformational features and antimalarial activity. Int J Biol Macromol 2017; 103:294-306. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Hopp CS, Bennett BL, Mishra S, Lehmann C, Hanson KK, Lin JW, Rousseau K, Carvalho FA, van der Linden WA, Santos NC, Bogyo M, Khan SM, Heussler V, Sinnis P. Deletion of the rodent malaria ortholog for falcipain-1 highlights differences between hepatic and blood stage merozoites. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006586. [PMID: 28922424 PMCID: PMC5602738 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteases have been implicated in a variety of developmental processes during the malaria parasite lifecycle. In particular, invasion and egress of the parasite from the infected hepatocyte and erythrocyte, critically depend on protease activity. Although falcipain-1 was the first cysteine protease to be characterized in P. falciparum, its role in the lifecycle of the parasite has been the subject of some controversy. While an inhibitor of falcipain-1 blocked erythrocyte invasion by merozoites, two independent studies showed that falcipain-1 disruption did not affect growth of blood stage parasites. To shed light on the role of this protease over the entire Plasmodium lifecycle, we disrupted berghepain-1, its ortholog in the rodent parasite P. berghei. We found that this mutant parasite displays a pronounced delay in blood stage infection after inoculation of sporozoites. Experiments designed to pinpoint the defect of berghepain-1 knockout parasites found that it was not due to alterations in gliding motility, hepatocyte invasion or liver stage development and that injection of berghepain-1 knockout merosomes replicated the phenotype of delayed blood stage growth after sporozoite inoculation. We identified an additional role for berghepain-1 in preparing blood stage merozoites for infection of erythrocytes and observed that berghepain-1 knockout parasites exhibit a reticulocyte restriction, suggesting that berghepain-1 activity broadens the erythrocyte repertoire of the parasite. The lack of berghepain-1 expression resulted in a greater reduction in erythrocyte infectivity in hepatocyte-derived merozoites than it did in erythrocyte-derived merozoites. These observations indicate a role for berghepain-1 in processing ligands important for merozoite infectivity and provide evidence supporting the notion that hepatic and erythrocytic merozoites, though structurally similar, are not identical. Malaria affects hundreds of millions of people and is the cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Infection begins with the inoculation of sporozoites into the skin during the bite of an infected mosquito. Sporozoites subsequently travel to the liver, where they invade and replicate in hepatocytes, eventually releasing the stage of the parasite that is infectious for red blood cells, termed merozoites. Hepatic merozoites initiate blood stage infection, the stage that is responsible for the clinical symptoms of malaria. The blood stage of the parasite grows through repeated rounds of invasion, development and egress of blood stage merozoites, which then continue the cycle. Proteases are among the enzymes that are essential for parasite survival and their functions range from invasion of red blood cells, to the breakdown of red cell hemoglobin, to the release of parasites from red cells. As the function of the cysteine protease falcipain-1 in the lifecycle of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum remains poorly understood, we decided to study berghepain-1, the orthologue of the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei by generating a berghepain-1 deletion parasite. Using this mutant, we demonstrate that berghepain-1 has a critical role in both hepatic and erythrocytic merozoite infectivity. Little is known about differences between these two types of merozoites and our data leads us to conclude that these merozoites are not identical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine S. Hopp
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CSH); (BLB); (PS)
| | - Brandy L. Bennett
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CSH); (BLB); (PS)
| | - Satish Mishra
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Kirsten K. Hanson
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jing-wen Lin
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden Malaria Research Group, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Kimberly Rousseau
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Filomena A. Carvalho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Wouter A. van der Linden
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Nuno C. Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Matthew Bogyo
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Shahid M. Khan
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden Malaria Research Group, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden ZA, The Netherlands
| | - Volker Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Photini Sinnis
- Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CSH); (BLB); (PS)
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29
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Purification and antiparasitic activity of a few legume serine proteinase inhibitors: Effect on erythrocyte invasion, schizont rupture and proteolytic processing of the Plasmodium falciparum AMA1 protein. Process Biochem 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2017.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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30
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Bouharoun-Tayoun H, Druilhe P. Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Inhibition (ADCI) of Plasmodium falciparum: One- and Two-Step ADCI Assays. Methods Mol Biol 2016; 1325:131-44. [PMID: 26450385 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2815-6_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
The ADCI assay aims to measure the ability of parasite-specific antibodies, which by triggering blood monocytes, control P. falciparum parasite density. The assay relies on three easily accessible components: blood monocytes, immunoglobulins, and P. falciparum in vitro culture. Yet the reliability of results depends on the quality of the three above components, and therefore great care must be taken with each of them. We describe here different protocols for successfully carrying out the ADCI assay with emphasis on procedures and validation criteria necessary to ensure meaningful results.
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31
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Zhang X, Li Y, Chen Z, Liu Z, Ren Q, Yang J, Zhu X, Guan G, Liu A, Luo J, Yin H. Comparative proteomic and bioinformatic analysis of Theileria luwenshuni and Theileria uilenbergi. Exp Parasitol 2016; 166:51-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Murungi LM, Sondén K, Llewellyn D, Rono J, Guleid F, Williams AR, Ogada E, Thairu A, Färnert A, Marsh K, Draper SJ, Osier FHA. Targets and Mechanisms Associated with Protection from Severe Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Kenyan Children. Infect Immun 2016; 84:950-963. [PMID: 26787721 PMCID: PMC4807498 DOI: 10.1128/iai.01120-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe malaria (SM) is a life-threatening complication of infection with Plasmodium falciparum Epidemiological observations have long indicated that immunity against SM is acquired relatively rapidly, but prospective studies to investigate its immunological basis are logistically challenging and have rarely been undertaken. We investigated the merozoite targets and antibody-mediated mechanisms associated with protection against SM in Kenyan children aged 0 to 2 years. We designed a unique prospective matched case-control study of well-characterized SM clinical phenotypes nested within a longitudinal birth cohort of children (n= 5,949) monitored over the first 2 years of life. We quantified immunological parameters in sera collected before the SM event in cases and their individually matched controls to evaluate the prospective odds of developing SM in the first 2 years of life. Anti-AMA1 antibodies were associated with a significant reduction in the odds of developing SM (odds ratio [OR] = 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.15 to 0.90; P= 0.029) after adjustment for responses to all other merozoite antigens tested, while those against MSP-2, MSP-3, Plasmodium falciparum Rh2 [PfRh2], MSP-119, and the infected red blood cell surface antigens were not. The combined ability of total IgG to inhibit parasite growth and mediate the release of reactive oxygen species from neutrophils was associated with a marked reduction in the odds of developing SM (OR = 0.07; 95% CI = 0.006 to 0.82;P= 0.03). Assays of these two functional mechanisms were poorly correlated (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [rs] = 0.12;P= 0.07). Our data provide epidemiological evidence that multiple antibody-dependent mechanisms contribute to protective immunity via distinct targets whose identification could accelerate the development of vaccines to protect against SM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda M Murungi
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographical Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Klara Sondén
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Llewellyn
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Josea Rono
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographical Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Fatuma Guleid
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographical Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | - Edna Ogada
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographical Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Amos Thairu
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographical Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Anna Färnert
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kevin Marsh
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographical Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J Draper
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Faith H A Osier
- KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographical Medicine Research-Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
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Riglar DT, Whitehead L, Cowman AF, Rogers KL, Baum J. Localisation-based imaging of malarial antigens during erythrocyte entry reaffirms a role for AMA1 but not MTRAP in invasion. J Cell Sci 2015; 129:228-42. [PMID: 26604223 PMCID: PMC4732298 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.177741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Microscopy-based localisation of proteins during malaria parasite (Plasmodium) invasion of the erythrocyte is widely used for tentative assignment of protein function. To date, however, imaging has been limited by the rarity of invasion events and the poor resolution available, given the micron size of the parasite, which leads to a lack of quantitative measures for definitive localisation. Here, using computational image analysis we have attempted to assign relative protein localisation during invasion using wide-field deconvolution microscopy. By incorporating three-dimensional information we present a detailed assessment of known parasite effectors predicted to function during entry but as yet untested or for which data are equivocal. Our method, termed longitudinal intensity profiling, resolves confusion surrounding the localisation of apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) at the merozoite–erythrocyte junction and predicts that the merozoite thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (MTRAP) is unlikely to play a direct role in the mechanics of entry, an observation supported with additional biochemical evidence. This approach sets a benchmark for imaging of complex micron-scale events and cautions against simplistic interpretations of small numbers of representative images for the assignment of protein function or prioritisation of candidates as therapeutic targets. Highlighted Article: Here we develop a high-definition imaging approach to dissect and assign function to proteins involved in the rapid process of malaria parasite invasion of the human erythrocyte.
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Affiliation(s)
- David T Riglar
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3050, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lachlan Whitehead
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3050, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alan F Cowman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3050, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kelly L Rogers
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3050, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jake Baum
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Llewellyn D, Miura K, Fay MP, Williams AR, Murungi LM, Shi J, Hodgson SH, Douglas AD, Osier FH, Fairhurst RM, Diakite M, Pleass RJ, Long CA, Draper SJ. Standardization of the antibody-dependent respiratory burst assay with human neutrophils and Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Sci Rep 2015; 5:14081. [PMID: 26373337 PMCID: PMC4571651 DOI: 10.1038/srep14081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The assessment of naturally-acquired and vaccine-induced immunity to blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum malaria is of long-standing interest. However, the field has suffered from a paucity of in vitro assays that reproducibly measure the anti-parasitic activity induced by antibodies in conjunction with immune cells. Here we optimize the antibody-dependent respiratory burst (ADRB) assay, which assesses the ability of antibodies to activate the release of reactive oxygen species from human neutrophils in response to P. falciparum blood-stage parasites. We focus particularly on assay parameters affecting serum preparation and concentration, and importantly assess reproducibility. Our standardized protocol involves testing each serum sample in singlicate with three independent neutrophil donors, and indexing responses against a standard positive control of pooled hyper-immune Kenyan sera. The protocol can be used to quickly screen large cohorts of samples from individuals enrolled in immuno-epidemiological studies or clinical vaccine trials, and requires only 6 μL of serum per sample. Using a cohort of 86 samples, we show that malaria-exposed individuals induce higher ADRB activity than malaria-naïve individuals. The development of the ADRB assay complements the use of cell-independent assays in blood-stage malaria, such as the assay of growth inhibitory activity, and provides an important standardized cell-based assay in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Llewellyn
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Kazutoyo Miura
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, USA
| | - Michael P. Fay
- Biostatistics Research Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Andrew R. Williams
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Linda M. Murungi
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, P.O. Box 230-80108, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Jianguo Shi
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Susanne H. Hodgson
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Alexander D. Douglas
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Faith H. Osier
- KEMRI Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Coast, P.O. Box 230-80108, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Rick M. Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, USA
| | - Mahamadou Diakite
- Malaria Research and Training Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Odonto-stomatology, University of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Richard J. Pleass
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Carole A. Long
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, USA
| | - Simon J. Draper
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
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Josling G, Petter M, Oehring S, Gupta A, Dietz O, Wilson D, Schubert T, Längst G, Gilson P, Crabb B, Moes S, Jenoe P, Lim S, Brown G, Bozdech Z, Voss T, Duffy M. A Plasmodium Falciparum Bromodomain Protein Regulates Invasion Gene Expression. Cell Host Microbe 2015; 17:741-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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36
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Repnik U, Gangopadhyay P, Bietz S, Przyborski JM, Griffiths G, Lingelbach K. The apicomplexan parasite Babesia divergens internalizes band 3, glycophorin A and spectrin during invasion of human red blood cells. Cell Microbiol 2015; 17:1052-68. [PMID: 25628009 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum invades human red blood cells (RBC), while Babesia divergens infects bovine and, occasionally, human RBC. The mammalian RBC is normally unable to endocytose or phagocytose and the events leading to invasion are incompletely understood. Initially, both parasites are surrounded by the RBC plasma membrane-derived parasitophorous vacuolar membrane (PVM) that is formed during invasion. In P. falciparum-infected RBC, the PVM persists at least until parasite replication is completed whereas it has been proposed that the B. divergens PVM is disintegrated soon upon invasion. Here, we have used a B. divergens strain adapted to human RBC to investigate the formation and fate of the PVM. Using ultrastructural analysis and whole-mount or on-section immunofluorescence and immunogold labelling, we demonstrate that the initial vacuolar membrane is formed from protein and lipid components of the RBC plasma membrane. Integral membrane proteins band 3 and glycophorin A and the cytoskeletal protein spectrin are associated with the PVM of the B. divergens, but are absent from the PVM of P. falciparum at the ring or the trophozoite stage. Our results provide evidence that the biophysical properties of the RBC cytoskeleton per se do not preclude the internalization of cytoskeletal proteins by invading parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urska Repnik
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Preetish Gangopadhyay
- Department of Parasitology, Philipps University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Sven Bietz
- Department of Parasitology, Philipps University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Jude M Przyborski
- Department of Parasitology, Philipps University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
| | - Gareth Griffiths
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Blindernveien 31, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Klaus Lingelbach
- Department of Parasitology, Philipps University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 8, Marburg, 35043, Germany
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Etiopathogenesis and Pathophysiology of Malaria. HUMAN AND MOSQUITO LYSOZYMES 2015. [PMCID: PMC7123976 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-09432-8_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium protozoan parasites and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease is diffused in tropical areas, where it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. P. falciparum is the most dangerous species, mainly affecting young children. The parasite cycle occurs both in humans (asexual stages) and in mosquitoes (sexual stages). In humans, Plasmodium grows and multiplies within red blood cells using hemoglobin as essential source of nutrients and energy. However, this process generates toxic heme that the parasite aggregates into an insoluble inert biocrystal called hemozoin. This molecule sequesters in various organs (liver, spleen, and brain), potentially contributing to the development of malaria immunopathogenesis. Uncomplicated falciparum malaria clinical frame ranges from asymptomatic infection to classic symptoms such as fever, chills, sweating, headache, and muscle aches. However, malaria can also evolve into severe life-threatening complications, including cerebral malaria, severe anemia, respiratory distress, and acute renal failure.
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38
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Amor R, Mahajan S, Amos WB, McConnell G. Standing-wave-excited multiplanar fluorescence in a laser scanning microscope reveals 3D information on red blood cells. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7359. [PMID: 25483987 PMCID: PMC4258645 DOI: 10.1038/srep07359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Standing-wave excitation of fluorescence is highly desirable in optical microscopy because it improves the axial resolution. We demonstrate here that multiplanar excitation of fluorescence by a standing wave can be produced in a single-spot laser scanning microscope by placing a plane reflector close to the specimen. We report here a variation in the intensity of fluorescence of successive planes related to the Stokes shift of the dye. We show by the use of dyes specific for the cell membrane how standing-wave excitation can be exploited to generate precise contour maps of the surface membrane of red blood cells, with an axial resolution of ≈90 nm. The method, which requires only the addition of a plane mirror to an existing confocal laser scanning microscope, may well prove useful in studying diseases which involve the red cell membrane, such as malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rumelo Amor
- Centre for Biophotonics, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, United Kingdom
| | - Sumeet Mahajan
- Institute of Life Sciences and Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - William Bradshaw Amos
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 2QH, United Kingdom
| | - Gail McConnell
- Centre for Biophotonics, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, United Kingdom
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39
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Giganti D, Bouillon A, Tawk L, Robert F, Martinez M, Crublet E, Weber P, Girard-Blanc C, Petres S, Haouz A, Hernandez JF, Mercereau-Puijalon O, Alzari PM, Barale JC. A novel Plasmodium-specific prodomain fold regulates the malaria drug target SUB1 subtilase. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4833. [PMID: 25204226 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Plasmodium subtilase SUB1 plays a pivotal role during the egress of malaria parasites from host hepatocytes and erythrocytes. Here we report the crystal structure of full-length SUB1 from the human-infecting parasite Plasmodium vivax, revealing a bacterial-like catalytic domain in complex with a Plasmodium-specific prodomain. The latter displays a novel architecture with an amino-terminal insertion that functions as a 'belt', embracing the catalytic domain to further stabilize the quaternary structure of the pre-protease, and undergoes calcium-dependent autoprocessing during subsequent activation. Although dispensable for recombinant enzymatic activity, the SUB1 'belt' could not be deleted in Plasmodium berghei, suggesting an essential role of this domain for parasite development in vivo. The SUB1 structure not only provides a valuable platform to develop new anti-malarial candidates against this promising drug target, but also defines the Plasmodium-specific 'belt' domain as a key calcium-dependent regulator of SUB1 during parasite egress from host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Giganti
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité de Microbiologie Structurale, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Anthony Bouillon
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaires des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS URA 2581, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Lina Tawk
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaires des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS URA 2581, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Fabienne Robert
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaires des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS URA 2581, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Mariano Martinez
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité de Microbiologie Structurale, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Elodie Crublet
- Institut Pasteur, Proteopole &CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Patrick Weber
- Institut Pasteur, Proteopole &CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France
| | | | - Stéphane Petres
- Institut Pasteur, Proteopole &CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Ahmed Haouz
- Institut Pasteur, Proteopole &CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-François Hernandez
- Faculté de Pharmacie, Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, UMR5247, CNRS, Universités Montpellier 1 &2, 15 avenue Charles Flahault, 34093 Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Odile Mercereau-Puijalon
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaires des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS URA 2581, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Pedro M Alzari
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité de Microbiologie Structurale, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France [3] Institut Pasteur, Proteopole &CNRS UMR 3528, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Barale
- 1] Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaires des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France [2] CNRS URA 2581, F-75015 Paris, France
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40
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Lee S, Lim D, Lee E, Lee N, Lee HG, Cechetto J, Liuzzi M, Freitas-Junior LH, Song JS, Bae MA, Oh S, Ayong L, Park SB. Discovery of Carbohybrid-Based 2-Aminopyrimidine Analogues As a New Class of Rapid-Acting Antimalarial Agents Using Image-Based Cytological Profiling Assay. J Med Chem 2014; 57:7425-34. [DOI: 10.1021/jm5009693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sukjun Lee
- Early
Discovery Program, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Donghyun Lim
- WCU
Department of Biophysics and Chemical Biology, Seoul National University, San 56-1, Shilim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747, Korea
| | - Eunyoung Lee
- Early
Discovery Program, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Nakyung Lee
- Center
for Neglected Diseases Drug Discovery (CND3), Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Hong-gun Lee
- Center
for Core Technologies, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Jonathan Cechetto
- Center
for Core Technologies, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Michel Liuzzi
- Early
Discovery Program, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Lucio H. Freitas-Junior
- Center
for Neglected Diseases Drug Discovery (CND3), Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Jin Sook Song
- Drug
Discovery Platform Technology Group, Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 305-600, Korea
| | - Myung Ae Bae
- Drug
Discovery Platform Technology Group, Drug Discovery Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon 305-600, Korea
| | - Sangmi Oh
- Medicinal
Chemistry and Chemical Biology Group, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Lawrence Ayong
- Early
Discovery Program, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-400, Korea
| | - Seung Bum Park
- WCU
Department of Biophysics and Chemical Biology, Seoul National University, San 56-1, Shilim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747, Korea
- Department
of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, Korea
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41
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Molecular characterization of Plasmodium falciparum uracil-DNA glycosylase and its potential as a new anti-malarial drug target. Malar J 2014; 13:149. [PMID: 24742318 PMCID: PMC3997752 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-13-149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Based on resistance of currently used anti-malarials, a new anti-malarial drug target against Plasmodium falciparum is urgently needed. Damaged DNA cannot be transcribed without prior DNA repair; therefore, uracil-DNA glycosylase, playing an important role in base excision repair, may act as a candidate for a new anti-malarial drug target. METHODS Initially, the native PfUDG from parasite crude extract was partially purified using two columns, and the glycosylase activity was monitored. The existence of malarial UDG activity prompted the recombinant expression of PfUDG for further characterization. The PfUDG from chloroquine and pyrimethamine resistant P. falciparum strain K1 was amplified, cloned into the expression vector, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant PfUDG was analysed by SDS-PAGE and identified by LC-MS/MS. The three dimensional structure was modelled. Biochemical properties were characterized. Inhibitory effects of 12 uracil-derivatives on PfUDG activity were investigated. Inhibition of parasite growth was determined in vitro using SYBR Green I and compared with results from human cytotoxicity tests. RESULTS The native PfUDG was partially purified with a specific activity of 1,811.7 units/mg (113.2 fold purification). After cloning of 966-bp PCR product, the 40-kDa hexa-histidine tagged PfUDG was expressed and identified. The amino acid sequence of PfUDG showed only 24.8% similarity compared with the human enzyme. The biochemical characteristics of PfUDGs were quite similar. They were inhibited by uracil glycosylase inhibitor protein as found in other organisms. Interestingly, recombinant PfUDG was inhibited by two uracil-derived compounds; 1-methoxyethyl-6-(p-n-octylanilino)uracil (IC50 of 16.75 μM) and 6-(phenylhydrazino)uracil (IC50 of 77.5 μM). Both compounds also inhibited parasite growth with IC50s of 15.6 and 12.8 μM, respectively. Moreover, 1-methoxyethyl-6-(p-n-octylanilino)uracil was not toxic to HepG2 cells, with IC50 of > 160 μM while 6-(phenylhydrazino)uracil exhibited cytoxicity, with IC50 of 27.5 μM. CONCLUSIONS The recombinant PfUDG was expressed, characterized and compared to partially purified native PfUDG. Their characteristics were not significantly different. PfUDG differs from human enzyme in its size and predicted amino acid sequence. Two uracil derivatives inhibited PfUDG and parasite growth; however, only one non-cytotoxic compound was found. Therefore, this selective compound can act as a lead compound for anti-malarial development in the future.
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42
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Mandal S. Epidemiological aspects of vivax and falciparum malaria: global spectrum. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(14)60410-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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43
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Child MA. Chemical biology approaches for the study of apicomplexan parasites. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2013; 192:1-9. [PMID: 24333788 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2013] [Revised: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Chemical biology and the techniques the field encompasses provide scientists with the means to address biological questions in ever-evolving and technically sophisticated ways. They facilitate the dissection of molecular mechanisms of cell phenomena on timescales not achievable by other means. Libraries of small molecules, bioorthogonal chemistries and technical advances in mass-spectrometry techniques enable the modern chemical biologist to tackle even the most difficult of biological questions. It is because of their broad applicability that these approaches are well suited to systems less tractable to more classical genetic methods. As such, the parasite community has embraced them with great success. Some of these successes and the continuing evolution of chemical biology applied to apicomplexans will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Child
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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44
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Douglas AD, Williams AR, Knuepfer E, Illingworth JJ, Furze JM, Crosnier C, Choudhary P, Bustamante LY, Zakutansky SE, Awuah DK, Alanine DGW, Theron M, Worth A, Shimkets R, Rayner JC, Holder AA, Wright GJ, Draper SJ. Neutralization of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites by antibodies against PfRH5. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 192:245-58. [PMID: 24293631 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1302045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There is intense interest in induction and characterization of strain-transcending neutralizing Ab against antigenically variable human pathogens. We have recently identified the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homolog 5 (PfRH5) as a target of broadly neutralizing Abs, but there is little information regarding the functional mechanism(s) of Ab-mediated neutralization. In this study, we report that vaccine-induced polyclonal anti-PfRH5 Abs inhibit the tight attachment of merozoites to erythrocytes and are capable of blocking the interaction of PfRH5 with its receptor basigin. Furthermore, by developing anti-PfRH5 mAbs, we provide evidence of the following: 1) the ability to block the PfRH5-basigin interaction in vitro is predictive of functional activity, but absence of blockade does not predict absence of functional activity; 2) neutralizing mAbs bind spatially related epitopes on the folded protein, involving at least two defined regions of the PfRH5 primary sequence; 3) a brief exposure window of PfRH5 is likely to necessitate rapid binding of Ab to neutralize parasites; and 4) intact bivalent IgG contributes to but is not necessary for parasite neutralization. These data provide important insight into the mechanisms of broadly neutralizing anti-malaria Abs and further encourage anti-PfRH5-based malaria prevention efforts.
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45
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Abstract
Malaria is transmitted when motile sporozoites are injected into the dermis by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Inside the mosquito vector, sporozoites egress from midgut-associated oocysts and eventually penetrate the acinar cells of salivary glands. Parasite-encoded factors with exclusive vital roles in the insect vector can be studied by classical reverse genetics. Here, we characterized the in vivo roles of Plasmodium berghei falstatin/ICP (inhibitor of cysteine proteases). This protein was previously suggested to act as a protease inhibitor during erythrocyte invasion. We show by targeted gene disruption that loss of ICP function does not affect growth inside the mammalian host but causes a complete defect in sporozoite transmission. Sporogony occurred normally in icp(−) parasites, but hemocoel sporozoites showed a defect in continuous gliding motility and infectivity for salivary glands, which are prerequisites for sporozoite transmission to the mammalian host. Absence of ICP correlates with enhanced cleavage of circumsporozoite protein, in agreement with a role as a protease regulator. We conclude that ICP is essential for only the final stages of sporozoite maturation inside the mosquito vector. This study is the first genetic evidence that an ICP is necessary for the productive motility of a eukaryotic parasitic cell. Cysteine proteases and their inhibitors are considered ideal drug targets for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, including cancer and parasitic infections. In protozoan parasites, including Leishmania, Trypanosoma, and Plasmodium, cysteine proteases play important roles in life cycle progression. A mouse malaria model provides an unprecedented opportunity to study the roles of a parasite-encoded inhibitor of cysteine proteases (ICP) over the entire parasite life cycle. By precise gene deletion, we found no evidence that ICP influences disease progression or parasite virulence. Instead, we discovered that this factor is necessary for parasite movement and malaria transmission from mosquitoes to mammals. This finding in a fast-moving unicellular protozoan has important implications for malaria intervention strategies and the roles of ICPs in the regulation of eukaryotic cell migration.
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46
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Garg S, Agarwal S, Kumar S, Yazdani SS, Chitnis CE, Singh S. Calcium-dependent permeabilization of erythrocytes by a perforin-like protein during egress of malaria parasites. Nat Commun 2013; 4:1736. [PMID: 23591903 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical malaria is associated with proliferation of blood-stage parasites. During the blood stage, Plasmodium parasites invade host red blood cells, multiply, egress and reinvade uninfected red blood cells to continue the life cycle. Here we demonstrate that calcium-dependent permeabilization of host red blood cells is critical for egress of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites. Although perforin-like proteins have been predicted to mediate membrane perforation during egress, the expression, activity and mechanism of action of these proteins have not been demonstrated. Here, we show that two perforin-like proteins, perforin-like protein 1 and perforin-like protein 2, are expressed in the blood stage. Perforin-like protein 1 localizes to the red blood cell membrane and parasitophorous vacuolar membrane in mature schizonts following its Ca(2+)-dependent discharge from micronemes. Furthermore, perforin-like protein 1 shows Ca(2+)-dependent permeabilization and membranolytic activities suggesting that it may be one of the effector proteins that mediate Ca(2+)-dependent membrane perforation during egress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Garg
- Malaria Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, India
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47
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Tawk L, Lacroix C, Gueirard P, Kent R, Gorgette O, Thiberge S, Mercereau-Puijalon O, Ménard R, Barale JC. A key role for Plasmodium subtilisin-like SUB1 protease in egress of malaria parasites from host hepatocytes. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:33336-46. [PMID: 24089525 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.513234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In their mammalian host, Plasmodium parasites have two obligatory intracellular development phases, first in hepatocytes and subsequently in erythrocytes. Both involve an orchestrated process of invasion into and egress from host cells. The Plasmodium SUB1 protease plays a dual role at the blood stage by enabling egress of the progeny merozoites from the infected erythrocyte and priming merozoites for subsequent erythrocyte invasion. Here, using conditional mutagenesis in P. berghei, we show that SUB1 plays an essential role at the hepatic stage. Stage-specific sub1 invalidation during prehepatocytic development showed that SUB1-deficient parasites failed to rupture the parasitophorous vacuole membrane and to egress from hepatocytes. Furthermore, mechanically released parasites were not adequately primed and failed to establish a blood stage infection in vivo. The critical involvement of SUB1 in both pre-erythrocytic and erythrocytic developmental phases qualifies SUB1 as an attractive multistage target for prophylactic and therapeutic anti-Plasmodium intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Tawk
- From the Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaire des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France
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48
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Crick AJ, Tiffert T, Shah SM, Kotar J, Lew VL, Cicuta P. An automated live imaging platform for studying merozoite egress-invasion in malaria cultures. Biophys J 2013; 104:997-1005. [PMID: 23473482 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2012] [Revised: 01/11/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Most cases of severe and fatal malaria are caused by the intraerythrocytic asexual reproduction cycle of Plasmodium falciparum. One of the most intriguing and least understood stages in this cycle is the brief preinvasion period during which dynamic merozoite-red-cell interactions align the merozoite apex in preparation for penetration. Studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in this process face formidable technical challenges, requiring multiple observations of merozoite egress-invasion sequences in live cultures under controlled experimental conditions, using high-resolution microscopy and a variety of fluorescent imaging tools. Here we describe a first successful step in the development of a fully automated, robotic imaging platform to enable such studies. Schizont-enriched live cultures of P. falciparum were set up on an inverted stage microscope with software-controlled motorized functions. By applying a variety of imaging filters and selection criteria, we identified infected red cells that were likely to rupture imminently, and recorded their coordinates. We developed a video-image analysis to detect and automatically record merozoite egress events in 100% of the 40 egress-invasion sequences recorded in this study. We observed a substantial polymorphism of the dynamic condition of pre-egress infected cells, probably reflecting asynchronies in the diversity of confluent processes leading to merozoite release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Crick
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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49
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Bouillon A, Giganti D, Benedet C, Gorgette O, Pêtres S, Crublet E, Girard-Blanc C, Witkowski B, Ménard D, Nilges M, Mercereau-Puijalon O, Stoven V, Barale JC. In Silico screening on the three-dimensional model of the Plasmodium vivax SUB1 protease leads to the validation of a novel anti-parasite compound. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:18561-73. [PMID: 23653352 PMCID: PMC3689996 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.456764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Widespread drug resistance calls for the urgent development of new antimalarials that target novel steps in the life cycle of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. The essential subtilisin-like serine protease SUB1 of Plasmodium merozoites plays a dual role in egress from and invasion into host erythrocytes. It belongs to a new generation of attractive drug targets against which specific potent inhibitors are actively searched. We characterize here the P. vivax SUB1 enzyme and show that it displays a typical auto-processing pattern and apical localization in P. vivax merozoites. To search for small PvSUB1 inhibitors, we took advantage of the similarity of SUB1 with bacterial subtilisins and generated P. vivax SUB1 three-dimensional models. The structure-based virtual screening of a large commercial chemical compounds library identified 306 virtual best hits, of which 37 were experimentally confirmed inhibitors and 5 had Ki values of <50 μM for PvSUB1. Interestingly, they belong to different chemical families. The most promising competitive inhibitor of PvSUB1 (compound 2) was equally active on PfSUB1 and displayed anti-P. falciparum and Plasmodium berghei activity in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Compound 2 inhibited the endogenous PfSUB1 as illustrated by the inhibited maturation of its natural substrate PfSERA5 and inhibited parasite egress and subsequent erythrocyte invasion. These data indicate that the strategy of in silico screening of three-dimensional models to select for virtual inhibitors combined with stringent biological validation successfully identified several inhibitors of the PvSUB1 enzyme. The most promising hit proved to be a potent cross-inhibitor of PlasmodiumSUB1, laying the groundwork for the development of a globally active small compound antimalarial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Bouillon
- From the Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaire des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France
- CNRS, URA2581, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - David Giganti
- the Institut Pasteur, Unité de Bioinformatique Structurale, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR3258, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Christophe Benedet
- the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Olivier Gorgette
- From the Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaire des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France
- CNRS, URA2581, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Pêtres
- the Institut Pasteur, Proteopole, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Elodie Crublet
- the Institut Pasteur, Proteopole, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Christine Girard-Blanc
- the Institut Pasteur, Proteopole, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Benoit Witkowski
- the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Didier Ménard
- the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Michael Nilges
- the Institut Pasteur, Unité de Bioinformatique Structurale, Département de Biologie Structurale et Chimie, F-75015 Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR3258, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Odile Mercereau-Puijalon
- From the Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaire des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France
- CNRS, URA2581, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Véronique Stoven
- the Center for Computational Biology, Mines-ParisTech, Fontainebleau F-77300 France, and
- the Institut Curie, INSERM U900, F-75248 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Barale
- From the Institut Pasteur, Unité d'Immunologie Moléculaire des Parasites, Département de Parasitologie et de Mycologie, F-75015 Paris, France
- CNRS, URA2581, F-75015 Paris, France
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Collins CR, Hackett F, Strath M, Penzo M, Withers-Martinez C, Baker DA, Blackman MJ. Malaria parasite cGMP-dependent protein kinase regulates blood stage merozoite secretory organelle discharge and egress. PLoS Pathog 2013; 9:e1003344. [PMID: 23675297 PMCID: PMC3649973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1003344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria parasite replicates within an intraerythrocytic parasitophorous vacuole (PV). Eventually, in a tightly regulated process called egress, proteins of the PV and intracellular merozoite surface are modified by an essential parasite serine protease called PfSUB1, whilst the enclosing PV and erythrocyte membranes rupture, releasing merozoites to invade fresh erythrocytes. Inhibition of the Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) prevents egress, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here we show that PfPKG activity is required for PfSUB1 discharge into the PV, as well as for release of distinct merozoite organelles called micronemes. Stimulation of PfPKG by inhibiting parasite phosphodiesterase activity induces premature PfSUB1 discharge and egress of developmentally immature, non-invasive parasites. Our findings identify the signalling pathway that regulates PfSUB1 function and egress, and raise the possibility of targeting PfPKG or parasite phosphodiesterases in therapeutic approaches to dysregulate critical protease-mediated steps in the parasite life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R. Collins
- Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Hackett
- Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm Strath
- Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Penzo
- Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - David A. Baker
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J. Blackman
- Division of Parasitology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, United Kingdom
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