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Wang S, Wang J, Li D, Chen F, Luo W, Zhao J, He L. Transfection of Babesia duncani: A Genetic Toolbox of this Pathogen to Advance Babesia Biology. Bio Protoc 2024; 14:e5016. [PMID: 38948263 PMCID: PMC11211078 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.5016] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia pathogens. The disease, which presents with malaria-like symptoms, can be life-threatening, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems and the elderly. The worldwide prevalence of human babesiosis has been gradually rising, prompting alarm among public health experts. In other pathogens, genetic techniques have proven to be valuable tools for conducting functional studies to understand the importance of specific genes in development and pathogenesis as well as to validate novel cellular targets for drug discovery. Genetic manipulation methods have been established for several non-human Babesia and Theileria species and, more recently, have begun to be developed for human Babesia parasites. We have previously reported the development of a method for genetic manipulation of the human pathogen Babesia duncani. This method is based on positive selection using the hDHFR gene as a selectable marker, whose expression is regulated by the ef-1aB promoter, along with homology regions that facilitate integration into the gene of interest through homologous recombination. Herein, we provide a detailed description of the steps needed to implement this strategy in B. duncani to study gene function. It is anticipated that the implementation of this method will significantly improve our understanding of babesiosis and facilitate the development of novel and more effective therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human babesiosis. Key features This protocol provides an effective means of transfection of B. duncani, enabling genetic manipulation and editing to gain further insights into its biology and pathogenesis. The protocol outlined here for the electroporation of B. duncani represents an advancement over previous methods used for B. bovis [1]. Improvements include higher volume of culture used during the electroporation step and an enhancement in the number of electroporation pulses. These modifications likely enhance the efficiency of gene editing in B. duncani, allowing for quicker and more effective selection of transgenic parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jianyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Dongfang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Fangwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wanxin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Hart TM, Sonnert ND, Tang X, Chaurasia R, Allen PE, Hunt JR, Read CB, Johnson EE, Arora G, Dai Y, Cui Y, Chuang YM, Yu Q, Rahman MS, Mendes MT, Rolandelli A, Singh P, Tripathi AK, Ben Mamoun C, Caimano MJ, Radolf JD, Lin YP, Fingerle V, Margos G, Pal U, Johnson RM, Pedra JHF, Azad AF, Salje J, Dimopoulos G, Vinetz JM, Carlyon JA, Palm NW, Fikrig E, Ring AM. An atlas of human vector-borne microbe interactions reveals pathogenicity mechanisms. Cell 2024:S0092-8674(24)00532-4. [PMID: 38876107 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide and pose a substantial unmet medical need. Pathogens binding to host extracellular proteins (the "exoproteome") represents a crucial interface in the etiology of vector-borne disease. Here, we used bacterial selection to elucidate host-microbe interactions in high throughput (BASEHIT)-a technique enabling interrogation of microbial interactions with 3,324 human exoproteins-to profile the interactomes of 82 human-pathogen samples, including 30 strains of arthropod-borne pathogens and 8 strains of related non-vector-borne pathogens. The resulting atlas revealed 1,303 putative interactions, including hundreds of pairings with potential roles in pathogenesis, including cell invasion, tissue colonization, immune evasion, and host sensing. Subsequent functional investigations uncovered that Lyme disease spirochetes recognize epidermal growth factor as an environmental cue of transcriptional regulation and that conserved interactions between intracellular pathogens and thioredoxins facilitate cell invasion. In summary, this interactome atlas provides molecular-level insights into microbial pathogenesis and reveals potential host-directed targets for next-generation therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Hart
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Nicole D Sonnert
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Xiaotian Tang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Reetika Chaurasia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Paige E Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Jason R Hunt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Curtis B Read
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Emily E Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Gunjan Arora
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yile Dai
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yingjun Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yu-Min Chuang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Qian Yu
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - M Sayeedur Rahman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M Tays Mendes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Agustin Rolandelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Abhai K Tripathi
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Melissa J Caimano
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Justin D Radolf
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; Department of Immunology, UConn Health, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201, USA
| | - Volker Fingerle
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Munich 85764, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Gabriele Margos
- Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Munich 85764, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Utpal Pal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Raymond M Johnson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Joao H F Pedra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Abdu F Azad
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jeanne Salje
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - George Dimopoulos
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joseph M Vinetz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Laboratorio ICEMR-Amazonia, Laboratorios de Investigación Y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias Y Filosofia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15102, Peru
| | - Jason A Carlyon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
| | - Noah W Palm
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Aaron M Ring
- Translational Science and Therapeutics Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98102, USA.
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Vydyam P, Chand M, Pou S, Winter RW, Liebman KM, Nilsen A, Doggett JS, Riscoe MK, Ben Mamoun C. Effectiveness of Two New Endochin-like Quinolones, ELQ-596 and ELQ-650, in Experimental Mouse Models of Human Babesiosis. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1405-1413. [PMID: 38563132 PMCID: PMC11127568 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Endochin-like quinolones (ELQs) define a class of small molecule antimicrobials that target the mitochondrial electron transport chain of various human parasites by inhibiting their cytochrome bc1 complexes. The compounds have shown potent activity against a wide range of protozoan parasites, including the intraerythrocytic parasites Plasmodium and Babesia, the agents of human malaria and babesiosis, respectively. First-generation ELQ compounds were previously found to reduce infection by Babesia microti and Babesia duncani in animal models of human babesiosis but achieved a radical cure only in combination with atovaquone and required further optimization to address pharmacological limitations. Here, we report the identification of two second-generation 3-biaryl ELQ compounds, ELQ-596 and ELQ-650, with potent antibabesial activity in vitro and favorable pharmacological properties. In particular, ELQ-598, a prodrug of ELQ-596, demonstrated high efficacy as an orally administered monotherapy at 10 mg/kg. The compound achieved radical cure in both the chronic model of B. microti-induced babesiosis in immunocompromised mice and the lethal infection model induced by B. duncani in immunocompetent mice. Given its high potency, favorable physicochemical properties, and low toxicity profile, ELQ-596 represents a promising drug for the treatment of human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Vydyam
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Meenal Chand
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Sovitj Pou
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Rolf W. Winter
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Katherine M. Liebman
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Aaron Nilsen
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
- Department of Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - J. Stone Doggett
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Michael K. Riscoe
- Experimental Chemotherapy Lab, VA Medical Center, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Chand M, Vydyam P, Pal AC, Thekkiniath J, Darif D, Li Z, Choi JY, Magni R, Luchini A, Tonnetti L, Horn EJ, Tufts DM, Ben Mamoun C. A Set of Diagnostic Tests for Detection of Active Babesia duncani Infection. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.03.25.24304816. [PMID: 38585766 PMCID: PMC10996717 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.25.24304816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a rapidly emerging and potentially fatal tick-borne disease caused by intraerythrocytic apicomplexan parasites of the Babesia genus. Among the various species of Babesia that infect humans, B. duncani has been found to cause severe and life-threatening infections. Detection of active B. duncani infection is critical for accurate diagnosis and effective management of the disease. While molecular assays for the detection of B. duncani infection in blood are available, a reliable strategy to detect biomarkers of active infection has not yet been developed. Here, we report the development of the first B. duncani antigen capture assays that rely on the detection of two B. duncani -exported immunodominant antigens, BdV234 and BdV38. The assays were validated using blood samples from cultured parasites in human erythrocytes and B. duncani -infected laboratory mice at different parasitemia levels and following therapy. The assays display high specificity with no cross-reactivity with B. microti , B. divergens , Babesia MO1, or P. falciparum. The assay also demonstrates high sensitivity, detecting as low as 115 infected erythrocytes/µl of blood. Screening of 1,731 blood samples from diverse biorepositories, including previously identified Lyme and/or B. microti positive human samples and new specimens from field mice, showed no evidence of B. duncani infection in these samples. The assays could be useful in diverse diagnostic scenarios, including point-of-care testing for early B. duncani infection detection in patients, field tests for screening reservoir hosts, and high-throughput screening such as blood collected for transfusion. Short summary We developed two ELISA-based assays, BdACA38 and BdACA234, for detecting B. duncani , a potentially fatal tick-borne parasite causing human babesiosis. The assays target two immunodominant antigens, BdV234 and BdV38, demonstrating high specificity (no cross-reactivity with other Babesia species or Plasmodium falciparum ) and sensitivity (detecting as low as 115 infected erythrocytes/µl). The assays were validated using in vitro-cultured parasites and infected mice. Screening diverse blood samples showed no evidence of B. duncani active infection among 1,731 human and field mice blood samples collected from the north-eastern, midwestern, and western US. These assays offer potential in diverse diagnostic scenarios, including early patient detection, reservoir animal screening, and transfusion-transmitted babesiosis prevention.
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Keroack CD, Elsworth B, Tennessen JA, Paul AS, Hua R, Ramirez-Ramirez L, Ye S, Moreira CK, Meyers MJ, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh MT. Comparative chemical genomics in Babesia species identifies the alkaline phosphatase PhoD as a determinant of antiparasitic resistance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312987121. [PMID: 38377214 PMCID: PMC10907312 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312987121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is an emerging zoonosis and widely distributed veterinary infection caused by 100+ species of Babesia parasites. The diversity of Babesia parasites and the lack of specific drugs necessitate the discovery of broadly effective antibabesials. Here, we describe a comparative chemogenomics (CCG) pipeline for the identification of conserved targets. CCG relies on parallel in vitro evolution of resistance in independent populations of Babesia spp. (B. bovis and B. divergens). We identified a potent antibabesial, MMV019266, from the Malaria Box, and selected for resistance in two species of Babesia. After sequencing of multiple independently derived lines in the two species, we identified mutations in a membrane-bound metallodependent phosphatase (phoD). In both species, the mutations were found in the phoD-like phosphatase domain. Using reverse genetics, we validated that mutations in bdphoD confer resistance to MMV019266 in B. divergens. We have also demonstrated that BdPhoD localizes to the endomembrane system and partially with the apicoplast. Finally, conditional knockdown and constitutive overexpression of BdPhoD alter the sensitivity to MMV019266 in the parasite. Overexpression of BdPhoD results in increased sensitivity to the compound, while knockdown increases resistance, suggesting BdPhoD is a pro-susceptibility factor. Together, we have generated a robust pipeline for identification of resistance loci and identified BdPhoD as a resistance mechanism in Babesia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline D. Keroack
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Brendan Elsworth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Jacob A. Tennessen
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Aditya S. Paul
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Renee Hua
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Luz Ramirez-Ramirez
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Sida Ye
- Department of Mathematics, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
| | - Cristina K. Moreira
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Marvin J. Meyers
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO63103
| | - Kourosh Zarringhalam
- Department of Mathematics, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
- Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA02125
| | - Manoj T. Duraisingh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
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Vydyam P, Pal AC, Renard I, Chand M, Kumari V, Gennaro JC, Mamoun CB. Tafenoquine-Atovaquone Combination Achieves Radical Cure and Confers Sterile Immunity in Experimental Models of Human Babesiosis. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:161-172. [PMID: 38169301 PMCID: PMC10786256 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a potentially fatal tick-borne disease caused by intraerythrocytic Babesia parasites. The emergence of resistance to recommended therapies highlights the need for new and more effective treatments. Here we demonstrate that the 8-aminoquinoline antimalarial drug tafenoquine inhibits the growth of different Babesia species in vitro, is highly effective against Babesia microti and Babesia duncani in mice and protects animals from lethal infection caused by atovaquone-sensitive and -resistant B. duncani strains. We further show that a combination of tafenoquine and atovaquone achieves cure with no recrudescence in both models of human babesiosis. Interestingly, elimination of B. duncani infection in animals following drug treatment also confers immunity to subsequent challenge. Altogether, the data demonstrate superior efficacy of tafenoquine plus atovaquone combination over current therapies for the treatment of human babesiosis and highlight its potential in providing protective immunity against Babesia following parasite clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Vydyam
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Anasuya C Pal
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Isaline Renard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Meenal Chand
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Vandana Kumari
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Joseph C Gennaro
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Vydyam P, Choi JY, Gihaz S, Chand M, Gewirtz M, Thekkiniath J, Lonardi S, Gennaro JC, Ben Mamoun C. Babesia BdFE1 esterase is required for the anti-parasitic activity of the ACE inhibitor fosinopril. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105313. [PMID: 37797695 PMCID: PMC10663679 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Effective and safe therapies for the treatment of diseases caused by intraerythrocytic parasites are impeded by the rapid emergence of drug resistance and the lack of novel drug targets. One such disease is human babesiosis, which is a rapidly emerging tick-borne illness caused by Babesia parasites. In this study, we identified fosinopril, a phosphonate-containing, FDA-approved angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor commonly used as a prodrug for hypertension and heart failure, as a potent inhibitor of Babesia duncani parasite development within human erythrocytes. Cell biological and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the conversion of fosinopril to its active diacid molecule, fosinoprilat, is essential for its antiparasitic activity. We show that this conversion is mediated by a parasite-encoded esterase, BdFE1, which is highly conserved among apicomplexan parasites. Parasites carrying the L238H mutation in the active site of BdFE1 failed to convert the prodrug to its active moiety and became resistant to the drug. Our data set the stage for the development of this class of drugs for the therapy of vector-borne parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Vydyam
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jae-Yeon Choi
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Shalev Gihaz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Meenal Chand
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Meital Gewirtz
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Stefano Lonardi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Joseph C Gennaro
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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Wang Y, Zhang S, Li X, Nian Y, Liu X, Liu J, Yin H, Guan G, Wang J. A high-resolution melting approach for the simultaneous differentiation of five human babesiosis-causing Babesia species. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:299. [PMID: 37641091 PMCID: PMC10463647 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05839-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Six species of apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia, namely B. microti, B. divergens, B. duncani, B. motasi, B. crassa-like and B. venatorum, are considered to be the primary causal agents of human babesiosis in endemic areas. These six species possess variable degrees of virulence for their primary hosts. Therefore, the accurate identification of these species is critical for the adoption of appropriate therapeutic strategies. METHODS We developed a real-time PCR-high-resolution melting (qPCR-HRM) approach targeting 18S ribosomal RNA gene of five Babesia spp. based on melting temperature (Tm) and genotype confidence percentage values. This approach was then evaluated using 429 blood samples collected from patients with a history of tick bites, 120 DNA samples mixed with plasmids and 80 laboratory-infected animal samples. RESULTS The sensitivity and specificity of the proposed qPCR-HRM method were 95% and 100%, respectively, and the detection limit was 1-100 copies of the plasmid with the cloned target gene. The detection level depended on the species of Babesia analyzed. The primers designed in this study ensured not only the high interspecific specificity of our proposed method but also a high versatility for different isolates from the same species worldwide. Additionally, the Tm obtained from the prepared plasmid standard is theoretically suitable for identifying isolates of all known sequences of the five Babesia species. CONCLUSIONS The developed detection method provides a useful tool for the epidemiological investigation of human babesiosis and pre-transfusion screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shangdi Zhang
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyun Li
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
| | - Yueli Nian
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyue Liu
- The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Junlong Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
| | - Hong Yin
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Disease and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009 China
| | - Guiquan Guan
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinming Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, Gansu People’s Republic of China
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9
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Akash S, Hosen ME, Mahmood S, Supti SJ, Kumer A, Sultana S, Jannat S, Bayıl I, Nafidi HA, Jardan YAB, Mekonnen AB, Bourhia M. Anti-parasitic drug discovery against Babesia microti by natural compounds: an extensive computational drug design approach. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1222913. [PMID: 37662005 PMCID: PMC10469490 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1222913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne Babesiosis is a parasitic infection caused by Babesia microti that can infect both animals and humans and may spread by tick, blood transfusions, and organ transplantation. The current therapeutic options for B. microti are limited, and drug resistance is a concern. This study proposes using computational drug design approaches to find and design an effective drug against B. microti. The study investigated the potentiality of nine natural compounds against the pathogenic human B. microti parasite and identified Vasicinone and Evodiamine as the most promising drugs. The ligand structures were optimized using density functional theory, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, quantum mechanics such as HOMO-LUMO, drug-likeness and theoretical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET), and pharmacokinetics characteristics performed. The results showed that Vasicinone (-8.6 kcal/mol and -7.8 kcal/mol) and Evodiamine (-8.7 kcal/mol and -8.5 kcal/mol) had the highest binding energy and anti-parasitic activity against B. microti lactate dehydrogenase and B. microti lactate dehydrogenase apo form. The strongest binding energy was reported by Vasicinone and Evodiamine; the compounds were evaluated through molecular dynamics simulation at 100 ns, and their stability when they form complexes with the targeted receptors was determined. Finally, the pkCSM web server is employed to predict the ADMET qualities of specific molecules, which can help prevent negative effects that arise from taking the treatment. The SwissADME web server is used to assess the Lipinski rule of five and drug-likeness properties including topological polar surface area and bioavailability. The Lipinski rule is used to estimate significant drug-likeness. The theoretical pharmacokinetics analysis and drug-likeness of the selected compounds are confirmed to be accepted by the Lipinski rule and have better ADMET features. Thus, to confirm their experimental value, these mentioned molecules should be suggested to carry out in wet lab, pre-clinical, and clinical levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shopnil Akash
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Daffodil International, University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Eram Hosen
- Professor Joarder DNA and Chromosome Research Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
| | - Sajjat Mahmood
- Department of Microbiology, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sumaiya Jahan Supti
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
| | - Ajoy Kumer
- Laboratory of Computational Research for Drug Design and Material Science, Department of Chemistry, European University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shamima Sultana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health and Life Sciences. North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sultana Jannat
- Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Imren Bayıl
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Türkiye
| | - Hiba-Allah Nafidi
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Yousef A. Bin Jardan
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, Laayoune, Morocco
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10
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Han Z, Zheng Y, Shi Y, Chen F, Wu C, Wang L, Lu S, Li D, Guan X, He L, Zhao J. Transcriptional variation in Babesia gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) between in vivo and in vitro cultures in blood stage. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:268. [PMID: 37550766 PMCID: PMC10408140 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05869-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Babesia gibsoni, the causative agent of canine babesiosis, belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa. The development of in vitro culture technology has driven research progress in various kinds of omics studies, including transcriptomic analysis of Plasmodium spp. between in vitro and in vivo environments, which has prompted the observation of diagnostic antigens and vaccine development. Nevertheless, no information on Babesia spp. could be obtained in this respect, which greatly hinders the further understanding of parasite growth and development in the blood stage. METHODS In this study, considerable changes in the morphology and infectivity of continuous in vitro cultured B. gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) were observed compared to in vivo parasites. Based on these changes, B. gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) was collected from both in vivo and in vitro cultures, followed by total RNA extraction and Illumina transcriptome sequencing. The acquired differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were validated using qRT-PCR, and then functionally annotated through several databases. The gene with the greatest upregulation after in vitro culture was cloned from the genome of B. gibsoni (Wuhan isolate) and characterized by western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence assay for detecting the native form and cellular localization. RESULTS Through laboratory cultivation, multiple forms of parasites were observed, and the infectivity of in vitro cultured parasites in dogs was found to be lower. Based on these changes, Illumina transcriptome sequencing was conducted, showing that 377 unigenes were upregulated and 334 unigenes were downregulated. Notably, an AP2 transcription factor family, essential for all developmental stages of parasites, was screened, and the transcriptional changes in these family members were tested. Thus, the novel AP2 transcription factor gene (BgAP2-M) with the highest upregulated expression after in vitro adaptation was selected. This gene comprises an open reading frame (ORF) of 1989 base pairs encoding a full-length protein of 662 amino acids. BgAP2-M contains one AP2 domain and one ACDC conserved domain, which may be involved in the nuclear biology of parasites. The prepared polyclonal antibodies against the BgAP2-M peptides further detected a native size of ~ 73 kDa and were localized to the nuclei of B. gibsoni. CONCLUSION This study presents a thorough transcriptome analysis of B. gibsoni in vivo and in vitro for the first time, contributing to a detailed understanding of the effects of environmental changes on the growth and development of parasites in the blood stage. Moreover, it also provides a deeper investigation for the different members of the ApiAP2 transcription factor family as various life stage regulators in Babesia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Han
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yaxin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Fangwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Chenglong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Lingna Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Shiyu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Dongfang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Xingai Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, The Cooperative Innovation Center for Sustainable Pig Production, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
- Key Laboratory of Development of Veterinary Diagnostic Products, Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.
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11
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Keroack CD, Elsworth B, Tennessen JA, Paul AS, Hua R, Ramirez-Ramirez L, Ye S, Moreira CM, Meyers MJ, Zarringhalam K, Duraisingh MT. Comparative chemical genomics in Babesia species identifies the alkaline phosphatase phoD as a novel determinant of resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.13.544849. [PMID: 37398106 PMCID: PMC10312741 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.13.544849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Babesiosis is an emerging zoonosis and widely distributed veterinary infection caused by 100+ species of Babesia parasites. The diversity of Babesia parasites, coupled with the lack of potent inhibitors necessitates the discovery of novel conserved druggable targets for the generation of broadly effective antibabesials. Here, we describe a comparative chemogenomics (CCG) pipeline for the identification of novel and conserved targets. CCG relies on parallel in vitro evolution of resistance in independent populations of evolutionarily-related Babesia spp. ( B. bovis and B. divergens ). We identified a potent antibabesial inhibitor from the Malaria Box, MMV019266. We were able to select for resistance to this compound in two species of Babesia, achieving 10-fold or greater resistance after ten weeks of intermittent selection. After sequencing of multiple independently derived lines in the two species, we identified mutations in a single conserved gene in both species: a membrane-bound metallodependent phosphatase (putatively named PhoD). In both species, the mutations were found in the phoD-like phosphatase domain, proximal to the predicted ligand binding site. Using reverse genetics, we validated that mutations in PhoD confer resistance to MMV019266. We have also demonstrated that PhoD localizes to the endomembrane system and partially with the apicoplast. Finally, conditional knockdown and constitutive overexpression of PhoD alter the sensitivity to MMV019266 in the parasite: overexpression of PhoD results in increased sensitivity to the compound, while knockdown increases resistance, suggesting PhoD is a resistance mechanism. Together, we have generated a robust pipeline for identification of resistance loci, and identified PhoD as a novel determinant of resistance in Babesia species. Highlights Use of two species for in vitro evolution identifies a high confidence locus associated with resistance Resistance mutation in phoD was validated using reverse genetics in B. divergens Perturbation of phoD using function genetics results in changes in the level of resistance to MMV019266Epitope tagging reveals localization to the ER/apicoplast, a conserved localization with a similar protein in diatoms Together, phoD is a novel resistance determinant in multiple Babesia spp .
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12
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Singh P, Lonardi S, Liang Q, Vydyam P, Khabirova E, Fang T, Gihaz S, Thekkiniath J, Munshi M, Abel S, Ciampossin L, Batugedara G, Gupta M, Lu XM, Lenz T, Chakravarty S, Cornillot E, Hu Y, Ma W, Gonzalez LM, Sánchez S, Estrada K, Sánchez-Flores A, Montero E, Harb OS, Le Roch KG, Mamoun CB. Babesia duncani multi-omics identifies virulence factors and drug targets. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:845-859. [PMID: 37055610 PMCID: PMC10159843 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01360-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Babesiosis is a malaria-like disease in humans and animals that is caused by Babesia species, which are tick-transmitted apicomplexan pathogens. Babesia duncani causes severe to lethal infection in humans, but despite the risk that this parasite poses as an emerging pathogen, little is known about its biology, metabolic requirements or pathogenesis. Unlike other apicomplexan parasites that infect red blood cells, B. duncani can be continuously cultured in vitro in human erythrocytes and can infect mice resulting in fulminant babesiosis and death. We report comprehensive, detailed molecular, genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses to gain insights into the biology of B. duncani. We completed the assembly, 3D structure and annotation of its nuclear genome, and analysed its transcriptomic and epigenetics profiles during its asexual life cycle stages in human erythrocytes. We used RNA-seq data to produce an atlas of parasite metabolism during its intraerythrocytic life cycle. Characterization of the B. duncani genome, epigenome and transcriptome identified classes of candidate virulence factors, antigens for diagnosis of active infection and several attractive drug targets. Furthermore, metabolic reconstitutions from genome annotation and in vitro efficacy studies identified antifolates, pyrimethamine and WR-99210 as potent inhibitors of B. duncani to establish a pipeline of small molecules that could be developed as effective therapies for the treatment of human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Singh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stefano Lonardi
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Qihua Liang
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Pratap Vydyam
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Tiffany Fang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shalev Gihaz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Muhammad Munshi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Steven Abel
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Loic Ciampossin
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Gayani Batugedara
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Mohit Gupta
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Xueqing Maggie Lu
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Todd Lenz
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Sakshar Chakravarty
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Institut de Biologie Computationnelle (IBC), and Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM - INSERM U1194), Institut régional du Cancer Montpellier (ICM) and Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Yangyang Hu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Wenxiu Ma
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Luis Miguel Gonzalez
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Sánchez
- Reference and Research Laboratory on Food and Waterborne Bacterial Infections, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Karel Estrada
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Alejandro Sánchez-Flores
- Unidad Universitaria de Secuenciación Masiva y Bioinformática, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, México
| | - Estrella Montero
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Omar S Harb
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Karine G Le Roch
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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13
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Continuous In Vitro Culture of Babesia duncani in a Serum-Free Medium. Cells 2023; 12:cells12030482. [PMID: 36766823 PMCID: PMC9914146 DOI: 10.3390/cells12030482] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease, caused by haemoprotozoa genus of Babesia. Cases of transfusion-transmitted and naturally acquired Babesia infection have been reported worldwide in recent years and causing a serious public health problem. Babesia duncani is one of the important pathogens of human babesiosis, which seriously endangers human health. The in vitro culture systems of B. duncani have been previously established, and it requires fetal bovine serum (FBS) to support long-term proliferation. However, there are no studies on serum-free in vitro culture of B. duncani. In this study, we reported that B. duncani achieved long-term serum-free culture in VP-SFM AGTTM (VP-SFM) supplemented with AlbuMaxTM I. The effect of adding different dilutions of AlbuMaxTM I to VP-SFM showed that 2 mg/mL AlbuMaxTM I had the best B. duncani growth curve with a maximum percentage of parasitized erythrocytes (PPE) of over 40%, and it can be used for long-term in vitro culture of B. duncani. However, the commonly used 20% serum-supplemented medium only achieves 20% PPE. Clearly, VP-SFM with 2 mg/mL AlbuMaxTM I (VP-SFMA) is more suitable for the in vitro proliferation of B. duncani. VP-SFM supplemented with CD lipid mixture was also tested, and the results showed it could support the parasite growth at 1:100 dilution with the highest PPE of 40%, which is similar to that of 2 mg/mL AlbuMaxTM I. However, the CD lipid mixture was only able to support the in vitro culture of B. duncani for 8 generations, while VP-SFMA could be used for long-term culture. To test the pathogenicity, the VP-SFMA cultured B. duncani was also subjected to hamster infection. Results showed that the hamster developed dyspnea and chills on day 7 with 30% PPE before treatment, which is similar to the symptoms with un-cultured B. duncani. This study develops a unique and reliable basis for further understanding of the physiological mechanisms, growth characteristics, and pathogenesis of babesiosis, and provides good laboratory material for the development of drugs or vaccines for human babesiosis and possibly other parasitic diseases.
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14
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Kumari V, Pal AC, Singh P, Mamoun CB. Babesia duncani in Culture and in Mouse (ICIM) Model for the Advancement of Babesia Biology, Pathogenesis, and Therapy. Bio Protoc 2022; 12:4549. [PMID: 36620533 PMCID: PMC9795036 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by pathogens belonging to the genus Babesia. In humans, the disease presents as a malaria-like illness and can be fatal in immunocompromised and elderly people. In the past few years, human babesiosis has been a rising concern worldwide. The disease is transmitted through tick bite, blood transfusion, and transplacentally in rare cases, with several species of Babesia causing human infection. Babesia microti, Babesia duncani, and Babesia divergens are of particular interest because of their important health impact and amenability to research inquiries. B. microti, the most commonly reported Babesia pathogen infecting humans, can be propagated in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice but so far has not been successfully continuously propagated in vitro in human red blood cells (hRBCs). Conversely, B. divergens can be propagated in vitro in human red blood cells but lacks a mouse model to study its virulence. Recent studies have highlighted the uniqueness of B. duncani as an ideal model organism to study intraerythrocytic parasitism in vitro and in vivo. An optimized B. duncani in culture and in mouse (ICIM) model has recently been described, combining long-term continuous in vitro culture of the parasite in hRBCs with an animal model of parasitemia (P) and lethal infection in C3H/HeJ mice. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for the use of the B. duncani ICIM model in research. This model provides a unique and sound foundation to gain further insights into the biology, pathogenesis, and virulence of Babesia and other intraerythrocytic parasites, and has been validated as an efficient system to evaluate novel strategies for the treatment of human babesiosis and possibly other parasitic diseases. This protocol was validated in: J Infect Dis (2022), DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac181 Graphical abstract ICIM model [Adapted and modified from Pal et al. (2022)].
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Affiliation(s)
- Vandana Kumari
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine and Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anasuya C. Pal
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine and Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine and Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine and Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- *For correspondence:
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15
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Nested qPCR assay to detect Babesia duncani infection in hamsters and humans. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:3603-3610. [PMID: 36192649 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07685-3] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2022]
Abstract
Human babesiosis is caused by Babesia duncani that is transmitted through tick bites, blood transfusions, and transplacental transmission. Despite its health burden, diagnostic assays for this pathogen are either unsuitable for clinical applications or have a low detection efficiency; therefore, it remains undetected during transfusion and utilization of blood and blood-component transfusions. This study used a molecular approach via nested quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) by designing primers and probes corresponding to the variable regions of B. duncani 18S rRNA gene to specifically detect B. duncani DNA in experimentally infected LVG Golden Syrian hamster (n = 70) and human (n = 492; tick bite patients from Gansu Province, China) blood samples. Moreover, comparative analyses of this technique with previously reported nested PCR and microscopy were conducted. The newly optimized diagnostic technique exhibited no cross-reactivity with genomic DNA or plasmids containing the 18S rRNA gene of other zoonotically important Babesia spp., including B. microti, B. divergens, B. crassa, and B. motasi Hebei. The detection limit of nested qPCR was approximately one plasmid copy in 20 μL or one infected red blood cell in 200 μL whole blood. The specificity and sensitivity of the method were 100% and 98.6%, respectively. Comparative analyses revealed that nested qPCR detected B. duncani had relatively higher efficacy and specificity than microscopic examination and nested PCR. The 492 human blood samples were negative for B. duncani infection. Thus, the present study provides an improved diagnostic assay for the efficient and effective detection and analysis of B. duncani infections and its prevalence in infection-prone areas.
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16
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Pal AC, Renard I, Singh P, Vydyam P, Chiu JE, Pou S, Winter RW, Dodean R, Frueh L, Nilsen AC, Riscoe MK, Doggett JS, Ben Mamoun C. Babesia duncani as a Model Organism to Study the Development, Virulence, and Drug Susceptibility of Intraerythrocytic Parasites In Vitro and In Vivo. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:1267-1275. [PMID: 35512141 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a malaria-like illness caused by tick-borne intraerythrocytic Babesia parasites of the Apicomplexa phylum. Whereas several species of Babesia can cause severe disease in humans, the ability to propagate Babesia duncani both in vitro in human erythrocytes and in mice makes it a unique pathogen to study Babesia biology and pathogenesis. Here we report an optimized B. duncani in culture-in mouse (ICIM) model that combines continuous in vitro culture of the parasite with a precise model of lethal infection in mice. We demonstrate that B. duncani-infected erythrocytes as well as free merozoites can cause lethal infection in C3H/HeJ mice. Highly reproducible parasitemia and survival outcomes could be established using specific parasite loads in different mouse genetic backgrounds. Using the ICIM model, we discovered 2 new endochin-like quinolone prodrugs (ELQ-331 and ELQ-468) that alone or in combination with atovaquone are highly efficacious against B. duncani and Babesia microti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anasuya C Pal
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Isaline Renard
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Pratap Vydyam
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Joy E Chiu
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sovitj Pou
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Rolf W Winter
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Rozalia Dodean
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Lisa Frueh
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Aaron C Nilsen
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Michael K Riscoe
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - J Stone Doggett
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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17
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Singh P, Pal AC, Mamoun CB. An Alternative Culture Medium for Continuous In Vitro Propagation of the Human Pathogen Babesia duncani in Human Erythrocytes. Pathogens 2022; 11:599. [PMID: 35631120 PMCID: PMC9146245 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Continuous propagation of Babesia duncani in vitro in human erythrocytes and the availability of a mouse model of B. duncani lethal infection make this parasite an ideal model to study Babesia biology and pathogenesis. Two culture media, HL-1 and Claycomb, with proprietary formulations are the only culture media known to support the parasite growth in human erythrocytes; however, the HL-1 medium has been discontinued and the Claycomb medium is often unavailable leading to major interruptions in the study of this pathogen. To identify alternative media conditions, we evaluated the growth of B. duncani in various culture media with well-defined compositions. We report that the DMEM-F12 culture medium supports the continuous growth of the parasite in human erythrocytes to levels equal to those achieved in the HL-1 and Claycomb media. We generated new clones of B. duncani from the parental WA-1 clinical isolate after three consecutive subcloning events in this medium. All clones showed a multiplication rate in vitro similar to that of the WA-1 parental isolate and cause fatal infection in C3H/HeJ mice. The culture medium, which can be readily reconstituted from its individual components, and the tools and resources developed here will facilitate the study of B. duncani.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; (P.S.); (A.C.P.)
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18
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Wang S, Li D, Chen F, Jiang W, Luo W, Zhu G, Zhao J, He L. Establishment of a Transient and Stable Transfection System for Babesia duncani Using a Homologous Recombination Strategy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:844498. [PMID: 35463640 PMCID: PMC9019647 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.844498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic modification provides an invaluable molecular tool to dissect the biology and pathogenesis of pathogens. However, no report is available about the genetic modification of Babesia duncani, a pathogen responsible for human babesiosis that is widespread in North America, suggesting the necessity to develop a genetic manipulation method to improve the strategies for studying and understanding the biology of protozoan pathogens. The establishment of a genetic modification method requires promoters, selectable markers, and reporter genes. Here, the double-copy gene elongation factor-1α (ef-1α) and its promoters were amplified by conventional PCR and confirmed by sequencing. We established a transient transfection system by using the ef-1αB promoter and the reporter gene mCherry and achieved stable transfection through homologous recombination to integrate the selection marker hDHFR-eGFP into the parasite genome. The potential of this genetic modification method was tested by knocking out the thioredoxin peroxidase-1 (TPX-1) gene, and under the drug pressure of 5 nM WR99210, 96.3% of the parasites were observed to express green fluorescence protein (eGFP) by flow cytometry at day 7 post-transfection. Additionally, the clone line of the TPX-1 knockout parasite was successfully obtained by the limiting dilution method. This study provided a transfection method for B. duncani, which may facilitate gene function research and vaccine development of B. duncani.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Dongfang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fangwei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Weijun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wanxin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Guan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, the Institute of Zoonosis, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Lan He,
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19
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Alzan HF, Bastos RG, Laughery JM, Scoles GA, Ueti MW, Johnson WC, Suarez CE. A Culture-Adapted Strain of Babesia bovis Has Reduced Subpopulation Complexity and Is Unable to Complete Its Natural Life Cycle in Ticks. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:827347. [PMID: 35223550 PMCID: PMC8867610 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.827347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesia bovis natural field strains are composed of several geno-phenotypically distinct subpopulations. This feature, together with possible epigenetic modifications, may facilitate adaptation to variable environmental conditions. In this study we compare geno-phenotypical features among long-term (more than 12 years) (LTCP) and short-term cultured B. bovis parasites (STCP) derived from the B. bovis S74-T3Bo strain. LTCPs intraerythrocytic forms are smaller in size than STCPs and have faster in vitro growth rate. In contrast to its parental strain, the LTCP lack expression of the sexual stage specific 6cysA and 6cysB proteins and are unable to develop sexual forms upon in vitro sexual stage induction. Consistently, in contrast to its parental strain, LTCPs have reduced virulence and are not transmissible to cattle by vector competent Rhipicephalus microplus (R. microplus). Similar to previous comparisons among attenuated and virulent B. bovis strains, the LTCP line has decreased genomic diversity compared to the STCP line. Thus, LTCP may contribute to our understanding of adaptive mechanisms used by the parasites in response to environmental changes, protective immunity, virulence, and transmission by ticks. In addition, LTCPs may be considered as candidates for a non-tick transmissible vaccine against bovine babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heba F. Alzan
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt
- Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Research Unit, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt
- *Correspondence: Heba F. Alzan, ; Carlos E. Suarez,
| | - Reginaldo G. Bastos
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Jacob M. Laughery
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Glen A. Scoles
- Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Massaro W. Ueti
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural - Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Wendell C. Johnson
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural - Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Carlos E. Suarez
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Animal Disease Research Unit, United States Department of Agricultural - Agricultural Research Service, Pullman, WA, United States
- *Correspondence: Heba F. Alzan, ; Carlos E. Suarez,
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20
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Yu L, Liu Q, Luo W, Zhao J, Alzan HF, He L. The Structural Basis of Babesia orientalis Lactate Dehydrogenase. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:790101. [PMID: 35071043 PMCID: PMC8766848 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.790101] [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: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycolytic enzymes play a crucial role in the anaerobic glycolysis of apicomplexan parasites for energy generation. Consequently, they are considered as potential targets for new drug development. Previous studies revealed that lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a glycolytic enzyme, is a potential drug target in different parasites, such as Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Piroplasma. Herein, in order to investigate the structural basis of LDH in Babesia spp., we determined the crystal structure of apo Babesia orientalis (Bo) LDH at 2.67-Å resolution in the space group P1. A five-peptide insertion appears in the active pocket loop of BoLDH to create a larger catalytic pocket, like other protozoa (except for Babesia microti LDH) and unlike its mammalian counterparts, and the absence of this extra insertion inactivates BoLDH. Without ligands, the apo BoLDH takes R-state (relaxed) with the active-site loop open. This feature is obviously different from that of allosteric LDHs in T-state (tense) with the active-site loop open. Compared with allosteric LDHs, the extra salt bridges and hydrogen bonds make the subunit interfaces of BoLDH more stable, and that results in the absence of T-state. Interestingly, BoLDH differs significantly from BmLDH, as it exhibits the ability to adapt quickly to the synthetic co-factor APAD+. In addition, the enzymatic activity of BoLDH was inhibited non-competitively by polyphenolic gossypol with a Ki value of 4.25 μM, indicating that BoLDH is sensitive to the inhibition of gossypol and possibly to its new derivative compounds. The current work provides the structural basis of BoLDH for the first time and suggests further investigation on the LDH structure of other Babesia spp. That knowledge would indeed facilitate the screening and designing of new LDH inhibitors to control the intracellular proliferation of Babesia spp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Wanxin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Heba F Alzan
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States.,Parasitology and Animal Diseases Department, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.,Tick and Tick-Borne Disease Research Unit, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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21
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Delbecq S. Major Surface Antigens in Zoonotic Babesia. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11010099. [PMID: 35056047 PMCID: PMC8780968 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11010099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis results from a combination of tick tropism for humans, susceptibility of a host to sustain Babesia development, and contact with infected ticks. Climate modifications and increasing diagnostics have led to an expanded number of Babesia species responsible for human babesiosis, although, to date, most cases have been attributed to B. microti and B. divergens. These two species have been extensively studied, and in this review, we mostly focus on the antigens involved in host–parasite interactions. We present features of the major antigens, so-called Bd37 in B. divergens and BmSA1/GPI12 in B. microti, and highlight the roles of these antigens in both host cell invasion and immune response. A comparison of these antigens with the major antigens found in some other Apicomplexa species emphasizes the importance of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in host–parasite relationships. GPI-anchor cleavage, which is a property of such antigens, leads to soluble and membrane-bound forms of these proteins, with potentially differential recognition by the host immune system. This mechanism is discussed as the structural basis for the protein-embedded immune escape mechanism. In conclusion, the potential consequences of such a mechanism on the management of both human and animal babesiosis is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephane Delbecq
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, Faculté de Pharmacie, University of Montpellier, UMR CNRS 5048, 34090 Montpellier, France
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22
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Hildebrandt A, Zintl A, Montero E, Hunfeld KP, Gray J. Human Babesiosis in Europe. Pathogens 2021; 10:1165. [PMID: 34578196 PMCID: PMC8468516 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is attracting increasing attention as a worldwide emerging zoonosis. The first case of human babesiosis in Europe was described in the late 1950s and since then more than 60 cases have been reported in Europe. While the disease is relatively rare in Europe, it is significant because the majority of cases present as life-threatening fulminant infections, mainly in immunocompromised patients. Although appearing clinically similar to human babesiosis elsewhere, particularly in the USA, most European forms of the disease are distinct entities, especially concerning epidemiology, human susceptibility to infection and clinical management. This paper describes the history of the disease and reviews all published cases that have occurred in Europe with regard to the identity and genetic characteristics of the etiological agents, pathogenesis, aspects of epidemiology including the eco-epidemiology of the vectors, the clinical courses of infection, diagnostic tools and clinical management and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Hildebrandt
- St. Vincenz Hospital Datteln, Department of Internal Medicine I, 45711 Datteln, Germany;
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Annetta Zintl
- UCD School of Veterinary Sciences, University College Dublin, D04 W6F6 Dublin, Ireland;
| | - Estrella Montero
- Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Klaus-Peter Hunfeld
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology & Infection Control, Northwest Medical Center, Medical Faculty Goethe University Frankfurt, Steinbacher Hohl 2-26, 60488 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
- Society for Promoting Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories (INSTAND, e.v.), Ubierstraße 20, 40223 Düsseldorf, Germany
- ESGBOR Study Group of the European Society for Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), ESCMID Executive Office, P.O. Box 214, 4010 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy Gray
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland
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23
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Renard I, Ben Mamoun C. Treatment of Human Babesiosis: Then and Now. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10091120. [PMID: 34578153 PMCID: PMC8469882 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus Babesia. With its increasing incidence worldwide and the risk of human-to-human transmission through blood transfusion, babesiosis is becoming a rising public health concern. The current arsenal for the treatment of human babesiosis is limited and consists of combinations of atovaquone and azithromycin or clindamycin and quinine. These combination therapies were not designed based on biological criteria unique to Babesia parasites, but were rather repurposed based on their well-established efficacy against other apicomplexan parasites. However, these compounds are associated with mild or severe adverse events and a rapid emergence of drug resistance, thus highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies that are specifically tailored to Babesia parasites. Herein, we review ongoing babesiosis therapeutic and management strategies and their limitations, and further review current efforts to develop new, effective, and safer therapies for the treatment of this disease.
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24
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Effective Therapy Targeting Cytochrome bc1 Prevents Babesia Erythrocytic Development and Protects from Lethal Infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:e0066221. [PMID: 34152821 PMCID: PMC8370247 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00662-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
An effective strategy to control blood-borne diseases and prevent outbreak recrudescence involves targeting conserved metabolic processes that are essential for pathogen viability. One such target for Plasmodium and Babesia, the infectious agents of malaria and babesiosis, respectively, is the mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 protein complex, which can be inhibited by endochin-like quinolones (ELQ) and atovaquone. We used the tick-transmitted and culturable blood-borne pathogen Babesia duncani to evaluate the structure-activity relationship, safety, efficacy, and mode of action of ELQs. We identified a potent and highly selective ELQ prodrug (ELQ-502), which, alone or in combination with atovaquone, eliminates B. microti and B. duncani infections in vitro and in mouse models of parasitemia and lethal infection. The strong efficacy at low dose, excellent safety, bioavailability, and long half-life of this experimental therapy make it an ideal clinical candidate for the treatment of human infections caused by Babesia and its closely related apicomplexan parasites.
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25
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Broichhagen J, Kilian N. Chemical Biology Tools To Investigate Malaria Parasites. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2219-2236. [PMID: 33570245 PMCID: PMC8360121 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Parasitic diseases like malaria tropica have been shaping human evolution and history since the beginning of mankind. After infection, the response of the human host ranges from asymptomatic to severe and may culminate in death. Therefore, proper examination of the parasite's biology is pivotal to deciphering unique molecular, biochemical and cell biological processes, which in turn ensure the identification of treatment strategies, such as potent drug targets and vaccine candidates. However, implementing molecular biology methods for genetic manipulation proves to be difficult for many parasite model organisms. The development of fast and straightforward applicable alternatives, for instance small-molecule probes from the field of chemical biology, is essential. In this review, we will recapitulate the highlights of previous molecular and chemical biology approaches that have already created insight and understanding of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We discuss current developments from the field of chemical biology and explore how their application could advance research into this parasite in the future. We anticipate that the described approaches will help to close knowledge gaps in the biology of P. falciparum and we hope that researchers will be inspired to use these methods to gain knowledge - with the aim of ending this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Broichhagen
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP)Robert-Roessle-Strasse 1013125BerlinGermany
| | - Nicole Kilian
- Centre for Infectious DiseasesParasitologyHeidelberg University HospitalIm Neuenheimer Feld 32469120HeidelbergGermany
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26
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Scott JD, Sajid MS, Pascoe EL, Foley JE. Detection of Babesia odocoilei in Humans with Babesiosis Symptoms. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11060947. [PMID: 34070625 PMCID: PMC8228967 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11060947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a life-threatening infectious disease that causes societal and economic impact worldwide. Several species of Babesia cause babesiosis in terrestrial vertebrates, including humans. A one-day clinic was held in Ontario, Canada, to see if a red blood cell parasite, which is present in blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, is present in humans. Based on PCR testing and DNA sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene, we unveiled B. odocoilei in two of 19 participants. DNA amplicons from these two patients are almost identical matches with the type strains of B. odocoilei in GenBank. In addition, the same two human subjects had the hallmark symptoms of human babesiosis, including night sweats, chills, fevers, and profound fatigue. Based on symptoms and molecular identification, we provide substantive evidence that B. odocoilei is pathogenic to humans. Dataset reveals that B. odocoilei serologically cross-reacts with Babesia duncani. Clinicians must realize that there are more than two Babesia spp. in North America that cause human babesiosis. This discovery signifies the first report of B. odocoilei causing human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D. Scott
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (M.S.S.); (E.L.P.); (J.E.F.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Muhammad S. Sajid
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (M.S.S.); (E.L.P.); (J.E.F.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Emily L. Pascoe
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (M.S.S.); (E.L.P.); (J.E.F.)
| | - Janet E. Foley
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; (M.S.S.); (E.L.P.); (J.E.F.)
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27
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Zhang Y, Alvarez-Manzo H, Leone J, Schweig S, Zhang Y. Botanical Medicines Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Artemisia annua, Scutellaria baicalensis, Polygonum cuspidatum, and Alchornea cordifolia Demonstrate Inhibitory Activity Against Babesia duncani. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:624745. [PMID: 33763384 PMCID: PMC7982592 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.624745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human babesiosis is a CDC reportable disease in the United States and is recognized as an emerging health risk in multiple parts of the world. The current treatment for human babesiosis is suboptimal due to treatment failures and unwanted side effects. Although Babesia duncani was first described almost 30 years ago, further research is needed to elucidate its pathogenesis and clarify optimal treatment regimens. Here, we screened a panel of herbal medicines and identified Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Artemisia annua, Scutellaria baicalensis, Alchornea cordifolia, and Polygonum cuspidatum to have good in vitro inhibitory activity against B. duncani in the hamster erythrocyte model. Furthermore, we found their potential bioactive compounds, cryptolepine, artemisinin, artesunate, artemether, and baicalein, to have good activity against B. duncani, with IC50 values of 3.4 μM, 14 μM, 7.4 μM, 7.8 μM, and 12 μM, respectively, which are comparable or lower than that of the currently used drugs quinine (10 μM) and clindamycin (37 μM). B. duncani treated with cryptolepine and quinine at their respective 1×, 2×, 4× and 8× IC50 values, and by artemether at 8× IC50 for three days could not regrow in subculture. Additionally, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta 90% ethanol extract also exhibited no regrowth after 6 days of subculture at doses of 2×, 4×, and 8× IC50 values. Our results indicate that some botanical medicines and their active constituents have potent activity against B. duncani in vitro and may be further explored for more effective treatment of babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumin Zhang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Hector Alvarez-Manzo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jacob Leone
- FOCUS Health Group, Naturopathic, Novato, CA, United States
| | - Sunjya Schweig
- California Center for Functional Medicine, Kensington, CA, United States
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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28
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Zhang Y, Bai C, Shi W, Alvarez-Manzo H, Zhang Y. Identification of Essential Oils Including Garlic Oil and Black Pepper Oil with High Activity against Babesia duncani. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9060466. [PMID: 32545549 PMCID: PMC7350376 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9060466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Some evidence indicated that human babesiosis caused by Babesia duncani has spread widely in North America. However, current therapeutic regimens (atovaquone + azithromycin) for human babesiosis are suboptimal with frequent recrudescence and side effects, and furthermore, there is no specific treatment for human babesiosis caused by B. duncani. Here, we screened 97 essential oils and identified 10 essential oils (garlic, black pepper, tarragon, palo santo, coconut, pine, meditation, cajeput, moringa, and stress relief) at a low concentration (0.001%; v/v) that showed good inhibitory activity against B. duncani in the hamster red blood cell culture model. Among them, garlic oil and black pepper oil performed best, as well as their potential active ingredients diallyl disulfide (DADS) and β-caryophyllene (BCP), respectively. Interestingly, further subculture study indicated that B. duncani could relapse after treatment with current therapeutic drugs atovaquone or azithromycin even at high concentrations. In contrast, the combination of garlic oil or DADS and azithromycin showed eradication of B. duncani at low concentrations without regrowth. These results are encouraging and suggest that the garlic-derived sulfur compound DADS and β-caryophyllene (BCP) may be promising drug candidates for evaluation of their ability to cure persistent B. duncani infections in the future.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human babesiosis is reported throughout the world and is endemic in the northeastern and northern Midwestern United States and northeastern China. Transmission is primarily through hard bodied ticks. Most cases of severe disease occur in immunocompromised individuals and may result in prolonged relapsing disease or death. AREAS COVERED We provide a summary of evidence supporting current treatment recommendations for immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals experiencing babesiosis. EXPERT OPINION Most cases of human babesiosis are successfully treated with atovaquone and azithromycin or clindamycin and quinine. Severe disease may require prolonged treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Smith
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine; Tufts University School of Medicine , Boston, MA, USA
| | - Klaus-Peter Hunfeld
- Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology & Infection Control, Northwest Medical Centre, Medical Faculty, Goethe University , Frankfurt/Main, Germany
| | - Peter J Krause
- Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine , New Haven, CT, USA
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30
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Wang S, Li M, Luo X, Yu L, Nie Z, Liu Q, An X, Ao Y, Liu Q, Chen J, Tian Y, Zhao J, He L. Inhibitory Effects of Fosmidomycin Against Babesia microti in vitro. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:247. [PMID: 32411701 PMCID: PMC7198706 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Babesia microti, the main pathogen causing human babesiosis, has been reported to exhibit resistance to the traditional treatment of azithromycin + atovaquone and clindamycin + quinine, suggesting the necessity of developing new drugs. The methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway, a unique pathway in apicomplexan parasites, was shown to play a crucial function in the growth of Plasmodium falciparum. In the MEP pathway, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) is a rate-limiting enzyme and fosmidomycin (FSM) is a reported inhibitor for this enzyme. DXR has been shown as an antimalarial drug target, but no report is available on B. microti DXR (BmDXR). Here BmDXR was cloned, sequenced, analyzed by bioinformatics, and evaluated as a potential drug target for inhibiting the growth of B. micorti in vitro. Drug assay was performed by adding different concentrations of FSM in B. microti in vitro culture. Rescue experiment was done by supplementing 200 μM isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) or 5 μM geranylgeraniol (GG-ol) in the culture medium together with 5 μM FSM or 10 μM diminazene aceturate. The results indicated that FSM can inhibit the growth of B. microti in in vitro culture with an IC50 of 4.63 ± 0.12 μM, and growth can be restored by both IPP and GG-ol. Additionally, FSM is shown to inhibit the growth of parasites by suppressing the DXR activity, which agreed with the reported results of other apicomplexan parasites. Our results suggest the potential of DXR as a drug target for controlling B. microti and that FSM can inhibit the growth of B. microti in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Muxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoying Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Long Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Zheng Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaomeng An
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Yangsiqi Ao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China
| | - Qin Liu
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaxu Chen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine in Hubei Province, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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31
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Transient Transfection of the Zoonotic Parasite Babesia microti. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9020108. [PMID: 32050586 PMCID: PMC7169379 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9020108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of genetic manipulation techniques has been reported in many protozoan parasites over the past few years. However, these techniques have not been established for Babesia microti. Here, we report the first successful transient transfection of B. microti. The plasmids containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene were transfected into B. microti by an AMAXA 4D Nucleofection system. Twenty-four-hour synchronization, the 5'-actin promoter, program FA100, and 50 μg of plasmid DNA constituted the best conditions for the transient transfection of B. microti. This finding is the first step towards a stable transfection method for B. microti, which may contribute to a better understanding of the biology of the parasite.
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Scott JD, Clark KL, Coble NM, Ballantyne TR. Detection and Transstadial Passage of Babesia Species and Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato in Ticks Collected from Avian and Mammalian Hosts in Canada. Healthcare (Basel) 2019; 7:E155. [PMID: 31810270 PMCID: PMC6955799 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare7040155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease and human babesiosis are the most common tick-borne zoonoses in the Temperate Zone of North America. The number of infected patients has continued to rise globally, and these zoonoses pose a major healthcare threat. This tick-host-pathogen study was conducted to test for infectious microbes associated with Lyme disease and human babesiosis in Canada. Using the flagellin (flaB) gene, three members of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) complex were detected, namely a Borrelia lanei-like spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bbss), and a distinct strain that may represent a separate Bbsl genospecies. This novel Bbsl strain was detected in a mouse tick, Ixodes muris, collected from a House Wren, Troglodytes aedon, in Quebec during the southward fall migration. The presence of Bbsl in bird-feeding larvae of I. muris suggests reservoir competency in three passerines (i.e., Common Yellowthroat, House Wren, Magnolia Warbler). Based on the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, three Babesia species (i.e., Babesia divergens-like, Babesia microti, Babesia odocoilei) were detected in field-collected ticks. Not only was B. odocoilei found in songbird-derived ticks, this piroplasm was apparent in adult questing blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, in southern Canada. By allowing live, engorged ticks to molt, we confirm the transstadial passage of Bbsl in I. muris and B. odocoilei in I. scapularis. Bbss and Babesia microti were detected concurrently in a groundhog tick, Ixodes cookei, in Western Ontario. In Alberta, a winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, which was collected from a moose, Alces alces, tested positive for Bbss. Notably, a B. divergens-like piroplasm was detected in a rabbit tick, Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, collected from an eastern cottontail in southern Manitoba; this Babesia species is a first-time discovery in Canada. This rabbit tick was also co-infected with Borrelia lanei-like spirochetes, which constitutes a first in Canada. Overall, five ticks were concurrently infected with Babesia and Bbsl pathogens and, after the molt, could potentially co-infect humans. Notably, we provide the first authentic report of I. scapularis ticks co-infected with Bbsl and B. odocoilei in Canada. The full extent of infectious microorganisms transmitted to humans by ticks is not fully elucidated, and clinicians need to be aware of the complexity of these tick-transmitted enzootic agents on human health. Diagnosis and treatment must be administered by those with accredited medical training in tick-borne zoonosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D. Scott
- International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, 2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 700, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7007, USA
| | - Kerry L. Clark
- Environmental Epidemiology Research Laboratory, Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (K.L.C.); (N.M.C.); (T.R.B.)
| | - Nikki M. Coble
- Environmental Epidemiology Research Laboratory, Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (K.L.C.); (N.M.C.); (T.R.B.)
| | - Taylor R. Ballantyne
- Environmental Epidemiology Research Laboratory, Department of Public Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (K.L.C.); (N.M.C.); (T.R.B.)
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Yu L, Shen Z, Liu Q, Zhan X, Luo X, An X, Sun Y, Li M, Wang S, Nie Z, Ao Y, Zhao Y, Peng G, Mamoun CB, He L, Zhao J. Crystal structures of Babesia microti lactate dehydrogenase BmLDH reveal a critical role for Arg99 in catalysis. FASEB J 2019; 33:13669-13682. [PMID: 31585506 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201901259r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The tick- and transfusion-transmitted human pathogen Babesia microti infects host erythrocytes to cause the pathologic symptoms associated with human babesiosis, an emerging disease with worldwide distribution and potentially fatal clinical outcome. Drugs currently recommended for the treatment of babesiosis are associated with a high failure rate and significant adverse events, highlighting the urgent need for more-effective and safer babesiosis therapies. Unlike other apicomplexan parasites, B. microti lacks a canonical lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) but instead expresses a unique enzyme, B. microti LDH (BmLDH), acquired through evolution by horizontal transfer from a mammalian host. Here, we report the crystal structures of BmLDH in apo state and ternary complex (enzyme-NADH-oxamate) solved at 2.79 and 1.89 Å. Analysis of these structures reveals that upon binding to the coenzyme and substrate, the active pocket of BmLDH undergoes a major conformational change from an opened and disordered to a closed and stabilized state. Biochemical assays using wild-type and mutant B. microti and human LDHs identified Arg99 as a critical residue for the catalytic activity of BmLDH but not its human counterpart. Interestingly, mutation of Arg99 to Ala had no impact on the overall structure and affinity of BmLDH to NADH but dramatically altered the closure of the enzyme's active pocket. Together, these structural and biochemical data highlight significant differences between B. microti and human LDH enzymes and suggest that BmLDH could be a suitable target for the development of selective antibabesial inhibitors.-Yu, L., Shen, Z., Liu, Q., Zhan, X., Luo, X., An, X., Sun, Y., Li, M., Wang, S., Nie, Z., Ao, Y., Zhao, Y., Peng, G., Ben Mamoun, C., He, L., Zhao, J. Crystal structures of Babesia microti lactate dehydrogenase BmLDH reveal a critical role for Arg99 in catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhou Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Xueyan Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyin Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaomeng An
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Yali Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Muxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Sen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Zheng Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Yangsiqi Ao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Yangnan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Guiqing Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lan He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Junlong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemical Disease and Infectious Zoonoses, Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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34
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Parveen N, Bhanot P. Babesia microti- Borrelia Burgdorferi Coinfection. Pathogens 2019; 8:pathogens8030117. [PMID: 31370180 PMCID: PMC6789475 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8030117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence and geographic distribution of human babesiosis is growing in the U.S. Its major causative agent is the protozoan parasite, Babesia microti. B. microti is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of Ixodes scapularis ticks, which are vectors for a number of other pathogens. Other routes of B. microti transmission are blood transfusion and in rare cases of mother-to-foetus transmission, through the placenta. This review discusses the current literature on mammalian coinfection with B. microti and Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhat Parveen
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
| | - Purnima Bhanot
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
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35
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McCormack KA, Alhaboubi A, Pollard DA, Fuller L, Holman PJ. In vitro cultivation of Babesia duncani (Apicomplexa: Babesiidae), a zoonotic hemoprotozoan, using infected blood from Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Parasitol Res 2019; 118:2409-2417. [PMID: 31197543 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06372-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Human babesiosis, a tick-borne disease similar to malaria, is most often caused by the hemoprotozoans Babesia divergens in Europe, and Babesia microti and Babesia duncani in North America. Babesia microti is the best documented and causes more cases of human babesiosis annually than all other agents combined. Although the agents that cause human babesiosis are considered high-risk pathogens in transfusion medicine, federally licensed diagnostics are lacking for B. duncani in both the USA and Canada. Thus, there has been a need to develop and validate diagnostics specifically for this pathogen. In this study, B. duncani (WA1 isolate) was cultivated in vitro from Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) infected blood. We hypothesized HL-1 media with supplements would result in B. duncani propagating at higher levels in culture than supplemented M199 similar to the medium the parasite was originally cultivated with in 1994. We were unable to recreate Thomford's cultivation results with the M199 medium but supplemented HL-1 medium was able to successfully establish continuous culture. We further hypothesized that RBC from species other than hamsters would support B. duncani in vitro. However, rat, mouse, horse, and cow RBC did not support continuous culture of the parasite. Culture stocks of B. duncani were deposited at BEI Resources and are now commercially available to the scientific community to further research. The cultured parasite developed in this study was instrumental in the adaptation of B. duncani continuous culture to human RBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly A McCormack
- Comparative Medicine Program, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-4473, USA. .,Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Boulevard Room 203, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
| | - Amer Alhaboubi
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-4467, USA.,Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, 10001-10090, Iraq
| | - Dana A Pollard
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-4467, USA.,Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 5 Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Lee Fuller
- Fuller Laboratories, 1312 East Valencia Drive, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Patricia J Holman
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Boulevard Room 203, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
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36
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Thekkiniath J, Kilian N, Lawres L, Gewirtz MA, Graham MM, Liu X, Ledizet M, Ben Mamoun C. Evidence for vesicle-mediated antigen export by the human pathogen Babesia microti. Life Sci Alliance 2019; 2:2/3/e201900382. [PMID: 31196872 PMCID: PMC6572159 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.201900382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Babesia microti undergoes unique morphogenesis during its development within human and mouse red blood cells and uses a novel vesicle-based system for export of antigens into the host cell and environment. The apicomplexan parasite Babesia microti is the primary agent of human babesiosis, a malaria-like illness and potentially fatal tick-borne disease. Unlike its close relatives, the agents of human malaria, B. microti develops within human and mouse red blood cells in the absence of a parasitophorous vacuole, and its secreted antigens lack trafficking motifs found in malarial secreted antigens. Here, we show that after invasion of erythrocytes, B. microti undergoes a major morphogenic change during which it produces an interlacement of vesicles (IOV); the IOV system extends from the plasma membrane of the parasite into the cytoplasm of the host erythrocyte. We developed antibodies against two immunodominant antigens of the parasite and used them in cell fractionation studies and fluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy analyses to monitor the mode of secretion of B. microti antigens. These analyses demonstrate that the IOV system serves as a major export mechanism for important antigens of B. microti and represents a novel mechanism for delivery of parasite effectors into the host by this apicomplexan parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Thekkiniath
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicole Kilian
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lauren Lawres
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Meital A Gewirtz
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Morven M Graham
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Xinran Liu
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Center for Cellular and Molecular Imaging Electron Microscopy Core Facility, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michel Ledizet
- L2 Diagnostics, Limited Liability Corporation, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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