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Rosenkranz M, Nkumama IN, Ogwang R, Kraker S, Blickling M, Mwai K, Odera D, Tuju J, Fürle K, Frank R, Chepsat E, Kapulu MC, Study Team CS, Osier FH. Full-length MSP1 is a major target of protective immunity after controlled human malaria infection. Life Sci Alliance 2024; 7:e202301910. [PMID: 38803222 PMCID: PMC11106525 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) is the most abundant protein on the surface of the invasive merozoite stages of Plasmodium falciparum and has long been considered a key target of protective immunity. We used samples from a single controlled human malaria challenge study to test whether the full-length version of MSP1 (MSP1FL) induced antibodies that mediated Fc-IgG functional activity in five independent assays. We found that anti-MSP1FL antibodies induced complement fixation via C1q, monocyte-mediated phagocytosis, neutrophil respiratory burst, and natural killer cell degranulation as well as IFNγ production. Activity in each of these assays was strongly associated with protection. The breadth of MSP1-specific Fc-mediated effector functions was more strongly associated with protection than the individual measures and closely mirrored what we have previously reported using the same assays against merozoites. Our findings suggest that MSP1FL is an important target of functional antibodies that contribute to a protective immune response against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micha Rosenkranz
- https://ror.org/013czdx64 Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Irene N Nkumama
- B Cell Immunology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Rodney Ogwang
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Sara Kraker
- https://ror.org/013czdx64 Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marie Blickling
- https://ror.org/013czdx64 Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kennedy Mwai
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Dennis Odera
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - James Tuju
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Kristin Fürle
- https://ror.org/013czdx64 Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Roland Frank
- https://ror.org/013czdx64 Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emily Chepsat
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Melissa C Kapulu
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Chmi-Sika Study Team
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Faith Ha Osier
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- https://ror.org/041kmwe10 Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Ross R, Hasheminasab SS, Conejeros I, Gärtner U, Kamena F, Krueger A, Taubert A, Hermosilla C. Human dendritic cell interactions with the zoonotic parasite Cryptosporidium parvum result in activation and maturation. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1388366. [PMID: 38799470 PMCID: PMC11116633 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1388366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis in humans is caused by infection of the zoonotic apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. In 2006, it was included by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the group of the most neglected poverty-related diseases. It is characterized by enteritis accompanied by profuse catarrhalic diarrhea with high morbidity and mortality, especially in children of developing countries under the age of 5 years and in HIV patients. The vulnerability of HIV patients indicates that a robust adaptive immune response is required to successfully fight this parasite. Little is known, however, about the adaptive immune response against C. parvum. To have an insight into the early events of the adaptive immune response, we generated primary human dendritic cells (DCs) from monocytes of healthy blood donors and exposed them to C. parvum oocysts and sporozoites in vitro. DCs are equipped with numerous receptors that detect microbial molecules and alarm signals. If stimulation is strong enough, an essential maturation process turns DCs into unique activators of naïve T cells, a prerequisite of any adaptive immune response. Parasite exposure highly induced the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in DCs. Moreover, antigen-presenting molecules (HLA-DR and CD1a), maturation markers, and costimulatory molecules required for T-cell stimulation (CD83, CD40, and CD86) and adhesion molecules (CD11b and CD58) were all upregulated. In addition, parasite-exposed human DCs showed enhanced cell adherence, increased mobility, and a boosted but time-limited phagocytosis of C. parvum oocysts and sporozoites, representing other prerequisites for antigen presentation. Unlike several other microbial stimuli, C. parvum exposure rather led to increased oxidative consumption rates (OCRs) than extracellular acidification rates (ECARs) in DCs, indicating that different metabolic pathways were used to provide energy for DC activation. Taken together, C. parvum-exposed human DCs showed all hallmarks of successful maturation, enabling them to mount an effective adaptive immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Ross
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Seyed Sajjad Hasheminasab
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Iván Conejeros
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Gärtner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Faustin Kamena
- Laboratory for Molecular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Andreas Krueger
- Institute of Molecular Immunology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Anja Taubert
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Carlos Hermosilla
- Institute of Parasitology, Biomedical Research Center Seltersberg (BFS), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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Jennison C, Armstrong JM, Dankwa DA, Hertoghs N, Kumar S, Abatiyow BA, Naung M, Minkah NK, Swearingen KE, Moritz R, Barry AE, Kappe SHI, Vaughan AM. Plasmodium GPI-anchored micronemal antigen is essential for parasite transmission through the mosquito host. Mol Microbiol 2024; 121:394-412. [PMID: 37314965 PMCID: PMC11076100 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.15078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites, the eukaryotic pathogens that cause malaria, feature three distinct invasive forms tailored to the host environment they must navigate and invade for life cycle progression. One conserved feature of these invasive forms is the micronemes, apically oriented secretory organelles involved in egress, motility, adhesion, and invasion. Here we investigate the role of GPI-anchored micronemal antigen (GAMA), which shows a micronemal localization in all zoite forms of the rodent-infecting species Plasmodium berghei. ∆GAMA parasites are severely defective for invasion of the mosquito midgut. Once formed, oocysts develop normally, however, sporozoites are unable to egress and exhibit defective motility. Epitope-tagging of GAMA revealed tight temporal expression late during sporogony and showed that GAMA is shed during sporozoite gliding motility in a similar manner to circumsporozoite protein. Complementation of P. berghei knockout parasites with full-length P. falciparum GAMA partially restored infectivity to mosquitoes, indicating conservation of function across Plasmodium species. A suite of parasites with GAMA expressed under the promoters of CTRP, CAP380, and TRAP, further confirmed the involvement of GAMA in midgut infection, motility, and vertebrate infection. These data show GAMA's involvement in sporozoite motility, egress, and invasion, implicating GAMA as a regulator of microneme function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Jennison
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Janna M. Armstrong
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Dorender A. Dankwa
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Nina Hertoghs
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Biley A. Abatiyow
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Myo Naung
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Parkville, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Carlton, Australia
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Nana K. Minkah
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Kristian E. Swearingen
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, Victoria, Geelong, Australia
| | - Robert Moritz
- Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), School of Medicine, Deakin University, Victoria, Geelong, Australia
| | - Alyssa E. Barry
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Washington, Seattle, USA
- Institute for Systems Biology, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Stefan H. I. Kappe
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
- Burnet Institute, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Ashley M. Vaughan
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington, Seattle, USA
- Burnet Institute, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Washington, Seattle, USA
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Gowda DC, Miller LH. Glycosylation in malaria parasites: what do we know? Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:131-146. [PMID: 38262838 PMCID: PMC10923157 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.12.006] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
In malaria parasites, although post-translational modification of proteins with N-. O-, and C-glycosidic bond-linked glycans is limited, it is confined to relatively fewer proteins in which the glycans are present at significant levels and may have important functions. Furthermore, several proteins are modified with glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs) which represent the predominant glycan synthesized by parasites. Modification of proteins with GPIs is obligatory for parasite survival as GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) play essential roles in all life cycle stages of the parasites, including development, egress, gametogenesis, motility, and host cell adhesion and invasion. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on the structures and potential functions of the glycan moieties of parasite proteins. The knowledge has important implications for the development of drugs and vaccines for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Channe Gowda
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20852, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
| | - Louis H Miller
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
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Evbuomwan IO, Alejolowo OO, Elebiyo TC, Nwonuma CO, Ojo OA, Edosomwan EU, Chikwendu JI, Elosiuba NV, Akulue JC, Dogunro FA, Rotimi DE, Osemwegie OO, Ojo AB, Ademowo OG, Adeyemi OS, Oluba OM. In silico modeling revealed phytomolecules derived from Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) leaf extract as promising candidates for malaria therapy. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:101-118. [PMID: 36974933 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2192799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of varying levels of resistance to currently available antimalarial drugs significantly threatens global health. This factor heightens the urgency to explore bioactive compounds from natural products with a view to discovering and developing newer antimalarial drugs with novel mode of actions. Therefore, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of sixteen phytocompounds from Cymbopogon citratus leaf extract against Plasmodium falciparum drug targets such as P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP1) and P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). In silico approaches including molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling and 3D-QSAR were adopted to analyze the inhibitory activity of the compounds under consideration. The molecular docking results indicated that a compound swertiajaponin from C. citratus exhibited a higher binding affinity (-7.8 kcal/mol) to PfMSP1 as against the standard artesunate-amodiaquine (-6.6 kcal/mol). Swertiajaponin also formed strong hydrogen bond interactions with LYS29, CYS30, TYR34, ASN52, GLY55 and CYS28 amino acid residues. In addition, quercetin another compound from C. citratus exhibited significant binding energies -6.8 and -8.3 kcal/mol with PfCSP and PfEMP1, respectively but slightly lower than the standard artemether-lumefantrine with binding energies of -7.4 kcal/mol against PfCSP and -8.7 kcal/mol against PfEMP1. Overall, the present study provides evidence that swertiajaponin and other phytomolecules from C. citratus have modulatory properties toward P. falciparum drug targets and thus may warrant further exploration in early drug discovery efforts against malaria. Furthermore, these findings lend credence to the folkloric use of C. citratus for malaria treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikponmwosa Owen Evbuomwan
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Food Science and Microbiology, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | - Omokolade Oluwaseyi Alejolowo
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | | | - Charles Obiora Nwonuma
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | - Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo
- Phytomedicine, Molecular Toxicology and Computational Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria
| | - Evelyn Uwa Edosomwan
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
| | | | | | | | | | - Damilare Emmanuel Rotimi
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Olusegun George Ademowo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Drug Research Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training (IMRAT), College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oluyomi Stephen Adeyemi
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Olarewaju Michael Oluba
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
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Shi F, Tang S, Chen D, Mo F, Li J, Fang C, Wei H, Xing J, Liu L, Gong Y, Tan Z, Zhang Z, Pan X, Zhao S, Huang J. Immunological characteristics of CD103 +CD8 + Tc cells in the liver of C57BL/6 mouse infected with plasmodium NSM. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2513-2524. [PMID: 37707607 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07950-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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
CD103 is an important marker of tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM) which play important roles in fighting against infection. However, the immunological characteristics of CD103+ T cells are not thoroughly elucidated in the liver of mouse infected with Plasmodium. Six- to eight-week-old C57BL/6 mice were infected with Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis NSM. Mice were sacrificed on 12-16 days after infection and the livers were picked out. Sections of the livers were stained, and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were measured. Moreover, lymphocytes in the liver were isolated, and the expression of CD103 was determined by using qPCR. The percentage of CD103 on different immune cell populations was dynamically observed by using flow cytometry (FCM). In addition, the phenotype and cytokine production characteristics of CD103+CD8+ Tc cell were analyzed by using flow cytometry, respectively. Erythrocyte stage plasmodium infection could result in severe hepatic damage, a widespread inflammatory response and the decrease of CD103 expression on hepatic immune cells. Only CD8+ Tc and γδT cells expressed higher levels of CD103 in the uninfected state.CD103 expression in CD8+ Tc cells significantly decreased after infection. Compared to that of CD103- CD8+ Tc cells, CD103+ CD8+ Tc cells from the infected mice expressed lower level of CD69, higher level of CD62L, and secreted more IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, and secreted less IFN-γ. CD103+CD8+ Tc cells might mediate the hepatic immune response by secreting IL-4, IL-10, and IL-17 except IFN-γ in the mice infected with the erythrocytic phase plasmodium, which could be involved in the pathogenesis of severe liver damage resulted from the erythrocytic phase plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis NSM infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feihu Shi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shanni Tang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dianhui Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Mo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiajie Li
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Fang
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haixia Wei
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junmin Xing
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Liu
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yumei Gong
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhengrong Tan
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziqi Zhang
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xingfei Pan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Shan Zhao
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Jun Huang
- China Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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7
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Gong Z, Qu Z, Yu Z, Li J, Liu B, Ma X, Cai J. Label-free quantitative detection and comparative analysis of lysine acetylation during the different life stages of Eimeria tenella. J Proteome Res 2023; 22:2785-2802. [PMID: 37562054 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.2c00726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Proteome-wide lysine acetylation has been documented in apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum. Here, we conducted the first lysine acetylome in unsporulated oocysts (USO), sporulated 7 h oocysts (SO 7h), sporulated oocysts (SO), sporozoites (S), and the second generation merozoites (SMG) of Eimeria tenella through a 4D label-free quantitative technique. Altogether, 8532 lysine acetylation sites on 2325 proteins were identified in E. tenella, among which 5445 sites on 1493 proteins were quantified. In addition, 557, 339, 478, 248, 241, and 424 differentially expressed proteins were identified in the comparisons SO7h vs USO, SO vs SO7h, SO vs USO, S vs SO, SMG vs S, and USO vs SMG, respectively. The bioinformatics analysis of the acetylome showed that the lysine acetylation is widespread on proteins of diverse functions. Moreover, the dynamic changes of lysine acetylome among E. tenella different life stages revealed significant regulation during the whole process of E. tenella growth and stage conversion. This study provides a beginning for the investigation of the regulate role of lysine acetylation in E. tenella and may provide new strategies for anticoccidiosis drug and vaccine development. Raw data are publicly available at iProX with the data set identifier PXD040368.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zigang Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province; Innovation of Research Program of Gastrointestinal Infection and Mucosal Immunity of Poultry and Pig; Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengqing Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Province 750021, People's Republic of China
| | - Jidong Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Province 750021, People's Republic of China
| | - Baohong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province; Innovation of Research Program of Gastrointestinal Infection and Mucosal Immunity of Poultry and Pig; Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueting Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province; Innovation of Research Program of Gastrointestinal Infection and Mucosal Immunity of Poultry and Pig; Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianping Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology; Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province; Innovation of Research Program of Gastrointestinal Infection and Mucosal Immunity of Poultry and Pig; Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730046, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province 225009, People's Republic of China
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8
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Gao J, Jiang N, Zhang Y, Chen R, Feng Y, Sang X, Chen Q. A heparin-binding protein of Plasmodium berghei is associated with merozoite invasion of erythrocytes. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:277. [PMID: 37563696 PMCID: PMC10416508 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05896-w] [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: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria caused by Plasmodium species is a prominent public health concern worldwide, and the infection of a malarial parasite is transmitted to humans through the saliva of female Anopheles mosquitoes. Plasmodium invasion is a rapid and complex process. A critical step in the blood-stage infection of malarial parasites is the adhesion of merozoites to red blood cells (RBCs), which involves interactions between parasite ligands and receptors. The present study aimed to investigate a previously uncharacterized protein, PbMAP1 (encoded by PBANKA_1425900), which facilitates Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbANKA) merozoite attachment and invasion via the heparan sulfate receptor. METHODS PbMAP1 protein expression was investigated at the asexual blood stage, and its specific binding activity to both heparan sulfate and RBCs was analyzed using western blotting, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. Furthermore, a PbMAP1-knockout parasitic strain was established using the double-crossover method to investigate its pathogenicity in mice. RESULTS The PbMAP1 protein, primarily localized to the P. berghei membrane at the merozoite stage, is involved in binding to heparan sulfate-like receptor on RBC surface of during merozoite invasion. Furthermore, mice immunized with the PbMAP1 protein or passively immunized with sera from PbMAP1-immunized mice exhibited increased immunity against lethal challenge. The PbMAP1-knockout parasite exhibited reduced pathogenicity. CONCLUSIONS PbMAP1 is involved in the binding of P. berghei to heparan sulfate-like receptors on RBC surface during merozoite invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junying Gao
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
- Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
- Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Yiwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
- Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Ran Chen
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
- Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
- Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Xiaoyu Sang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
- Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Qijun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China.
- Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 120 Dongling Road, Shenyang, 110866, China.
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9
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Núñez A, Ntumngia FB, Guerra Y, Adams JH, Sáenz FE. Genetic diversity and natural selection of Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte invasion genes in Ecuador. Malar J 2023; 22:225. [PMID: 37537581 PMCID: PMC10398936 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04640-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of the diversity of invasion ligands in malaria parasites in endemic regions is essential to understand how natural selection influences genetic diversity of these ligands and their feasibility as possible targets for future vaccine development. In this study the diversity of four genes for merozoite invasion ligands was studied in Ecuadorian isolates of Plasmodium vivax. METHODS Eighty-eight samples from P. vivax infected individuals from the Coast and Amazon region of Ecuador were obtained between 2012 and 2015. The merozoite invasion genes pvmsp-1-19, pvdbpII, pvrbp1a-2 and pvama1 were amplified, sequenced, and compared to the Sal-1 strain. Polymorphisms were mapped and genetic relationships between haplotypes were determined. RESULTS Only one nonsynonymous polymorphism was detected in pvmsp-1-19, while 44 nonsynonymous polymorphisms were detected in pvdbpII, 56 in pvrbp1a-2 and 33 in pvama1. While haplotypes appeared to be more related within each area of study and there was less relationship between parasites of the coastal and Amazon regions of the country, diversification processes were observed in the two Amazon regions. The highest haplotypic diversity for most genes occurred in the East Amazon of the country. The high diversity observed in Ecuadorian samples is closer to Brazilian and Venezuelan isolates, but lower than reported in other endemic regions. In addition, departure from neutrality was observed in Ecuadorian pvama1. Polymorphisms for pvdbpII and pvama1 were associated to B-cell epitopes. CONCLUSIONS pvdbpII and pvama1 genetic diversity found in Ecuadorian P. vivax was very similar to that encountered in other malaria endemic countries with varying transmission levels and segregated by geographic region. The highest diversity of P. vivax invasion genes in Ecuador was found in the Amazonian region. Although selection appeared to have small effect on pvdbpII and pvrbp1a-2, pvama1 was influenced by significant balancing selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Núñez
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Francis B Ntumngia
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, FL, Tampa, USA
| | - Yasel Guerra
- Grupo de Bio-Quimioinformática, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Interdisciplinary Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, FL, Tampa, USA
| | - Fabián E Sáenz
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador.
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10
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Izquierdo L. The glycobiology of plasmodium falciparum: New approaches and recent advances. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 66:108178. [PMID: 37216996 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Like any other microorganism, pathogenic protozoan parasites rely heavily on glycoconjugates and glycan binding proteins to protect themselves from the environment and to interact with their diverse hosts. A thorough comprehension of how glycobiology contributes to the survival and virulence of these organisms may reveal unknown aspects of their biology and may open much needed avenues for the design of new strategies against them. In the case of Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the vast majority of malaria cases and deaths, the restricted variety and the simplicity of its glycans seemed to confer limited significance to the role played by glycoconjugates in the parasite. Nonetheless, the last 10 to 15 years of research are revealing a clearer and more defined picture. Thus, the use of new experimental techniques and the results obtained provide new avenues for understanding the biology of the parasite, as well as opportunities for the development of much required new tools against malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Izquierdo
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain.
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11
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Kundu S, Jaiswal M, Craig KC, Guo J, Guo Z. Labeling cell surface glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins through metabolic engineering using an azide-modified phosphatidylinositol. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 645:103-109. [PMID: 36682329 PMCID: PMC9899547 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchorage is one of the most common mechanisms to attach proteins to the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells. GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) play a critical role in many biological processes but are difficult to study. Here, a new method was developed for the effective and selective metabolic engineering and labeling of cell surface GPI-APs with an azide-modified phosphatidylinositol (PI) as the biosynthetic precursor of GPIs. It was demonstrated that this azido-PI derivative was taken up by HeLa cells and incorporated into the biosynthetic pathway of GPIs to present azide-labeled GPI-APs on the live cell surface. The azido group was used as a molecular handle to install other labels through a biocompatible click reaction to enable various biological studies, e.g., fluorescent imaging and protein pull-down, which can help explore the functions of GPI-APs and discover new GPI-APs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Zhongwu Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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12
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Sauer LM, Canovas R, Roche D, Shams-Eldin H, Ravel P, Colinge J, Schwarz RT, Ben Mamoun C, Rivals E, Cornillot E. FT-GPI, a highly sensitive and accurate predictor of GPI-anchored proteins, reveals the composition and evolution of the GPI proteome in Plasmodium species. Malar J 2023; 22:27. [PMID: 36698187 PMCID: PMC9876418 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04430-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protozoan parasites are known to attach specific and diverse group of proteins to their plasma membrane via a GPI anchor. In malaria parasites, GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) have been shown to play an important role in host-pathogen interactions and a key function in host cell invasion and immune evasion. Because of their immunogenic properties, some of these proteins have been considered as malaria vaccine candidates. However, identification of all possible GPI-APs encoded by these parasites remains challenging due to their sequence diversity and limitations of the tools used for their characterization. METHODS The FT-GPI software was developed to detect GPI-APs based on the presence of a hydrophobic helix at both ends of the premature peptide. FT-GPI was implemented in C ++and applied to study the GPI-proteome of 46 isolates of the order Haemosporida. Using the GPI proteome of Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7 and Plasmodium vivax strain Sal-1, a heuristic method was defined to select the most sensitive and specific FT-GPI software parameters. RESULTS FT-GPI enabled revision of the GPI-proteome of P. falciparum and P. vivax, including the identification of novel GPI-APs. Orthology- and synteny-based analyses showed that 19 of the 37 GPI-APs found in the order Haemosporida are conserved among Plasmodium species. Our analyses suggest that gene duplication and deletion events may have contributed significantly to the evolution of the GPI proteome, and its composition correlates with speciation. CONCLUSION FT-GPI-based prediction is a useful tool for mining GPI-APs and gaining further insights into their evolution and sequence diversity. This resource may also help identify new protein candidates for the development of vaccines for malaria and other parasitic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena M. Sauer
- Institute for Virology, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- Present Address: GRN-Klinik Sinsheim, Alte Waibstadter Straße 2a, 74889 Sinsheim, Germany
| | - Rodrigo Canovas
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141LIRMM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Daniel Roche
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141LIRMM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Hosam Shams-Eldin
- Institute for Virology, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Patrice Ravel
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier INSERM U1094, ICM, Université de Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 208 Avenue Des Apothicaires, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | - Jacques Colinge
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier INSERM U1094, ICM, Université de Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 208 Avenue Des Apothicaires, 34298 Montpellier, France
| | - Ralph T. Schwarz
- Institute for Virology, Hans-Meerwein-Straße, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Choukri Ben Mamoun
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
| | - Eric Rivals
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141LIRMM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.510302.5Institut Français de Bioinformatique, CNRS UAR 3601, 2, rue Gaston Crémieux, 91057 Évry, France
| | - Emmanuel Cornillot
- Computational Biology Institute, Campus Saint Priest, 161 Rue Ada, 34095 Montpellier, France
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier INSERM U1094, ICM, Université de Montpellier, Campus Val d’Aurelle, 208 Avenue Des Apothicaires, 34298 Montpellier, France
- Wespran SAS, 13 Rue de Penthièvre, 75008 Paris, France
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13
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Niaré K, Chege T, Rosenkranz M, Mwai K, Saßmannshausen Z, Odera D, Nyamako L, Tuju J, Alfred T, Waitumbi JN, Ogutu B, Sirima SB, Awandare G, Kouriba B, Rayner JC, Osier FHA. Characterization of a novel Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface antigen and potential vaccine target. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1156806. [PMID: 37122725 PMCID: PMC10140549 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1156806] [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: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Detailed analyses of genetic diversity, antigenic variability, protein localization and immunological responses are vital for the prioritization of novel malaria vaccine candidates. Comprehensive approaches to determine the most appropriate antigen variants needed to provide broad protection are challenging and consequently rarely undertaken. Methods Here, we characterized PF3D7_1136200, which we named Asparagine-Rich Merozoite Antigen (ARMA) based on the analysis of its sequence, localization and immunogenicity. We analyzed IgG and IgM responses against the common variants of ARMA in independent prospective cohort studies in Burkina Faso (N = 228), Kenya (N = 252) and Mali (N = 195) using a custom microarray, Div-KILCHIP. Results We found a marked population structure between parasites from Africa and Asia. African isolates shared 34 common haplotypes, including a dominant pair although the overall selection pressure was directional (Tajima's D = -2.57; Fu and Li's F = -9.69; P < 0.02). ARMA was localized to the merozoite surface, IgG antibodies induced Fc-mediated degranulation of natural killer cells and strongly inhibited parasite growth in vitro. We found profound serological diversity, but IgG and IgM responses were highly correlated and a hierarchical clustering analysis identified only three major serogroups. Protective IgG and IgM antibodies appeared to target both cross-reactive and distinct epitopes across variants. However, combinations of IgG and IgM antibodies against selected variants were associated with complete protection against clinical episodes of malaria. Discussion Our systematic strategy exploits genomic data to deduce the handful of antigen variants with the strongest potential to induce broad protection and may be broadly applicable to other complex pathogens for which effective vaccines remain elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karamoko Niaré
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research—Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
- Malaria Research and Training Centre (MRTC), Department of Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- *Correspondence: Karamoko Niaré, ; Faith H. A. Osier,
| | - Timothy Chege
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research—Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Micha Rosenkranz
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kennedy Mwai
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research—Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Zoe Saßmannshausen
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dennis Odera
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lydia Nyamako
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research—Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - James Tuju
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research—Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Tiono Alfred
- Public Health Department, Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme (CNRFP), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - John N. Waitumbi
- Basic Science Laboratory, US Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa/Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Bernhards Ogutu
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Clinical Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Gordon Awandare
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Bourema Kouriba
- Malaria Research and Training Centre (MRTC), Department of Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux-Mali, Bamako, Mali
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Faith H. A. Osier
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research—Coast, Kilifi, Kenya
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Karamoko Niaré, ; Faith H. A. Osier,
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14
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Opute AO, Akinkunmi JA, Funsho AO, Obaniyi AK, Anifowoshe AT. Genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum isolates in Nigeria. A review. EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HUMAN GENETICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s43042-022-00340-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The complexity of infection in malaria-endemic areas is exacerbated by the presence of genetically diverse Plasmodium falciparum strains. There is a risk that more virulent or drug-resistant versions of the disease may arise. Therefore, we reviewed most reported molecular markers that have been detailed to date in Nigeria.
Main body of the abstract
In this review, we have summarized the genetic diversity of P. falciparum in Nigeria using the two well-reported genes (msp1 and msp2) as genetic diversity biomarkers. The review includes the findings obtained from research conducted in all major geopolitical regions of the country. We found that MSP-2 infection complexity is generally moderate to high in the North-central region. However, in the South-West, there were several regions where the multiplicity of infection (MOI) was either low or extremely high.
Conclusion
Understanding how Nigeria's malaria situation fits into various reports on P. falciparum genetic variation can improve treatment and immunization options. This review will be helpful for future treatment strategies that would be tailored to the specific needs of Nigeria's malaria-endemic populations.
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15
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Li H, Sun L, Jiang Y, Wang B, Wu Z, Sun J, Zhang X, Li H, Zhao X. Identification and characterization of Eimeria tenella EtTrx1 protein. Vet Parasitol 2022; 310:109785. [PMID: 35994916 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2022.109785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Thioredoxin (Trx) is a widespread protein regulator of redox reactions in all organisms. It operates together with NADPH and thioredoxin reductase as a general protein disulfide catalytic system. Recently, Trx has been found to be related to the process by which apicomplexan protozoa invade host cells. In this study, Eimeria tenella thioredoxin (EtTrx1) was identified and its gene structural features, expression levels at different developmental stages, localization in sporozoites, roles in adhesion and invasion, and immunogenicity were investigated. Sequence analysis indicated that EtTrx1 contains a Trx domain with a WCGPC motif in 29-33 aa and a typical Trx fold, and belongs to thioredoxin family. EtTrx1 was detected on the surface of sporozoites using anti-EtTrx1 polyclonal antibodies under non-permeabilized conditions by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and also in a secretion form. EtTrx1 protein was highly transcribed and expressed in merozoites and sporozoites by quantitative PCR and western blot. The attachment assay showed that the adherence rates of yeast cells expressing EtTrx1 on the surface to host cells were 3.1-fold higher than those of the blank control. Specific anti-EtTrx1 antibodies inhibited the invasion of sporozoites into DF-1 cells. The highest inhibition rate was up to 36.75% compared to the control group. Immunization with recombinant EtTrx1 peptides also showed significant protection against lethal infections in chickens. It could offer moderate protective efficacy (Anticoccidial Index [ACI]: 163.70), induce humoral responses, and be an effective candidate for the development of new vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Li
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Lingyu Sun
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yingying Jiang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Bingxiang Wang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wu
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jinkun Sun
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China; Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, 61 Daizong Street, Tai'an City, Shandong Province 271018, China
| | - Hongmei Li
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China; Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, 61 Daizong Street, Tai'an City, Shandong Province 271018, China.
| | - Xiaomin Zhao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China; Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, Shandong Province, China; Shandong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, 61 Daizong Street, Tai'an City, Shandong Province 271018, China.
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16
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Meisl G, Xu CK, Taylor JD, Michaels TCT, Levin A, Otzen D, Klenerman D, Matthews S, Linse S, Andreasen M, Knowles TPJ. Uncovering the universality of self-replication in protein aggregation and its link to disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn6831. [PMID: 35960802 PMCID: PMC9374340 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn6831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Fibrillar protein aggregates are a hallmark of a range of human disorders, from prion diseases to dementias, but are also encountered in several functional contexts. Yet, the fundamental links between protein assembly mechanisms and their functional or pathological roles have remained elusive. Here, we analyze the aggregation kinetics of a large set of proteins that self-assemble by a nucleated-growth mechanism, from those associated with disease, over those whose aggregates fulfill functional roles in biology, to those that aggregate only under artificial conditions. We find that, essentially, all such systems, regardless of their biological role, are capable of self-replication. However, for aggregates that have evolved to fulfill a structural role, the rate of self-replication is too low to be significant on the biologically relevant time scale. By contrast, all disease-related proteins are able to self-replicate quickly compared to the time scale of the associated disease. Our findings establish the ubiquity of self-replication and point to its potential importance across aggregation-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Meisl
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Catherine K. Xu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Jonathan D. Taylor
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Thomas C. T. Michaels
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Aviad Levin
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Daniel Otzen
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, Aarhus DK-8000, Denmark
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- U.K. Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Steve Matthews
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sara Linse
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Corresponding author. (S.L.); (M.A.); (T.P.J.K.)
| | - Maria Andreasen
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Wilhelm Meyers Allé 3, Aarhus DK-8000, Denmark
- Corresponding author. (S.L.); (M.A.); (T.P.J.K.)
| | - Tuomas P. J. Knowles
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, 19 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK
- Corresponding author. (S.L.); (M.A.); (T.P.J.K.)
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17
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Chan JA, Loughland JR, de la Parte L, Okano S, Ssewanyana I, Nalubega M, Nankya F, Musinguzi K, Rek J, Arinaitwe E, Tipping P, Bourke P, Andrew D, Dooley N, SheelaNair A, Wines BD, Hogarth PM, Beeson JG, Greenhouse B, Dorsey G, Kamya M, Hartel G, Minigo G, Feeney M, Jagannathan P, Boyle MJ. Age-dependent changes in circulating Tfh cells influence development of functional malaria antibodies in children. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4159. [PMID: 35851033 PMCID: PMC9293980 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31880-6] [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: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
T-follicular helper (Tfh) cells are key drivers of antibodies that protect from malaria. However, little is known regarding the host and parasite factors that influence Tfh and functional antibody development. Here, we use samples from a large cross-sectional study of children residing in an area of high malaria transmission in Uganda to characterize Tfh cells and functional antibodies to multiple parasites stages. We identify a dramatic re-distribution of the Tfh cell compartment with age that is independent of malaria exposure, with Th2-Tfh cells predominating in early childhood, while Th1-Tfh cell gradually increase to adult levels over the first decade of life. Functional antibody acquisition is age-dependent and hierarchical acquired based on parasite stage, with merozoite responses followed by sporozoite and gametocyte antibodies. Antibodies are boosted in children with current infection, and are higher in females. The children with the very highest antibody levels have increased Tfh cell activation and proliferation, consistent with a key role of Tfh cells in antibody development. Together, these data reveal a complex relationship between the circulating Tfh compartment, antibody development and protection from malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo-Anne Chan
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jessica R Loughland
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Tiwi, Australia
| | | | - Satomi Okano
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Isaac Ssewanyana
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mayimuna Nalubega
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - John Rek
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Peta Tipping
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Tiwi, Australia
| | - Peter Bourke
- Division of Medicine, Cairns Hospital, Manunda, QLD, Australia
| | - Dean Andrew
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Nicholas Dooley
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia.,Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Arya SheelaNair
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Bruce D Wines
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - P Mark Hogarth
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Clinical Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Microbiology, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Grant Dorsey
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Moses Kamya
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Gunter Hartel
- QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Gabriela Minigo
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Tiwi, Australia.,College of Health and Human Sciences, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Margaret Feeney
- University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Michelle J Boyle
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,QIMR-Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia. .,Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Tiwi, Australia. .,Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. .,Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
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18
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Lyons FMT, Gabriela M, Tham WH, Dietrich MH. Plasmodium 6-Cysteine Proteins: Functional Diversity, Transmission-Blocking Antibodies and Structural Scaffolds. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:945924. [PMID: 35899047 PMCID: PMC9309271 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.945924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The 6-cysteine protein family is one of the most abundant surface antigens that are expressed throughout the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle. Many members of the 6-cysteine family have critical roles in parasite development across the life cycle in parasite transmission, evasion of the host immune response and host cell invasion. The common feature of the family is the 6-cysteine domain, also referred to as s48/45 domain, which is conserved across Aconoidasida. This review summarizes the current approaches for recombinant expression for 6-cysteine proteins, monoclonal antibodies against 6-cysteine proteins that block transmission and the growing collection of crystal structures that provide insights into the functional domains of this protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frankie M. T. Lyons
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mikha Gabriela
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wai-Hong Tham
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Melanie H. Dietrich
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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19
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Goodswen SJ, Kennedy PJ, Ellis JT. Compilation of parasitic immunogenic proteins from 30 years of published research using machine learning and natural language processing. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10349. [PMID: 35725870 PMCID: PMC9208253 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13790-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organisation reported in 2020 that six of the top 10 sources of death in low-income countries are parasites. Parasites are microorganisms in a relationship with a larger organism, the host. They acquire all benefits at the host’s expense. A disease develops if the parasitic infection disrupts normal functioning of the host. This disruption can range from mild to severe, including death. Humans and livestock continue to be challenged by established and emerging infectious disease threats. Vaccination is the most efficient tool for preventing current and future threats. Immunogenic proteins sourced from the disease-causing parasite are worthwhile vaccine components (subunits) due to reliable safety and manufacturing capacity. Publications with ‘subunit vaccine’ in their title have accumulated to thousands over the last three decades. However, there are possibly thousands more reporting immunogenicity results without mentioning ‘subunit’ and/or ‘vaccine’. The exact number is unclear given the non-standardised keywords in publications. The study aim is to identify parasite proteins that induce a protective response in an animal model as reported in the scientific literature within the last 30 years using machine learning and natural language processing. Source code to fulfil this aim and the vaccine candidate list obtained is made available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J Goodswen
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Paul J Kennedy
- School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology and the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - John T Ellis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
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20
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Ochwedo KO, Ariri FO, Otambo WO, Magomere EO, Debrah I, Onyango SA, Orondo PW, Atieli HE, Ogolla SO, Otieno ACA, Mukabana WR, Githeko AK, Lee MC, Yan G, Zhong D, Kazura JW. Rare Alleles and Signatures of Selection on the Immunodominant Domains of Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 in Malaria Parasites From Western Kenya. Front Genet 2022; 13:867906. [PMID: 35656326 PMCID: PMC9152164 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.867906] [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: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Malaria elimination and eradication efforts can be advanced by including transmission-blocking or reducing vaccines (TBVs) alongside existing interventions. Key transmission-blocking vaccine candidates, such as Pfs230 domain one and Pfs48/45 domain 3, should be genetically stable to avoid developing ineffective vaccines due to antigenic polymorphisms. We evaluated genetic polymorphism and temporal stability of Pfs230 domain one and Pfs48/45 domain three in Plasmodium falciparum parasites from western Kenya. Methods: Dry blood spots on filter paper were collected from febrile malaria patients reporting to community health facilities in endemic areas of Homa Bay and Kisumu Counties and an epidemic-prone area of Kisii County in 2018 and 2019. Plasmodium speciation was performed using eluted DNA and real-time PCR. Amplification of the target domains of the two Pfs genes was performed on P. falciparum positive samples. We sequenced Pfs230 domain one on 156 clinical isolates and Pfs48/45 domain three on 118 clinical isolates to infer the levels of genetic variability, signatures of selection, genetic diversity indices and perform other evolutionary analyses. Results: Pfs230 domain one had low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.15 × 10-2) with slight variation per study site. Six polymorphic sites with nonsynonymous mutations and eight haplotypes were discovered. I539T was a novel variant, whereas G605S was nearing fixation. Pfs48/45 domain three had a low π (0.063 × 10-2), high conservation index, and three segregating sites, resulting in nonsynonymous mutation and four haplotypes. Some loci of Pfs230 D1 were in positive or negative linkage disequilibrium, had negative or positive selection signatures, and others (1813, 1955) and (1813, 1983) had a history of recombination. Mutated loci pairs in Pfs48/45 domain three had negative linkage disequilibrium, and some had negative and positive Tajima's D values with no history of recombination events. Conclusion: The two transmission blocking vaccine candidates have low nucleotide diversity, a small number of zone-specific variants, high nucleotide conservation index, and high frequency of rare alleles. With the near fixation a polymorphic site and the proximity of mutated codons to antibody binding epitopes, it will be necessary to continue monitoring sequence modifications of these domains when designing TBVs that include Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin O. Ochwedo
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya,Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
| | - Fredrick O. Ariri
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya,Department of Zoology, School of Physical and Biological Sciences, Maseno University, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Wilfred O. Otambo
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya,Department of Zoology, School of Physical and Biological Sciences, Maseno University, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Edwin O. Magomere
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya,Department of Biochemistry, Egerton University, Nakuru, Kenya
| | - Isaiah Debrah
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya,West Africa Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogen, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Shirley A. Onyango
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya,School of Zoological Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Pauline W. Orondo
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
| | - Harrysone E. Atieli
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
| | - Sidney O. Ogolla
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Antony C. A. Otieno
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Wolfgang R. Mukabana
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya,Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya
| | - Andrew K. Githeko
- Sub-Saharan Africa International Centre for Excellence in Malaria Research, Homa Bay, Kenya,Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Ming-Chieh Lee
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Guiyun Yan
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Daibin Zhong,
| | - James W. Kazura
- Centre for Global Health and Diseases, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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21
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Yu JL, Liu QY, Yang B, Sun YF, Wang YJ, Jiang J, Wang B, Cheng Y, Wang QB. Immunogenicity Analysis of the Recombinant Plasmodium falciparum Surface-Related Antigen in Mice. Pathogens 2022; 11:550. [PMID: 35631071 PMCID: PMC9145071 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, has received widespread attention owing to its severity. As a novel protein, P. falciparum surface-related antigen (PfSRA) has the structural and functional characteristics to be considered as a malaria vaccine candidate; however, limited information is available on its immunogenicity. Here, we expressed three fragments of recombinant PfSRA in an Escherichia coli system and further analyzed its immunogenicity. The results showed that rPfSRA-immunized mice produced specific antibodies with high endpoint titers (1:10,000 to 1:5,120,000) and affinity antibodies (i.e., rPfSRA-F1a (97.70%), rPfSRA-F2a (69.62%), and rPfSRA-F3a (91.87%)). In addition, the sera of immunized mice recognized both the native PfSRA and recombinant PfSRA, the rPfSRA antibodies inhibited the invasion of P. falciparum into the erythrocytes, and they were dose-dependent in vitro. This study confirmed PfSRA could be immunogenic, especially the F1a at the conserved region N-terminal and provided further support for it as a vaccine candidate against P.falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Li Yu
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China; (J.-L.Y.); (B.Y.); (Y.-F.S.)
| | - Qing-Yang Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi 9th Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (Wuxi 9th People’s Hospital), Wuxi 214000, China;
| | - Bo Yang
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China; (J.-L.Y.); (B.Y.); (Y.-F.S.)
| | - Yi-Fan Sun
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China; (J.-L.Y.); (B.Y.); (Y.-F.S.)
| | - Ya-Ju Wang
- Wuxi Red Cross Blood Center, Wuxi 214000, China; (Y.-J.W.); (J.J.)
| | - Jian Jiang
- Wuxi Red Cross Blood Center, Wuxi 214000, China; (Y.-J.W.); (J.J.)
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230000, China;
| | - Yang Cheng
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214000, China; (J.-L.Y.); (B.Y.); (Y.-F.S.)
| | - Qiu-Bo Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi 9th Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (Wuxi 9th People’s Hospital), Wuxi 214000, China;
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22
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Dietrich MH, Chan LJ, Adair A, Boulet C, O'Neill MT, Tan LL, Keremane S, Mok YF, Lo AW, Gilson P, Tham WH. Structure of the Pf12 and Pf41 heterodimeric complex of Plasmodium falciparum 6-cysteine proteins. FEMS MICROBES 2022; 3:xtac005. [PMID: 35308105 PMCID: PMC8930183 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the different stages of the Plasmodium life cycle, surface-associated proteins establish key interactions with the host and play critical roles in parasite survival. The 6-cysteine (6-cys) protein family is one of the most abundant surface antigens and expressed throughout the Plasmodium falciparum life cycle. This protein family is conserved across Plasmodium species and plays critical roles in parasite transmission, evasion of the host immune response and host cell invasion. Several 6-cys proteins are present on the parasite surface as hetero-complexes but it is not known how two 6-cys proteins interact together. Here, we present a crystal structure of Pf12 bound to Pf41 at 2.85 Å resolution, two P. falciparum proteins usually found on the parasite surface of late schizonts and merozoites. Our structure revealed two critical interfaces required for complex formation with important implications on how different 6-cysteine proteins may interact with each other. Using structure-function analyses, we identified important residues for Pf12-Pf41 complex formation. In addition, we generated 16 nanobodies against Pf12 and Pf41 and showed that several Pf12-specific nanobodies inhibit Pf12-Pf41 complex formation. Using X-ray crystallography, we were able to describe the structural mechanism of an inhibitory nanobody in blocking Pf12-Pf41 complex formation. Future studies using these inhibitory nanobodies will be useful to determine the functional role of these two 6-cys proteins in malaria parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie H Dietrich
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Li-Jin Chan
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amy Adair
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Matthew T O'Neill
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Li Lynn Tan
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sravya Keremane
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yee-Foong Mok
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alvin W Lo
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Wai-Hong Tham
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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23
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Frasse PM, Miller JJ, Polino AJ, Soleimani E, Zhu JS, Jakeman DL, Jez JM, Goldberg DE, Odom John AR. Enzymatic and structural characterization of HAD5, an essential phosphomannomutase of malaria-causing parasites. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101550. [PMID: 34973333 PMCID: PMC8808168 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for over 200 million infections and 400,000 deaths per year. At multiple stages during its complex life cycle, P. falciparum expresses several essential proteins tethered to its surface by glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors, which are critical for biological processes such as parasite egress and reinvasion of host red blood cells. Targeting this pathway therapeutically has the potential to broadly impact parasite development across several life stages. Here, we characterize an upstream component of parasite GPI anchor biosynthesis, the putative phosphomannomutase (PMM) (EC 5.4.2.8), HAD5 (PF3D7_1017400). We confirmed the PMM and phosphoglucomutase activities of purified recombinant HAD5 by developing novel linked enzyme biochemical assays. By regulating the expression of HAD5 in transgenic parasites with a TetR-DOZI-inducible knockdown system, we demonstrated that HAD5 is required for malaria parasite egress and erythrocyte reinvasion, and we assessed the role of HAD5 in GPI anchor synthesis by autoradiography of radiolabeled glucosamine and thin layer chromatography. Finally, we determined the three-dimensional X-ray crystal structure of HAD5 and identified a substrate analog that specifically inhibits HAD5 compared to orthologous human PMMs in a time-dependent manner. These findings demonstrate that the GPI anchor biosynthesis pathway is exceptionally sensitive to inhibition in parasites and that HAD5 has potential as a specific, multistage antimalarial target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip M Frasse
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Justin J Miller
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Alexander J Polino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Ebrahim Soleimani
- College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Jian-She Zhu
- College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - David L Jakeman
- College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Joseph M Jez
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Daniel E Goldberg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Audrey R Odom John
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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24
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Fenollar À, Ros-Lucas A, Pía Alberione M, Martínez-Peinado N, Ramírez M, Ángel Rosales-Motos M, Y. Lee L, Alonso-Padilla J, Izquierdo L. Compounds targeting GPI biosynthesis or N-glycosylation are active against Plasmodium falciparum. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:850-863. [PMID: 35222844 PMCID: PMC8841962 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Compounds targeting key steps in GPI biosynthesis abrogate P. falciparum growth. N-glycosylation disruption halts parasite development and induces delayed death. Tunicamycin-induced delayed death is not linked with the synthesis of isoprenoids. In summary, two metabolic pathways are outlined for further drug target exploration.
The emergence of resistance to first-line antimalarials, including artemisinin, the last effective malaria therapy in some regions, stresses the urgent need to develop new effective treatments against this disease. The identification and validation of metabolic pathways that could be targeted for drug development may strongly contribute to accelerate this process. In this study, we use fully characterized specific inhibitors targeting glycan biosynthetic pathways as research tools to analyze their effects on the growth of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and to validate these metabolic routes as feasible chemotherapeutic targets. Through docking simulations using models predicted by AlphaFold, we also shed new light into the modes of action of some of these inhibitors. Molecules inhibiting N-acetylglucosaminyl-phosphatidylinositol de-N-acetylase (GlcNAc-PI de-N-acetylase, PIGL/GPI12) or the inositol acyltransferase (GWT1), central for glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) biosynthesis, halt the growth of intraerythrocytic asexual parasites during the trophozoite stages of the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC). Remarkably, the nucleoside antibiotic tunicamycin, which targets UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:dolichyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase (ALG7) and N-glycosylation in other organisms, induces a delayed-death effect and inhibits parasite growth during the second IDC after treatment. Our data indicate that tunicamycin induces a specific inhibitory effect, hinting to a more substantial role of the N-glycosylation pathway in P. falciparum intraerythrocytic asexual stages than previously thought. To sum up, our results place GPI biosynthesis and N-glycosylation pathways as metabolic routes with potential to yield much-needed therapeutic targets against the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Àngel Fenollar
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Ros-Lucas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Pía Alberione
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nieves Martínez-Peinado
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Ramírez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Rosales-Motos
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ling Y. Lee
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julio Alonso-Padilla
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
- Corresponding author at: Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic—University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
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25
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Naguleswaran A, Fernandes P, Bevkal S, Rehmann R, Nicholson P, Roditi I. Developmental changes and metabolic reprogramming during establishment of infection and progression of Trypanosoma brucei brucei through its insect host. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009504. [PMID: 34543277 PMCID: PMC8483307 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei ssp., unicellular parasites causing human and animal trypanosomiasis, are transmitted between mammals by tsetse flies. Periodic changes in variant surface glycoproteins (VSG), which form the parasite coat in the mammal, allow them to evade the host immune response. Different isolates of T. brucei show heterogeneity in their repertoires of VSG genes and have single nucleotide polymorphisms and indels that can impact on genome editing. T. brucei brucei EATRO1125 (AnTaR1 serodeme) is an isolate that is used increasingly often because it is pleomorphic in mammals and fly transmissible, two characteristics that have been lost by the most commonly used laboratory stocks. We present a genome assembly of EATRO1125, including contigs for the intermediate chromosomes and minichromosomes that serve as repositories of VSG genes. In addition, de novo transcriptome assemblies were performed using Illumina sequences from tsetse-derived trypanosomes. Reads of 150 bases enabled closely related members of multigene families to be discriminated. This revealed that the transcriptome of midgut-derived parasites is dynamic, starting with the expression of high affinity hexose transporters and glycolytic enzymes and then switching to proline uptake and catabolism. These changes resemble the transition from early to late procyclic forms in culture. Further metabolic reprogramming, including upregulation of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, occurs in the proventriculus. Many transcripts upregulated in the salivary glands encode surface proteins, among them 7 metacyclic VSGs, multiple BARPs and GCS1/HAP2, a marker for gametes. A novel family of transmembrane proteins, containing polythreonine stretches that are predicted to be O-glycosylation sites, was also identified. Finally, RNA-Seq data were used to create an optimised annotation file with 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions accurately mapped for 9302 genes. We anticipate that this will be of use in identifying transcripts obtained by single cell sequencing technologies. Trypanosoma brucei ssp. are single-celled parasites that cause two tropical diseases: sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in domestic animals. Parasites survive in the host bloodstream because they periodically change their surface coats and also because they can switch from slender dividing forms to stumpy non-dividing forms. The latter can be transmitted to their second host, the tsetse fly. Although closely related, different geographical isolates differ in their repertoire of surface coats and have small, but important differences in their DNA sequences. In addition, laboratory strains that are transferred between mammals by needle passage lose the ability to produce stumpy forms and to infect flies. The isolate T. b. brucei EATRO1125 is often used for research as it produces stumpy forms and is fly transmissible. We provide an assembly of the genome of this isolate, including part of the repertoire of coat proteins, and a detailed analysis of the genes that the parasites express as they establish infection and progress through the fly. This has provided new insights into trypanosome biology. The combined genomic (DNA) and transcriptomic (RNA) data will be useful resources for the trypanosome research community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Fernandes
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Shubha Bevkal
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ruth Rehmann
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pamela Nicholson
- Next Generation Sequencing Platform, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Roditi
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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26
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Yang B, Liu H, Xu QW, Sun YF, Xu S, Zhang H, Tang JX, Zhu GD, Liu YB, Cao J, Cheng Y. Genetic Diversity Analysis of Surface-Related Antigen (SRA) in Plasmodium falciparum Imported From Africa to China. Front Genet 2021; 12:688606. [PMID: 34421996 PMCID: PMC8378275 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.688606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum surface-related antigen (SRA) is located on the surfaces of gametocyte and merozoite and has the structural and functional characteristics of potential targets for multistage vaccine development. However, little information is available regarding the genetic polymorphism of pfsra. To determine the extent of genetic variation about P. falciparum by characterizing the sra sequence, 74 P. falciparum samples were collected from migrant workers who returned to China from 12 countries of Africa between 2015 and 2019. The full length of the sra gene was amplified and sequenced. The average pairwise nucleotide diversities (π) of P. falciparum sra gene was 0.00132, and the haplotype diversity (Hd) was 0.770. The average number of nucleotide differences (k) for pfsra was 3.049. The ratio of non-synonymous (dN) to synonymous (dS) substitutions across sites (dN/dS) was 1.365. Amino acid substitutions of P. falciparum SRA could be categorized into 35 unique amino acid variants. Neutrality tests showed that the polymorphism of PfSRA was maintained by positive diversifying selection, which indicated its role as a potential target of protective immune responses and a vaccine candidate. Overall, the ability of the N-terminal of PfSRA antibodies to evoke inhibition of merozoite invasion of erythrocytes and conserved amino acid at low genetic diversity suggest that the N-terminal of PfSRA could be evaluated as a vaccine candidate against P. falciparum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yang
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qin-Wen Xu
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yi-Fan Sun
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Sui Xu
- Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasite Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Jian-Xia Tang
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasite Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Guo-Ding Zhu
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasite Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Yao-Bao Liu
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasite Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Jun Cao
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.,Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.,Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasite Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Yang Cheng
- Laboratory of Pathogen Infection and Immunity, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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27
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Dasanna AK, Hillringhaus S, Gompper G, Fedosov DA. Effect of malaria parasite shape on its alignment at erythrocyte membrane. eLife 2021; 10:68818. [PMID: 34286696 PMCID: PMC8331178 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68818] [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: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
During the blood stage of malaria pathogenesis, parasites invade healthy red blood cells (RBC) to multiply inside the host and evade the immune response. When attached to RBC, the parasite first has to align its apex with the membrane for a successful invasion. Since the parasite’s apex sits at the pointed end of an oval (egg-like) shape with a large local curvature, apical alignment is in general an energetically unfavorable process. Previously, using coarse-grained mesoscopic simulations, we have shown that optimal alignment time is achieved due to RBC membrane deformation and the stochastic nature of bond-based interactions between the parasite and RBC membrane (Hillringhaus et al., 2020). Here, we demonstrate that the parasite’s shape has a prominent effect on the alignment process. The alignment times of spherical parasites for intermediate and large bond off-rates (or weak membrane-parasite interactions) are found to be close to those of an egg-like shape. However, for small bond off-rates (or strong adhesion and large membrane deformations), the alignment time for a spherical shape increases drastically. Parasite shapes with large aspect ratios such as oblate and long prolate ellipsoids are found to exhibit very long alignment times in comparison to the egg-like shape. At a stiffened RBC, a spherical parasite aligns faster than any other investigated shape. This study shows that the original egg-like shape performs not worse for parasite alignment than other considered shapes but is more robust with respect to different adhesion interactions and RBC membrane rigidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil K Dasanna
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hillringhaus
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Gerhard Gompper
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Dmitry A Fedosov
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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Nanobody generation and structural characterization of Plasmodium falciparum 6-cysteine protein Pf12p. Biochem J 2021; 478:579-595. [PMID: 33480416 PMCID: PMC7886318 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Surface-associated proteins play critical roles in the Plasmodium parasite life cycle and are major targets for vaccine development. The 6-cysteine (6-cys) protein family is expressed in a stage-specific manner throughout Plasmodium falciparum life cycle and characterized by the presence of 6-cys domains, which are β-sandwich domains with conserved sets of disulfide bonds. Although several 6-cys family members have been implicated to play a role in sexual stages, mosquito transmission, evasion of the host immune response and host cell invasion, the precise function of many family members is still unknown and structural information is only available for four 6-cys proteins. Here, we present to the best of our knowledge, the first crystal structure of the 6-cys protein Pf12p determined at 2.8 Å resolution. The monomeric molecule folds into two domains, D1 and D2, both of which adopt the canonical 6-cys domain fold. Although the structural fold is similar to that of Pf12, its paralog in P. falciparum, we show that Pf12p does not complex with Pf41, which is a known interaction partner of Pf12. We generated 10 distinct Pf12p-specific nanobodies which map into two separate epitope groups; one group which binds within the D2 domain, while several members of the second group bind at the interface of the D1 and D2 domain of Pf12p. Characterization of the structural features of the 6-cys family and their associated nanobodies provide a framework for generating new tools to study the diverse functions of the 6-cys protein family in the Plasmodium life cycle.
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29
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Dijkman PM, Marzluf T, Zhang Y, Chang SYS, Helm D, Lanzer M, Bujard H, Kudryashev M. Structure of the merozoite surface protein 1 from Plasmodium falciparum. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg0465. [PMID: 34078606 PMCID: PMC11210306 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg0465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP-1) is the most abundant protein on the surface of the erythrocyte-invading Plasmodium merozoite, the causative agent of malaria. MSP-1 is essential for merozoite formation, entry into and escape from erythrocytes, and is a promising vaccine candidate. Here, we present monomeric and dimeric structures of full-length MSP-1. MSP-1 adopts an unusual fold with a large central cavity. Its fold includes several coiled-coils and shows structural homology to proteins associated with membrane and cytoskeleton interactions. MSP-1 formed dimers through these domains in a concentration-dependent manner. Dimerization is affected by the presence of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton protein spectrin, which may compete for the dimerization interface. Our work provides structural insights into the possible mode of interaction of MSP-1 with erythrocytes and establishes a framework for future investigations into the role of MSP-1 in Plasmodium infection and immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia M Dijkman
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tanja Marzluf
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- MS-based Protein Analysis Unit, Genomics and Proteomics Core Facility, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yingyi Zhang
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Shih-Ying Scott Chang
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dominic Helm
- MS-based Protein Analysis Unit, Genomics and Proteomics Core Facility, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Lanzer
- Centre for Infectious Diseases, Parasitology Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hermann Bujard
- Sumaya Biotech GmbH & Co. KG, Heidelberg, Germany
- Centre for Molecular Biology Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mikhail Kudryashev
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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30
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A single-cell atlas of Plasmodium falciparum transmission through the mosquito. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3196. [PMID: 34045457 PMCID: PMC8159942 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle featuring diverse developmental strategies, each uniquely adapted to navigate specific host environments. Here we use single-cell transcriptomics to illuminate gene usage across the transmission cycle of the most virulent agent of human malaria - Plasmodium falciparum. We reveal developmental trajectories associated with the colonization of the mosquito midgut and salivary glands and elucidate the transcriptional signatures of each transmissible stage. Additionally, we identify both conserved and non-conserved gene usage between human and rodent parasites, which point to both essential mechanisms in malaria transmission and species-specific adaptations potentially linked to host tropism. Together, the data presented here, which are made freely available via an interactive website, provide a fine-grained atlas that enables intensive investigation of the P. falciparum transcriptional journey. As well as providing insights into gene function across the transmission cycle, the atlas opens the door for identification of drug and vaccine targets to stop malaria transmission and thereby prevent disease. Here the authors use single-cell RNA-seq to profile the transmission stages of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as it progresses through the Anopheles mosquito. They highlight unique patterns of gene usage throughout this development and identify potential pleiotropic genes that function at multiple life cycle stages.
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31
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Does Antibody Avidity to Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Antigens Increase with Age in Individuals Living in Malaria-Endemic Areas? Infect Immun 2021; 89:IAI.00522-20. [PMID: 33722929 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00522-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
High-avidity antibodies (Abs) are acquired after a few Plasmodium falciparum infections in low transmission areas, but it remains unclear if Ab avidity to different merozoite antigens increases with age in individuals with persistent antigenemia and, if so, when a fully mature Ab response occurs. The study used plasma samples collected between 1996 and 1998 from 566 individuals aged 4 to 84 years in Simbok, Cameroon, where residents received an estimated 1.6 infectious mosquito bites/person/night. Plasma samples were examined for Ab levels (median fluorescence intensity [MFI]) and Ab avidity index (AI) (where AI = [MFI after treatment with 2 M NH4SCN/MFI without salt] × 100) using a bead-based multiplex immunoassay for recombinant AMA1, EBA-175, MSP1-42 (3D7, FVO), MSP2 (3D7, Fc27), and MSP3. Blood-smear positivity for P. falciparum declined with age from 54.3% at 4 to 5 years to 18% at 16 to 40 years and <11% at >40 years of age, although most individuals had submicroscopic parasitemia. Ab affinity maturation, based on age-related patterns of median AI, percentage of individuals with AI of ≥50, and strength of association between MFI and AI, occurred at different rates among the antigens; they developed rapidly before age 4 years for AMA1, increased gradually with age for EBA-175 and MSP1 until ∼16 to 25 years, but occurred negligibly for MSP2 and MSP3. In a hyperendemic area with perennial transmission, affinity maturation resulting in an increase in the proportion of high-avidity Abs occurred for some merozoite antigens, in parallel with a decline in malaria slide passivity, but not for others.
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32
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Novel insights from the Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite-specific proteome by probabilistic integration of 26 studies. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008067. [PMID: 33930021 PMCID: PMC8115857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium species, the causative agent of malaria, have a complex life cycle involving two hosts. The sporozoite life stage is characterized by an extended phase in the mosquito salivary glands followed by free movement and rapid invasion of hepatocytes in the human host. This transmission stage has been the subject of many transcriptomics and proteomics studies and is also targeted by the most advanced malaria vaccine. We applied Bayesian data integration to determine which proteins are not only present in sporozoites but are also specific to that stage. Transcriptomic and proteomic Plasmodium data sets from 26 studies were weighted for how representative they are for sporozoites, based on a carefully assembled gold standard for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) proteins known to be present or absent during the sporozoite life stage. Of 5418 Pf genes for which expression data were available at the RNA level or at the protein level, 975 were identified as enriched in sporozoites and 90 specific to them. We show that Pf sporozoites are enriched for proteins involved in type II fatty acid synthesis in the apicoplast and GPI anchor synthesis, but otherwise appear metabolically relatively inactive in the salivary glands of mosquitos. Newly annotated hypothetical sporozoite-specific and sporozoite-enriched proteins highlight sporozoite-specific functions. They include PF3D7_0104100 that we identified to be homologous to the prominin family, which in human has been related to a quiescent state of cancer cells. We document high levels of genetic variability for sporozoite proteins, specifically for sporozoite-specific proteins that elicit antibodies in the human host. Nevertheless, we can identify nine relatively well-conserved sporozoite proteins that elicit antibodies and that together can serve as markers for previous exposure. Our understanding of sporozoite biology benefits from identifying key pathways that are enriched during this life stage. This work can guide studies of molecular mechanisms underlying sporozoite biology and potential well-conserved targets for marker and drug development. When a person is bitten by an infectious malaria mosquito, sporozoites are injected into the skin with mosquito saliva. These sporozoites then travel to the liver, invade hepatocytes and multiply before the onset of the symptom-causing blood stage of malaria. By integrating published data, we contrast sporozoite protein expression with other life stages to filter out the unique features of sporozoites that help us understand this stage. We used a “guideline” that we derived from the literature on individual proteins so that we knew which proteins should be present or absent at the sporozoite stage, allowing us to weigh 26 data sets for their relevance to sporozoites. Among the newly discovered sporozoite-specific genes are candidates for fatty acid synthesis while others might play a role keeping the sporozoites in an inactive state in the mosquito salivary glands. Furthermore, we show that most sporozoite-specific proteins are genetically more variable than non-sporozoite proteins. We identify a set of conserved sporozoite proteins against which antibodies can serve as markers of recent exposure to sporozoites or that can serve as vaccine candidates. Our predictions of sporozoite-specific proteins and the assignment of previously unknown functions give new insights into the biology of this life stage.
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Noell K, Pitula JS. A Dual Omics Approach to Evaluate Transcriptional and Metabolic Responses During Lipid Deprivation in an Oyster Parasite, Perkinsus marinus. OMICS-A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2021; 25:93-101. [PMID: 33571063 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2020.0172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Perkinsus marinus, a protozoan and the causative agent of perkinsosis (dermo disease) is a prevalent parasite found within the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica). In this study, we explore metabolic processes of P. marinus cells under lipid-depleted medium conditions to elucidate the interchanging flux of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Although P. marinus can synthesize their own lipids from available nutrients, they display a slower growth in medium not supplemented with lipids as opposed to medium with lipids. Under these conditions, using transcriptomics, we surprisingly observed evidence of stimulated lipid degradation through increased transcription of two core β-oxidation pathway enzymes. Simultaneously, phospholipid biosynthetic pathways were downregulated. Metabolomic analysis supported the transcriptomic results. Most fatty acids were decreased in lipid-deplete medium as opposed to lipid-replete medium, and available glucose was fermented to lactate. A significant increase in the cholesterol derivative zymosterol further supported a downregulation of membrane synthesis under the experimental conditions. A robust tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle was apparent by enhanced citrate synthase transcription, and a simultaneous reduction in branched chain amino acids. It is concluded that although P. marinus has the capacity for synthesizing its own lipids, it can respond to lipid deprivation in medium by oxidizing readily available stores, and likely transitioning into a resting stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Noell
- Department of Natural Science, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph S Pitula
- Department of Natural Science, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland, USA
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Ito D, Chen JH, Takashima E, Hasegawa T, Otsuki H, Takeo S, Thongkukiatkul A, Han ET, Tsuboi T. Identification of a Novel RAMA/RON3 Rhoptry Protein Complex in Plasmodium falciparum Merozoites. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:605367. [PMID: 33537242 PMCID: PMC7848174 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.605367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria causes a half a million deaths annually. The parasite intraerythrocytic lifecycle in the human bloodstream is the major cause of morbidity and mortality. Apical organelles of merozoite stage parasites are involved in the invasion of erythrocytes. A limited number of apical organellar proteins have been identified and characterized for their roles during erythrocyte invasion or subsequent intraerythrocytic parasite development. To expand the repertoire of identified apical organellar proteins we generated a panel of monoclonal antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum schizont-rich parasites and screened the antibodies using immunofluorescence assays. Out of 164 hybridoma lines, 12 clones produced monoclonal antibodies yielding punctate immunofluorescence staining patterns in individual merozoites in late schizonts, suggesting recognition of merozoite apical organelles. Five of the monoclonal antibodies were used to immuno-affinity purify their target antigens and these antigens were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Two known apical organelle protein complexes were identified, the high-molecular mass rhoptry protein complex (PfRhopH1/Clags, PfRhopH2, and PfRhopH3) and the low-molecular mass rhoptry protein complex (rhoptry-associated proteins complex, PfRAP1, and PfRAP2). A novel complex was additionally identified by immunoprecipitation, composed of rhoptry-associated membrane antigen (PfRAMA) and rhoptry neck protein 3 (PfRON3) of P. falciparum. We further identified a region spanning amino acids Q221-E481 within the PfRAMA that may associate with PfRON3 in immature schizonts. Further investigation will be required as to whether PfRAMA and PfRON3 interact directly or indirectly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Ito
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan.,Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Jun-Hu Chen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Hasegawa
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Otsuki
- Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan
| | - Satoru Takeo
- Division of Tropical Diseases and Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Japan
| | | | - Eun-Taek Han
- Department of Medical Environmental Biology and Tropical Medicine, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
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Th2-like T Follicular Helper Cells Promote Functional Antibody Production during Plasmodium falciparum Infection. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE 2020; 1:100157. [PMID: 33377128 PMCID: PMC7762767 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
CD4+ T follicular helper cells (Tfh) are key drivers of antibody development. During Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children, the activation of Tfh is restricted to the Th1 subset and not associated with antibody levels. To identify Tfh subsets that are associated with antibody development in malaria, we assess Tfh and antibodies longitudinally in human volunteers with experimental P. falciparum infection. Tfh cells activate during infection, with distinct dynamics in different Tfh subsets. Th2-Tfh cells activate early, during peak infection, while Th1-Tfh cells activate 1 week after peak infection and treatment. Th2-Tfh cell activation is associated with the functional breadth and magnitude of parasite antibodies. In contrast, Th1-Tfh activation is not associated with antibody development but instead with plasma cells, which have previously been shown to play a detrimental role in the development of long-lived immunity. Thus, our study identifies the contrasting roles of Th2 and Th1-Tfh cells during experimental P. falciparum malaria.
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36
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Acquisition and decay of IgM and IgG responses to merozoite antigens after Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Ghanaian children. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243943. [PMID: 33332459 PMCID: PMC7746192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Developing a vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria has been challenging, primarily due to high levels of antigen polymorphism and a complex parasite lifecycle. Immunization with the P. falciparum merozoite antigens PfMSRP5, PfSERA9, PfRAMA, PfCyRPA and PfRH5 has been shown to give rise to growth inhibitory and synergistic antisera. Therefore, these five merozoite proteins are considered to be promising candidates for a second-generation multivalent malaria vaccine. Nevertheless, little is known about IgG and IgM responses to these antigens in populations that are naturally exposed to P. falciparum. In this study, serum samples from clinically immune adults and malaria exposed children from Ghana were studied to compare levels of IgG and IgM specific for PfMSRP5, PfSERA9, PfRAMA, PfCyRPA and PfRH5. All five antigens were found to be specifically recognized by both IgM and IgG in serum from clinically immune adults and from children with malaria. Longitudinal analysis of the latter group showed an early, transient IgM response that was followed by IgG, which peaked 14 days after the initial diagnosis. IgG levels and parasitemia did not correlate, whereas parasitemia was weakly positively correlated with IgM levels. These findings show that IgG and IgM specific for merozoite antigens PfMSRP5, PfSERA9, PfRAMA, PfCyRPA and PfRH5 are high in children during P. falciparum malaria, but that the IgM induction and decline occurs earlier in infection than that of IgG.
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Collins CR, Hackett F, Howell SA, Snijders AP, Russell MRG, Collinson LM, Blackman MJ. The malaria parasite sheddase SUB2 governs host red blood cell membrane sealing at invasion. eLife 2020; 9:e61121. [PMID: 33287958 PMCID: PMC7723409 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Red blood cell (RBC) invasion by malaria merozoites involves formation of a parasitophorous vacuole into which the parasite moves. The vacuole membrane seals and pinches off behind the parasite through an unknown mechanism, enclosing the parasite within the RBC. During invasion, several parasite surface proteins are shed by a membrane-bound protease called SUB2. Here we show that genetic depletion of SUB2 abolishes shedding of a range of parasite proteins, identifying previously unrecognized SUB2 substrates. Interaction of SUB2-null merozoites with RBCs leads to either abortive invasion with rapid RBC lysis, or successful entry but developmental arrest. Selective failure to shed the most abundant SUB2 substrate, MSP1, reduces intracellular replication, whilst conditional ablation of the substrate AMA1 produces host RBC lysis. We conclude that SUB2 activity is critical for host RBC membrane sealing following parasite internalisation and for correct functioning of merozoite surface proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine R Collins
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Fiona Hackett
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Steven A Howell
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Ambrosius P Snijders
- Protein Analysis and Proteomics Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Matthew RG Russell
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Lucy M Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Science Technology Platform, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Michael J Blackman
- Malaria Biochemistry Laboratory, The Francis Crick InstituteLondonUnited Kingdom
- Faculty of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondonUnited Kingdom
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Ndiaye T, Sy M, Gaye A, Siddle KJ, Park DJ, Bei AK, Deme AB, Mbaye A, Dieye B, Ndiaye YD, Ndiaye IM, Diallo MA, Diongue K, Volkman SK, Badiane AS, Ndiaye D. Molecular epidemiology of Plasmodium falciparum by multiplexed amplicon deep sequencing in Senegal. Malar J 2020; 19:403. [PMID: 33172455 PMCID: PMC7654156 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03471-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular epidemiology can provide important information regarding the genetic diversity and transmission of Plasmodium falciparum, which can assist in designing and monitoring elimination efforts. However, malaria molecular epidemiology including understanding the genetic diversity of the parasite and performing molecular surveillance of transmission has been poorly documented in Senegal. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) offers a practical, fast and high-throughput approach to understand malaria population genetics. This study aims to unravel the population structure of P. falciparum and to estimate the allelic diversity, multiplicity of infection (MOI), and evolutionary patterns of the malaria parasite using the NGS platform. METHODS Multiplex amplicon deep sequencing of merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP1) and merozoite surface protein 2 (PfMSP2) in fifty-three P. falciparum isolates from two epidemiologically different areas in the South and North of Senegal, was carried out. RESULTS A total of 76 Pfmsp1 and 116 Pfmsp2 clones were identified and 135 different alleles were found, 56 and 79 belonged to the pfmsp1 and pfmsp2 genes, respectively. K1 and IC3D7 allelic families were most predominant in both sites. The local haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (π) were higher in the South than in the North for both genes. For pfmsp1, a high positive Tajima's D (TD) value was observed in the South (D = 2.0453) while negative TD value was recorded in the North (D = - 1.46045) and F-Statistic (Fst) was 0.19505. For pfmsp2, non-directional selection was found with a highly positive TD test in both areas and Fst was 0.02111. The mean MOI for both genes was 3.07 and 1.76 for the South and the North, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between areas (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION This study revealed a high genetic diversity of pfmsp1 and pfmsp2 genes and low genetic differentiation in P. falciparum population in Senegal. The MOI means were significantly different between the Southern and Northern areas. Findings also showed that multiplexed amplicon deep sequencing is a useful technique to investigate genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of P. falciparum infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tolla Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal.
| | - Mouhamad Sy
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Amy Gaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Daniel J Park
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amy K Bei
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Awa B Deme
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Aminata Mbaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Baba Dieye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Yaye Die Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Ibrahima Mbaye Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mamadou Alpha Diallo
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Khadim Diongue
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Sarah K Volkman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aida Sadikh Badiane
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Daouda Ndiaye
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Senegal
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Kumar V, Rumaisha, Behl A, Munjal A, Abid M, Singh S. Prefoldin subunit 6 of Plasmodium falciparum binds merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1). FEBS Open Bio 2020; 12:1050-1060. [PMID: 33145997 PMCID: PMC9063436 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a human disease caused by eukaryotic protozoan parasites of the Plasmodium genus. Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) causes the most lethal form of human malaria and is responsible for widespread mortality worldwide. Prefoldin is a heterohexameric molecular complex that binds and delivers unfolded proteins to chaperonin for correct folding. The prefoldin PFD6 is predicted to interact with merozoite surface protein‐1 (MSP‐1), a protein well known to play a pivotal role in erythrocyte binding and invasion by Plasmodium merozoites. We previously found that the P. falciparum (Pf) genome contains six prefoldin genes and a prefoldin‐like gene whose molecular functions are unidentified. Here, we analyzed the expression of PfPFD‐6 during the asexual blood stages of the parasite and investigated its interacting partners. PfPFD‐6 was found to be significantly expressed at the trophozoite and schizont stages. Pull‐down assays suggest PfPFD‐6 interacts with MSP‐1. In silico analysis suggested critical residues involved in the PfPFD‐6‐MSP‐1 interaction. Our data suggest PfPFD‐6 may play a role in stabilizing or trafficking MSP‐1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikash Kumar
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Rumaisha
- Medicinal Chemistry laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Ankita Behl
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Akshay Munjal
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Mohammad Abid
- Medicinal Chemistry laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Shailja Singh
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
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The Structure of the Cysteine-Rich Domain of Plasmodium falciparum P113 Identifies the Location of the RH5 Binding Site. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.01566-20. [PMID: 32900802 PMCID: PMC7482062 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01566-20] [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] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a deadly infectious disease primarily caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. It remains a major global health problem, and there is no highly effective vaccine. A parasite protein called RH5 is centrally involved in the invasion of host red blood cells, making it—and the other parasite proteins it interacts with—promising vaccine targets. We recently identified a protein called P113 that binds RH5, suggesting that it anchors RH5 to the parasite surface. In this paper, we use structural biology to locate and characterize the RH5 binding region on P113. These findings will be important to guide the development of new antimalarial vaccines to ultimately prevent this disease, which affects some of the poorest people on the planet. Plasmodium falciparum RH5 is a secreted parasite ligand that is essential for erythrocyte invasion through direct interaction with the host erythrocyte receptor basigin. RH5 forms a tripartite complex with two other secreted parasite proteins, CyRPA and RIPR, and is tethered to the surface of the parasite through membrane-anchored P113. Antibodies against RH5, CyRPA, and RIPR can inhibit parasite invasion, suggesting that vaccines containing these three components have the potential to prevent blood-stage malaria. To further explore the role of the P113-RH5 interaction, we selected monoclonal antibodies against P113 that were either inhibitory or noninhibitory for RH5 binding. Using a Fab fragment as a crystallization chaperone, we determined the crystal structure of the RH5 binding region of P113 and showed that it is composed of two domains with structural similarities to rhamnose-binding lectins. We identified the RH5 binding site on P113 by using a combination of hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis. We found that a monoclonal antibody to P113 that bound to this interface and inhibited the RH5-P113 interaction did not inhibit parasite blood-stage growth. These findings provide further structural information on the protein interactions of RH5 and will be helpful in guiding the development of blood-stage malaria vaccines that target RH5.
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Pamplona A, Silva-Santos B. γδ T cells in malaria: a double-edged sword. FEBS J 2020; 288:1118-1129. [PMID: 32710527 PMCID: PMC7983992 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains a devastating global health problem, resulting in many annual deaths due to the complications of severe malaria. However, in endemic regions, individuals can acquire ‘clinical immunity’ to malaria, characterized by a decrease in severe malaria episodes and an increase of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections. Recently, it has been reported that tolerance to ‘clinical malaria’ and reduced disease severity correlates with a decrease in the numbers of circulating Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, the major subset of γδ T cells in the human peripheral blood. This is particularly interesting as this population typically undergoes dramatic expansions during acute Plasmodium infections and was previously shown to play antiparasitic functions. Thus, regulated γδ T‐cell responses may be critical to balance immune protection with severe pathology, particularly as both seem to rely on the same pro‐inflammatory cytokines, most notably TNF and IFN‐γ. This has been clearly demonstrated in mouse models of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) based on Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection. Furthermore, our recent studies suggest that the natural course of Plasmodium infection, mimicked in mice through mosquito bite or sporozoite inoculation, includes a major pathogenic component in ECM that depends on γδ T cells and IFN‐γ production in the asymptomatic liver stage, where parasite virulence is seemingly set and determines pathology in the subsequent blood stage. Here, we discuss these and other recent advances in our understanding of the complex—protective versus pathogenic—functions of γδ T cells in malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pamplona
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bruno Silva-Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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42
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Fotoran WL, Kleiber N, Müntefering T, Liebau E, Wunderlich G. Production of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins for vaccines and directed binding of immunoliposomes to specific cell types. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2020; 26:e20200032. [PMID: 32788917 PMCID: PMC7401668 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2020-0032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Liposomes are highly useful carriers for delivering drugs or antigens. The association of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins to liposomes potentially enhances the immunogenic effect of vaccine antigens by increasing their surface concentration. Furthermore, the introduction of a universal immunoglobulin-binding domain can make liposomes targetable to virtually any desired receptor for which antibodies exist. METHODS We developed a system for the production of recombinant proteins with GPI anchors and histidine tags and Strep-tags for simplified purification from cells. This system was applied to i) the green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter, ii) the promising Plasmodium falciparum vaccine antigen PfRH5 and iii) a doubled immunoglobulin Fc-binding domain termed ZZ from protein A of Staphylococcus aureus. As the GPI-attachment domain, the C-terminus of murine CD14 was used. After the recovery of these three recombinant proteins from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and association with liposomes, their vaccine potential and ability to target the CD4 receptor on lymphocytes in ex vivo conditions were tested. RESULTS Upon immunization in mice, the PfRH5-GPI-loaded liposomes generated antibody titers of 103 to 104, and showed a 45% inhibitory effect on in vitro growth at an IgG concentration of 600 µg/mL in P. falciparum cultures. Using GPI-anchored ZZ to couple anti-CD4 antibodies to liposomes, we created immunoliposomes with a binding efficiency of 75% to CD4+ cells in splenocytes and minimal off-target binding. CONCLUSIONS Proteins are very effectively associated with liposomes via a GPI-anchor to form proteoliposome particles and these are useful for a variety of applications including vaccines and antibody-mediated targeting of liposomes. Importantly, the CHO-cell and GPI-tagged produced PfRH5 elicited invasion-blocking antibodies qualitatively comparable to other approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley L. Fotoran
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences,
University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Nicole Kleiber
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences,
University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Müntefering
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Animal Physiology,
University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Eva Liebau
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Institute of Animal Physiology,
University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wunderlich
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences,
University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Roller RF, Malik A, Carillo MA, Garg M, Rella A, Raulf M, Lepenies B, Seeberger PH, Varón Silva D. Semisynthesis of Functional Glycosylphosphatidylinositol‐Anchored Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202002479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Renée F. Roller
- Department of Biomolecular Systems Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces 14424 Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Freie Universität Berlin Arnimallee 22 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Ankita Malik
- Department of Biomolecular Systems Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces 14424 Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Freie Universität Berlin Arnimallee 22 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Maria A. Carillo
- Department of Biomolecular Systems Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces 14424 Potsdam Germany
| | - Monika Garg
- Department of Biomolecular Systems Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces 14424 Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Freie Universität Berlin Arnimallee 22 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Antonella Rella
- Department of Biomolecular Systems Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces 14424 Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Freie Universität Berlin Arnimallee 22 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Marie‐Kristin Raulf
- Immunology Unit and Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Bünteweg 17 30559 Hannover Germany
- Institute for Parasitology, Center for infection Medicine University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Bünteweg 17 30559 Hannover Germany
| | - Bernd Lepenies
- Immunology Unit and Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Bünteweg 17 30559 Hannover Germany
| | - Peter H. Seeberger
- Department of Biomolecular Systems Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces 14424 Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Freie Universität Berlin Arnimallee 22 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Daniel Varón Silva
- Department of Biomolecular Systems Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces 14424 Potsdam Germany
- Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry Freie Universität Berlin Arnimallee 22 14195 Berlin Germany
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The use of proteomics for the identification of promising vaccine and diagnostic biomarkers in Plasmodium falciparum. Parasitology 2020; 147:1255-1262. [PMID: 32618524 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202000102x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is the main cause of severe malaria in humans that can lead to death. There is growing evidence of drug-resistance in P. falciparum treatment, and the design of effective vaccines remains an ongoing strategy to control the disease. On the other hand, the recognition of specific diagnostic markers for P. falciparum can accelerate the diagnosis of this parasite in the early stages of infection. Therefore, the identification of novel antigenic proteins especially by proteomic tools is urgent for vaccination and diagnosis of P. falciparum. The proteome diversity of the life cycle stages of P. falciparum, the altered proteome of P. falciparum-infected human sera and altered proteins in P. falciparum-infected erythrocytes could be proposed as appropriate proteins for the aforementioned aims. Accordingly, this review highlights and proposes different proteins identified using proteomic approaches as promising markers in the diagnosis and vaccination of P. falciparum. It seems that most of the candidates identified in this study were able to elicit immune responses in the P. falciparum-infected hosts and they also played major roles in the life cycle, pathogenicity and key pathways of this parasite.
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Azcárate IG, Marín-García P, Abad P, Pérez-Benavente S, Paz-Artal E, Reche PA, Fobil JN, Rubio JM, Diez A, Puyet A, Bautista JM. Plasmodium falciparum immunodominant IgG epitopes in subclinical malaria. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9398. [PMID: 32523082 PMCID: PMC7287129 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66384-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Incomplete non-sterile immunity to malaria is attained in endemic regions after recurrent infections by a large percentage of the adult population, who carry the malaria parasite asymptomatically. Although blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum rapidly elicits IgG responses, the target antigens of partially protective and non-protective IgG antibodies as well as the basis for the acquisition of these antibodies remain largely unknown. We performed IgG-immunomics to screen for P. falciparum antigens and to identify epitopes associated with exposure and clinical disease. Sera from malaria cases identified five prevalent antigens recognized by all analyzed patients' IgGs. Epitope mapping of them, using adult and children sera samples from an endemic malaria region in Ghana segregated into patients with positive or negative subclinical detection of P. falciparum, revealed binding specificity for two 20-mer immunodominant antigenic regions within the START-related lipid transfer protein and the protein disulfide isomerase PDI8. These 20-mer epitopes challenged with sera samples from children under 5 years old displayed specific IgG binding in those with detectable parasitemia, even at subclinical level. These results suggest that humoral response against START and PDI8 antigens may be triggered at submicroscopic parasitemia levels in children and may eventually be used to differentially diagnose subclinical malaria in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel G Azcárate
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.,Isabel G. Azcárate, Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Alcorcón, 28922, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Paloma Abad
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Pérez-Benavente
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Estela Paz-Artal
- Immunodeficiency and Transplant Immunology Unit, Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), 28041, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro A Reche
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, Ophthalmology and ORL, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julius N Fobil
- Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 13, Legon, Ghana
| | - José M Rubio
- Malaria & Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Centre of Microbiology. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220, Majadahonda, Spain
| | - Amalia Diez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Puyet
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - José M Bautista
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Genetic diversity and immunogenicity analysis of 6-cysteine protein family members in Plasmodium ovale curtisi importess from Africa to China: P12, P38 and P41. GENE REPORTS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2020.100657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Hillringhaus S, Dasanna AK, Gompper G, Fedosov DA. Stochastic bond dynamics facilitates alignment of malaria parasite at erythrocyte membrane upon invasion. eLife 2020; 9:e56500. [PMID: 32420874 PMCID: PMC7269671 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria parasites invade healthy red blood cells (RBCs) during the blood stage of the disease. Even though parasites initially adhere to RBCs with a random orientation, they need to align their apex toward the membrane in order to start the invasion process. Using hydrodynamic simulations of a RBC and parasite, where both interact through discrete stochastic bonds, we show that parasite alignment is governed by the combination of RBC membrane deformability and dynamics of adhesion bonds. The stochastic nature of bond-based interactions facilitates a diffusive-like re-orientation of the parasite at the RBC membrane, while RBC deformation aids in the establishment of apex-membrane contact through partial parasite wrapping by the membrane. This bond-based model for parasite adhesion quantitatively captures alignment times measured experimentally and demonstrates that alignment times increase drastically with increasing rigidity of the RBC membrane. Our results suggest that the alignment process is mediated simply by passive parasite adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Hillringhaus
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum JülichJülichGermany
| | - Anil K Dasanna
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum JülichJülichGermany
| | - Gerhard Gompper
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum JülichJülichGermany
| | - Dmitry A Fedosov
- Theoretical Physics of Living Matter, Institute of Biological Information Processing and Institute for Advanced Simulation, Forschungszentrum JülichJülichGermany
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Roller RF, Malik A, Carillo MA, Garg M, Rella A, Raulf MK, Lepenies B, Seeberger PH, Varón Silva D. Semisynthesis of Functional Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-Anchored Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020; 59:12035-12040. [PMID: 32307806 PMCID: PMC7383966 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202002479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Glypiation is a common posttranslational modification of eukaryotic proteins involving the attachment of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycolipid. GPIs contain a conserved phosphoglycan that is modified in a cell‐ and tissue‐specific manner. GPI complexity suggests roles in biological processes and effects on the attached protein, but the difficulties to get homogeneous material have hindered studies. We disclose a one‐pot intein‐mediated ligation (OPL) to obtain GPI‐anchored proteins. The strategy enables the glypiation of folded and denatured proteins with a natural linkage to the glycolipid. Using the strategy, glypiated eGFP, Thy1, and the Plasmodium berghei protein MSP119 were prepared. Glypiation did not alter the structure of eGFP and MSP119 proteins in solution, but it induced a strong pro‐inflammatory response in vitro. The strategy provides access to glypiated proteins to elucidate the activity of this modification and for use as vaccine candidates against parasitic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée F Roller
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ankita Malik
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria A Carillo
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Monika Garg
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Antonella Rella
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marie-Kristin Raulf
- Immunology Unit and Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany.,Institute for Parasitology, Center for infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bernd Lepenies
- Immunology Unit and Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Peter H Seeberger
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Varón Silva
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 22, 14195, Berlin, Germany
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49
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Florentin A, Cobb DW, Kudyba HM, Muralidharan V. Directing traffic: Chaperone-mediated protein transport in malaria parasites. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13215. [PMID: 32388921 PMCID: PMC7282954 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The ability of eukaryotic parasites from the phylum Apicomplexa to cause devastating diseases is predicated upon their ability to maintain faithful and precise protein trafficking mechanisms. Their parasitic life cycle depends on the trafficking of effector proteins to the infected host cell, transport of proteins to several critical organelles required for survival, as well as transport of parasite and host proteins to the digestive organelles to generate the building blocks for parasite growth. Several recent studies have shed light on the molecular mechanisms parasites utilise to transform the infected host cells, transport proteins to essential metabolic organelles and for biogenesis of organelles required for continuation of their life cycle. Here, we review key pathways of protein transport originating and branching from the endoplasmic reticulum, focusing on the essential roles of chaperones in these processes. Further, we highlight key gaps in our knowledge that prevents us from building a holistic view of protein trafficking in these deadly human pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Florentin
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - David W Cobb
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Heather M Kudyba
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Vasant Muralidharan
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Hou N, Jiang N, Ma Y, Zou Y, Piao X, Liu S, Chen Q. Low-Complexity Repetitive Epitopes of Plasmodium falciparum Are Decoys for Humoural Immune Responses. Front Immunol 2020; 11:610. [PMID: 32351503 PMCID: PMC7174639 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Induction of humoural immunity is critical for clinical protection against malaria. More than 100 malaria vaccine candidates have been investigated at different developmental stages, but with limited protection. One of the roadblocks constrains the development of malaria vaccines is the poor immunogenicity of the antigens. The objective of this study was to map the linear B-cell epitopes of the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte invasion-associated antigens with a purpose of understanding humoural responses and protection. We conducted a large-scale screen using overlapping peptide microarrays of 37 proteins from the P. falciparum parasite, most of which are invasion-associated antigens which have been tested in clinical settings as vaccine candidates, with sera from individuals with various infection episodes. Analysis of the epitome of the antigens revealed that the most immunogenic epitopes were predominantly located in the low-complexity regions of the proteins containing repetitive and/or glutamate-rich motifs in different sequence contexts. However, in vitro assay showed the antibodies specific for these epitopes did not show invasion inhibitory effect. These discoveries indicated that the low-complexity regions of the parasite proteins might drive immune responses away from functional domains, which may be an instructive finding for the rational design of vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Hou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China.,The Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Yu Ma
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Zou
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Research on Prevention and Treatment of Tropical Diseases, Beijing Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xianyu Piao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Qijun Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Livestock Infectious Diseases in Northeast China, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China.,The Research Unit for Pathogenic Mechanisms of Zoonotic Parasites, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
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